Need advice: my guest asked a lot..

[Hsin-Ting0]

Hello, everyone. 

Thank you for coming in to take a look, it's a bit longer content than I was thinking....

This is my very first time to be here to ask for help.

I and my partner been hosting guests since 7 years ago, I know we've been done a lot to help our guests.

Its always a pleasure.

BUT, I really don't like that people ask help and they think we have to, you know.

Our culture, you have to respect yourself first and so people will then respect you.

If you put yourself in such position and acting like the whole world gotta have to provide you help, you are not respecting anyone including you.

I mean its all about your attitude.

So I have a guest who gonna check in at 16th of this month and she will stay for 4 nights.

She is a children social development specialist(something like this, I forgot the official name) and a professional photographer. Back to her country she work in school as a professional photographer.

She starts to doing a project:

Travelling around the world and taking pictures of kids at different schools.

So basically she ask permission to enter schools and take pictures and use(at any platform)  the pictures she collected to "prove doesn't matter at which consideration, background or culture or education systems, language...blablabla, kid are always pure and clean and blablabla..."

So, at first she asked if we can phone local schools to ask permission for her.

And then, due to law in our country, there's "personal information protection act", she gonna need the agreement from every single child so she can starts to taking pictures.

To achieve that, she asking us to create a survey/paper, and then print out and then sent to schools.(cuz she don't know Mandarin at all)

I told her that she's asking bit out of the service we can provide. I said " its really hard for us to create a paper that official for you from zero, also hard for me to translate it and even harder part is to print they all out and sent to schools."

I mean I and my partner are full time host, we have guests every day, we work whole day every day, do everything all by ourselves, and English isn't my first language, and second, I have to spending extra time to print and sent to schools?? Seriously?

I really think she asked way too much. But she seems like have no feeling about our reply every time. I mean she makes me feels like she think we are good friends so we can try to help her. She always give me a small face and then ask me to do what what what.

I then began to think, is this kind of situation normal? Or it's just she isn't normal?

I mean, she is okay, not super impolite, BUT, I'm kind of felt that she is take advantage of me.

I don't think my English is that well can handle this kind of official documents. 

So here's couple of my ideas:

*give her the contact of all schools, I just focus on my "accommodation" service.

P.S. I mean we of cuz provide lots of travel info to our guests, to help them have a wonderful trip.

*help her: translate her document, printing and sent to all schools and ask payment as she said she will pay.(but I don't even know how to charge=_=)

*tell her to find profession translator. And then help her to print and sent only.

*pls provide me your suggestions if you are still reading my post till now.....

P.S. After I mentioned, she created a survey/paper to let me translate, but which is super long. She explained why she starts her project and details of her idea and her passion, which is already one A4 page. And next page is asking the permission. 

To whom still reading right now, I really really really appreciate your time and patients. Thank you very much, doesn't matter you leave a word or not. Thank you.

My English isn't that good, so if there's anything wrong about my English,please feel free to let me know. Thank you.

Cheers,

Amy

[Colleen253]

@Hsin-Ting0  Amy, you're not obligated to provide any service beyond that associated with accomodation. The way you've described the situation and the guest, it seems likely to end badly for you if you involve yourself in any way, even in the limited manner you suggest. Since it sounds as though you truly don't want to be involved, If I were you, I would firmly tell this guest that what she's asking is beyond the limits of your time and the scope of what you offer. Stay firm if she insists, and if necessary, tell her you won't respond to communications that don't involve the accommodation, period. And be sure to keep all communication on the ABB platform.

[Brian1617]

@Hsin-Ting0 I agree with Colleen that this is well outside the norm and I would be very wary of any involvement in what you describe. If this was a genuine project the guest would have all the approvals in place already. This could end very badly. 

[Anonymous]

@Hsin-Ting0 The guest is abusing your hospitality. She sounds like someone with an entitled attitude, who expects others to commit unpaid labor to support her own little adventure.

Under no circumstances should you get involved with her documents. If you happen to know a professional translation service that she could hire for her needs, it would be helpful to direct her to them. But it doesn't sound like she has any intention of paying anyone, not any concept of how the world works. I agree with @Colleen253 s insight, the best way to handle this is to keep your interaction limited to matters concerning the accommodation. 

[Lyn3]

Hi @Hsin-Ting0  Amy

Please do not allow yourself to become a "doormat".

This person is asking TOO MUCH  in my opinion. 

You are a host of accommodation - that is all!

Kind regards x

[Rita662]

Hello @Hsin-Ting0, hello everyone,

I agree with what everyone has said here.

It sounds like an interesting project, and of course we like to help, but it seems that the guest is abusing your goodwill. And it may cause you problems...

Just focus in accomodating.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Hsin-Ting0 

Just tell her that what she is asking is way beyond your power and you are unable to help.  

[Hsin-Ting0]

Thank you guys, now I'm pretty sure what I was thinking is absolutely right. I will try to fix this, thanks again. 😉

[Helen3]

I agree with everyone else @Hsin-Ting0 

I would simply reply and say that you are sorry but this is not an area that you can help with and should she want to get involved in this project it would be best for her to hire a translator and do some research with schools on the best way to approach this project.

She is not a friend, you are providing a service. She is paying for it.

I bet she wouldn't ask a hotel to do this !