Your tips for hosting older guests

[Inna22]

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I have never gotten a five star review from "young at heart". The ones I get are very critical, stuck in their ways and think anything and everything is my fault. Unfortunately, as I get more good reviews, they are more and more likely to book with me and expect I do not know what. Typical guest from yesterday: inspected everything in my 1890s build home- every outlet- and sent me a long list of issues. This listing actually has all five star reviews. So clearly everyone else felt this was a fully functioning accommodation. Everything was dramatic. She found a cap stuck deep down a sink pipe and now there will be a flood, she just knows it. The older guests are never happy with my pillows, furniture set up, comfort of couch etc because it is not their home. Unlike younger guests, they are spending a lot of time at the house so more likely to notice every tiny fault. I have come to straighten a dishwasher rack for my older guests. Brought a light bulb and was scolded for it taking me four hours. Younger crowd would have probably not even noticed it in the first place and if they did, would not have wanted to be bothered by me coming in to change. Also, most end up demanding a discount for their struggles.  I tremble when I see a reservation from a "mature" group. What are your tips for preparing for older guests and best style of communication?

[Cathie19]

Thank you @Kira32 , @Ange2, @Donna240  - I’m with  your way of thinking..... and I do love that @Kira32 , now that you are young, you are experienced! Well done girl! Got the cake to eat as well!  👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼.     🙂

So I’m sorry @Inna22 , @Kath9  and @Lisa723 that you have all  had such negative experiences, as  to typecast a demographic. It does happen, but it shouldn’t matter.

Things that might help, which I’m sure you are all already doing:

- Ensure your check in and homestay folder information has written and visual “how to operate guides”. Signage if needed. This assists the well versed in English, and those without English.

         > Not everyone absorbs information audibly, whether young or old. (This has nothing to do with hearing impairment.)

Generally the Millenials are champions with technology - and in the majority, so they should be, as they have known nothing else. 

          > But tech savvy types exist across all ages, as do “absent minded” “in the clouds” - professors of all ages.

- Please continue to make the first step when guests raise concerns. Don’t wait for an invite. State this is what you do to assist them. Write it in your on site information, or back it up on the Airbnb message board if your gut is grumbling... (documentation)

          >  Unless they are involved in illegal activity, it is usually appreciated. I have found this with the very aged, baby boomers and the young first time Airbnbers....

           > Experienced guests tend to know the ropes when it comes to expectations. But I’m not stereotyping for fear of being proven wrong.. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

When frontline managing staff or customers, it is a “personality type” and traits, as well as their life experiences that tend to pattern the human reactions and responses. Our guests are these very same people. Race, age and culture tend to not make too many differences with a personality type. Though a person’s upbringing or background may restrict or enhance their confidence to give it a go, or query it in the first place.

Luckily my best guest’s have been young and old.

My worst guests have also been young and old.

As a young oldie by birth, I think I’m all of them. And YES, I often can hang around in a homestay (when not sharing), for that’s my right - unless it’s written in the house rules, that  I must not be on site!  Also, as a mature individual who feels young at heart, who happens to also be a superhost (often maligned as a guest), I do give five stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ quite willingly in my guest reviews. If I have a concern, that gets listed in the private feedback.

Overall advise is to just breathe...

continue to:

* be the rock...

* be the water.... 

* be prepared....

* be flexible...

* be the host you need to be... 

* and let the birth certificate, in these circumstances, not matter.

🌻🏆💐🌷💐🌷💐🏆🌻

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

ah... @Inna22  ...  for some brief period of time we had a sentence in "Other things to note": Our apartment suites the best to young, happy guests and those who feel that way :)"

This was after grumpy 65+ year-old couple was not reachable by phone on the day of arrival, got lost, were late for 1,5 hour, were unpleasant and angry on arrival, gave us the worst review ever how our apartment is not better than a hostel, beds have wooden board in the middle so they felt it (they have asked us to join two single beds clearly shown in our photos), mattresses were not comfortable, bathroom was small (also shown in pictures) and we are aggressive 😄 LOL

Older guests 60+ also did some very stupid things and broke our closet, window, and toilet seat when they climb into/onto them to reach something. Yes, unbelievable... really... what were they thinking??

We never had young guests complaining about beds or the bathroom or anything else being uncomfortable. And young guests never sends us a lot of questions, they just google what they want to know  🙂

[Laura2592]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  what is it with older guests and toilet seats?.We had the same kind of situation with a retired couple who stood on ours and broke it. We replaced the whole toilet (long story) with a water efficient one that has a toilet seat you can take off and sanitize between guests. It attaches very cleverly with magnets. Our first older guest after it was installed complained because they thought it moved when they say down. We now have a disclaimer about the seat! Everyone laughs at it.

[Inna22]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 I love that sentence? Why did you take it out?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Inna22  ah, nobody reads anyway 😄

[Marie82]

@Inna22  i usually know when it is a mature guest when they said I cannot put the TV on/Netflix/Cable on.

Since then I have made a video on how to switch TV on/Netflix/Cable and if any issue I send them.

The good things about mature guests no risk of a party but a lot of messages though

[Yadira22]

Hi @Inna22 

one of my worst reviews came from a guest who stayed one night and paid peanuts (made a pricing error on my end) for a double bedroom with private bathroom, central-ish London (zone 2) about 5 mins from her work place. 

Overall she graded me 3*  and 3* for value because  you have to climb down stairs (i think 7 total) to the toilet and there is no handrail as shown in the pictures Airbnb took. 

This is the listing main photo

This is her feedback

-The fan was less than a month old, she connected it to the power but did not turn it on by the « on » button

- the shower head « leaks » about 5 random drops at a time directly into the bath whilst water is flowing 

-soap bottles were installed that day and as she wanted to check in early (about 3 hours prior which I allowed, never again) I did not have time to cut the tips of pump extension thingy as to ensure flow as I was trying to get four bedrooms and 10 sets of linen done with 3 hour less than Normal). I fixed those in 5 minutes for once she left. 

- Tea towels : several in kitchen cabinet That she did not notice.

-Loud noise- she chose to sleep with the kitchen windows (next door) fully open despite them being triple glazing. 🙈

She stayed one night only and insisted on carrying 20kg upstairs instead of using a luggage storage service close by (£7/24 hours) and bringing only what she needed for the night. I told her this before she booked and disclosed the stairs etc when she told me about her 20kg luggage. 

Honestly... *SMH*

The truth is, if people want to complain they will and as long as you have done your best this is enough. 

Fix your crown and move on... anyone being able affect you negatively is giving them too much power and this person was not worth the hosting fee let alone my peace.

Good luck to you. 🙂

[Inna22]

@Yadira22 Fix your crown and move on- love that! And I do love the collage style photo

[Kevin1322]

 "fix your crown and move on"  Nice one.

Reminds me of a reply I left to a review for my non-ABB business "It's not all about you, Princess". He didn't like that  Got more upset when I asked if him if he thought  a gold plated toilet and a a pony thrown in would help.  He spent 1.99.

I don't sell on Amazon any more 😉 

[Yadira22]

Omg we used to sell on amazon and the amount of complaints and lack of common sense there is astonishing... common sense really is not that common.

Once got an email “you are a itch and I hope you rot in hell”- to which we responded “and sir please advice on how we could further assist you on that matter...” 

@Kevin1322 you get the best stories in customer facing roles! 🙂

[Lisa-and-Chris1]

@Inna22 Thank you for sharing your insights.

We have hosted several older guest and found your article to be helpful. 

[Andrea3989]

Thank you for this post. I thought I was going crazy.

[Alice746]

I think some guests can be more demanding than others (age aside), but I do think that more mature guests sometimes stay and feel an air of responsibility to tell you about any issues (major or minor) just so you don't think they have chipped the tile on the kitchen floor etc!

I try and address any areas I think might cause concern via the welcome pack e.g. I tell guests where spare batteries are and any other useful bits. I leave instructions on how to work everything from the TV to the microwave! Obviously we can't account for every worry or niggle so I just try and smile and address any extra "issues" as they arise. 

I also leave a little handwritten welcome note, along with a discount voucher for a local restaurant (good promotion for them and nice for my guests) and a bottle of wine or a nice cake! That seems to put a smile on the face of some guests!

[Sarah977]

It's not true across the board, but in general, the older one is, the less adaptable to unfamiliar situations. Most older people, unless they are veteran travellers, have likely never stayed anywhere when travelling aside from a hotel, or a traditional bed and breakfast. I think that what comes across as complaining is simply a lack of experience in being able to adjust to things which are not familiar and may not work the way they do at home. 

@Yadira22  What a classic case of a guest blaming the host for their own ineptitude. I think the star ratings that guests give should simply be automatically applied to the guest, instead 🙂

[Jeremy100]

Alway remember - just because your old doesn’t mean your right