No one even came close to suggesting that anyone STEAL a guest’s item!
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Finder’s keepers, losers weepers!
The Sonicare forgetter sent me a sort of snarky answer, oh well… So, Air informed me the fellow who booked left me a review, so I left him one as well. I really had no reason to mention “the sonicare problem” and my interaction with him was great and departure was on time with no issues, so I gave him thumbs up, 5 stars and a nice review. Thankfully, his review was very nice as well. Case closed!
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I am glad the issue is resolved but I would like to add my input. A toothbrush is a personal item with germs and I consider all toothbrushes to be “private” yucky items. Yes I would keep an iPad and see that it is returned. No I would not keep a toothbrush, no matter how expensive. The cleaning staff was correct to toss a toothbrush and the guests were correct to accept the loss. Additionally, after thinking about this one more day…as a regular user of sonicare and also a frequent traveler, nobody needs or should bring a sonicare on a short term vacation of less than a month. Leave the gadget at home and use a regular toothbrush while on vacation. No host, or hotel, or anyone should have to be responsible for a toothbrush, or returning it.
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I was skimming the content, I saw a comment “I don’t think you are responsible for lost items. After all it’s her that forgot it.” and stand-alone it can be interpreted many different ways, if you know what I mean - it’s nothing personal!! Each to their own.
Hi @konacoconutz,
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, I noticed the similarity. But people can get attached to their things.
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Wow, @jaquo. You really sound super-organized. Can you always tell when guests are leaving? Or do you arrange to meet them before they leave?
I don’t have a formal checkout message I sent guests, though I do routinely meet then for a checkout. Though in the case of guests leaving early, I do that checkout the evening before. Do I really have to send guests a message telling them to check for belonging before leaving?
I have a small magnetic sign on the fridge with check out instructions. One of the bullet points is to check the room for personal belongings such as chargers.
I ask them, so yes, 
I know, we really shouldn’t have to. Whenever I’m leaving a hotel or other accommodation the last thing I do is check everywhere to make sure I have everything.
But when the reminder is ‘hidden’ in a message that thanks them for staying, asking them if there’s anything I can do to help them check out etc., then it’s fairly unobtrusive.
Maybe I should put up a sign in the room or something.
I notice that the problem has apparently solved itself in that the guest sort of acquiesced to the fact that they didn’t miss the item until that evening.(?)
While I wasn’t going to offer a solid solution or answer, I was going to tell you that something similar happened in my rental. A guest from Canada or Australia (can’t remember which but it was definitely one of the two) wrote and said he was missing his new watch and believed he might have left it in the unit. Of course, I immediately called the housecleaner who has been with me since day one, over six years ago, and asked her if she came across it. She said definitely not and she cleaned every inch of the place. Like your cleaner, she has always reported everything a guest has left (chargers, clothes, a private journal/diary, etc.).
She suggested that maybe it had fallen in the taxi that he and his wife took to the airport or perhaps he left it in one of those plastic bins when going through the security checkpoint. I quickly wrote him and suggested those possibilities. Apparently one of the two scenarios must have struck a chord because his reply was a bit sheepish and he thanked me for getting back to him so promptly. I don’t know whether he located his watch in a pocket or what, but there was no follow-up blame game.
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Hi @SandyToes,
Thanks for the thoughts. It’s obviously difficult to know how a stranger will react, but I don’t see how one can be responsible, or guard against, items that a guest may or may not have left in the room. I don’t think I’ll suggest they might not have left it here, or anything like that. It’s redundant at best, and could possibly be considered offensive.
I’m truly gobsmacked by some of the replies on this thread from last year. Seriously, it basically reads:
- oh just lie and tell her you didn’t find it.
- stupid guest, it’s her own fault for not checking
- I can’t be arsed to do it
And the classic double standard - a hotel wouldn’t do it. Why is it ok to compare an Airbnb to a hotel in these cases and at the same time routinely complain that guests “don’t understand that we’re not hotels”?
I call shame on you all!!
@faheem – “Do I really have to send guests a message telling them to check for belonging before leaving?”
Yes, and to put their tray tables back and their seats in an upright position.
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@faheem – “I don’t think I’ll suggest they might not have left it here, or anything like that. It’s redundant at best, and could possibly be considered offensive.”
Offensive? Really?!
What a curious reaction.
It’s hypothetical, obviously. I have no idea what someone might think if I offered such suggestions. “Check your pockets; maybe it’s in there.”
No criticism intended if you or anyone else approaches this differently. Everyone has their own style, and this sort of situation doesn’t have a winning approach.
It’s just one person. And I’ve not any problems with any of my personal stuff going missing. Or anyone else’s stuff here. And I have a fair amount of electronic equipment, though maybe not by Western standards. And she’s worked for us for years. We did have some cleaning supplies go unaccountably missing recently, but that wasn’t in the guest room, but in the kitchen. And some newly purchased shower gel disappeared. But we have another temporary employee at the moment, and she seems a little dodgy. Though I hate to point fingers without proof.
100% is a lot to expect of anyone, though.
This is why I like to have total responsibility for our rental and for the others that I co-host. I do the cleaning myself for several reasons. The first is that my ‘real job’ involves sitting at a computer all day long and cleaning the rentals - though not a lot of fun - is fantastic exercise and cheaper than going to a gym.
I trust no cleaner to do the work to Airbnb standards - would they really vacuum under all the furniture after every guest? I doubt it. Would they take immediate photographs of excessive cleaning / damage? Would they thoroughly clean the fridge or the blinds or the patio? Would they make sure that the AC was turned to an acceptable level, check that all the lights are working and that the wifi is functioning okay? Plus many more details too.
But @Magwitch raises an important point - I honestly don’t think that I could find cleaners in our area that are thorough, detail oriented and 100% honest.
One thing that I’ve learned from Airbnb guests is that domestic help is affordable for the middle class in other countries. We had a guest who was from South Africa and lived in Indonesia. She told me than in both countries anyone who made a reasonably decent income could afford housekeepers and cooks. She was surprised that in the U.S. only the wealthy employ a full household staff.
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