“Missing” items

[Andy-And-Morgan0]

Hi everyone, I need some guidance on how you deal with guests who claim there are items missing that were not included in the listing. Example: we have received questions regarding where our blender is located, face cloths, windex, table cloths and runners. These are not listed in our listing anywhere but guests have asked why they are not in the unit. I want to make sure these are not mandatory items we should have in the unit and/or how you would respond? 

thank you! 

[Lorna170]

@Andy-And-Morgan0   You may need to do a review of your listing and its amenities.  None of the items are necessary amenities for properties, but if your guests are requesting or looking for these items, it is certainly something to take under advisement.  

I have listened to my guests over the years and have added many things to my listings that I would not have thought are mandatory amenities. 

Guests who are looking for table cloths may be older and like to set a table for dinner with tablecloths or placemats, or are trying to create a clean surface on an outdoor table.  Likewise are guests who want coasters to put their glasses down on.

Blenders, crockpots, instapots, Kuerig coffee makers, cocktail shakers, cutting boards, serving dishes are all things that guests want.  If you have provided a streamlined minimalist kitchen with just enough equipment to reheat food, consider adding those items your guests are looking for.

Face clothes…a plentiful supply of face clothes is a must.  Purchase them in a dark color for makeup removal.  MANY women will use more than one facecloth a day.  When i travel, I always request extra facecloths from the hotel/cruise ship/resort.   Towel service for my home consists of a bath sheet, bath towel, hand towel and facecloth for each person registered as a guest.  Extra hand towels and facecloths are in a basket in the bathroom.  Yes, it is a lot of laundry, but better a happy guest.

Windex.  I leave a general cleaner, toilet cleaner, windex, dusting spray, mop, bucket, broom, dustpan, microfiber cloths and an extra roll of paper towels along with a supply of laundry products and hand soap/dish soap in my properties. No Wipes — they are bad for the plumbing.  Guests need to have the ability to clean up after themselves.

Thank your guests for asking about such and such amenity.  Let them know that it is not in the property “at this time” and that you will certainly make it available to a future guest (even if you don’t).  You should provide those things that you get asked about over and over, but not every kitchen appliance is a necessity.  (Blenders may be).

[Andy-And-Morgan0]

Thank you so much! This is very helpful. This is our first Airbnb and we are struggling with where to draw the line for picky guests. I will definitely be purchasing face cloths, blender and plan to leave general cleaning spray/tools for maintenance cleanup for them. 

[Mark116]

@Andy-And-Morgan0  We have everything on your list except a blender and a table runner.  You want to be careful about feeling like you need to get every random thing that someone mentions.  You can just tactfully say, that 'we don't provide a blender or XXX in the unit'  feel free to ask if you have other questions or you can check the amenities section on the listing.  We also in our greeting message recommend that guests should read the whole listing, house rules, amenities, check in/out times and location to ensure it's a good fit.  Probably no one ever does, but that prompt puts us out in front of such issues.

As others have said over time we've added a lot of things we didn't  have initially. It also depends on what kind of guests you have/want.  For example, we will never put TVs in the bedrooms because we dont' want guests hanging out watching TV in the apartment all day or staying up late watching loud TV all night.  

[Fred13]

@Andy-And-Morgan0   It is not a matter of 'have to', because you do not state it, but more of meeting reasonable expectations and then it all lessens the need to explain to your guests your decisions. In this way in time, you will achieve a very low-maintenance listing. Not a guest leaves us without we asking them, what did we miss?

P.S. The other day on pick up we made a bet with a great guest that they couldn't name anything missing and they said "spatulas"; wife dragged them and showed them two (but not in an obvious place) and we all had a great laugh about it. When they got home they thought of one - had to unplug reading lamp to charge their phone when at bedside. Touche'

[Huma0]

@Andy-And-Morgan0 

No, you do not have to provide things not stated in your amenities list and, if you get guests who are constantly demanding more, more, more, you would be within your rights to politely and cheerfully direct them back to the amenities section of the listing. 

However, I think which amenities you should have depends very much on the listing. If it is a basic, budget place, then I don't think any of the things you mentioned are must haves, but your listing looks quite smart. If a blender is a common request (and I feel it might be more so with American guests) then it's worth buying and I think that place mats and coasters are a good idea as they will prolong the life of your furniture, but I don't think a tablecloth is strictly necessary.

It's not a bad idea to have cleaning materials available (I can see why the guests asked for windex as you have the sliding glass doors) even if you don't expect guests to do any cleaning. Some guests simply want to keep the space as clean as possible. My last Airbnb stay was only for one night but I would have liked to have had a vacuum cleaner or dustpan and brush as we got some crumbs on the kitchen floor. The host wasn't bothered by the crumbs, but I was! 

RE towels, yes, an ample supply should be provided. I see that your property manager did go round with the extra towels, but it's best if a guest doesn't have to ask. I find that female guests from the US often use a lot of face cloths, so yes, best to provide those too. You will find a lot of turnover of those though due to make up stains. 

You will learn over time what your target market needs. If you host a lot of East Asian guests, for example, then a rice cooker is a must. Anything that is frequently requested should be considered, but no, you don't need to cater to every whim. I have a very well stocked kitchen because it's my own home, but only one guest out of hundreds has ever asked me for a pizza cutter, so no, I didn't run out and buy one.