both. in my view, the more intensively you host, the more detached you should be from your guests and let it go with all the little complaints else you will turn nuts. i use guesty.com to manage bookings and have set up a lot of automated messages and 70+ saved replies so i dont need to deal with that anymore and can focus on more important things and provide better service and experience to my guests while running it from a phone
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I just looked guesty review on trust pilotâŚitâs really bad.
Do you have a better experience with them?
For me that will soon work an other job full time it should be perfect this kind of service but when you look reviewsâŚ
I agree that it is not perfect
i have been using them for a year full time now and some things could be improved but overall i could not do without it anymore as i host daily with most of the time one night stays. In my case it works as my guests instant book in 95pc of the cases and I set up a system of automated email at booking confirmation, I send direction pdf files, tempaltes for 7 days before check in, 3 days before, check out templates etcâŚand saved over 70 responses that guest have so when guest ask, guesty agents just need to click on my template and it gets sent out
I would rate it 6,5 out of ten but it would be impossible to do without now. i just host too many one nighter and i dont wanna be a slave to my guests.
the key is to automate everything yourself.
i would rate guesty service on the same level as airbnb here in europe
basically both companies just take their cut and I try to avoid interacrting with them as little as possible as customer service is not good. I have very strict and clear rules which helps prevent a lot of troubles and headaches
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Good points made; especially the one about asking for too much feedback. And so true, oftentimes less is more.
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That sounds like great advice. Our guests share our home, and enter and exit via the front door. We love 90% of them but I can tell you we take a big deep breath whenever they leave, and an even larger one when they check-out.
However, part of this whole experience is educational - not just for myself, but for my three kids. If there are children in the group of guests then my son will want to interact and play with them. I do love hearing about different cultures, etc.
However, Iâve also found that Iâm much less social in my private life; I have much less energy for other people. So itâs a mixed situation. I know I have to learn to not react emotionally when people do such things as my soon-to-arrive guest just did - say they will arrive between 7-8pm, then message me at 9:30 a.m. saying they will arrive at 11:00 a.m. âNo, that is not possibleâŚâ. Itâs just business, they really donât understand, and I just need to detach from that.
We could, with about $5,000, make the space into a private apartment. However, weâre still paying for the most recent upgrade of adding a private bathroom and kitchen.
Well, weâll see how we feel in August. Our b&b insurance expires 10/15.
Did you see my post on the family arriving with a profoundly disabled child? Iâd love to get your thoughts on how to write the review.
So would this mean the addition of an exterior door added to the space? I would do it if I were you. You could probably get more bookings from the kind of people who want more privacy but you could still invite people you liked into your space for a beer or a meal. I think you would find the added privacy for you well worth the money. And if you decided to go with a long term leased tenant instead of ABB they will need their own entrance.
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You donât have a firm check in time? If not the guests think it is okay to come whenever and you get stressed out. Most people readily understand firm check in times! I never allow it, even if the apartment had been ready for days! They are paying to check in at four. Anything earlier is a freebie.
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I do! 3:00 pm!! I have to be much more clear in my listing, and, in my responses to them when they book.
The funny thing is, we were moving the futon out of the 2nd guest room, to move in our groovy new TUFT & NEEDLE mattress - we were moving the futon frame up the stairs and it got STUCK! I was laughing inside thinking "what if I said âsureâ, and we rushed around to get things ready, then when they showed up we had a queen-size futon frame stuck in the stair well.
Luckily my problem-solving 11 year old was able to figure out how we could get it unstuck.
It all worked out fine. They were gracious about having to check in later, and the husband just spent an hour or so upstairs playing chess with my son.
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Some people you just can never please.
in my experience people start to pick and take apart when they feel they did not get the value for their money. Some never feel that they paid fair money or little money. They always unhappy and make ridiculous demands when they know they picked the cheapest room online.
I keep coming across one listing in my area that the guy lists for 30$ and 8$ cleaning fee. This is for 2 people , a back part of mobile home with separate entrance. Itâs the best location ever, one block from the beach, in a middle of fun area with many bars and restaurants.
His average score is 3*. When I read them I even got pissed. How can one possibly expect to rent a room for 15$ per person in walking distance from the beach and expect even remotely decent place!!!
And this place is according to reviews is even clean!
People mention cheap sheets, too firm bed, low pressure in a shower. They mention motorcycles that woke them up at night and barking dog.
The host does not even responds because he knows better:).
I agree with others: no extras. Have fun hosting without tiring yourself too much with all the extra services.
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Thanks, guys. Reading this again made me feel a whole lot better.
I will still provide all the k-cups and ground coffee, the basket of snacks, cooking essentials and the umpteen other amenities I do. Because that makes ME feel good. 
But yes, Iâve decided that enough is enough. If youâre not happy with what Iâve provided, thereâs probably nothing I could have done differently⌠At least nothing I want to do differentlyâŚ
The next time I get a silly request or reviewâlike the woman who thought I should provide âa selection of pillows of varying firmnessââI will just laugh it off.
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PillowsâŚnot to re-open a sensitive wound but I am one of those people who needs a pillow thatâs not too puffy. I donât care what itâs made of but it needs to be kind of flat. I like down that I can squish into the shape I want but those are expensive. And I need one to go between my legs. I canât get comfortable without these two things. On my guest bed I have fluffy-ish, but not too overfilled, down alternative pillows with pillow cases. Then in the shams I have flatter, foam pillows. So there are 4 pillows and two to choose from. Unless you get actual high count down pillows arenât very expensive and honestly pillows are more crucial to the experience than snacks soâŚsomething to consider.
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We have had the EXACT same thing happen to us. The mattress in the master was awful so we moved to the guest room, and that mattress is amazing. Um, ya, same mattress different room.
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I open the door. Welcome them. Show them how to turn on the shower (theres a big red button). Show them to the bedroom. Thats the front door key. Do you need the wifi password? Type the password in. If you have any questions just ask. Bam 5 mins of interaction. They leave me alone and seem to rate me well. Haha. No complaints so far. On guest number 10.
Iâve been called nice and professional. I think thats the image you need as a host. Rather than being a friend. But everyone is different I guess.
I do believe being too nice does make you seem weak. People will abuse it and become disappointed in the end no matter how much you help.
But this is how I want to do it. Iâm not saying any of your styles are wrong. This is just what works for me. Haha
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Thatâs exactly what I have! Plus, they were only two people, so if they needed more pillows, they could have raided the other bedroomâwhich they didâbut I guess that was still not enough.
Argh. Donât get me started again! Waitâitâs ok; I have wine. 
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They were just jerks thenâŚcheers!
[quote=âNatalie, post:35, topic:5000â]. Donât get me started again! Waitâitâs ok; I have wine. 
[/quote]
There lies the answer to ALL your problemsâŚWine and the email â AirBNB has transferred $$$â.
I give myself 5 mins, post reviewing reading, to be bothered, curse the guest, tell my husband Iâm done, insert other irrational behaviour⌠and then I put my big girl pants one and get ready to do it again 
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Natalie: It gets easier, it always does. At first you go through the âeverything must be perfectâ for everyone; then 2nd stage is â the most good for the most numberâ; and stage 3 is you do your best and take nothing personally.
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When does one enter that phase?! I need a cool down period after reading a less than stellar reviewâŚmaybe its the fiery Italian blood running through my veins 
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It is not a question of attracting the âwrong kindâ of people. But there are expectations. A guest at the Red Roof Inn has different expectations than the Ritz, and ratings are done accordingly.
There is still a market and a need for the upscale traveler, and the listing should offer more than the norm if the rate is higher.
Oh my, I accepted yesterday a last minute booking for today from a Mexican woman who comes with husband. She is new in airbnb -not reviews yet- and I was doubting whether to accept, but I did finally bc I havenât received request for a while. Now I regret it!! She is totally Susanne Chen style⌠Or maybe just an alpha female like those one @Mearns described⌠She speaks to me in an ill-mannered way, like if I was her servant, giving orders instead of asking, way too informal. She resists to fix a check-in time for their arrival, despite Iâm receiving them very late, way out the checking-in window⌠I decided not to put up with a rude demanding aggressive guest again, and I stopped her from the beginning. I asked her to talk to me in a more polite manner, and she softened her manners a little bit. Iâm gonna help her with printing a ticket for a show (she asked me for), and anything else I can help with, but I know she wonât appreciate it. Nor she will appreciate the free parking, the chocolates and a welcoming note I will leave, etc. I donât care, but I donât want her to downgrade my 5* rating⌠probably she is going to. So I come up with an idea to avoid she leaves any kind of review, and I would love to know what do you think. I thought to write a message after she leaves telling her that I was not happy with her stay but that I wonât leave a review of any kind if she doesnât leave a review either. Do you think it will work??