Discount seekers

[jaquo]

@konacoconutz

Amy, this isn’t a criticism… just a question. Do you find you have to “inspect” their work afterwards? One time I had a same day turnover and left my son to do the main work. Well… he tried… but needless to say, I had to basically do everything over.

I wondered this too. There are various things that we hosts do that guests would be unlikely to.

• Ironing the pillowcases
• Cleaning behind the fridge
• Laundering the throw pillow covers
• Lint rollering everywhere
• Thoroughly cleaning the bathroom
• Restocking loo paper, coffee etc
• Vacuuming under furniture
• Washing the shower curtain and liner
• Many more!

The majority of our guests leave the place in brilliant condition but it still takes me three hours at least to prepare the apartment.

I guess it’s easier if it’s a room rental rather than an entire apartment.

[KKC]

@jaquo

I wondered this too. There are various things that we hosts do that guests would be unlikely to.

Ironing the pillowcases
Cleaning behind the fridge
Laundering the throw pillow covers
Lint rollering everywhere
Thoroughly cleaning the bathroom
Restocking loo paper, coffee etc
Vacuuming under furniture
Washing the shower curtain and liner
Many more!

Some hosts don’t do these things either; I think it’s a majority.

[Helsi]

Cleaning behind the fridge…Oh how I laughed I can’t even move mine to get behind it

[KKC]

@Helsi

I can’t even move mine

Mine are on rollers. Is yours older or do European brands not come on rollers?

[konacoconutz]

Do you guys clean the tops of fans, picture frames, slider tracks and top of fridge? I do! All the windows and every Venetian blind slat every time? I do!!

[KKC]

@konacoconutz

every time?

Since I have so many one nighters, no. Every few cleanings I do something that rotates through the list. For example, I don’t dust the ceiling fan blades every time. I don’t polish wash the trash bin every time. I do dust the tops of things several times a week. Today I washed the throw pillow cover because the guest had taken it out of the closet and put it on the bed. I don’t know why and how long it was there so something extra to do.

[jaquo]

@konacoconutz

Do you guys clean the tops of fans, picture frames, slider tracks and top of fridge? I do! All the windows and every Venetian blind slat every time? I do!!

Yep

And the tops of pelmets, AC vents, louvre doors (three and I hate them!), inside closets and cupboards, rewash crockery and cutlery, polish all glass and mirrors … the list goes on and on!

[cabinhost]

@konacoconutz

Do you guys clean the tops of fans, picture frames, slider tracks and top of fridge? I do! All the windows and every Venetian blind slat every time? I do!!

Nah…not until a guest can write with their fingers “Dust me” on the wooden blinds. Then it’s time.

[Brittany_Anderson]

I just had a guy from India submit a booking and ask if there would be a discount if he paid a different way. Then he asked me no less than 20 questions. I replied back quickly " are you asking to pay off airbnb" and ignored ALL his other questions. He replied that he was asking to pay off airbnb but that wasn’t a deal breaker for him. But then, he copied and pasted all his questions from the previous message. Then rapid fire berated me with MORE questions. " What should I do on my vacation to Hawaii? I plan to go to Oahu for several days and then to the Big Island." Finally, I just told him that I don’t accept payment outside of airbnb and didn’t think this was a good fit. He replied that it probably wasn’t. The nerve! Don’t ask me for a discount and then use me as a travel agent.

[PHX]

When you said “guy from India” I then thought, “yup, makes total sense.” Here it’s common to get a discount to pay in cash because it’s off the books (in a land where so many things stay off official accounts).

Indians who don’t travel much overseas can also have ridiculous expectations of service workers who are often deemed to be less-than. It can be so off-putting, and I’m sometimes amazed at the disrespect staff have to put up with here from their well-heeled boss. He must be so confused and mildly insulted as to why you’re not playing 20 questions with him.

I wonder if @faheem would agree with me, but these have been my observations.

Anyway, sorry for the lousy experience–definitely best it didn’t work out, haha.

[konacoconutz]

I get the travel agent questions as well. I tell them that once they are booked I will be happy to give recommendations about what to see on the Big Island. I always marvel at the chutzpah of guests who aren’t customers yet wanting to waste all your time asking questions about Hawaii and then go book elsewhere! lots of questions are one of the biggest red flags there is,!!!

[Helsi]

No they don’t and it’s fitted

[faheem]

@PHX

Indians who don’t travel much overseas can also have ridiculous expectations of service workers who are often deemed to be less-than.

That sounds at least plausible. In India, people who work in the service industry are mostly poor. Rich Indians generally don’t want to even pick up for themselves - that’s the culture. It’s pervasive and hard to escape. As a consequence of this, there is much opportunity for abusive behavior towards service people.

So, if they haven’t travelled much, they might in the first instance think that similar circumstances prevail outside India. Though they would, I expect, quickly realise that wasn’t the case. Certainly not in the United States, for example.

But I doubt even an Indian would think of an Airbnb host as a service worker. Maybe the fellow was just being a jerk.

[Chloe]

I’m not sure this could be considered someone asking for a discount, per se, but that is pretty much what it boiled down to in the end.

I have a listing for one room with a queen bed and a private attached bath. A Canadian couple inputs the dates for their 7 night vacation in the very heart of the coming summer season, and sends me a message asking if, by chance, I can also accommodate their two children, aged 16 female and 10 male.

I’m really not sure what they expected. The guest suite, though attractive and comfortable, is small, which is depicted in the pictures. So I don’t know where they thought I was going to put 2 more people that, most likely, would want their own bed. I can’t see a 16 YO girl in any way being okay with sharing a bed, no matter how big, with her 10 YO brother.

The 7 night price for the couple would have been around $650. I wrote back and told them that as it happens, I do have another bedroom/private bath suite that they could book for their kids, but that suite costs the same as first one. I’m sure they had figured this out, but they were trying to see if I’d give it to them for free.

After I’d told them of the 2nd room, there were a million questions (most of which were answered in the listing). They wanted to know if they could cook meals in the kitchen at night, if they could watch TV in the living room, if they could use the outdoor space, if we had bicycles they could use, if there was transportation to the beach, and so on. Basically, they were hoping to take over my whole house, use everything I own, hope I’d move out for the week and pay $650 bucks for the privilege.

They have just signed up on Airbnb. They wrote back and told me they thought Air was where you got good deals, and $1300 was WAY too much money to stay in someone’s HOME. By all means, they can pay me $1300 for a week to spread out in my nice home, with 2 BR’s and 2 full bathrooms, or they can spend $1900 for a hotel room with 2 double beds and a crappy “kitchenette”.

[KKC]

Educating people on how to use Airbnb is one of the duties that comes with the job I suppose. I’m curious about your reply, if any, to them.

[Chloe]

You are right @KKC, about one of our duties being to educate guests. These people are actually not the first ones to explain to me that Air is supposed to offer bargains. Those who have, have all been brand new, and have all given the vibe that they expected a deep discount off traditional accommodations in exchange for having to share the host’s home, i.e, giving up privacy.

To answer your question, I did not answer them, as I was exasperated at that point and felt they’d wasted enough of my time already. After I’d told them of the 2nd room and the cost, it seemed they were still considering, given the laundry list of questions. So after answering them, I was surprised and put off with the response, and decided they’d figure it all out soon enough.

[konacoconutz]

@Chloe

Basically, they were hoping to take over my whole house, use everything I own, hope I’d move out for the week and pay $650 bucks for the privilege.

Too good!!! I hope you declined this annoying family!!!
Tell them to take it to the Hilton!

[AmyB]

I supply my housekeeper and my guests with a checklist that includes the things I want them to do. I have to come behind both, housekeeper and guest, from time-to-time, or things don’t get done to my standards. I’m actually really curious to know, in detail, specifically what the guests are responsible for doing in the rooms/apts of the hosts who have guests do their own cleaning.

[jaquo]

@AmyB

I’m actually really curious to know, in detail, specifically what the guests are responsible for doing in the rooms/apts of the hosts who have guests do their own cleaning.

I don’t ask guests to do anything at all. Well, it’s mentioned in the house manual that it would be appreciated if they left the place as they found it, but that’s all. And few guests read house manuals anyway.

I expect guests to be courteous and respectful of the place and 99.99% of the time, they are. I’ve only had a few guests that have caused a little extra cleaning. This has mainly been the trash not taken out or a few dishes left in the sink - all easily sorted. Dirty linens and towels are no problem as it’s easy to add bleach to the washer.

The place needs thoroughly cleaning if the place has been left in immaculate condition - it needs the same after all guests, even those who have been less than perfect.

[AmyB]

Faheem: Yes, I’ve also encountered people who treat their Airbnb host like they do a service worker. Some travelers who are used to traveling in countries where the service workers live in very depressed conditions, and/or where people who rent rooms in their homes do as well, and they’re used to those folks bending over backward with a smile in hopes of a tip. I’m quick to shift that dynamic right away, and it is much about demeanor and attitude as what you say or do.