Post Covid Guest Behavior Changing

[Marie585]

I've been hosting since 2007, when VRBO was the only game in town. The last 6 months of hosting on Airbnb have been worse than ALL the previous years combined. I'm not sure if guest behavior is changing, but it appears that way. Entitlement and breaking basic rules are the norm. I've incrementally had to increase rules and be very specific, which was never needed before...people were respectful for the most part.

I'm not sure what to do other than sell all four of my properties and quit hosting. If things don't change soon, I can't imagine anyone will be hosting. I don't need this mess, but maybe you guys will have some ideas. For example, my last guest registered two people and showed up with a dog, who they claimed was a service animal, once Airbnb questioned them about another issue (Although it was left alone during the day in the home and not kept with its owner for the majority of the time) so suspicious, but whatever, I have no choice but to let it slide. 

At 1:30 am on the first night on a weeknight, I'm woken up to a demand for my amazon purchase pin and to turn the AC WAY down (in the desert with 95+ temps outside, it's customary in the desert to keep the thermostat at 80 to avoid overloading the energy circuits preventing brown-outs). I was thinking, "Geez, this is going to be a great experience." Then the same guest brought over an unregistered guest AND another dog, an aggressive dog, to stay...and when the dog bit my husband and had to go to the hospital, we asked them to remove the extra guest with the extra dog, and were told flatly no by the guest.

When I reported this to Airbnb, along with the refusal to remove the aggressive dog, Airbnb canceled the original guest's reservation for breaking the rules (which was probably the right thing to do)...but the guest then harassed my husband and me to the point where we had to threaten to call the police to get them to go. The guest RIGHT before this one BROKE IN after checkout and tried to throw a party with 100 people.

Luckily my neighbours called us immediately, and the police were called. WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?! I manage one home myself, but the other three are managed by regional vacation rental companies who are having the same kinds of issues.

What to do? We've always considered ourselves reasonable people and have made some great friends using Airbnb...but that seems to be the exception, not the rule. Is Airbnb over?

[Huma0]

@Gillian166 

I think it depends on the type of guests you attract, and certainly if someone is very tired or in a hurry, then the last thing they want is a long house tour. I find though that most of my guests have allocated themselves some time to settle in and unpack a bit before they head out the door again and they really do appreciate a detailed house tour. In fact, check in and communication have always been my highest scoring categories and many guests have praised the tour in their reviews.

It's not a case of bombarding them with a whole lot of rules when they arrive. If all has gone to plan, they've already reviewed the rules before they booked, so I don't need to run through them all again, but there are certain things that are just easier to explain and for them to understand if I show them, and that's when you can slip in a reminder of certain rules.

For example, reminding them to properly close the front door (yes, this does need to be done unfortunately) is easier while you are handing over the key and showing them how to operate the lock. It's easy to quickly remind them to close the fridge door or turn off the oven or what to do with the trash/recycling when you are showing them these items. It's important to do this in a friendly, conversational way rather than barking out a list of rules. You also have to focus on a few that bear repeating (e.g. no meals in the bedroom) rather than the more obvious ones (no smoking in the bedroom).

I find that the vast majority of guests really appreciate it. People prefer to know the boundaries and for sure will have forgotten some of them by the time they arrive. As long as your rules are reasonable, it's not a problem. The only time it's a problem is with the guests who have no intention of following the rules and it's best to try to weed those out in the pre-booking stage if possible! 

Anyway, I'd much rather do that than stick a load of signs up around the place. The occasional, prettily crafted or humorously worded sign like yours doesn't hurt, but when hosts start sticking instructions up all over the place, I feel that is much more heavy handed than a guest manual or an introductory tour.

[Gillian166]

@Stephanie365 

lol, you said you only had 3 notes. 

oh, but then you mention a few others. 

oh, you forgot about the one on the curtain. 

 so not 3, you have 7 notes, that you've told us about. 

I have a sign on the toilet asking people not to flush foreign objects, it's cute and humourous, well designed 4x6 that i had printed and put into a nice frame.  this is perfectly fine IMHO, and very common in rural areas where people have septic systems and city people might be unaware. Any other info that I think the guest needs to know is either in the "settling in" message I send them @ 5pm on check in day, or it's in the guest manual. 

To answer your question, as a homeowner I don't need little notes everywhere treating me like a child. It's not welcoming, it's constantly reminding me that I could be doing something "wrong" and doesn't make me feel like a valued guest. 
But that's just how I feel, you are welcome to run your hospitality business as you like. cheers. 

[Stephanie365]

@Gillian166 I think you missed the point. 

My guest complained about "numerous dos and don'ts". I have THREE.

The other signs are informative.

If I don't tell people how to access the DVD through the 2 remotes, they will never, ever, figure it out.

Shall I let people wonder why it takes 5 minutes to get hot water, before which they might give up and simply wonder if there is hot water at all? "1* review: This home is so rural it doesn't even have hot water! Do not recommend!"   Or shall I inform them that we have a hot water circulator that comes on at these times, BUT if they would like the hot water circulator on at other times to let me know and I will adjust it immediately.  Now, I know you're going to say, "Well, silly goose. Why not just leave the circulator on all the time?"  Because guests will not have COLD water since the cold water line is the return line for the circulator. The note explains this and since hot water is an important thing, I feel guests should be aware. Do you really think guests will start fumbling through the Guest Manual to see why there's no hot water?  No, they won't.

And I've had guests bitch about the inability to get cold water out of the tap for a drink. Even though I have a Brita Water Filter system with a gallon of cold water in the Fridge.

I guess perhaps I should just take down the sign and let the guests get frustrated trying to find the laundry pods.

The curtain note is temporary and was not in play when the guy complained about the "numerous" dos and don'ts.

Just curious, do you feel like a child driving down the motor way with signs telling you what to do?

[Gillian166]

@Stephanie365  these do sound reasonable and you know your property best. I did say it was just how I felt.... and honestly we just don't want to see you ending up as a Tiktok meme one day. xo

[Helen744]

@Stephanie 365 on another note , do you have horses nearby because I caught a hint from one of your reviews that maybe some of your guests are more interested in that than anything else. H

[Helen744]

@Stephanie, I am just wondering Stephanie if the notes are in reaction to the guests or important.some especially the hot water and the septic are important but the drapes ,not so much.When I first began hosting I used all negative guest feedback as a 'learning experience' complaints about noise , pillows, blinds etcetera I took on board and changed. I am always updating even though my house is an old miners cottage and may not look like it .Sometimes it is as simple as bulbs in the garden for a season still to come or weather shielding around the door or bedroom phone chargers. I do what I can aside from cleaning and maintenance to make sure my guests are comfortable.Some things of course like changing furniture are not immediately necessary but once a very large man and his partner literally broke a bed . We gave them movie tickets and while they were out we replaced the bed but that was an emergency and the further you are out of the city the more difficulties can arise.' Whatever can go wrong will go wrong' for sure but no point sweating the small stuff as they say H

[Helen744]

and trying to explain the review system is to my mind a waste of time.its like fiddling with the brakes of a runaway trolley car on the way down hill. I have 4.81 at the moment and two guests . will i get through to the end of June intact? Who knows but the focus is now on my current guest. This guest is essentially weighted to be way more important than any other guest but I cannot do more for this guest than any other because I always do more for every guest. There are limits . Personally and professionally . Guests are getting more value from Airbnb than they ever have and the review system does not reflect this or respect hosts and until it changes you will continue to feel put upon H

[Stephanie365]

Yes, I am in an old, quirky farm house. I am on a farm (even though AirBNB's dumbbots haven't figured that part out) I have horses. 3 of my neighbors have horse farms. My neighbor across the street grows hay and has cows. 

It's rural enough here that internet companies want nothing to do with us, hence my making it crystal clear in my listing if you're looking for a place with great internet, that's not me. On a Facebook Page, I can't tell you how many entitled city folk have commented, "There is no excuse not to have good internet!"  Clearly they've never ventured outside of the concrete jungle! LOL 

As a matter of fact, the same person who complained about my Benzoyl Peroxide sign also bitched about the Internet rules in my Welcome Manual (no signs!!) because my internet is limited both in speed and in data allowance. When you use a hot spot, only so many devices can be connected and each device slows the system down. How dare I ask people to disconnect their device from my [useless] Internet when they're not using it!

Based on the feedback from my guests, 97% of them appreciate contact-less check in, and quite frankly, oftentimes I'm at work when my guests arrive. With the exception of the drunk guy who couldn't get the lock box open, everyone has praised my ease of checking in.  

[Anonymous]

@Stephanie365  The signage as you describe it doesn't sound extreme, certainly not anything I'd go to the trouble of complaining about. Passive-aggressive, maybe. I find people more receptive to those kind of instructions when they're delivered in person during the arrival tour, where you can look them in the eyes and make sure they've taken them in. A friendly discussion goes down a lot better than having signs barking at you around the house.

I know you're very attached to shoving that Forbes article in your guests' faces, but I seriously doubt it has anything to do with how consistently great your ratings are. It just reveals some measure of insecurity and defensiveness, which is unnecessary as your record speaks for itself. 

[Stephanie365]

I hardly feel that having an article in the back of my Welcome Manual is shoving an article in anyone's face.  And in this day and age of COVID, many guests prefer contactless check in. Several have mentioned this as a positive. I've never had anyone say they wished I was there to show them around. 🙂

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

I don't think it's about guests wishing you to show them around. I think @Anonymous 's point is that instructions and reminders can come across better when related in person during a welcome tour, rather than in signs stuck around the place, which just ruins the appearance and rubs people up the wrong way. Most people do not want to stay in a place with signs stuck up.

I understand though if it's impossible for you to personally check people in if your work restricts it.

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

I've heard many hosts on the CC mention that they include some information about the review system in their house manual or elsewhere and I can see why, as most guests would never guess how it really works and are shocked when you tell them. I haven't done this myself (although I have considered it) because it's difficult to do this without seeming heavy handed. I get that you included the Forbes article because it was from a third party, but if it's three pages long, perhaps a short, simple explanation written in a humorous way might work better. I have seen a couple of good examples here on the CC. I will post them if I can find them, but it was a while ago.

I agree with @Anonymous that many guests, on seeing several notes around the place and the information in the house manual, will feel like they are being micromanaged.

I started this thread on that exact topic:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/House-rules-house-manual-signs-and-post-it-notes-when-is-it-too/m-p/1617720#M368968

I'm not a fan of signs and post-its. Of course, I totally get that a lot of times these are instructions to help guests use something and, when it's reminding them to do/not do something, i.e. a rule, then it's often based on previous, bad experiences, but guests aren't always going to see it that way. I prefer to mention these things in a more light hearted way in the house tour like @Helen744 , but I guess not all hosts are able to do an in-person check in.

Judging by your rating, you obviously have a really nice place and I guess explaining how the review system operates is working for you. However when a guest gives you 5* but mentions in the review that they felt pressurised to do so, it's not a good look. Who knows how many others felt the same but just didn't mention it.

[Stephanie365]

I don't have "post its". I have nicely printed, laminated signs. Even the temporary sign for the drapes is nicely printed.   Do you really think if my signs were the problem, I'd have had 140 guests in 5 years and of the 120 who left reviews, not one guest said something about the signs? No, it's the changing mentality of the guests. They're looking for something to whine about.

That's the point that is lost in all of this, and the subject of this post by the Original Poster. For 5 years that I've been hosing almost no one has looked for little things to complain about. They come, they enjoy they leave.  In 2022, every guest has had some incredibly minor or just insane complaint, whether it has been conveyed publicly or privately. Like they don't feel complete unless they say something negative.

My newest insane complaint in my review from a guest is "there is no place for two people to sit and relax".

Really?

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

No, I don't think the OP's point has been lost. I already replied to that saying that I agree that guests are getting picker + not following house rules and I am sure that has a lot to do with the problems you are experiencing.

However, it's not unusual for threads to go a bit off topic, and the discussion about the signs isn't that off topic. You gave it as an example with guests complaining about/removing your signs. It doesn't really matter whether they are post its or printed, laminated signs, they are still going to be off putting to some guests. Perhaps guests are more picky now than they were. Perhaps there were previous guests who didn't like it but didn't mention it. If you've left information in your house manual RE why they should leave you a 5* review, you can never be sure if they were all going to leave you 5* anyway if you hadn't given them this prompt. 

All I know is that I am not a picky guest. I give 5* even if there are numerous little problems, as long as I can see that the host is trying to do their best and the listing is accurate and decent overall. Still, I would find signs about the place annoying and based on feedback I've seen on other threads, so do a lot of people. Also, although printed and laminated ones are not as offensive as post it notes, they're still not attractive.

Many properties have quirks, but a house manual would be a better place to put instructions. You say the guests wouldn't be bothered to look, and maybe you've experienced that a few times, but you make sure the manual is in a prominent place and you inform the guests that that information is in there, e.g. you can message them saying the instructions on how to use the DVD, where to find the laundry pods etc. is all in the house manual, which they will find in X place. The airbnbs I stayed in did it this way and it worked just fine. The guests who CHOOSE to ignore the rules are going to do it regardless of signs, as you can see by the one who simply removed the sign from the curtain. 

If you believe that most guests are totally fine with the signs and it's just recent ones who are overly sensitive about it, then okay, but if you don't want to change the listing/how you go about things, then you have to change the guests you accept. You can sometimes spot guests who are going to be serial complainers by the reviews they have left for other listings. 

[Gillian166]

@Stephanie365  I upgraded 2 lounge rooms this year because I felt it wasn't comfy enough, and had guests mention it. I love your furniture, it's totally my style! but.... that stuff is not relaxing to sit on. 

We previously had these sweet (Laura Ashley) yellow wingbacks (this cottage has occupancy of 2 max) and they are actually comfy, but after a few comments we got a comfy sofa so people can truly curl up with a book and glass of wine and enjoy the fire. 
Likewise in our workers cottage we had similar, 2 seater + 2 wingbacks (not vintage, modern)
I have this same set in my house and it's not really that comfy, it just looks nice. We already had this 3 seater ikea sofa and i didn't want to put more ikea in the cottage (which is why i'm keeping the vintage trunk as the coffee table, for now) but I found the matching 2seater on marketplace in perfect condition and so we changed the room. 

(sorry the pic is not great, i haven't been down yet with my real camera to take the new pics, this is just a phone snap)

our first set of guests who stayed after we made the change commented on how much they loved snuggling in front of the fire, so it was the right change to make. 

Also I might have had Sarah nagging me from the ethers, telling me that my listing for 6 only had seating for 4! haha.  

I listened to all of these sources and made this change. I might have only had 2 guests say something, but that's not to say a lot more weren't thinking it, and said nothing out of politeness. Some whinging we can ignore, but I still consider all of them and put myself in the guests shoes to determine if I need to make a change. 🙂

I will say that finding a modern couch that is comfy but still fits the style of your home is SO challenging. It took me a while to find the black sofa, the current mid century modern trend does not suit our homes with 14' ceilings, you need "real" furniture to match the proportions of the room. but that's really getting off topic 🙂