Spidey senses

[Dora486]

Hi there, we’ve been hosting for just over a year and never had this happen before, maybe I’m lucky?  Our current guests arrived yesterday.  First red flag from them was not wanting to give us their details so we could register their stay with local police.  It’s a Spanish legal requirement.  After a bit of to and fro and quoting of legal requirements finally got that sorted.  Next thing was them arriving to the village and them messaging to say they couldn’t find a parking space, we give full and clear instructions on what to do in that instance.  We have a local multi storey that is cheap and is useful for arrival day….response yesterday was a grumpy “but that costs money”??  1 euro an hour or 10 euros a day, 37 a week, not excessive.  We recommend parking there to unload and then move to a free village space later in the day once day visitors gone.  2 two red flags.  Asked them to let me know when they  checked in, we have a key safe in these covid times.   Nothing from them from 5pm yesterday till 9am today, spent the night wondering if all okay?   Third red flag.  They ignored several messages and texts.  Finally got a terse reply to say yes, in and okay.  They said found hairs in toilet and had to clean them themselves?  I’m sure not, I do an almost forensic clean!  Apologised if I’d missed anything but pointed out that I would have come re clean if they’d only just let me know.    I sense they are not happy with their booking or trying to wangle some compensation.  My plan is just to proceed as normal and see how it pans out.  I did eventually have to ask Airbnb to intervene this morning to actually get them to reply to me at all.  It’s not looking good.  

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

No it is not looking good, they are obviously “I didn't read but I blame you for it “ kind of guests. What I do is to ask them if they want to terminate their stay and be refunded for the rest. They almost always accept. Yes I usually can’t rebook at such a short notice but I don't want such guests anyway so everybody happy. 

[Dora486]

Thank you, that is my gut feeling too.  All our guests so far have been lovely, it’s a shock when you get a difficult one.    I’m inclined to give them one more day and see if anything else transpires?  I guess if they checked out now they’d still give a bad review anyway?    

[Dora486]

Update to this sorry saga.   Guest asked for recommendations for where to eat….okay I’m playing nice, so instead of just referring her to my Airbnb guide book, I send her a very comprehensive list of our very favourite places…message back saying…that’s not very helpful!   I’m bending over backwards here to make her stay happier for her.   Called her out on her response and said that as it seemed she wasn’t very happy in our lovely house and village perhaps she should contact Airbnb with regarding to them finding her a better fit.  Let’s see what happens next!    Good call Branka and Silvia should have done sooner…I’m a people pleaser….I need to get over that pronto!  

[Laura2592]

@Dora486 yes I was just going to say send something like:

"I am concerned you seem not to be enjoying your stay. Would you like me to contact Airbnb to help find something that fits you better?" Is this is a new guest to ABB?

[Dora486]

Now she has messaged me to say all is good, the house is good, the village is good, no problems whatsoever?   She is happy.   Not a new member but only has one previous review which was 5 star.  Oh well, I shall take happy as a positive and count the days till her departure.  

[Laura2592]

@Dora486 I would just leave it then. When it comes time to review I would probably say something like:

"So and so left the place clean (if she did). Communication was a bit problematic and at one point, we did ask her if we could find her a better fit with a different accommodation. We wish her the best and thank her for staying with us."

I think this gets across to other hosts that she is a bit of a sourpuss but otherwise okay. I would only leave this review if she is generally good at following rules and doesn't trash the place. 

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Dora486 @Colleen253 @Sarah977 @Laura2592 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

Seems like you called her bluff!

[Dora486]

That sounds good, I was wondering how to deal with the review side of things.  Very diplomatic.   Fingers crossed she doesn’t trash it.  Her profile said she was a yoga loving, clean freak.  The yoga bit not so, I recommended my local yoga group to her and she said curtly, oh I don’t do yoga….?  Here’s hoping the clean bit is true!

[Mike-And-Helen0]

This makes me think it is a third party booking.

[Dora486]

update on this, guest checked out Monday.  No trashing of our little casa but left the shower room in a very dirty condition…who knew it could even get that dirty, shower mat uncleanable and now thrown out…think I may have got off lightly….decided I would wait and do a last minute review, hoping she wouldn’t.  Had the prompt that she has just left her review…. @Laura2592  i plan to use your great wording, leaving out the clean bit but mentioning the manky shower room.  I will let her stew a bit and post my review late, I have fabulous guests in now which more than makes up for the numpties.  And breathe xxxx. All is good again in hosting world

[Sarah977]

@Dora486  It's always perplexed me how people can continue to use a shower that they allow to get totally gross, and come out of the shower feeling clean. 

And it's not some major chore to keep it clean. There's zero need for a mess of slime under and around the shampoo bottles, for instance, when they can easily be rinsed off in the running water while you are taking a shower before placing back on the shelf.

[Dora486]

The shower tray itself was black, the trap was full of hair and grease, the shower tray and trap full of grit and small stones…I had to sweep before I could clean, the trap totally blocked and gross.   Not in anyway normal, both toilets had a little surprise.  A learning curve for me for sure.  

[Colleen253]

@Dora486 In that case, slightly stunned the guest had the gall to complain about a hair on the toilet......

[Dora486]

I’m so sure a non existent hair…I’m so so clean…only reported next day, no photos….took her a day to even acknowledge she’d arrived, then that problem popped up. it was a very strange host, I’ve shared a little but lots more and stranger..…it takes all sorts.  On the whole I love hosting, when you get anomalies not so much so…