We just discovered today that our in-ground swimming pool has a leak in its lining (seven years old) that is not reparable, that It is likely that we will not be able to open our pool for 30 days. The listing is in Worcester MA. Most guests visit to see relatives or for a family event.
We believe we will be able to open in 30 days based on discussions with a pool contractor and a firm selling liners (custom size is needed). But it seems to me that there must always be some uncertainty ‘until it’s done’ : contractors have emergencies, manufacturers experience delays, delivery services can be disrupted, things lost or damaged in transit, maybe another surprise(s) awaits us.
– So today we wrote affected guests and offered a penalty-free cancellation (they should ask Airbnb for the refund and we would authorize).
– Our listing no longer has a pool listed as an amenity.
– The listing description includes a statement “IMPORTANT: POOL NOT OPEN; REQUIRES REPAIR AND TIMING TO OPEN UNCERTAIN”
Potential reactions that we anticipate and would be concerning include:
– Asking for a discount
– Asking for additional compensation if they cannot find comparable accommodations
Notes:
- To our knowledge there is at most one listing (none now) in Worcester MA that has a pool, though there are some listings in nearby communities.
- Although I have received representations that we could get this replaced in 15 days, we have notified guests who have reserved for the next 30 days to provide some cushion for the unexpected.
- We don’t know how important the pool amenity is to these guests, except for one who did mention it (‘lovely pool’) when they instant booked. None others have mentioned it.
- We don’t know why the rips in the lining occurred. The rips were at the seams, which could be a manufacturer’s defect. One rip was near the stairs, a particularly vulnerable part of the lining.
- This is a concrete pool, built 50 or so years ago.
- I have read receipts enabled. Tomorrow I plan on texting affected guests who have not read the message to alert them to the platform message.
We’d like to be consistent in how we respond to guests, though I suspect some of you might challenge that (we do too). Our reasoning is to be fair, to practice ‘fee integrity’ so that we don’t simply reward the squeaky wheel or the wily negotiator. On the other hand, depending on the guest the pool amenity might have been anywhere on a continuum from very important, a plus, to unimportant. So I’m unsure whether this notion/interpretation of fee integrity should apply.
Questions for You:
- Do you think a discount, if any, should be based on some percentage of the reservation amount or on some other formula?
- Should we be proactive to offer the discount or wait to be asked?
- If a guest should ask for a discount and we agree, do you think we should provide the same or comparable discount to other affected guests? Just if asked? Proactively?
- Should we apprise affected guests of swimply (the ‘pool’ rental-by-the-hour site recently mentioned by @JJD)?
- Do you think we should contact guests whose reservations are more than 30 days out?
- Do you see other opportunities/best practices to be hospitable? To manage our risks?
- Although I don’t want to focus on what’s been done, do you think I should have done anything differently?
- If Airbnb won’t refund its fees, the guests will have lost, right? Shouldn’t we come out of pocket for that to make guests whole? But if the guests book at another Airbnb wouldn’t Airbnb credit their fee – how does this work for the guest and Host?
- Should I proactively write Airbnb to apprise them of this?
- Any other advice?
