Entitled guest expects to arrive at 5am next day

1

Not quite sure what is happening this summer, but it feels as though the amount of shitheads are increasing. I’m also so glad I found this place.

I get a request from a lady who mentions her great reviews in her first message. I found this unusual, I have been doing this for over a year now and this was a first. She booked through instant book so I don’t really have much choice as to who I choose. Anyway, she says she will arrive at “9 or 10pm” the morning of her check in date. Fair enough, I will wait. I have always accommodated guests who arrive late at night.

I should mention that it’s a Tuesday and I do have to work the next day.

She messages me later that evening that her new ETA is 12:20am, not accounting for bathroom/gas stops. Kind of inconvenient as I’m dead tired but I say nothing, tell her okay and not to rush. I’m guessing she will arrive around 12:45am, 1am at latest.

Nope.

2:30 am rolls around and I still haven’t heard anything. I have to wake up in less than 3 hours so I text her telling her I’m going to sleep.

She then says she “understands”, but then says she’s 92 MILES AWAY and what should she do when she arrives (in I’m guessing 2 more hours—so 5am). Sorry she says, she stopped at a rest stop, etc.

I’m too tired to even begin to grasp how entitled this lady is.

I message back saying that her reservation was yesterday and that she can’t arrive at 5am and I can’t talk any longer, going to bed. I then get a message saying she cancelled. I call airbnb to ask how she can cancel when she never showed, explained the situation. They apologized for her and told me they got her a new stay and that I will definitely still get paid, etc.

Next morning I wake up dead tired, run errands, and then for some stupid reason I message her trying to be nice and hope she arrived okay, etc.

Shithead actually goes off on me and says I left her and her dog on the side of the road lol, and how I owe her an apology.

Am I taking crazy pills here? I’m shocked.

I explained to her that her check-in was on Tuesday and not Wednesday morning and that I cannot wait up for her all night. That she can’t check in the next day on a one-night reservation.

She keeps going, messaging me back about how AirBnb refunded her, etc.

I explained that Airbnb has good customer service and wants to help it’s clientele, that in no way means she is right and that this IS NOT A HOTEL, that in return for the cheaper price than a hotel, she has to abide by the hosts rule.

Again, she blames me for “being uncomfortable” with her arrival time.

I am still in disbelief at the level of entitlement.

2

Do you have posted check-in hours?

Never follow up with a volatile guest like this. Once Air handles a situation, let the sleeping dog lie.

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I am sorry you had such an experience but…and I’m going to put this as gently as I can without adding to your ire…you actually created the monster.

If you are not firm on your check-in rule or any other of your house rules, your dog is going to keep pulling on the leash just as far as it will go. You kept relaxing on her arrival time and she took you for all it was worth.

Since you are employed outside the home and have a set time to be at work, likewise you should have established hours of operation at home. Set a 10pm-11pm deadline for checking in (or earlier/later) and stick with it, maybe allowing for a max of 30 min. extension. You just need to be firm and hold your guests accountable.

It’s not that hard to crack that whip.

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Perhaps I was too lenient, I can see what you are saying. But I really don’t mind guests arriving late and have never had a problem with my flexible check-in times and dozens upon dozens of guests. Even 1am is okay with me. In the year that I have been doing this, many guests have messaged me to tell me they were running late, but never more than an hour or so. The latest anyone has arrived is 12:45 am.
This lady thought she could arrive the NEXT DAY.
My issue is her sense of entitlement, on what planet does she live on to think that I would wait for her ALL NIGHT LONG? She is clearly aware that I stayed up until 2:30 am without so much as an update from her, but to then tell me at 2:30 am that she will be here in two hours (making have to wait up another two hours—essentially ALL NIGHT)

What the hell.

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5

The next one is coming! Set a firm check in window, you can always be nice on a case by case basis

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6

I’ve learned the hard way, and with the advice of the awesome hosts on this forum, to stick to the check in time. I used to have 3pm to 9pm, but lowered it to 8pm. Now, there are sometimes issues because I work a FT and part time job, am on committees that have meetings and such, so there are times I am away from home from 7am to 10pm. But there are other times, I’m home all day or very nearby home.

So, I handle it on a case by case basis. For instance, this Saturday, I have guests arriving. I will have their place ready by Thursday night. I have this weekend off, just coming off my 12-day stretch of work, so Friday evening I’ll be drinking a bloody mary, and I’m not accepting reservations for that evening (I do that long stretch of work once a month and always block off the Friday at the end). I’ve told them they can check in early Saturday if they want, that I may not be here, and I’ve told them where the key is, that they should text me 1 hour prior to arrival time which at the latest is 8pm.

I have another guest arriving Monday, so I’ve blocked off Sunday night, because I have to work Monday, I would not be able to clean and change the room ove . I’ll be at work Monday till 5, so again, I’ve told her where the key is and she can self check-in any time on Monday, no later than 8pm. She checks out Wednesday, so while she is here, I will let her know she can check out at 4pm, as I would not be able to clean/change over the room anyway.

Many of my guests do enjoy the late checkout as they go hiking or swimming, and can come back here and shower before heading home or on to their next location.

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7

Post them in our Bad Guest Lounge!! We are getting a really long Hall of Shame!

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8

ughhhh. First that you engaged with her at all after the cancellation… and second, that Air refunded and rehomed the b*tch. It does look as though guests are getting rewarded for being idiots more and more.

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9

This is why that setting exists.

I’m in Hawaii and we often get late flights. I’m lenient on this but I have a limit. They can’t get here at 1or 2AM and probably won’t because the last flight in is about 11. And it takes an hour to get here by the time they got their car and stuff. I have had people wait for lost luggage to be delivered–and that can keep us all up late as well. Most often, these instances are very rare.

Now, that said, I signed up for business guests and I have to allow 24/7 check in… which i will literally never get due to the above explained flight situation. So it’s pretty safe!

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10

I’m happy being flexible, I have never had issues in over a year of doing this. I’ve had people tell me they are coming in at 12:30am… no problem. I stay awake and find things to do. Sometimes they are stuck in traffic and I have to wait 30-40 min longer than expected, still not usually a problem. But holy hell on what planet does somebody live on where they expect to be welcomed at 5am the next morning AFTER they made you stay up all night with ever increasing arrival times.

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But think about it. You will feel better not to encounter a situation like this again.

I used to be super flexible on arrival times too. Then I discovered guests just came whenever and my whole day was shot. I waited here to be around for them and they didn’t show. I skipped parties, practices or picnics to be here… and no guests until 10 or whatever.

Now part of my house rules is to please text with an ETA for arrivals after 4pm.

I have a life too!

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I have had guests do the same , I have an electronic lock so I just give them the code and tell them Thier room number and to let themselves in and I leave the lights on for them.
I don’t wait up for them. I have not had any problems with guests letting themselves in

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Hi @takeiteasy, she was going to check in at around 5am for a few hours sleep to check out again at 11am or so? I feel mostly bad for you because she really kept changing things and you were being as patient as you could and trying to accomodate her. But I also feel bad for her, as she just assumed that arriving any time prior to her checkout time would be ok. Not saying that she’s right as she’s clearly a bit clueless, but still to be looking for an alternative at 5am must have been tough. Lousy situation all around.

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Oops, sorry (takeiteasy), I jumped the gun and was offering a solution where none was requested. You were just letting off steam about your guest being such an inconsiderate person…and she certain was.

(Note to self: Try to pick up on the clues better.)

15

Can you leave keys or code for the door.?
I understand where you are coming from but what if she could not get to you on time? And she is in fact got stranded on a road because you told her not to come anymore?

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16

What’s the checkout time??? Even if arriving at 5am…they would have only had a couple hours before check out. Honestly guests… this is not a hotel… You know??

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17

As a new host this was great to read. I have had a couple of late arrivals and while I’d rather not have them at all it’s been cool. However the post and your advice have made me consider how I would feel if the envelope were pushed further. Not good. So I’ll take your advice and think about setting some limits.

To @takeiteasy - despite SandyToes advice - I feel for you. I get it and I would be upset if that happened to me ): I hope you don’t get any more like that.

18

Then do not complain.

When you are flexible as a host, sooner or later you will run into situations like this.
Once a guest notices you are flexible, they start making use of it. And they will haunt you with extra requests during their whole stay.

My latest check-in is 22:00. And only if a guest has a very good reason, accident or flight delay, we will wait for them, or make a special arrangement.

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I’m heeding some advice here too! I have a flexible check in listed but reading this thread, it occurs to me that setting parameters can still provide some flexibility. Check in time is now updated to 2pm to 9pm! Thanks everyone! :slight_smile:

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How do you have time to properly turn a place over if your check in is at 2? When is your check out?