Oh, you’re paying attention! 
Exactly, KarmaCasa. The contradiction there hasn’t escaped me. I’m better at setting boundaries with people who take advantage of me or disrespect me than I am with my own overly generous nature. Refining our boundaries is a lifelong undertaking, and one we rarely get exactly right, in my humble opinion. 
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Is all of that stuff organic?? - EEK!
It’s time to pull out the processed food: Aunt Jemima, Yoplait, and Kellogg’s Raisin Bran/Cheerios. Forget the organic stuff. No way, no way do guests get organic nut butter (unless your pricing reflects this…which it does not sound like it does). The “all natural” Jiffy will do, along with Smucker’s Jam. No more fruit, unless it’s free from your neighbors. Toss the guest a Lender’s Bagel with Philadelphia cream cheese, and send them on their way!
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This what got me to stop the madness. 
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You’ve always said Karma you have not had a bad guest yet. Wait until it happens and then I wonder if you will feel stung and hurt the same way we have… Then come to the conclusion that all these extras are not worth the time and money.
Think of the most expensive hotel you ever stayed in. In my case it was the Grand Wailea, a five star on Maui. They had tea and coffee in the room, period. No snacks, no wine, no champagne, no organic anything. They served coffee and donuts in the lobby from 6-7… So if we wanted to eat we’d have to rush out of the luxury of our triple sheeted, zillion count Egyptian cotton bedding with down duvets and go down and get it.
This is going to sound pretentious but here goes anyway…
I can’t imagine feeling “stung” or “hurt” by an airbnb guest. These are not people with whom I have personal relationships. I do my best because that’s what I do. I don’t do it for them, I do it for ME. If my best doesn’t meet someone’s expectations I’m not going to take it personally. I don’t think this comes from any special insight, it comes from 28 years in a public school classroom. No matter how well crafted and executed a lesson, there was always someone who thought it was boring or stupid. Then there are some parents. Then there are some administrators. I come from a profession where the evaluations are built on the premise that there is always room for improvement. If I’d have felt emotionally hurt by these years of criticisms I never would have lasted.
When I get a bad, ungrateful guest, and eventually I will, I will learn from it and move on. I won’t be bitter, jaded or hurt.
You don’t have to be defensive about the way you feel, it doesn’t make me better than you, it just makes me different than you.
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I only give my guests snacks that other guests leave behind. Currently it’s instant coffee and a box of easy mac!
I’d love to offer more, but I find people to be completely ungrateful. I give gifts on holidays and leave hard candy out, but I don’t feel like these things give me any kind of nice reviews. Most people comment on how wonderful it is that I have soap. o.O. For now I’ll stick to putting cards advertising local businesses they should support in their rooms.
Hi @KKC,
After 28 years in a public classroom you must be battle-hardened. After that, an ungrateful Airbnb guest would be a mere nothing. I used to teach college kids. They were bad enough. But I imagine they were a joy and a delight compared to public school kids.
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I don’t think it sounds pretentious. I think it sounds like a frank explanation how you developed your attitude toward the people you host and the ways they behave. We each assemble unique insights, skill sets, and strengths, specific to our own life & career experiences. We bring those into our new experiences, such as hosting. I very much appreciate when someone makes the effort to share their insights & strengths, like you (and other hosts here) do. To me, it’s the cherry on top if you also explain where your insights originated, as you just did. The effort to contemplate other people’s insights pays off so abundantly in personal growth. The rewards of personal growth – not just the inner rewards, but even the practical ones that can be measured financially – are far and away more valuable than any “how to” style business or life lessons. So, thank you for being frank. I suspect part of the reason you’ve never had a bad guest is because you don’t view someone as bad just because they don’t behave in a way that you expect, understand, or appreciate in the moment.
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@faheem I wouldn’t quite call it that. I just don’t take things personally that shouldn’t be taken that way. When a kid is a jerk, 90% of the time it’s because of something going on with them or their life. I had a lot of patience for the proto-adults in my classroom, the real adults, not so much. Most of the kids were a joy and I had a good time. My sense of humor, sarcastic though it was, went a long way towards making it bearable for all of us. [quote=“AmyB, post:89, topic:4877”]
a bad guest is because you don’t view someone as bad just because they don’t behave in a way that you expect
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I’d like to think that but I really say that because I have 98% 5 star reviews. LOL.
It’s also because very few people stay more than a night so I don’t have the same situation that someone like Kona does.
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True… being a teacher helps you develop the thickest skin imaginable. The only difference is that the classroom isn’t your personal intimate space. That said, I hope you always continue to get the high quality guests that appear to be such a great fit for your rental.
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There is nothing wrong with public school kids.
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Faheem, those of us who teach in the public schools here in America see a total gamut… From perfectly, utterly delightful to punkish. I wouldn’t characterize all public school kids as bad. There’s a range.
The extras efficiency depends on the rate you are renting the room. At the rent I am offering snacks are definitely not affordable.
I get 5 stars every time without doing any of those things. I’ve haven’t gotten a single bad review yet. But then again, I haven’t had more than 20 stays.
I love baking cakes and desserts. Therefore, I mostly offer guest with various desserts and get the best response out of it. The most loved dessert by my guest was applesauce cake. Yummy!! it was 
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Do you know if your guests buy organic for themselves? The vast majority of my guests consume conventional food but when I haven’t gone shopping, I’ve occasionally put my organic half & half or organic yogurt in the rental fridge. I feel a sense of waste when this happens because it’s so pointless when they don’t normally consume organic!
Yes, that’s the rub. When I started my Airbnb, I promoted it as the place to find organic everything because that’s the way I live and because I want to teach others about organics, composting, recycling, etc. (green living). I could charge higher prices and always stay booked. Since then, the number of Airbnbs in Berkeley has exploded, so my prices have had to drop to keep my bookings up (even though I’m a 5-star Superhost with rave reviews). It’s a dilemma for me. I can’t afford to keep up this level of service, food provision, and “luxe” quality at the prices I currently get. But it’s hard to let go of the special & unique identity I established for my Airbnb: green, luxe, high end. I’ve been doing some soul searching about this. Sometimes when a small business starts cutting corners, they start losing business. I have a lot of repeat visitors who would notice the change and experience it as a decline in value/quality/uniqueness. So it’s a big decision.
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If your bookings dropped off, then it means your market (seeking organic and happy to pay for it) is not quite there. I’m guessing you get a range of students and visiting researchers as guests?
Perhaps you could modify your listing and emphasize your green/eco angle and say you offer organic dairy or organic bread (or whatever will be cheapest for you to retain as organic). My family eats 90% organic and no mass industrial meat, however, we would be thrilled to see a listing that advertised, “no toxic pesticides inside or out, no toxic lawn care, etc.” Organic food is only one aspect of green living but it’s the most expensive. You can still retain your unique offering and reduce your costs at the same time.
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We all have to adapt our vision to reality. If it’s not financially viable to offer the food provisions, etc, stop doing it and reinvent your hosting style. You don’t need anyone to encourage you, let your numbers encourage you to do what’s right for you and not your guests.
@can’t afford to keep up this level of service, food provision, and “luxe” quality at the prices I currently get. But it’s hard to let go of the special & unique identity I established for my Airbnb: green, luxe, high end.
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I always keep a basket of candies in every room