Missing item

[Erika741]

Hi, all. I am new to here. I have been hosting for 2 months and got 3 bookings so far. Today customer checked out my unit. They left my unit extremely clean even vacuum themselves. But they took saucepan with them(I can't find anywhere). I tried to contact to them but they not answer me. However they gave me really positive feedback and now I am bit confused. I don't know what should I do now. I already gave them negative feedback which I really didn't want to. They was so nice while staying with us. (I am living upstairs of acommodetion)

Does anyone have same experience that guest was so nice and friendly and give really nice feedback to you but they steal something from your guest room?! 

[Emiel1]

@Erika741 

It is always tricky to accuse a guest of theft when something is missing.....

I read your review on the guest profiel and IMO at least the sausepan issue could be less emphasizing. .You could have used private feedback (part of the review feature) and if no response even can put a public comment on their review in next weeks.

What is the value of the sausepan ? I always calculate "losses" or "damages" against what i have earned.

If it is not a big issue, l consider it as costs of doing business.

[Erika741]

Thank you for your advice. Saucepan was  just NZ$20. Its not expensive one.

I didn't know about private feedback..... But I think I can't change my feedback anymore after published in public. Or is there any way I can change to private?!

[Colleen253]

@Erika741 You can’t change your review now that’s it’s been posted. You can always ask Airbnb to remove it if you want, as you authored it. 

Going forward, don’t be in a rush to review. You have 14 days from check out. You could have waited to hear back from the guest about the missing item.

[Erika741]

Thank you for your advice. I've contacted to Air bnb support to remove my review. She still not reply me but I shouldn't rush so quick to judge the customer. 

[Emiel1]

@Erika741 

When writing a review, there is a second textfield available on the page to write some private feedback (not obliged). But for now you can only ask Airbnb to remove the review.

[Erika741]

Thank you @Emiel1. I just contacted to Air bnb support to remove my review. 

[Sarah977]

@Erika741  Hosts have found things they assumed the guest took, in strange places. Don't be in a rush to be convinced the guest stole it and don't accuse a guest of anything you can't prove. 

You might find the pot outside under a plant in the garden, or somewhere else that makes no sense. They might have burnt it really badly and thrown it in the garbage. They might have gone somewhere and brought food in it and forgotten it.

One host posted here that she thought a guest had stolen a lamp, or maybe broken it and thrown the pieces out, then found it stuffed in the back of a closet under a pile of extra blankets.

A small inexpensive item missing isn't worth fussing over. All you can do is ask the guest if they know where it might be.

[Erika741]

@Sarah977  Thank you for your advice.

Customer still not reply my text but I shouldn't write a negative feedback so quick. I have already contacted Air bnb support and asked them to remove my review. I will wait more if the customer reply me anything. 

[Sarah977]

@Erika741 Guests often don't respond to messages, and it may be that they just don't have their notifications turned on so don't even realize there's a message waiting.

If a guest doesn't reply after a few days, you can try sending them a text message to their phone number.

For a missing item, the guest may not reply if they feel they are being accused. I have no idea how you asked them about it, but something like " Hi XX, thanks so much for leaving the house so clean, we really appreciate it. A question, though- the medium size saucepan seems to be missing- just wondering if you put it somewhere we didn't think to look, or accidentally packed it with your stuff? No biggy, it wasn't expensive, it's just a bit of a mystery", shouldn't lead to them feeling defensive.

[Linda108]

@Erika741   Sorry you found something missing but I agree to accuse a guest requires a high level of proof should not be part of a review unless you have that proof.  I have had some small items go missing on very few occassions, but my message to the guest is always to enlist their help in my dealing with a memory lapse on my part or some other way of not accusing them even indirectly.   Also, there are many reasons that you will need to allow a few days for communication, so that is not always an indication of guilt.

Think of the situation as if you were the guest and a host accused you.  How would you defend yourself?  

[Erika741]

@Linda108  Thank you for your advice. You are right. I shouldn't accused the customer so quick. I have a lot of time to wait her response. I have already contacted to Air bnb support to remove my review. I will wait more few days if the guest reply me anything. Maybe she accidentally take it with her. 

[M199]

@Erika741 

When I started hosting last year, we "lost" hairdryer, bath mat, and a few other minor items.  They reappeared, somehow.  I figured out that we just didn't look close enough.  We also ended up with extra bbq tools, cleaning supplies, ice packs that we didn't supply.  In my opinion, it all comes "comes out in the wash".  I don't have the time to worry about the small things and just consider them the cost of doing business.

[Erika741]

@M199 Thank you for your advice. 'Comes out in the wash' is right. I got some plant and unopened some food from previous guest. I shouldn't worried about small things. I have already contacted to Air bnb support to remove my review. 

[Sarah977]

@M199  I never owned an umbrella in my life until I started hosting. Now I have 2, left behind by guests. 🙂

And a really nice straw hat I wore that a guest left, but then I loaned it to another guest, who accidentally left it in a restaurant. Easy come, easy go.