Arriving late....so how about a discount?

“Since were not arriving until 11:30 pm can we have a discount since we’re only using half the night?”

Wha’? Excuse me??

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Hahaha!

Tell them you’ll let them have half a sheet, half a duvet, half a towel etc. etc :slight_smile:

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What services would you like me to discount?

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Please tell me you used @jaquo’s line…I thought humor would be the best way to respond and that’s a great comeback…LOL.

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Ugh. :roll_eyes:

That’s a real cheapskate way to look at things. I wouldn’t want to host them at all.

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Yeah, that’s what it came down to. They are first time AirBNB users but from what I can tell not first time travelers. They started by asking for a late check in, I said fine (I have a key lock box code people can use but I’d still stay up and ask them to text me when they’re in ok), then they asked if I was in a specific neighborhood in San Francisco. I’m not, I’m 17 miles from SF and about 30-40 minutes away by train or car, and mention this in my description AND anyone can see that by looking at a map. Then they asked how far I was from the airport, again that’s all in my description! Then they asked 2-3 more things that are in my description! Red flags galore at this point. Final straw was asking for the discount. They also said they were worried for their first visit to SF that I might be too far. My last message to them was that I agreed and recommended they find a place closer to the city and it’s sites (even though more than half my guests are SF site-seers and do just fine with the train or Uber or cars). Oh well. The discount request because they’re coming late was ridiculous! Do they think I can rent out the first half of the night to offset their discount??? Sheesh!

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Although I do love @jaquo’s joking reply I’d actually discount someone who said “can we have a discount, we’re checking out early.” I love early check outs (before 7 am) and would be willing to give a 10% discount to guests who do that. I’ve had one nighters who checked in late (after 9 pm) and out early (4-5 am for that early flght) and they don’t ask for a discount; they are my favorite guests.

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Oh, so do I … and a lot of our guests do leave early in order to take their rental cars back and check-in for a morning flight in good time. I usually think “Oh great, I can make an early start on the turnover and get done nice and early” … but what actually happens is I pull the covers up and get an extra hour in bed!

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That was a wise choice to decline them.

You get the sense that some guests are tallying things against an imaginary “pefect” listing. You’re not going to win in that situation. Their perfect listing is walkable to the Presidio. Their perfect listing is close to the airport. Their perfect listing would give a discount because they arrive late (as opposed to paying more because late arrivals call the host out of bed when they can’t/don’t read the check-in instructions).

They’re better off finding their perfect listing. There’s no amount of bending over backward you can do to make yourself into that imaginary listing.

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I’ve learned from experience that people who ask so many questions when they are clearly not taking the time and effort reading the description, and especially when the line of questioning is them trying to fit a square peg in a round hole (or they really like my place and price vs some expensive but more convenient location) it’s just setting myself up for people who are NOT going to be happy no matter what.

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As I did this morning as todays guests weren’t checking in until 5/6pm. In fact, it was more than an hour :smile:

Then I get the SMS that because it’s pissing down in Arcos they want to come at normal check in time, 2pm. Great. Bang went my leisurely brunch.

No problem says I, neglecting to tell them its pissing down here as well. Welcome to sunny Andalucia folks :cloud_with_rain::cloud_with_rain::cloud_with_rain::cloud_with_lightning::cloud_with_lightning::cloud_with_lightning:

JF

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I swear that next year we’re not opening until May. I reluctantly agreed to April this year … regretting it now as I see our guests’ forlorn little faces as they look at the unusable pool and sunbeds and trot off for another day touring the museums!

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I just send them round the sherry bodegas and tabancos. Prob why most are in bed for 9pm!

Saying that, it’s been ok here in the west this year, only past few days have been wet. Not like last Spring! I was seriously considering building an ark…

JF

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No! What a preposterous inquiry.

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Some years ago, on my drive to FL for winter, i was running very late and by the time i got to the hotel i had used before (had no reservation as wasnt sure if i would make that far), it was about 2 am…and that hotel was full…ok, so what to do? There was a “trucker type” motel next door so for the few hours I needed to stay (had to leave by 9 am), figured it would suffice.
Went to desk and lady said “you’re too early to check in for tonight” - i said, “not looking for 18+ hrs from now, looking for NOW” - “OH, in that case, sure”…and got a bit lower rate as was bonus money for them.

Actually I think this is more a case of people having absolutely NO CLUE whatsoever about how things work. You know, like the ones who don’t understand why they can’t check in 20 minutes after the last guests have checked out, like we all have a magic fairy wand that can prepare the place in that time. Or the ones who want the cleaning fee waived because they are “really tidy people”. Or the ones who don’t want to pay for an extra guest because “they’ll bring a sleeping bag”… etc etc etc.

I was actually heartened tonight when a guest messaged me about having an extra guest for the night. I have one room with two single beds and he’d booked for two people for three nights. His message said ‘my son would like to stay for one night, just some floorspace will be fine, thanks’. No would it be possible, would you mind, no nothing. It pissed me right off.
I can actually do it with a spare mattress so I replied, somewhat stiffly, that it would be possible for an additional fee. He messaged right back saying ‘oh we must give you more than that, thank you so much’ etc. Sometimes things work out!

Sounds like they also have half a brain

I would have to discount maybe 70 percent of my guests

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That would be awesome for me. I’d gladly take a reduction in income in exchange for having more days free.

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You’d just be setting yourself up for trouble by the sounds of it. They already haven’t bothered to read your listing properly, so even if you wanted to be accommodating, you know they would never be pleased. Some guests just aren’t worth it :slight_smile:

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