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I suspect they were trying to build a case to get at least a partial refund from Air. It looks like your husband has handled the situation beautifully in what he said to them (especially them knowing that you had personally cleaned the kitchen and sink) and now they are backing off.
How on earth can they overlook the stench of stinky diapers but notice a different smell that “comes and goes” and went from the fridge to the sink?
It would be good for them to know (and satisfying for you) to somehow let them know that you don’t normally deal with having people in the house to set up cribs or other items for their use, and that they should have planned on handling this themselves, rather than your husband having to give up his time and effort to do this.
These people seem entitled, overly picky and ungrateful. If they ever hope to stay with you again that’s not a good way to start your relationship. I don’t blame you for not having them stay again.
I just have to share. I just messaged them regarding check-out procedure and time and this is what they just messaged me back: “Thank you! We’ll be checking out by 10:30. Also, Jessica from furniture rental will be coordinating with Karl on the crib pickup.” My husband NEVER agreed to coordinate the crib pick up. I am speechless!!
You are correct that they are ungrateful as they’ve never thanked us for dealing with the crib delivery, granting them an early check-in, etc. I’m going to be factual in my review. I don’t care if they give us 1star at this point.
Oh my god how presumptuous! Can you disassemble the crib and leave it outside the front door? Tell the guests it’s on them to ensure it gets picked up safely?
On second thoughts maybe tell them the rental needs to be completely vacated by check out time, including the crib, and if it isn’t there will be a late check-out fee of $xx (whatever amount will make it worth your husbands time to coordinate with the crib rental people)
At this point I just want them gone. I said that I didn’t know what the crib woman had said, but that my husband had specifically told her to coordinate with them regarding the crib pick up. I told them that she would need to let him know exactly when he needed to be available between 10:30 and noon if it’s after their departure. They said they would let her know, and then told me that she would be picking the crib up between 10:30 and noon. It is possible the crib lady told them she’d coordinate with him and I will definitely ask her what she told them. Really I just want them gone. Should I be truthful in my review of them??? Every other guest has been lovely!
Just an update. So they left at about 9:45 AM, letting us know via text that they were leaving and that the crib company would be there between 10:30 and noon. The crib company actually arrived at about 12:15 (check-out is noon). The crib lady also thought it strange, and rude, that they had said we’d coordinate the crib pickup as she remembers my husband specifically telling her they’d need to go through them. She also said normally she delivers/picks up after the guest is there, and also thought it odd that the guest came and then left again during the set-up, leaving my husband there dealing with her. She said hotels never grant her access prior to guest check-in and rarely do airbnbs. They also texted that the place still smelled after my husband deodorized the sink but that they just dealt with it since they only had one more night. I don’t smell anything! I asked the crib lady, and we asked one of our regular tenants to sniff (not telling them why), and neither of them said they smelled anything. They did leave the place tidy. I will be truthful in my review, not mentioning f the smell as I suppose that’s subjective, but I am going to mention the crib set-up and pick-up ,and how they just presumed we’d be available and happy to deal with it.
@Arlene_Larsson what an unfortunate experience. It’s behind you now and you can get on with your life. I would let them know that you had several other people confirm that there was no smell coming from your space in your response.
If it were me I’d probably let them rent again but next time charge much more for their stay… send them a special offer for an extra ~$200 for your husband and you having to deal with all their extra stuff. Make a point that people who require much more effort will cost more. Even if they don’t stay again it will make the point of what “exceptional” guests they were (and not in a positive way).
Time to go have a nice glass of wine and chill for awhile knowing this is behind you.
I recently had very nice guests stay but when they checked out I had to kill (no lie) about 100 fruit flies. I had one day free before the next Guests and set a trap overnight with apple cider vinegar in a small dish covered with plastic wrap with a tiny hole in it. They can get in but cannot find their way out and drown. I must have caught 20 more buggers over the next day. I had to leave it in but placed it on top of the refrigerator and let the next guests know what it was and why it was there.
It took three more gays but I finally got it wrapped up. Just a trick for the future.
We are in FLORIDA and I always tell guests not to leave food of any kind out as we will have bugs. Oh well.
I am blown away by the guests wanting you to handle their rental. Will someone leave a rental car next? So sorry for you as unknown this is stressful.
Bottom line is there will be people who are difficult and even some who tell lies in the hope of getting benefits … you won’t be able to keep everyone happy all the time … just continue what you’re doing to the best of your abilities and know that you’ve done the right thing … people reading reviews will also know when reviewers are being unfair … good luck with your next guests, I’m sure they’ll be wonderful
Review: Very Friendly guests ( and year old baby). Exceptionally thorough in sharing thoughts, and provided us regular text feedback during their stay. I hope they loved it here as much as our prior 18 guests, but I think maybe they would have enjoyed an “all-inclusive resort” , with the Butler Service, more. We were pleased to handle each text request, and for extra hospitality, we stepped in as their liaison for the crib rental provider during set-up so the guests could go out right away, and pick-up since the rental company came after departure time.
by the way…on another note and for input…we do handle all the crib stuff for the guests. They pay and give my husbands phone number.
Drop off is prior to guest arrival, during house cleaning, and then the service tells us when they can pick up. So just fyi, so you know other hosts and owners might handle this.
Yes georgy, I don’t want to sound like we won’t do anything extra for our guests. I think it was more the presumptuous attitude; they never asked or thanked us. We had one day gaps in our calendar on both sides of their reservation so there was no reason for us to even be at the unit during the crib business. The complaining about the phantom smell didn’t help either (and again, a valid complaint I don’t mind and take seriously, but there were and are no fruit flies in that unit).
As a host this review tells me little. It makes the whole crib episode sound like you wanted to do this. I would have written that guest assumed host would take care of crib rental without asking, assumed tha host would be available, when in fact it might have been impossible or incredibly inconvenient.
I’m not very good at articulating this, but maybe someone her can write I better. Guests were inconsiderate re crib rental.
Hosts need to read a review, and read between the lines, and evaluate what a review says to them on their particular style of hosting and expectations. . It really does not matter if Arlene did or did not want to do it…what is important is that is how the guest handed it off. That is information to all hosts about the guest, especially combined with a suggestion for a Butler experience. It is supposed to be nice…there is no sense ( in my opinion ) in calling guests inconsiderate, as long as the facts are shared.
We all get bad guests from time to time. They were entitled and trying to get a discount. Ugh. Look, fruit flies go through screens and come through vents. And of course they come in on fruit or in beverages. THEY might have brought them. So what? I have a cabin in a meadow and a few people complain about spiders. Guess what? these are teeny teeny teeny cobweb spiders you can barely see. Good grief. I clean them away between guests but you can’t stop them. This is not a hermetically sealed Hilton, it is a cabin. And way more updated than most. If those folks did that to me, I’d say, “Don’t worry, I won’t charge you for fumigating after the flies you brought in.” The crib thing is over the top. I just remind myself that folks like this only come along once in a hundred. I had one complain that I didn’t stain the back of my cabin (the exterior).
The crib company actually arrived at about 12:15 (check-out is noon). The crib lady also thought it strange, and rude, that they had said we’d coordinate the crib pickup as she remembers my husband specifically telling her they’d need to go through them. She also said normally she delivers/picks up after the guest is there, and also thought it odd that the guest came and then left again during the set-up, leaving my husband there dealing with her. She said hotels never grant her access prior to guest check-in and rarely do airbnbs. They also texted that the place still smelled after my husband deodorized the sink but that they just dealt with it since they only had one more night. I don’t smell anything! I asked the crib lady, and we asked one of our regular tenants to sniff (not telling them why), and neither of them said they smelled anything. They did leave the place tidy. I will be truthful in my review, not mentioning f the smell as I suppose that’s subjective, but I am going to mention the crib set-up and pick-up ,and how they just presumed we’d be available and happy to deal with it.