Is this entitled language?

I got a booking today from a guest who wants early check-in.

I feel she has an entitled attitude based on the way she wrote. I’m curious what others think.

My post booking confirmation has a line saying Check in time is xx PM. Early check-in will not be possible.

The guest write backs

How may we request early check in?

I thought I made it clear it won’t be possible. So I told her that she should cancel and book something else.

then her response is

I can manage regular check-in as well. When I arrive, can you tell me if it is available?

at that point, I could not understand how to explain that I have already told you it will not be available before check in time.

Then I requested her again to cancel and find something that is suitable for her

She replies

If I do not cancel, is the Airbnb still available?

I said it is but I cannot meet her early check in expectations so I’d be grateful if she cancels.

There was no please, thank you, etc. in her conversation. Nothing to show that this was a request. She just expected it to be available. But maybe I am misreading this.

She still has not canceled. Stay starts next Sunday.

2 Likes

Well, except for when she said:

I don’t know. It’s true that she didn’t use any pleasantries but she wasn’t overtly rude either and she seems flexible enough:

My feeling is that she thought it didn’t hurt to ask or she was supposed to ask. If anything, she comes off as overly-formal. It may even be someone’s personal assistant.

This guest doesn’t bother me.

11 Likes

great point… Thanks!

3 Likes

Don’t know if entitled is the right word. Seems extremely weird. Like what does “When I arrive, can you tell me if it is available?” mean? Does she mean she plans to show up early and then wait around until you say she can check in?

7 Likes

That’s what it sounds like. I have been discouraging her from arriving before the checkin time.

I tell people that it will be ready at check in time because I don’t want to constantly respond to their questions about whether it is ready.

She’s not willing to accept my listing constraints. Let’s see if I get a bad review or not.

1 Like

It’s really common for hosts, and hotels as well, to say that they’ll let you know if the room is ready early. There’s even someone on here, but I can’t remember who, who has that in their check-in message. She’s likely been told that before. I’ve definitely had it said by many hosts in a message (without even asking about it).

edit: here’s one: Guests can change check in time? - #13 by RiverRock

@house_plants if you decide to keep the reservation you could just tell her, “It’s unlikely that it will be ready early, but if it is I will message you”.

6 Likes

Agreed and that is my challenge. I’m not a hotel and I’m not a full-time host. If I have to be at my day job on that day, I cannot respond to them in a timely manner and then I will get dinged in the review.

Generally, people who want early check-in expect things beyond what is provided in the listing.

At this point I don’t think she is going to cancel. I I could use my three penalty free cancellations, but I just don’t think she’s that big of an issue to Use one up.

I’m trying to get her to say that she will arrive well before checkin time and I hope she sends me a message that she has arrived well before checkin time. Hopefully that will be enough ammunition to show Airbnb that she did not follow my house rules and therefore her review should be removed.

Yeah, I have found that to be true to some extent too.

That’s where I was coming from too. It doesn’t sound like she’s going to cancel. But she does communicate in a very straight-forward manner so your best bet is to do the same. I prefer guests who are very straightforward because I’m more comfortable communicating that way anyway. I think they make up for other issues with their easy communication.

You could even tell her, "It’s unlikely that it will be ready early and I will be tied up at work for most of the day but if it’s ready early then I’d be happy to message you.”

If you’re going to keep the reservation you might as well play nice :wink:

5 Likes

Sure, I get that. But house_plants told her the exact opposite- that there is no early check-in available. And a host or hotel saying they’ll let you know if the room is ready earlier doesn’t mean you just show up early if they haven’t told you it’s ready.

Also, a hotel is different, in that you could make yourself comfortable in the lobby, or go sit and have a drink in the bar.

She didn’t say anything about showing up. She only asked if he would let her know if the situation changes. And that in itself says that she understands the situation. She seems reasonable enough to me. I would say that she’s “straight-forward and easily re-directed”. I like that kind of guest.

It’s not even hotels as much as other hosts. I’d estimate that most hosts I’ve booked with in the last few years have included something in their messages about “I’ll let you know if it’s ready early”. I always notice it because I’ve never been early to anything in my whole life :rofl: :rofl:

Yes. That’s my plan now.

This is part of the identity crisis on Airbnb. There are a lot of corporate hosts who rent out entire apartment buildings. So they have places for people to hang out in their lobbies. I rented one such place from a company called sonder.com

Since these corporate host s are more in number than the individual hosts, some people expect hotel type of service.

This guest joined in 2020 and she only has one review. So I feel she has not experienced an individual Airbnb.

I didn’t see that she said anything about showing up to the place early. I guess I took, “when I arrive” to mean, “arrive on the island”. It sounds like an island thing to me. Aren’t you on an island, or am I confused?

But if you have the feeling that she is threatening to show up early at the listing, well that’s totally different. I’d dump a guest for that.

Yes, my listing is on an island.

Part of it is there is some confusion in the language.

I’m not 100% confident what she will do and what she means. I asked her the question at what time she will arrive at the building. She has not responded yet.

I think I may be overthinking it too much. I just have scars from bad reviews left from people who I didn’t give early check-in.

I need some therapy to help me accept the fact that early check in and late check out requests will always keep coming. Just part of hosting.

1 Like

Deleted. Already answered, Cross postings.

1 Like

I was almost wondering if English isn’t her first language. Even when people are fluent in a second language, occasionally their wording is awkward.

6 Likes

It could be… but I don’t know yet. I don’t want to assume because she doesn’t have a WASP last name. There are too many people with non-English last names but were born and raised in the US who only speak English and don’t speak the language of their ancestors.

I’ll admit that those people used to really make me nervous. But then I came up with a trick. It works really well but I bet you’re not going to like it.

What I do for those folks is, well, I just kiss their ass like there’s no tomorrow to make up for not being to provide the requested early checkin/late checkout. It has always worked. It is 100% effective. I’ve never received a bad review. But it, obviously, doesn’t come naturally to me, lol, so I just pretend I’m undercover. It’s the undercover part that makes it palatable (I watch a lot of cop shows). :rofl:

I really wish I was joking :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

5 Likes

Well, I had no idea what her last name was. I had the thought that English might not be her native language from your first post judging by her rather strange responses.

2 Likes

That’s how I feel when I suck up to the CS reps to get them on my side. :rofl:

2 Likes

:rofl: Trust me, pretend you’re undercover. It almost makes it fun. :rofl:

2 Likes