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I am unsure on how to do this - there are just too many factors, so I will list below and if one of you wordsmiths could assist I would be very grateful!
never announced arrival time despite me enquiring up to the day before arrival (I kinda expected them not to show after 9pm passed on the day)
after 9pm messaged me for directions to my house (we’ve covered that this is in my description by now)
made a weird ‘joke’ about my nationality (“if we had known you were xxx we wouldn’t have booked with you - just kidding”)
asked for a late checkout (I allowed them to leave their bags in the living room as I had another guest arriving at 6pm and prepared the room accordingly)
They announced they would return between 5-6pm to leave in a note (I texted them at 4pm as to where to leave the keys (where the new guest would collect them)
At 6:40pm I get a call from the new guests that the keys aren’t there, so I leave work to let her in - the other guests are still ‘out’ with my second set of keys and their stuff in my house
I give my new guest my own keys and return to work, she informs me that the other guests arrived shortly after I had left at 7pm
They did leave the room tidy and did their own dishes - a positive!
You need to describe things and rate them EXACTLY how you have given it to us. These are HORRIBLE guests and it is our responsibility as hosts to protect each other from this type of guest. You can sugar coat it a bit if you want, but I recommend waiting til the last day of optional response and laying it out as it was.
Yes, just lay it out. I’ve started doing it in my reviews of bad guests, and no effect on my bookings. People can’t behave like that and think it’s ok - especially the remark on your nationality. Not funny under any circumstances. The rest of the behavior fits what someone who might think that joke is funny would do. They didn’t feel you needed to be respected unfortunately, and you didn’t need that. Nor does anyone else need to go through it without being fully warned.
Julie, Definitely write them up, as someone said…you just wrote it perfectly! If you are worried they might hit you back… wait until 11:58 or 11:59PM on the last day of the review period and let it fly!
Guys, I really appreciate the comments - I’ve never given a bad review before so this is so new for me (usually I leave no review which is code) but these guys - the fact that they really messed up the arrival for my next guest (and yes, this can partially be seen as my own fault) really got to me. I’m still pondering if I can make the above points in a nice, less blunt statement like ‘communication could have been better’ but I really am struggling with it. I will definitely wait until last minute.
Sme people are just like that: kind of dumb, disorganized, disoriented, forgetful and just don’t think. When I travel with my husband I am the master mind because my husband despite his other excellent qualities is like that. When I read your post I did clearly see my husband doing just that, but cleaning after sorrowly. Well, he wold never do any remarks about nationality.
Of course it’s not an excuse for all of your inconveniences. I would be mad too.
About reviewing them, if they were not malicious but you feel that it was just a dumb behavor, may be to right to them In private about their behavor?
If they are new guests, they might not even realize what they were doing,p,us personal qualities and it was a bad combination.
I had 2 ladies recently who stayed 1 night. In a morning it became quiete around 11 and I thought they left but instead they went to Shabath service and then for dinner. Left their bags in a room, in bathroom all their things. I collected them ,put everything in their bags and carried them In a hallway. I couldn’t reach them as they left phones home, i cold hear them ringing.,
On top of that they left house keys home, so everytime I left the house I had to leave keys for them in a mail box.
Finally they picked up their bags around 9 when we were not home. She thanked me apologizing for confusion, she said, they didnt know they were going to dinner, they tought they wod come back at 3 pm.
The lady was so sweet that I didnt want to put public bad review on her. Also it was her first time as a guest
Iin private feedback I told her the situation with checking in and checking out. Told her that 3 pm, would be late anyway and she should always ask a host without assuming anything, but better just follow the rules.
She thanked me, and left the best review ever.
Don’t be nice! You don’t owe them a damn thing Julie… They didn’t care about you or the next guest, so why should you care about them? They were disorganized, uncommunicative and rude. Not the kind of guest any of us wants. Tell the truth! I do!
Agree wit dc. Your bullets here are perfect. You can always intro the review with “I was pleased to have the opportunity to host x and y. I was, however, disappointed by the following…”
Funny how guests treat us like hotels until it comes time for check out. Then all of a sudden the they don’t think of us as a hotel any more.
Right, people, it’s the last day and this is what I’ve decided on:
Public review: I was pleased to have the opportunity to host xxx and her partner. They stayed with me for one night and left the room very tidy and even cleaned all dishes they used which I really appreciated. I feel communication could have been better in regards to arrival and check-out. I did not get an arrival time until 9pm on the day and while they asked for a late checkout (agreed for 5-6pm) they didn’t return my keys until past 7pm. This caused problems for me with my next guest. Perhaps a hotel would be more suitable in the future.
Private review: Your partner’s comment about my nationality - joke or not - was inappropriate. I left it out of the public review as you did not make it, but it made me feel quite uncomfortable.
i had a guest this weekend that said she was flying in at midnight and needed late check-in. to be nice, i left keys in lock box and provided code with detailed instructions. at 3:15 AM she was blowing up my phone (like it was 12pm). i woke up scared by the second - third call and answered. she claimed code was not working. i asked her to try again and guess what - yeah it worked - duh! on her last day she emailed me for late check out - i said NO WAY JOSE!!! very politely told her i needed to clean in order to receive next couple.
