True Story: Guest very concerned with noise - Rant time with a delay !!!

[J-Renato0]

It happened about 3 years ago. Only now I decided to write about that.

If there is a type of guest that I do not want to host is the ones who are very concerned with noise.

When some potential guest asks me if the apartment is silent, if there is not internal or external noise, I do not think twice to reply.
My standard answer is - "Sorry, If you are the type of person that are very concerned with noise, I recommend not booking my apartment".

Actually, my listings are good for the average guest, but not for the special noise-concerned guest.

Why? By experience I have noticed that, most of this type of person will never be satisfied. Even if you have sound proof windows, or if there is not street noise they will make an effort to hear it. They will hear some noise to bother themselves, such us toilet flush noise, refrigerator running noise and whatsoever.

Some have ears that are more poweful than the NATO radars or even more accurate than that huge satellite dishes to listen to sounds from other galaxies.
Some noise-concerned guests can NOT sleep because theier mission on earth is to find or detect some noise. The more the silence prevails in dead of the night, the more their ears get accurate to capture some noise. In the end, certainly they will rate less than 5 stars! If they give 4 it is a blessing.

It was about 3 years ago when I had the worst experience I ever had with a noise-concerned guest.
When the guest started complaining about noise, I offered him to move to another listing! He visited the other listing that was vacant and said he wanted to stay in the same listing because the other one it was smaller. I also offered to return the money to him except for the nights he had alredy stayed in the apartment. He said he did not want to leave because he liked the location. 

The grumpy and noise concerned guest gave-me 1-star in overall experience. Not only he was the worst guest I have had but the only one who gave me 1* !!!

[Dale711]

Hi @J-Renato0 

You’re right! It's not easy to please a guest very concerned with noise.

Does silence exist? Anywhere there is energy, including intergalactic space, there is sound because it is a vibratory region. Even black holes make sounds. Humans and animals can respond to changes in sound that occur in less than a millionth of a second.

Reading your post was funny enough to make me chuckle at my desk. I love the drawing!

Do you draw it? 

Thank you for sharing the story, and I wish to read more of your experience and hosting journey.

Happy Hosting 😀

[Ute42]

.

@J-Renato0  

People are different.

There are people who are very noise sensitive as Your case shows, but there are other people who prefer some background noise and if it isn't there they complain.

Pls read this thread:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Too-quiet/td-p/756720/highlight/true

and my proposed solution

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Too-quiet/m-p/756802/highlight/true#M180192

cc: @Ann72 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Anonymous @Colleen253 @Emilia42 

[Mary996]

Haha... nice getto blasting @Ute42 ... should do the trick xx

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ute42  😄 LOL, yes I remember this thread!

@Dale711  Really? I thought there is no noise in intergalactic space, I thought the air is needed to transfer the sound 🙂

@J-Renato0  great illustration, is it yours? 😄

 I always answer with "I can't guarantee..." to similar questions 🙂

I got a bad review once or twice saying: "We could hear the people and cars passing under the window at night so we had to sleep with windows closed" 

(Our ABB is facing a one-lane, one-way, residential street, without any nightclubs close by, but it is in the very center of the Croatian capital! It would be insane to expect death silence at any time ) 🙂 😄

[Anonymous]

@J-Renato0   New concept for an Airbnb room:  https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/earths-quietest-place-will-drive-you-crazy-in-45-minutes-1...

 

[Tommy150]

I don't find this always true.  I always ask when I book an ABB if it's a top floor unit or has a unit above it -- and if it does, do footsteps travel? (Some old buildings do, some you don't hear squat)

I have a thing about footsteps - they drive me nuts. Any other noise? Nope. I live in the city... I hear sirens, white noise, barking dogs, horns, etc. etc. -- none of it bothers me - the only thing I ever care about is people overhead.  Especially when you get the people that walk like velociraptors.  I've always lived in Uppers when I rented apartments for this reason. 

[J-Renato0]

@Dale711   @Branka-and-Silvia0 

Yes, that illustration it was made by me!  😉

Some sounds from other galaxies can reach the earth if they are sent via electromagnetic waves, like radio and tv broadcast. 📢 📯 🎺 👽 🤔  (radio telescope gets the signals)  👽 🤔 

@Ute42 

LOL 😅

@Anonymous 

Great idea! 😅

@Tommy150  .

You have a point ! 🙂 ...people that walk like velociraptors LOL 😅

[Tommy150]

@J-Renato0 It's so true... I've had my share of tenants that are the same.  I also swear there's a direct proportion to their size... the SMALLER the person, somehow, the MORE noise and floor-shaking stomping they are able to do.

The worst one I had that used to shake the floors and walls was maybe 110lbs soaking and wet and all of 5'6"

[Dale711]

HI @Tommy150 

You're right! I agree with you.

@J-Renato0, your art is so cool! Great job! 👏👏👏

Some people are sensitive to sound, small sound does annoy them.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@J-Renato0  and you can hear them, with your ears? 🛰📻 🙂

[J-Renato0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

No, I can not. 😊 But I have a theory (not considered true so far) that the guest in question, the one who gave me 1* was able to hear them with his big ears !! 😀

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@J-Renato0 

oh yes, he can  😄

[Sarah977]

@J-Renato0  Have these people never heard of earplugs? I can't sleep with noise, so not only do I travel with them myself, I provide them for my guests. 

While my place is in the countryside and  none of my neighbors are particularly noisy, so it's relatively quiet, you can still hear people taking, sometimes music playing, and the occasional car goes down the road.

And this is Mexico- they love noise here. Loudspeakers on cars and trucks selling things, at ear-shattering volume, weddings and quinceaños parties with giant amps that go on until 4 in the morning that can be heard loud and clear from kilometers away. 

I would never tell a guest they could expect silence. What I advertise is "relatively quiet", as in you won't have the propane truck with its loudspeaker and stupid endless jingle driving past your window at 7AM, as you would in town.

[J-Renato0]

Yes @Sarah977 , some travelers carry with them earplugs.
However, if they are very sensitive to noise, very concerned with noise, it is no use. As far as I know, earplugs can reduce the volume but can not make complete silence.
What type of earplugs (brand) you wear to sleep?
Maybe you are slightly sensitive to noise, but not TOO or extremely sensitive.

Too noise sensitive person can find noise even in the suburbs or in the countryside.
They can be irritade with the sounds of birds and roosters early in the morning.In the evening or when the night falls, some chickens and ducks can make noise (if they are around), not to say the sounds made by cicadas and grigs.

Even the wind make noise when going through the trees.
Even if they stay in a silent monastery they will hear bells and monkes praying.

If a too noise sensitive person stay in a hotel that has sound proof windows, and the the door of the bed room is not sound proof, they can still be irritated by sounds that comes from the corridors. If the bedroom is close to the elevator or next to the service room, they will have a nightmare.

However, if they stay in hotel, they always have tthe concierge to complain and to ask to go to another room. We as  hosts do not have always spare rooms to offer . So it is very hard to deal with a too noise sensitive person and very concerned with noise.