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I am reviewing a return guest for an in-house stay at my place. There were two major concerns that I need to use to rate the stay.
Any suggestions to word this respectfully and factually is appreciated. The previous stay by the guest was some years back and a short stay so these issues were not apparent to me during that time.
Guests can use the kitchen for meal preparation, however this guest purchased a 1.5kg cut of meat and asked for a ‘thermal cooker’ which may be a slow cooker that I don’t have. I suggested she could consider using the pressure cooker but would need to research the times needed for her particular cut and size of meat in that type of equipment.
I advised the guest that she was not to use the pressure cooker without me supervising it and she said she understood they can be dangerous. She had read the instruction book and then said the ‘jiggler’ that sits on top was not in the pressure cooker, that she had also taken out of the cupboard and put back with the lid in a position that is not advisable for storage due to the rubber seal.
I advised her that the jiggler is not stored with the item and that I keep it elsewhere ( and boy am I glad about that!).
We scheduled in a day/time to do the cooking (I have other commitments and tasks during the day). We set up the cooking apparatus and I said clearly do not open or remove the lid, that I will do that when the cooking time is completed.
I came out after 45 minutes to check and she had tried to remove the jiggler which she got stuck and had not heeded my instruction to her to not remove the lid etc. The safety steps after cooking are to wait till the steam valve resumes normal position, then remove the jiggler and then the lid. She was trying to remove the jiggle and got it stuck and almost damaged it.
I would like to rate her 3 stars max for house rules, is it permissible to give a verbal instruction, does that count as a house rule?
Second thing I noticed she did on another occasion at least once was put a hot saucepan on the bespoke varnished solid wooden bench tops, thereby breaking the glued seal as well as the varnish surface.
There were other minor irritations for me, eg her telling me the street nearby had one name for one side of the street and another name for the other side of the street. Google maps does not seem to be able to be utilised well by some folks so I will add in the guest info to use google maps live and click on the ‘walk’ tab when walking from the railway station close by.
I’ve written this in detail hoping that the info gives the picture and flavour of my concern. Some damage is inevitable in hosting, but the pressure cooker is a danger. I would like to say her behaviour was rash or was it inconsiderate etc.
No, house rules are things stated in writing on your listing.
But I would mark her down for communication. Communication is a two way street and it sounds like you were quite clear about how you wanted her to deal with the pressure cooker and she ignored it.
I’d say something in the review like “XX was a bit frustrating to deal with in her kitchen usage, as she ignored my instructions for use of the pressure cooker, as well as damaged the countertop by putting a hot pot directly on it.”
(I’m assuming you have a trivet or a tile to set hot pots on?)
Of course with anything positive you have to say about her in the review, also.
But also I guess you have to decide if you would want her to come back- she obviously likes your place, as she’s booked twice. If you’d accept her again, I’d just chalk it up to her being somewhat difficult at times and not say anything negative in the review. I have a repeat guest who’s stayed 3 times and does some somewhat distracted, irritating things, but she’s a good guest in other ways, so I try not to let it bother me.
[quote=“zillacop, post:3, topic:60986”] I
would get rid of the pressure cooker.
[/quote]
This is a homeshare. It’s the host’s kitchen. I doubt she wants to get rid of her pressure cooker.
She was just being nice, letting the guest use it. It’s probably the only time a guest has ever bought food that needed to be cooked in something like that.
I agree with Muddy that house rules are written and available on the platform. Verbal instructions can be considered “she said, he said.” I’m sorry this happened to you and I understand the safety concern. Perhaps it might be a good idea to hide the pressure cooker.
Thanks everyone for your helpful responses. Ive been thinking about this for a while now. Her telling me that the street has different names for each side of the street was an eg of her ‘attitude’ and its not a great approach where safety/danger is concerned which are my bottom line. This is my hosting anniversary - a magnificent Ultratrail marathon that started me hosting. I have been spoilt by the organisation and attention to detail and safety that runners, rock climbers and hikers have demonstrated in my years of hosting. 3 of my guests began this morning around 5:30am in minus 5C temps to do a rigorous 100km run. My fave time of the year as a host.
I do have trivets and the cooktop itself is one of the flat glass induction types so it has enough space to move hot cookware from the active hotplate to cold hotplates.
Interesting. I never really thought about that, as I don’t get a lot of that crowd and the majority of my guests are very together people. But I did have a rock climber who packed up all his stuff and put it outside on the balcony in the morning before heading off to the beach for the day, even though I didn’t ask him to, and I have a flexible check out time as I don’t do same day turnovers. I had only mentioned that I had a guest coming the following day, so would need to get in to clean by 4pm, which was when he had to leave for the airport. He said he packed up in case I wanted to get in and start cleaning earlier.
And I had another guest who chefs on boats- research vessels, fishing charters, private yachts. On check out day I told him not to bother stripping the bed or sweep or anything, but he’d already done it. Said he has to do that on the boats when they dock, it’s just automatic now when he leaves a place.
It might help to differentiate between what the guest did or did not do vs. the feeling of a high-maintenance guest getting on your last nerve.
I could almost sense your exasperation at having to juggle your schedule to accommodate this guest’s cooking project, even before things went sideways. You don’t have to volunteer to assist guests to the point of making more work for yourself than you have the time and inclination to do. “Sorry, we don’t have a slow cooker. You can use the oven or stovetop.”
A 3 rating on Communications I agree is justifiable. You also might have a claim with Airbnb on refinishing your bench if you act promptly.
“Guest did not follow instructions on use of kitchen equipment and damaged a surface by failing to use a trivet.”
Consider adding to your rules: “The kitchen may be used by guests for basic stovetop, oven and microwave cooking. As this is a shared space, please limit kitchen use to 2 hours per day.” I agree don’t leave cooking equipment you don’t want guests to use accessible. Maybe lock or mark “Private. Not for Guest Use” one cupboard.
