So,I hosted four nice ladies for 3 days,they left good impression on me while checking in,talking,laughing.But then they’ve decided that they want to rent a boat and contacted me(well,the one that booked the place) saying they want my help.Ok,I rang a few people and sent them the offer.First offer was expensive to them,they said that they found something half the first price,so I I told them that the price range would be helpful.After that I send few more cheaper ones ,then they thanked me and said that some girl recommended them a guy and they will send me his number for the future guests.So,they already decided where to go and still asking me.Was this a bit condescending?
There is a difference between legal and illegal rental boats,vacations or what ever,illegal tend to be cheaper.
Now I found all these phone numbers from a web site of people that are highly recommended from previous guests.Am I making a problem out of nothing?And how do I review them?
Perhaps it is best to separate the issues. One is you rented your place to them and everything went very well. Secondly is the boat scene, which they eventually solved on their own and feel they found the perfect "El Capitan’ because they are so brilliant, marvy. The third issue is the legality or merits of different boat rentals?
I would review them only in what concerns me, their stay, everything else has no bearing.
P.S. Boat rental in Belize is touchy, you must have a local captain, perfect, I don’t get into it with guests, I give them the local guide numbers and they are on their own.
It’s very common for me that guests ask for help with something, when actually what they want is just you to provide info so that they can compare their own findings to.
For me, it’s airport transfer services. They’ll ask me, I will call companies that I know provide good service, licensed drivers, etc. I’ll give them the info, and they’ll say “oh, that’s too much, we found a company that does it for half”. I say - ok, that’s great! What I don’t bother telling them, because they’ve now wasted my time, was that the company that quoted half will later have their hand out for the tolls, extra guests, mysterious fees and of course a tip, so it will be at least as much as my price, if not more.
If it’s something that you get a couple of guests asking about, I think it’s worth including info about in your house manual or welcome letter. I now do this with my restaurant referrals and airport transfers. When they ask, I let them know that they can call themselves as I’ve provided all of the info in the house manual.
It’s annoying that these guests have wasted your time, but I don’t think it’s anything outside of the normal host/guest relationship, so personally I wouldn’t comment on it in the review. I’d just have a rant against them with my husband, and then be done.
Hi Superhostnyc
Thank you for you input.That’s exactly what got me upset.It looks like I tried to deceive them or something,when actually I wanted to recommend them the best.I feel so stupid.
I made the guidebook that has all these info,but they wanted private boat tour.Lady that booked my place is a host herself,so one would think that she knows how things work. I guess this hard feeling will pass.
Mearns,about the boat scene-I let myself be pulled into that,I’ve should just pointed them to harbour and be over with.Usually lower priced boat rentals are not covered with insurace or/and illegal.Similar thing with restaurants.Guests end up complaning to me and there is nothing I can do about it.
My town can be expensive for some people and then when they hear about lower prices they get burned one way or the other.I’ll try to stay away from that too,lesson no.8595904 learned!!
That is the spirit Kristina. It is a no-win situation. You have everything to loose little to gain; they have a bad trip, because of bad weather, your fault. And there are always the local hustlers hanging around offering ‘special deals’ and burning people focused going on the cheap. Next time they ask, you know zero about boats, only which direction is the water. LoL
Haha,yeah it does comes to that at the end.
I constantly need to remind myself not to take it personally or emotionaly and that can be hard.
Yep. Separate issues. You are making a problem out of nothing. Your task here is to review them for their AirBnb experience with you; not as a boat rental or sightseeing guide service. The whole boat thing should not even be mentioned in the review.
Since you are more or less “one the water”, it would behoove you to put a page in your Guest Information Book that lists three or four ‘approved’ boat rental services,charter fishing captains, dive boats, etc. We have that in our Cabana Book, along with coupons and ads for such services and other local attractions.
Just to add by way of further example: real estate. Every guest arrives and ‘falls in love with the area’, and then they start to dream. The question arises: “Know of a good real estate agent here?”. Oh boy, the riskiest subject. Once they go through the process, and through the land department here, you are guaranteed they will hate your guts! That is just the land, imagine recommending a contractor; suicide.
In my hosting experience,guests take everything in consideration while reviewing,even things I have nothing to do with.I am not considering to write that in review,at all,just describing situation for your opinions.I have a guidebook with these kind of informations,but she wanted something else.To be honest I wouldn’t host this woman again and probably won’t write review for her.
Usually I have amazing guests,so I guess I’m not used to these situations.
Kristina: funny story about boats and captains. Had some guests on the island, they got hustled by some local ‘guy’ before meeting with me. Two couples, nice gentle European types, all nicely decked out in beautiful matching snorkeling outfits. A fashion statement.
‘Paco’ picks them up at the island; trip is 15 miles, medium wind, 3- foot waves; he floors it and gets there at super-sonic speed, flying through the air, the drenched people are in shock after being bounced all over inside a boat for half an hour straight. They are furious. They snorkel for 1 hour, time for lunch, but bummer it got wet on the way with all the sea spray; only two drinks survived, the guide drinks one!
Snorkel 1 more hour, guests not happy. He again zooms back, they get to my island furious, one lady now has back pains, she looked totally a wreck. They were all so attractive just 4 hours before, now they all look like castaways. ‘Paco’ could care less, quickly takes off and runs out of gas 300 yards from my place (because he wasted so much going so fast the whole trip). Now I got to run to town to get him gas to get him back to town.
"people are in shock after being bounced all over for half an hour straight"You described it so vividly,I am laughing so hard!
That’s the problem,being responsable for other people mess,you can try to avoid it,but just try.
I had guests that were mad at the drivers,like taxi driver leaving them at wrong location,or bus driver driving too fast.
When I arrange transportation things like that doesn’t happen.
Maybe send your guests some warnings before arrival? Only use Mearns-approved “local talent” - something like that?
It is very commom for me. In my case it is regarding airport pick up, the return journey when they are already tired after they vacation. So they will ask me if I know by drivers, I will say yes and the price is such. Mostly they will tell me ‘oh I got a business card from a guy who does for x$x (much cheaper than the drivers from the company I know)’ . So I just tell them ‘thats wonderful, please go ahead and book with the biz card driver because I only know this company with this price and service quality’. In a couple off hours ALL of the ones who said so to me suddenly ‘lost’ the supposddly cheaper driver biz card. Go figure…
I don’t get mad anymore, because if they need the service I just contact the comoany online and it takes me 2 min to schedule. But I will not act as an travel agent for by other service. I tried once helping a guest to book a president hall tour, and after I found out I would need their ID and passport to be able to book the tour -because the government requires so- I got blamed as for why I want her I’d and what I am going to do with it. So I told her to just please book by herself the tour. Never again doing nothing other than the airport pick up.
I have even dropped the airport pickup, because planes never on time. Car always “in repairs”, bummer.
There is a pressure to know it all,it is mine home town they’re visiting,don’t like that.
I do go on TA to collect information about sites,restaurants,tours etc. And I pick ones with most glowing reviews,put it in the compedium and in the guidebook.
But sometimes it’s not enough,I guess.
This is why I prefer to take the subway to the airport! The price and route is known to me ahead of time, and there are no hidden fees, breakdowns, or irate drivers.
I would stay away from making too many recommendations. Then any bad experience can come back atcha. Why do you have to go through TA and “curate” boat vendors and restaurants. ? Let your guests do that…they have access to the Internet!
Better than TA is a bona fide publisher like Fodor’s. They pay local writers every year to professionally update their guides. If you live in a resort area, they will have a guidebook for it. Put one in the room and get sharpie pen and write “Property of …”
I make a document with recommendations for ONLY places I have been to. There’s no way I will be relying on TA reviews! We all know how fallacious reviews can be!
On the subject of boats and kayaks, we’ve had recent regulations regarding this here in Hawaii. I could recommend a zillion illegal vendors that are cheaper than the permitted ones but I won’t touch that with a ten foot,pole. Instead I tell guests that if they do choose to rent from an illegal vendor, they may get stopped by enforcement and if they don’t have a valid permit to show, they will instead get a lovely citation and the kayak will be seized. Not a fun way to end a paddle!!
Very strong finish there k.
I put in a few sentences what the sites,restaurantsor rentals offer,I don’t take people’s reviews.I am aware that bed experience can come back at me,that is why I describe basic features of the site and always say that my previous guests liked it.
They can go through TA,of course,I don’t know why don’t they do that,I guess it’s easier to call me.
What bothered me was the fact that they obviously decided where to go,called me,didn’t respect my time and at the end condescending line"I’ll leave you a contact for your future guests"
Usually the compedium was enough for my previous guests,they’ve thanked me for nice recommendations without me saying a word,just by reading the compedium.