The straw that broke the camel's back

[Huma0]

So, this is a really small, trivial thing, but it drove me absolutely CRAZY today. I have a guest who has terrible communication (doesn't respond to ANY messages, ignored all check in instructions, refuses to listen to any logic about basic stuff) and keeps breaking numerous house rules, albeit the minor ones. She does some really weird, completely nonsensical stuff. She has the attention span of a gnat. Bare in mind, I host long term guests, so when things are not going swimmingly, it can build up to a load of frustration... So, yes, I am kind of just venting.

I am middle aged and so, in recent years, my eyesight has started to falter. Due to this, I bought a magnifying mirror. This suddenly disappeared. I am not talking about a small handheld mirror, but quite a substantial thing. A large, table top mirror that has a specific place. Today was my brother's 50th birthday party, yet I was unable to put on make up etc. because my mirror was gone. Just gone. 

Okay, seriously annoying (why do guests take other people's things without asking?) but not the worst thing in the world. Maybe I am feeling so irritated about this because it is about the 20th annoying thing this guest has done. She doesn't seem to see the need to close the fridge door, so my very expensive fridge had a a breakdown. She said my washing machine made her clothes stink, but turns out she washed her clothes and left them in a heap in her room rather than hanging them up. and on and on...Deep breath....

So, yeah, all small things. But how many small things before the camel's back breaks?

[Huma0]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0 

I don't think there will ever be a level playing field between hosts and guests and Airbnb's most recent policy changes confirm this fear. They have now made it even easier for unscrupulous guests to scam free stays or get around cancellation policies.

However, I have heard a rumour that there might be some changes to the review system, so I'm waiting to hear what and trying not to be too cynical. Perhaps it will be positive!

A super guest scheme could work. There have been many more suggestions over the years that would also help, but Airbnb either don't implement them, or they make some token gesture.

After consistent requests from hosts to make house rules more visible on the listings, the link to the full rules was moved near the top of the landing page. How long did that last though, before it was moved back down to the very bottom? Why? I might have missed it, but I don't remember seeing any explanation. One change that I did like and is still around (for now anyway) is when they allowed ALL hosts to see guests' star ratings, not just for instant bookings.

Another thing that would help is if guests were educated about how the review system works, but the vast majority do not even know they get star ratings. Why would they know? Airbnb does not tell them and even keeps it hidden. I sometimes casually mention in conversation with guests that they get ratings too. I've never once come across a guest that already knew this.

But I believe that the one thing that would make the biggest difference in improving guest behaviour is a total overhaul of the review/rating system so that hosts are no longer held hostage over bad reviews. It is so difficult to enforce house rules (or deny an unwarranted refund) when you know it may result in a bad review/low ratings/loss of Superhost status/loss of bookings/maybe suspension/maybe even removal from the platform. This is especially a challenge for hosts like me who host long term stays, because every single review really counts. It's worse still for new hosts who desperately need all their reviews to be great.

Once upon a time, you could get Airbnb to remove a review that was untruthful or retaliatory if you had proof. At least that offered some protection, but even that was taken away. 

It has been suggested over and over, that there should be a system where an 'outlier' review, i.e. a low rating that is completely out of step with the host's other reviews should be removed. To make this fair, it could be tied to a percentage, or have a limit, e.g. only one review per year, but Airbnb has not implemented this. Why? Because, they would rather lose ten amazing hosts than lose one guest, good or bad.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

You brought many good ideas on how the review system could work in a fairer way. I personally think that the Airbnb review system is overrated. It is always 5 stars or nothing.

I recently hosted an elderly woman who had no idea on how the star rating works, she gave me an overall 4 stars rating but still wrote an excellent review.

Guess what? Immediately there was a warning  that appeared in red on the Airbnb mobile app showing that this particular listing got a recent low rating and that I should work on improving this lol. 

[Huma0]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0 

Yes, the Airbnb review system is deeply flawed. 

Those were not my own ideas as such, but suggestions that many hosts have been putting forward for years. The folks at Airbnb can't be stupid. They deliberately keep the review system this way because that's how they prefer it...

[Huma0]

So, I've been playing 'mum' and gently trying to educate my guests. No, it's not my job, I know, but I need my rating to go up, not down. I had a 3* review a few months ago and it really destroyed my rating and I lost Superhost status for the first time.

I was away over the weekend and I think it helped to calm me down. It's good also to remind yourself of things from the guest perspective, although of course I did not behave this way in the airbnb that I stayed in. However, my mother made a mess of the recycling bin because she got confused and chucked the coffee grinds in it. Oh dear. I tried so hard to leave everything immaculate!

These are sweet girls. They are just clueless. My fridge is still freaking out from the door not being closed properly. I really hope it recovers. Recycling seems to still cause confusion. Yesterday, I sent them a message about the current water shortages and asked them to be mindful of their water usage (simple things like not leaving taps running when not in use). It hasn't made the slightest difference as far as I can see, but it's probably too early to tell.

However, no one has left the front door unlocked again, there have been no more packages and no one has taken my things without asking and cleanliness in communal areas is generally pretty good.

The young ladies in question are becoming more and more friendly and sociable and seem pretty happy here. They don't seem to mind my nagging so much. In fact, they almost seem to appreciate it. One mentioned that she likes how "thorough" I am, that she's learnt a lot by staying here and she will be line drying her laundry rather than using the dryer when she returns home. The other told me she was impressed with how well I had cleaned her room. I have no idea if she is keeping it tidy, but she seemed to appreciate the difference. 

Tomorrow my repeat guest is arriving. She is around the same age (mid-twenties, but was in her early twenties when she first stayed). This girl has stayed with me multiple times (all long term bookings) and has never broken a single house rules. She might teach them a thing or two. Let's see...

[Huma0]

Update: neither of these girls left me a review (even though one of them specifically told me she was going to leave me a good one), but it doesn't really surprise me. Why would they be more organised/mindful about that than anything else? 

Oh well, never mind. At least I have my sanity back... for now.

[Huma0]

Oh dear. Still getting these clueless type of guests. 

Current guest has had the house rules explained to her/house tour just like everyone else. Still, she leaves her bedroom lights on when she goes out and lights on around the house all the time. She made no attempt to separate her waste (which is required by my local council), chucking loads of recyclables and food in the wrong bin, cutlery and all. Here's one example of what I found in the bin:

...but there was a lot more and three empty pizza boxes left on the floor because everyone here seems incapable of emptying the recycling bin.

She did apologise when I brought her up on it saying she was drunk and wouldn't do it again, but that it was "a big adjustment" for her as she is used to just chucking "door dump" food/packaging. 

She spends literally hours in one of the communal bathrooms, doing I don't know what (not showering as she uses a different bathroom for that), and just dumps the towels smeared in make up there for me to deal with.

She keeps locking herself out because she can't operate the very simple key. She says it won't turn and, yes, she is turning it the right way, yet double locked the door from the outside, which is only possible if you turn it the OPPOSITE way. While I was away, she messaged the other guests at 2.30am because she couldn't get in (the same night she was drunk). The next day, she locked herself out again before I got home and ended up camping round at my neighbour's house for an hour, which I find absolutely mortifying. The lock and her key work just fine. I have demonstrated it to her over and over, including again this afternoon (must be at least the ninth or tenth time).

I don't know why I keep attracting these types. I wonder if there is any way that I can deter them from booking? I have such a thorough list of house rules/instructions and make sure that every guest reads and agrees to them before booking. What else can I do to put off the guests who are lazy, careless and thoughtless?

[Debra300]

@Huma0,

Maybe you could request an extra services fee via the Resolution Center, (e.g., call it a Key Fee) and tell your guests that the fee may be refunded if they don't lose the key, any utensils or incur incidental damages.  It may incent some guests to be more conscientious and exhibit better behavior. 

[Huma0]

@Debra300 

Problem is that the guest seems annoyed at me because she can't open the door. She admitted that it was maybe not the key/lock as I'd opened it in front of her numerous times, and said that she "must be doing something wrong", but the implication was that it was my fault, not hers.

She even filmed a little video today outside of her unable to open the door before messaging me. When she messaged, I went straight to the door to let her in and AGAIN opened the door numerous times in front of her with her key...

This time, and the last time it happened (Sunday evening), she then ran straight upstairs to her room and doesn't seem happy. It probably didn't help that I asked her not to throw everything, including the cutlery, into the bin willy-nilly, even though I was as polite as I could be about it!

I think if I tried to charge her a fee for not being able to open the door, she was totally flip out.

[Debra300]

@Huma0

The hypothetical fee is deterrent for future stays.  

It's too late to apply a fee as corrective action for the current guest.  Her lack of self-awareness that she's the root cause of her door issues, and sense of self-entitlement cannot be fixed with a fee, but probably would have prevent her from renting in the first place.

[Huma0]

Ah, I see. Yes, it's already in my house rules that guests will have to pay for replacement locks and keys if they lose their key, and also that they are responsible for paying for damages in general.

I don't think though that it deters guests like these because they just say they agree to the house rules and then start breaking them almost the moment they arrive. They don't even realise they are doing it.

Another guest I mentioned on this thread was reminded during check in to turn off her bedroom lights when she goes out. One hour later, she went out for the evening leaving the lights on. I had to remind her several times before she stopped doing it. Likewise with a number of other things.

Sure, the potential of a fee could deter some guests booking, but I believe that most guests do not read the house rules before they book and I know that because it's very rare for them to answer the Easter egg question that's contained in them. I would say that nine times out of ten, they have to be prompted, and that includes the good guests!

@Debra300

[Helen744]

AHuma0 just get up really close and say ,"Do not operate anything if you are drunk." just go to bed.  And then say Can you remember that ?and give her a big kiss. Then open your eyes really wide while you wait for her answer. She will remember  . Leave out the kiss bit if you want ,but it tends to concentrate the attention ,replace it with a hug.  One middle aged lady to another . All the best. How are the bookings going ?   . H

[Huma0]

Thanks @Helen744 . Sorry, just saw your response now. Seemed to miss recent comments on this thread...

Bookings are going okay-ish, I guess. Views seem to have picked up quite a bit since the first few months after the Summer Release, when they were dire, but I can't say it's translated into that many bookings. I am still quite reliant on repeat guests/direct bookings...

I had a flurry of interest a month or so ago because I had some availability in December/January, but mostly totally unsuitable guests that I could not accept. Once I accepted a booking for those dates, things fell deathly silent again. No interest really for early Spring.

How are bookings going with you?

[Helen744]

Oh Huma0, I have stopped temporarily and am renovating at the moment ,but I like to keep up with what is going on inmy market as well as that of o/s markets and the dropping off of bookings has been across the board. I really think that part of the problem is those with multiple listings of generic apartments have really razed the listings for all of us and it will start to impact across the board.Listings like ours really need to hold the field but its difficult against all the modern offerings and new offerings offering steep discounts Most houses in my market are not doing so well after that 'new' button disappears but I  did go onto Vrbo for a while and numbers were good but I  was not totally 'only Airnb' . I also seemed not to show up on the calendar unless someone really looked at my block in the street and there was no way to change this. I definitely lost market share, to new listings in the area do not know if I lose out in the algorithym because of not being 'loyal 'to Airbnb ,but I was not getting enough bookings to make it worth my while ,even though I was getting fives all the way , some people who booked through Vrbo , which affiliated somehow with Airbnb simply did not leave reviews and seemed to have no expectations of dealing with a host at all, I am not even sure why but their behaviour was peculiar as if they had been told not to speak to the host or something,.... my daughter may have a listing in Melbourne soon , not far from the airport ,but I will really need airbnb to answer some hosts questions before I recommend she goes ahead , because its a lot of work if there are no guests... Cheers Huma0   H

[Huma0]

@Helen744 

Yes, I can see why you would be reluctant to recommend your daughter go ahead. Things seem very unstable for small-scale hosts like us. 

One of my rooms has had a very long term booking (Sep-Mar), so I don't expect to receive that many views/interest for that, but am still confused about what is going on with the other two.

According to the Airbnb stats, views for those two have gone up a lot and look very healthy for the past month (although not as high as pre-Summer Release), yet I've not had a single enquiry, let alone booking request during that month.

The placement in the search results is still not great, and I don't show up on the map view at all unless I zoom in on my street. So, I am not sure I trust the stats on the views at all. 

Although I am sure there are plenty of new listings flooding my market too, I still feel (based on what I have seen and feedback) that my listings stand out from most of the competition. Long term guests are struggling to find good, affordable and central long term stays here. BUT, that makes no difference if one is buried beneath the flood of new listings...

[Helen744]

@Huma0 The not showing up on the map is I think a serious issue ,I am not sure wether its to do with the type of map being used or Airbnb settings . I will be trying to get an answer to that for sure.   H