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This humble, simple, older abode is located in a gem of a little town that embodies the charm of the Adirondacks Mountains!
The perfect vacation destination for seriously laid back adventurers, peeps who appreciate a chill zone atmosphere, is best suited for self sufficient guests who want to truly experience what this little town has to offer in terms of peace, nature, interesting sights. In other words, if anyone has ever called you high maintenance, you are probably not going to want to stay here. And if you are not a responsible consumer and donāt bother to actually read every line of this listing, to know what you are paying for, please do not ask to stay here!
And does this make sound burned out?
Interactions with Guests
I honor your privacy, will not go upstairs during your stay, but I do enjoy sharing local spots and directions to guide you to unique adventuresāin person or via airbnb message system. While I truly love being an Airbnb host, please remember, you are paying to rent a room and private bath, you are not paying for my undivided attention during your stay.
No you donāt sound like a (b)witch. Blunt, maybeā¦ and your language is somewhat eclectic! āAdirondackā the way you used it in that sentence should not have an s at the end. āPeepsā!
And the whole paragraph between the ~ ~ is a bit āin yer faceā, IMHO.
āAnd does this make sound burned outā As a sentence does not many any sense!
Donāt mind me Iām a retired editor and wordsmith, and ānot goodā writing raises my hacklesā¦
Instead of ānot paying for my undivided attentionā maybe you could say something like āIām happy to offer suggestions for tourism, but Iām not a dedicated concierge like in a 5 star hotel. I have other responsibilities such as (a job or whatever applies in your case) and may not be available every minute of the day.ā
It sounds a little more friendly, but is still clear on your boundaries.
You are all so polite and Iām feeling like ugh, I just canāt do this anymore! And I donāt even host very frequently, kudos to those of you who do and can keep smiling! I just blocked off one whole weekend in July so I could have some time to myself.
I have a friend/fellow host, and we had a conversation about this situation a few years ago. She was upset that guests were constantly asking her for restaurant recommendations, what shows to see, how to drive to her place, etc. She updated her listing to start with āI AM NOT YOUR CONCIERGEā and she asked me for advice about it. I told her that she was absolutely insane, and that she was going to end up losing a lot of business. I urged her to remove that line from her listing, and to try and find a way to help guests be more self-sufficient. We worked together on an updated Welcome package that laid out answers to her more common questions, and set up a schedule for sending out advance emails laying out additional details, sometimes repeating the same answers more then once.
The reason that I offer this is perhaps thereās another way to approach this -one that might take a few days to put together, but maybe in the long run it will help you with the guest experience. Do you have another host near you that you can work with? Maybe someone you feel comfortable sharing information with? Maybe my approach wonāt work in your case but you never know! Good luck to you, Iāve had situations where Iāve wanted to tear my hair. In fact, my husband just swore a blue streak because we have guests right that cannot seem to connect to the internet no matter how many ties we walk them through entering the username and password - so now we have to physically go over again for the second time in two daysā¦sigh.
I can understand the need for being firm and blunt but you might want to soften it a little. Hereās what I sayā¦
Please read the listing carefully to make sure the apartment and its location are right for you. This is not a 5-star hotel, nor should you expect it to be. If you want travertine, stainless and granite, please move along. if you are overly fussy and fancy, it may not be a fit. if you want a low key place by the beach where quiet and privacy are valued, this could be the place.
I put the smiley icons in to soften.
I also describe the kind of guest I want: "Iām only interested in hosting, quiet, respectful guests who are self sufficient and confident in their own adventuring.
Something like that.
This is a a fine line. You donāt want your copy to make you sound like a hardass but you also want to make sure you describe it accurately and are firm in your desires and expectations.
Personally I would leave out the part about the concierge and the restaurants. I make up a PDF that they can print out and and has all the recommendations. This is usually fine.
I think if you switch some of the wording around, it can work. Maybe this:
This humble, simple, older abode is located in a gem of a little town that embodies the charm of the Adirondack Mountains! The perfect vacation destination for the adventurous, and those wanting to experience the nature, sights, and peacefulness that this little town offers. My personality is very laid back, and my place is best suited for those who appreciate a chill zone atmosphere, and are able to just go with the flow.
Your privacy will be respected, and I will not go upstairs during your stay. Please read the entire listing description to be sure I can fully meet your expectations. If you submit a booking request, you will need to acknowledge and confirm that you have read the entire listing.
Guest interaction:
My interaction with guests is very minimal; however, I am happy to provide recommendations and share my area insider tips of unique adventures, local spots, restaurants, etc. My two jobs keep me very busy and for the most part I enjoy my solitude. The place is best suited for guests who are self-sufficient and will only requiare minimal host interaction.
I get whet you are trying to say.
Here is my version: We are busy people who work hard. We value our family time in the evenings. We prefer independent guests who enjoy their own space and privacy.
We are happy to give you plenty of tips and advice about local attractions/history/places to eat and shop and tips on travel in NZ.
I have this written in the Interaction with Guests section.
Do you have mostlly guests from your own country and with english as first language? Or do you alsohost guests form Europe, Asia etc.? For me, growing up in different European countries, with limited english knowldege, the text is quite difficult to understand. I am not sure if guests wiho only had a little bit english lessons at school actually would read this, or if they just would think: Nice pictures, lets book. I prefer personally clear statements in listings.
Though i am quite the opposite , i am more than willing to chat and give advices, most of my guests dont ask me anything. Everyone is on a computer, they find their way around without talking to me
Why say any of this at all? It just sounds defensive and you offer and take away at the same time. When guests inquire to book, ask the reason for their trip and youāll be able to tell from their response whether they need a tour guide. Many of our guests come to explore our island for the first time, I recommend a few restaurants and local attractions but thatās it. Iāve also filled out my Airbnb guidebook.
I donāt think any of the guest interaction I re-wrote sounds defensive at all. I think it sounds clear to guests what they can expect: Brook will basically be there to answer a few questionsā¦but donāt expect her to be available for much one on one interaction. We hear about guests whining that the host didnāt meet them in person, or guests whine that the host actually wants to use their own kitchenā¦GASP! Why not be clear? Some guests are disappointed because they thought they were going to be able to sit and chit chat with their host anytime they are bored. Why not let them know there are other hosts better suited for them? Some hosts LOVE to hang out with their guests, and they also have the time to do so.
I did not get from Brooks post that the issue is guests asking for recommendations. She said she was happy to share those. So the issues seemed to be more than that. It makes sense to just nip it in the bud instead of worrying about if a guests feelings will be hurt when they read the listing.
This is also promised by the advertising campaign where hosts and guests are pictured happily making omelettes together, because, remember, āDonāt go there, Live there.ā
With a few exceptions here, I think most all of us would like to have self sufficient guests!
Yes! Being a tour guide gets old very fast especially when youāre not paid for it. I get tired of friends who expect us to take them to all the NYC sites Iāve been too so many times before! We had friends who insisted on going to the wtc memorial site in the dead of winter - it was about 10 degrees Fahrenheit and when we got there they said it was too sad to go in! So glad I didnāt buy the tickets in advance. Anyway, everyone can go online and research anything and anyplace to decide what they want to do.
AND, we have local menus, maps you name it in the room!
