Are you a Super Host with great ratings? Would love to hear from you

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Thank you for stopping by, let me introduce myself.

My name is Michael Agbortoko Jr .After graduating in May of 2014, i ventured into an industry known as experiential marketing. My journey started locally in Boston but i worked my way up to a nationally level in less than 3 months. I have been told it takes many people on average 4 - 7 years. To keep it short, i get paid to travel nationwide while representing some of America’s largest corporations. At heart, i am an entrepreneur and observer whose goal is to change and impact the world around me.

I am here to acquire market research on what types of products host like yourself spend a lot of money on. Host that go the extra mile often provide items such as body wash,toiletries,snacks, trash bags,water, etc which can take a chunk of their profits.

Basically i work in the experiential industry and many brands give out free samples such as body wash,toiletries, trash bags,water, etc hoping it it could lead to potential sales. However i believe rather than waste these products at events such as (Conventions,Vacation,Festivals,Comic Con etc…) Why not try to find a way to connect Host and Brands to offer guest these free products which will save the host money and be useful. Often people who attend (Conventions,Vacation,Festivals,Comic Con etc…) are staying in Airbnbs if not hotels or a friends.

How
We want to work with extraordinary Airbnb host who go the extra mile for guest. These host have (positive feedback, high ratings, great lodging/location etc). Host who go the extra miles often provide items such as (body wash,snacks,dish soap,toiletries,trash bags etc…) that many brands pay money to be at (Conventions,Vacation,Festivals,Comic Con etc…) so current and potential customers can try their products which could result in future sales.

Airbnb makes it hard to contact host. Would love to hear from you on here or via Email michael.agbortoko@gmail.com

Questions i have

1.How many people a month do you often host? and what items do you find yourself spending the most on.
2.Age range?
3.Guest usual reasons for traveling?
4.How much do you often spend on (body wash,dish soap,toiletries,trash bags etc…)
5.Why do you feel its important to create an ultimate experience for your guest?
6.Addition feedback or questions you may have, please share

Thank you for your time.

Regards
Mike

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Hi Billy,

As a loyal Airbnb guest if my post does not pertain to you, then please find somewhere else to spread your negativity.

With the negativity, i assume your ratings aren’t to shabby.

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Hi Mike,

I am a bit confused about your post. Are you wanting to see if hosts would be interested in offering certain brand toiletries, trash bags, etc??

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I am not here to sell you anything. However, if it was a misunderstanding you should have worded your response in a proper manner than firing shots. I am here to gain feedback on a service i might be launching. If you are not familiar with launching a company… Research and feedback from target market is needed unless you are dumping money on something blindly, i figured i should come and chat with some of the Super host myself.

Hopefully you excuse for firing shots is because you are having a bad day and you needed to take it out or someone or something. If not then i am confident many host are not like you.

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And your problem with me is what exactly? Do you simply use this forum as a place to feel better about your own insecurities?

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Thank you for your questions. I am here to acquire market research on what types of products host like yourself spend a lot of money on. Host that go the extra mile often provide items such as body wash,toiletries,snacks, trash bags,water, etc which can take a chunk of their profits.

Basically i work in the experiential industry and many brands give out free samples such as body wash,toiletries, trash bags,water, etc hoping it it could lead to potential sales. However i believe rather than waste these products at events such as (Conventions,Vacation,Festivals,Comic Con etc…) Why not try to find a way to connect Host and Brands to offer guest these free products which will save the host money and be useful. Often people who attend (Conventions,Vacation,Festivals,Comic Con etc…) are staying in Airbnbs if not hotels or a friends.

So yes with what i am working on, Brands could potentially provide items such as body wash,toiletries,snacks, trash bags,water, etc for free. I am here to see if done , do host think it will help save them money and be useful to their guest.

Please let me know if that make sense, i can elaborate some more if needed.

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Hi Bllindpacemaker,

I am a little confused if you are referring to me or Billy. Still trying to figure how this community works.

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I was responding to Billy not to you, no worries.

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Okay…I am here trying to gain market feedback and he also attacked me earlier. Be a better person and not feed into negativity like that. Put your energy towards meaningful things.

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I rent a two bedroom log cabin (higher end) with a movie theater room. This is what I spend the extras on:

  1. Bathroom supplies: Members Mark brand from Sam’s Club for toilet paper and paper towels. The toilet paper is excellent quality for the price.

  2. Trash compactor bags (must be compactor bags) from Walmart (cheapest I have researched…sorry cannot remember the exact brand)

  3. Dish lotion soap (I refill a small kitchen size bottle) with Dawn. The big refill of Dawn is located under the kitchen sink. The container I refill is Dawn brand until it looks too shabby and then I buy a new one to refill

  4. Coffee is Sam’s Club S&D packets that make a pot of coffee. Filters are provided (generic brand). I provide 16 Land o Lakes Mini Moo creamers that do not need to be refrigerated. I also supply a pour container of sugar. The Coffee Mate creamer has been there forever. I don’t bother with decaf since so few use it and don’t care to purchase in bulk. Many guests purchase their own creamer like Dunkin Donuts, etc. and leave the left over flavored liquid ones in the fridge for next guests. They do use these. I proide 8 packets of herbal (variety from Sam’s)

  5. Shampoos supplied are Jumbo size bottles of Tressemme and also conditioner. Body wash is also jumbo size…common brands that are reasonably priced or on sale may be Dove Body wash, Caress Brown Sugar with the scrubbing crystals, Ivory body wash.

  6. I provide popcorn that can be cooked in the movie theater popcorn machine from Amazon (comes with butter and seasonings but makes a mess). But if guests don’t want to bother with cleaning it they have tons of packets of microwave popcorn (no particular brand). I also purchase the $1 movie box size candy from Walmart - one for each guest: Dots, Reese Pieces, Lemonheads, Peanut M&Ms, Mike and Ike fruit chew, Jolly Rancher chews, Raisinets, etc. I pick out candies based on type of guests. If it is little kids I try to avoid skittles or anything the kids will like that will miss their mouth and be all over the floor.

Most guests take all the candy (whether or not they eat only organic).
I think they value this the most as a goodie provided.

Snacks: I only provide snack I can get from the discount grocery at around half the price of Sam’s/Walmar - Ex: Nature Valley and Bear Naked granola bars, Nutri Grain bars, etc.

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Thank you soo much for your feedback, i can tell you go the extra mile and provide more than just a stay for your guest. Host like you who create an experience are what i am looking for. My next question is, if there was a service that connected you with same types of products from large brands… 1 would it be useful to you 2 would it save you a lot of money and increase your income?

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It would have to save me my bottom dollar line. I have access for my partner or I to go to these stores. The discount grocery is even far but I can also shop for myself in one trip. Even in areas where they pay shipping, if it costs less to ship then people will pay to have it shipped.

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So if monthly you could get all or a majority of the items you listed above for free or small fee. It would definitely be useful?

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For free? - Well of course. But small fee would mean it doesn’t cost me a penny more to do all the purchasing/gas trips myself for everything guests will need. So if you could only deliver certain items for a small fee, but it still cost me tons in gas/time to travel for the other items - I would have to see if I am saving in my total bottom line. Does that make sense?

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Yes ! Thank you again for your feedback. Will be in touch if anything else is needed. Hopefully other host can share the opinions also.

Enjoy your weekend.

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One thing to consider is partnering with brand items that guests likely want to shop lift home. If a corporation provided me a Nespresso or Keurig with all the cute little flavored cups then I would provide it (but not pay for the items.

Or if someone wanted to provide pods of laundry detergent, that would be fine with me. I do not provide laundry detergent but guests have full access to washer/dryer. Companies could provide new washing supplies they want to market.

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Hi Michael,
Why the ‘small fee’, if you are using our beautiful Airbnb’s to essentially market products. I do have some grasp on what experiential marketing is, and my understanding is that rather than directly advertise products, you want to create experiences where the products become part of a great memory of some kind of event. It’s a great concept, especially in today’s climate with so much distrust of classic tv marketing Etc.

I would think however, that if you were getting the products of companies that wanted exposure for their brands in unique and beautiful Airbnb’s, you should either pay us to use them :wink: or at least provide them for free so that our usual costs of supplying are waylaid as a favor to the companies we agree to add to the Airbnb.

We are superhosts with great reviews in a big historic home with multiple rooms that we also live in (on the fourth floor). Personally I use all natural products, limited chemicals, no unatural fragrances/low fragrance, clean with water/vinegar mix and occasionally baking soda. However I do provide good quality products. I provide shampoo/conditioner from a brand in our local health store that comes in pump packs that I find are better in a share situation (open bottles look tacky to me), and I keep them full or near full, body wash in the same brand and moisturizer. I use Doctor bronners for liquid hand wash in nice pump dispensers, and for dishwashing liquid. We try to use recycled type papers for toilet paper and paper towels, but use very few paper towels but rather have lots of linen napkins that go in the wash after a soak, and tea towels and sponges/cloths rather than waste paper. We use little packets of natural raw sugar for people that like sugar in their tea and coffee because people seem to like them, lots of different herbal teas, always great coffee, usually Peets, sometimes mixed with a cheaper espresso to keep the great flavor but make it less expensive, and always fresh pastries on the weekend for breakfast. I would happily get a good brand of coffee as is so important, but quite an expense.

I would love to work with a bedding brand, as antique linens are my specialty that is one of the things guests love about staying in my Airbnb, but think it would be great to have a new bedding company to share my passion for amazing bedding with guests, as so many people seem surprised at how comfortable our beds and bedding are, and don’t know how to make a great bed.

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Now you are picking my brain, we will be in touch. Thanks again

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Great…I think. And what Sandy said about bed linens. Go higher end with things people want to take home. Kind of hard to take the mattress home but one of my guests said she was tempted to strap it to her back or to the car…something to consider…

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Pillows is a great one to partner with AND exact matching pillow cases that actually fit. Guests are impressed with bedding!