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Ha ha! Fascinating stuff. And, yup. That very well could explain his peculiar behavior. Normally I chalk up odd behavior to cultural differences, but I have had many guests from Eastern Asian (he was Chinese, not that it matters) but despite the variety of cultural backgrounds, it’s pretty universally accepted that you don’t wake up your host in the middle of the night for very minor issues. He did seem to have a an unhealthy need for attention.
Be that as it may, I am renting out a guest room for people on holiday…I’m not running a mental health facility.
I could go on and on with examples of this person and the things she would do. We met at a job where we carried around lunch baskets and each had our own delivery route to try to sell prepackaged lunches to businesses. We would come in early in the morning and help prep the sandwiches, to go boxes, etc. Well just one measly task like her being assigned to fill up the Chinese containers…was just too much to ask. All you had to do was put a certain amount of white rice in the clear plastic container. Pour a scoop of the Chinese meat/veggie sauce on top, and then close the lid. Simple?
Well she would purposely put less in so that when you closed the top of the lid, you couldn’t even see what was in it. So they would be half empty containers…that no customer wants to purchase. Then they would assign her something else and she would again act like the victim of co-workers being jealous of her…I know I went on and on - maybe I just needed to vent my repressed feelings…lol.
One little note if you ever host guests from China again:
In Mainland China you can’t drink the tap water. People usually have drinking water delivered. If this was his first trip to the US, it might not have occurred to him to simply fill his bottle with water straight from the faucet.
If you have any more guests from that part of the world you could explain it to them in advance.
That said, yes, he was rude and socially clueless. Chinese tourists are known to be very demanding and at times, rude. I think it will be a while before they truly “get” how Airbnb works.
Yeah, maybe after they get enough bad reviews and nobody will book them anymore, they’ll start to get it. I had heard that mainland Chinese (particularly the more affluent who can afford to travel abroad) tend to be demanding and treat hosts like servants. I don’t take kindly to that, and he’s going to know in no uncertain terms that he crossed a few lines if he ever gets around to reading the review on his profile (he hasn’t left one for me…and, i am proud to say he would have nothing negative to say, because I kept a professional face on the entire time, as challenging as it was).
I totally get the bottled water thing…I NEVER drink tap water in other countries. But, I am also smart enough to stock my room with a few bottles when I arrive so I don’t run out. And, my listing says there is a 24-hour drug store in walking distance. Just lazy, entitled, and offensive guest behavior that I could not tolerate. Sigh.
Indeed. Many Chinese from a middle class or higher background would have at least a cleaning lady and maybe even a live in maid.
Also, it’s very likely that anyone in their 20’s or early 30s is an only child. The parents and grandparents put all their hopes into that one kid. They aren’t expected to do much except study study study for this big university admissions exam. They often don’t even leave home until they get married. They really haven’t learned many independent living skills.
If I were hosting, I’d probably avoid having guests from mainland China, unless they had significant experience living abroad or studied here.
(I say this as someone married to a Chinese person who would back me up 100% on this sentiment.)
I have to agree with Jsquared on words like “inane”. In reviews like this I, as you reader, am more interested in facts. Indicators of you mindset usually distract from the review. Using your review, here’s an example of what I would have appreciated.
++++
Daniel is guest I will not host again. During the first night of his x night stay, he came to my closed bedroom door after 11 pm asking questions like ‘do you have a printer?’ and ‘where can I get water?’ He gave my personal contact information to the shuttle company without asking. He asked to store his bags at my house while awaiting a late flight to which I agreed, but returned eight hours after check-out time using my house as a full service lounge while awaiting his shuttle. I cannot recommend him as a guest
++++
Keeping your anger and passion out of it makes the examples of what Daniel actually did stand out in stark relief. The majority of ABB hosts would react exactly as you did to his late night interruptions, many having jobs to attend also. Same with giving out your contact information. Other specifics might be nice, but what is there is fine, I certainly wouldn’t want to host this person.
Write it and sit on it overnight before posting. I disagree… I think reviews CAN be emotional… we hosts are people after all. Although I have been deterred from renting due a single line: “XXguest smoked in the apartment and denied doing so.” Decline.
Yeah, this guy needed a harsh review. His behavior was off the charts. And, mind you I had sat on it for several nights before posting. I wanted to make sure I was saying what I meant, and I did.
Did you charge their deposit? I think you should! And you can buy some clean products for blood and make up. If you don’t like with the guests, you should be careful that they break your things at home. You should ask for more deposite or buy an assurance for that.
I had a Dutch guest last night and we were talking about reviews. He has stayed in more than a dozen US airbnbs and I asked if he had any bad experiences. He said yes but that he told the host he wouldn’t leave a bad review. Then the host ripped him in a review and made him look like the bad guy. After contacting airbnb they removed the host’s review and gave him a $20 credit for his trouble (after he didn’t ask for or get a refund on two nights because he left the horrible place early). I urged him to please leave honest reviews every time. That is the best way to make airbnb better for all of us.
