I hear where you’re coming from. Airbnb should subtly make guests aware that we aren’t hotels with staff to cater to a guest’s every whine, I mean whim, but we are rather private homes with nice people offering for a substantially reduced rate, some comfy accommodation.
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So wondering how honestly to review my last guest, my first high maintenance guest. The guest is airbnb host (!) with good reviews, based on the reviews appears to provide full bkfst in his/her listing. Before booking asks how far to nearby hotel for mtg. I Google the answer, but am I, a concierge? Right after booking I get a call asking what I provide for breakfast, even though my listing clearly states self-serve tea and coffee, kitchen available but clean up after yourself. Next question was who else is at the house — so mentioned adult offspring and cat and dog (my pets are clearly described in my listing!), then says they are allergic to cats! Tried to reassure that pet dander not major since floors are all wood, but wtf? A host who doesn’t read? Then yet another phone call asking about parking (again in rules) and if I keep yogurt in the fridge ( I said no, since it’s not for guests), said they would pick up some items for breakfast but do I have milk they can use! Then arrives at 10pm, knowing I got out of bed to greet them and went back to bed, soon knocking on bedroom door asking for wifi pw that somehow isn’t getting thru on text, the next night knocks on bedroom door at midnight asking if we have a printer! Doesn’t clean up in kitchen. It is all I could do to be civil to this guest, who seemed to expect 24hr hotel amenities at 1/3 the price.
Any one of these questions alone would not be a big deal, but one after another…was just too much! What do I write?
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“This guest did not read my listing description. Not only did she repeatedly message me with questions that are clearly answered by my listing, but then also got upset with me regarding my pets that are featured in my listing and repeatedly asked for amenities that I do not offer at all hours.”
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Unfortunately, I can’t recommend this guest. They didn’t read the listing copy or house information and pestered me constantly before arrival with questions that were already answered in the materials. Then they asked for favors or exceptions during their stay. Guest expected five-star amenities for a one-star price. HIgh maintenance and entitled. NO.
You know, friends, it’s high time we review these guests honestly. This is not the kind of person any of us want to host.
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YES!..
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Level-headed Sarah wrote you the perfect review! Use it. Please don’t let this jerk get away with intimidating you with his/her HOST status. Load of BS. Please let us know how it turns out and what sort of review was left for you! Can’t wait.
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Is it possible for us to see the information that we write for airbnb in the section that says 'anything that you would like us to know) this will not be shared with the guest. Can we write an honest public review on the guest- I worry about whether any might choose legal action if they disliked or disagreed with our review.
I am not clear about what you are asking
I think she’s worried about the guest getting upset and filing libel charges, which I think would be preposterous on the part of the guest. I can see it all now! On Judge Judy! “She damaged my character by calling me a high maintenance b…h!..”
I believe you mean libel. Slander is spoken; libel is written. In either case; if the statement is factually correct it isn’t slander or libel.
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It’s genetic. Some people are just born nit-picky and demanding. My sis-in-law is a textbook case. I feel so sorry for people behind counters at stores.
Well I think there are people out there who would take offence. Hence, I am going to email airbnb and say that I think hosts should be able to seek the ‘further information that hosts have provided about guests’ when they have not recommended them. Travel agencies have ‘trade books’ that tell the truth about hotels and resorts as opposed to the promotional blurb that travel brochures have that forgot to mention the building site outside your hotel and the nightclub next door.
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I’m sorry to hear that you won’t just write an honest review. I seriously doubt they’d be deeply offended; maybe a little taken aback, which is just what you want to have happen. This type of person is used to this kind of confrontation I’m sure.
As for asking for more information about guests, I don’t think that will go very far because of legal/privacy issues.
@konacoconutz @cabinhost, this was a request from new Airbnb members from India:
" Please confirm that the entire apartment is accessible for us and no sharing with others
Please let us know if breakfast option and daily cleaning are available
We are vegetarian people, so bit worried if we can find restaurant near the apartment, please let us know if options are available."
They asked for this service BEFORE booking and I promptly told them that Air hosts are not maids and that Airbnb targets travelers who want to “live like a local” blablabla, which in France involves walking to the corner bakery for breakfast and making your bed, but that nearby hotels X and Y would be glad to have them as guests and provide the services they are looking for.
I guess, but maybe @faheem could confirm this, that Indians wealthy enough to travel to Europe have maids and that maybe they were thinking that I have one 
. Or maybe the Air commercial with crêpes made them think that French hosts come every morning to flip crepes, I don’t know 
I also had an inquiry about daily cleaning from people from Saudi Arabia.
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Yes, Indians wealthy enough to travel to Europe would have “servants”. That’s what they call them here. I think most such people are clueful enough to know things are different in Europe, but there are always exceptions. I assume you are referring specifically to the “daily cleaning part”? Also the “options are available” part? I’d spell it out for them.
Eeeeegads! The gall!
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I think these people who asked you about all these goodies are new to Airbnbnb and dont really understand the concept of renting someone’s home.
I just talked to my customer who is a realtor. She is a single mom of 3 girls and works very very hard to make a living. She has 2 rental properties that she rents through Airbnb, and she is a cleaner, manager, everything combined.
SHe told me how people complain about things that make no sense. SHe thinks its because they are not realizing what kind of service they will be provided when they rent. The total concept of renting a house form a person should be understood just as it is. But… many still new to Air think that standards should be equal to those of 4,5 star hotels. Though they know they pay less. One of my customer’s guests paid 125$ for 1 bedroom/1 bath house with private pool small house while hotels around were around 200$/a room, and found couple of palmetto bugs, then the bed was not big enough for her, then there were other tiny issues. Then she called my customer and told her that for this money she would rather go to hotel than deal with all these issues. And she said: at hotel i have breakfast and cleaning everyday.
My customer said, of course, go, but let me know when you will be checking out. Well, the phone call never happened. The guests stayed for the whole rented term. We all guessing what happened:)
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Bad review?..
“Yes, we can certainly provide a typical French breakfast and daily cleaning if you wish. The cost will be €25 per day, payable in advance on arrival.”
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I meant that the guest went to search for hotel and found nothing even a bit close to the price she was paying. That should have calmed her down:). But bad review sounds good…
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