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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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
That is what I thought immediately on reading it. Sounds like someone who hasn’t English as first language- which is why some of it sounds strange/weird & curt/ formal.
oh this is NOT rude. I’ve had way worse.
and you keep asking her to cancel, if anyone is coming off as rude, it might be you.
sorry mate.
She’s chancing it cos she probably does it all the time. Is the English a bit off? If she’s Asian/Indian she won’t leave a bad review, asking for extra is just normal, and being turned down is normal too.
I have these conversations all the time, some guests are most insistent. I’ve even had one group turn up early and told me they are waiting outside the property.
I hear that.
wine is my therapy. I don’t need to “work through” my angst, there’s no fixing this issue. A few glasses of wine, a chat with fellow hosts, and feel just fine to face another day. haha.
actually we’ve had a brilliant summer and no major issues at all, just a few minor problems, January was BME and that’s even with next week only being 50% booked at this stage.
I have to say I think you are massively over reacting trying to make a guest cancel a booking because she asked if she can check in with you on arrival to see if early check in is available.
And no I don’t think her responses are rude. Is she coming from a country with a different language to yours ?
And then to consider cancelling her booking yourself. Words fail me
All it needed is ’ I’m afraid early check won’t be possible on the day but on my visitor guide I have recommended some lovely cafes/restaurants/attractions you can enjoy if you arrive early and left luggage facilities are available at xxx’
Perhaps she’s flying in and her arrival time is way before check in so she thought she would ask. Some hotels will let you check in a little earlier if the room is available so she might think it works the same way. She’s most likely new to Airbnb. Did she have any reviews?
yes, I get a huge amount of early check in requests from newbies. I know they are new but do their brains work? my farm is NOT a hotel, that’s obvious. I don’t have 100 rooms. And frankly, that’s true for ALL airbnbs. why do guests not fathom this?
dont’ answer that… far too many humans don’t actually “think” for themselves.
