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I met three groups of difficult guests since I achieved Superhost status in July. Maybe guests have higher expectation toward Superhost?
Here is the story of another group of difficult guests. The guests checked in yesterday when my cleaner almost finished her cleaning. They waited outside the building for 10 minutes as my cleaner did not have chance to return the key to the lock box outside (I am still waiting the delivery of the extra key for my cleaner). I called my cleaner immediately and asked her to pick up the guests. I understood their inconvenience and apologized.
When they entered in the apartment, my cleaner was clearing the rubbish bins. My cleaner said the guests checked the apartment and said everything was fine. And then my cleaner left. Just 10 minutes after my cleaner left, the guests complained the cleaning issues. They also emphasized that my cleaner took her little kid to the apartment. Then I contacted my cleaner, and my cleaner was willing to return and redo the work. However, when I got back to my guests, they said they just wanted to talk about the price instead.
I sent my cleaner to redo the work anyway. Unfortunately, when my cleaner arrived, the guests were not in the apartment (they explained they wanted to go sightseeing). Otherwise, they could pointed out the uncleaned areas. My cleaner said the apartment was clean and took pictures. I asked the guests to communicate with me via Airbnb system, but they said they did not have internet.
Then later last night, Airbnb contacted me and asked me to refund the guests because of the cleaning issues. According to Airbnb, guests complained that there was wet bed linen in the laundry room, the fridge was not cleared out and there was dust on window blinds. And I began to realize why the guests emphasized my cleaner’s kid. According to Airbnb, the guests said “she brought her kid to the workplace. She cannot concentrate on her work. We were worried that she even did not do the work.” (Personally, I feel the argument discriminated working mothers. To my surprise, Airbnb stood for my guests)
When my cleaner does not have time to wash and dry all the beddings that previous guests used, she will put them in the laundry room. She washed all the beddings yesterday but did not have time to dry all of them. And she said she could not put the wet beddings into the cupboard as they will get mildew. So she put them in the laundry basket in the laundry room.
There were unopened large bottles of soft drinks that previous guests left in the fridge. My cleaner thought it was a waste to throw them and future guests might drink them.
We did ignore cleaning window blinds.
Apart from the above items, my apartment was clean. I agreed to send the cleaner to clean the window blinds, but I felt it unfair to simply refund the guests. The guests are discount seekers.
They arrive half an hour early than check-in time. And they said they just wanted to store the luggage. I have wifi in the apartment. I have no idea why they said they could not use Airbnb because of the Internet. However, strangely, they were able to send me emails. They communicated with me by phone and emails.
You might be stuck with this group because Airbnb has already sided with them. Now you know in the future not to let guests in early unless the cleaner is finished. Next, insist on all communication on the airbnb system or at least text and email. Phone calls are useless for record keeping. However you can at least send a message to the guest right after any call detailing what was in the call. Make it clear you are keeping a record of everything that was said.
Don’t give into these guests during the remainder of their stay. Let airbnb decide what refund they are entitled to. Review appropriately.
The guests rushed your cleaner who may have put the sheets on before they were really dry. It’s not their place to make a comment on the child. If they had arrived on time, this would be a non issue,and isn’t their business anyway.
In the future you must tell the cleaner they have to turn the guests away until the actual minute of check in. Sorry no exceptions. No luggage leaving early. This is exactly the reason. Too much can go wrong. And you don’t want them to see the place until it is in tip top shape. The first impression is the one they have the whole stay.
Hard lesson learned from this. Absolutely no early check in.
There is a weird state of mind in some guests, they don’t want any tangible evidence that other people have stayed before them. Must provide full new roll of toilet paper, even if current roll 3/4 full. Seeing stuff in the fridge and sheets in process of being cleaned were concrete proof that this place had other people stay before them. I don’t think it is conscious.
Maybe why hotels used to apply a strip of paper over toilet seat to show it was cleaned? Maybe we should do this?
I’ve read some strange things lately, one woman loves to thrift shop but won’t try clothes on until she has washed them, then there was the family that had toilets and bathtub replaced when they bought a new to them house.
Then there are people who are just out to rip off hosts.
Cleaner taking child is perfectly ok. Poor excuse, not able to concentrate? How do you think women manage at home with kids, stuff gets done. These guests deserve a thumbs down.
Thanks everyone for the comments. Fortunately, when my cleaner returned to the apartment yesterday, she took pictures. And as the pictures she took indicated, the apartment was clean. Do I have any chance to reverse Airbnb’s refund decision?
Do the guests want a refund for their entire stay or just for the cleaning fee?
Do the guests have access to the laundry room? This is the only bit that seems somewhat reasonable on the guests behalf- I wouldn’t want wet laundry stitting in the room for the whole stay- would this just be sitting here until the guests leave?
You may wish to consider greeting your guests personally. This is particularly true if you are dealing with a group. Putting a face and a warm reception to the trip goes a long way towards hospitality. Invest 15 minutes or an hour over a cup of tea or coffee. Works for me!
Imagine this poor cleaner who went home and cried that night and probably felt shitty at her kid. I would have told Airbnb guests conduct made me uncomfortable and asked them to cancel. Don’t want drainers like this in my home.
Did I miss something, or did you agree that everything the guest complained about was true? If so, I don’t see what the issue is. If I checked in to an AirBnB and found wet bedding in the laundry room, I’d be annoyed too.
Seriously, dust on the blinds? Ours get cleaned quarterly as they are a hard thing to clean. If someone is at the end of a cycle they might see a little dust.
As for opened containers, I wonder about leaving them for guests to use. I leave things like condiments (ketchup, mayo, mustard, hot sauce) and have never had a complaint. Quite the opposite - comments indicate they are appreciated. I wouldn’t personally use an open pop bottle, but wouldn’t complain about it either.
Same with the sheets. I wouldn’t have left them, but considering they were put in the laundry bin I wouldn’t complain if I found that. If I didn’t like it I would leave it in private feedback.
How much refund do they want?.. then, don’t forget to charge for your “luggage storing fee” - it might just even out.
I have three windows with the lovely Venetian blinds. Not.
I don’t know how anyone can get every speck of dust off of them every time. But I try. Because they face the sea, there’s teeny bits of corrosion on them too… teeny!!! Not enough to spend hundreds to get custom blinds to replace them!
I realized that I had to clean them as they were turned one way, then turn them the other way and clean them so I get all angles. Only realized it after guests had turned them a particular way and when I went into to clean for the next guests, there was dust that I had missed!!! The horror! Did they notice? Will I get marked down?
Remove the blinds and use a different window treatment. Reminds me I need to look at bathroom blinds, check for dust. Sadly this is the only choice for this room.
I have roman shades and curtains in my guest room; the bathroom has the obscure glass and a roman shade. Vacuuming the shades and washing the curtains is easy.
Airbnb wanted me to provide them with a free stay. Luckily my cleaner took photos of the apartment when she returned after we received the guests’ complaints. Since the photos indicated the apartment is clean and habitable, I reversed Airbnb’s resolution of refund. And after I sent the guests " stay with no refund or leave with refund" email, their attitudes turned better.
