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@brook2adks hope you continue to visit the forum and give your valuable insight. I have a mental picture of you stretching out and heaving a happy contented sigh as you enjoy your home.
@konacoconutz I have learned much from your posts and hope any break you take is temporary - many of us on the forum dream of visiting your listing someday and you have educated us on how to be great guests!
Since I am not a “destination” location, I have only had 64 visits over the past 8 months but I do have to admit that I sighed when the phone chimed today for another one night stay. Six room turnovers in 8 days.
That said, the guest from last night were some of my favorites - maybe the next few days will bring more memorable (for the right reasons) visitors!
Terry how sweet. You’re lovely. I really appreciate the support of the forum members, you guys are all awesome! It really helps when we are going through the inevitable bad guest experiences.
Strangely, I sometimes get a spate of excellent guests after the stinkers. I really do hope that’s the case now. It’s just so disheartening, I confess.
That is true and it would probably surprise you why I got into the VR world but my burn-out is actually due to preference. I recently developed a preference for not dealing with or catering to certain types of inquiries.
I have overlooked and ignored rude inquiries for far too long. Although I don’t have any bad reviews, dealing with and placating those guests throughout their stays are taxing and unpleasant.
I’ve decided to pick and choose people who are polite and show me their better side when they want to rent my property. As society changes and common courtesies are falling to the wayside, I will jump off this ship in the not too distant future.
For me, it’s no longer fun and energizing (but thanks for your suggestions anyway).
I live faraway and manage my Airbnb via a property manager. I notice they do burnout eventually as they manage 30 properties as their full time job. 10y seems the average.
1st management company I had was burning out when I hired them. I was too new so I didn’t notice right away. Guests started to complain they were not showing up but I was still charged for their visit. When they started hanging up on guests, I let them go.
2nd property management was great for years but it was a couple and when they reached 70 they sold their business due to health issues. The last 6 months, they were showing sign of giving up.
3rd one is great. They are excited, the guests love them and they charge a fair price.
Hospitality business is tough and draining if you try to do it all by yourself.
They make love cling garbage cans. Get one. That’s ridiculous. Even I the season black out a few days to be alone in your home. You are not required to make breakfast. Don’t. I give arrival snacks in the room upon arrival and ask if they need directions to the grocery store. Some people don’t even like breakfast. They may be eating it to be polite. Not making bfast means your hosting starts at checkout. Don’t make it.
Burnout has to be managed before it happens. Take care of you which might mean give a good guest exp without the labor intensive perks
@konacoconutz, yes indeed, this is sometimes a rough way to make a living, but it shouldn’t be and wouldn’t be if not for the people who lack boundaries, manners, social grace and a long list of other qualities that civilized people should have!
And those who don’t host can’t understand. My mother-in-law thinks I’m a whiny spoiled brat when I complain about hosting burnout. She sees me raking in relatively big bucks for what she thinks consists of changeing the sheets a few times a week. And she’s not the only one who thinks I don’t really “work”. As an aside, hosting was my only real money making gig, but I just got my real estate license, so hopefully I’ll be able to generate income that way in the future.
Anyway, my point is, that hosting really would be fairly easy work if the people just behaved like civilized adults instead of all the deplorable ways in which so many of them behave.
I used my summer earnings for a substantial mechanical bill on my car, and have some leftover that I will use for some small fixes needed in my home.
I was mostly doing Airbnb to prevent ever having to use a credit card or take out a loan for these types of things.
I looked over all my expenses, retirement contributions, insurance policies, gym memberships, and the like last evening.
I also used to send some ABB money to my nieces, (long story).
Found a few things I could discontinue. In one year, it will equal about half what my usual yearly ABB income is.
I can still send some moola to my nieces, just not as much, but they are very frugal young women.
Guests haven’t quite ‘got’ that they’re not in a hotel and so don’t know how to ‘be’ in someone’s Airbnb.
It is different and for some of them
Articularly if it’s the first time.
Of course it’s also visible to the guest with a tiny bit of effort. That they aren’t willing or able to make the effort is a huge red flag, more than the all caps.
Question: what, if anything, do you do for special occasions? I’d be leaving something special for the retired couple. Please tell me they were as nice as they sound.
I’ve been aware that I’m quite biased towards well-written inquiries and I’ve always wondered if that’s well-founded or not. Do poorly worded, hastily written emails generally equate with rude guests? (notwithstanding the ALL CAPS shouting at you to cut them a deal…)
I received the below one liner as an initial request to book yesterday at 11pm. This is from a person with a prior good review. I immediately responded with questions for her. Woke up this morning to radio silence so I declined. unreal.
Oh, and did so because airbnb removed my listing from the search for that weekend. Why should i wait for a response that may never come if it temporarily removes me from the search for those dates?
Hawaii has always had vacation rentals. When my sis first moved here she needed a job and took what she thought would be an easy peasy one. Picking up flower arrangements for guests and being at the accommodation to greet them with lei.
The second time she did it the guests kept her waiting five hours. The third time she did it, the guests hated the location and blasted her with complaints about how it wasn’t what they expected.
The job last two weeks and she quit.
I don’t know if this property manager does this anymore. Probably can at her price point.
Regarding the gifts for special occasions, birthdays, honeymoons, or retirement, I don’t do it unless it’s someone REALLY REALLY wonderful. I did have someone like that this summer. Mainly because every other booking is one of the above. They do get fresh flowers in the room and lots of free advice.
As a guest, I would love fresh flowers, tropical or otherwise, homemade preserves, gourmet or otherwise, and a homemade cookie or somethin’ from the oven!
(Just back from the dentist but seriously need to raid the fridge for something yummy now, darn it.)
Indeed very good news that you will stay around on the forum, although I sometimes find myself getting fed up with the occasional unpleasant post that is unwarranted. I might be imagining it but in the last week, it has felt like people have become quite short tempered and irritable. As this reflected my own mood, I took a break for a few days, prompted by no bookings since Sunday, until tomorrow. Sleep, gardening and feet up.
I can only agree wholeheartedly with Terry’s sentiments. Hope you have a terrific break and get to do all the things you’d like to do, not need to do!
