Need help with a review

[Magwitch]

@Helsi

that sort of situation I prefer to have a friendly chat with the guest

Yes ideally, but it’s not always possible when everyone’s out and/or busy. I’m thinking of a situation I once had where a really obnoxious guest (one half of a couple) just re-arranged the entire bathroom to suit her needs, moved everything out to accommodate her stuff and towels. Then they went out for the night. I had no choice but to undo everything she’d done and place all her stuff outside her room - the other guests were arriving any minute. I did follow up with a message… ‘there seems to be some misunderstanding…blah blah’. Thankfully they only stayed a few nights. She was awful, rude to other guests and generally an entitled piece of crap. Thankfully the other guests were great about it.

Yeah, it’s not easy managing two sets of guests with a shared bathroom. But it can be done! Just don’t expect superhost status… !!

[jaquo]

Way too picky. And I don’t think what they did was especially rude. They left their stuff in the bathroom on day one, you tidied the stuff away and didn’t mention it to them so they thought it must be okay. When you’re hosting in a shared environment, it’s usual to have to at least check the bathroom, if not clean some or all of it, several times a day.

As you’re a long-time lurker you know that guests don’t read

[Flyboy]

@Peggy_Farren

My standard response is “I welcome you!
Please be sure you have read through the entire listing as all Airbnb hosts are different and offer different amenities.”

I guess I need to be even more specific. Sigh. But then, will they read that?

No they won’t

I have a reply that states respond with “YES” if you understand the self check in process. Some respond “YES” then there exact next message is " where do I get the key???
FML

[GutHend]

@Peggy_Farren

My standard response is “I welcome you!
Please be sure you have read through the entire listing as all Airbnb hosts are different and offer different amenities.”

I guess I need to be even more specific. Sigh. But then, will they read that?

Yes, in my experience guests do read my confirmation message. The downside is that I have at least 1 guest a month that cancels after this message because…
“Oh, it’s not the whole apartment?”
“Oh, it’s a shared bathroom?”
…

And we have like one guest each two months who needs a change of reservation…
“Oh, I accidentally only reserved for 1 person.”
“Oh, I chose the wrong dates.”
…

[Magwitch]

@jaquo

As you’re a long-time lurker you know that guests don’t read

LOL, seems like long-time posters can also be averse to reading too.
It’s a SHARED BATHROOM BETWEEN TWO SETS OF GUESTS…

… pause for the gasp of absolute horror at such a thing…

… yes, some of us still do things the old way and yes, it still works but only when you get guests that are on the same page. Most hosts these days seem to be wannabe hoteliers but there are still a few of us oldies left.

Also, the guests were TOLD about the set-up at check-in but decided to ignore it.

[NordlingHouse]

@Peggy_Farren

She gave me three stars because it “wasn’t clear” that it was a shared bathroom. Sigh. It’s in the VERY FIRST LINE in Airbnb’s description, then I put in a full sentence saying it’s a shared bathroom

You need to point that out in your public reply to her review that she didn’t read the description, so your potential guesst will see that her 3 stars is totally off base!

[Helsi]

@Peggy_Farren

My first post after lurking for a long time. I’m struggling with a review. I sound so nitpicky in this review but I’m not sure how to word it.

Rachel and Luke were very nice people. They were gone a good deal of the time so I didn’t see much of them. They were fine overall, but didn’t keep the shared bathroom as neat as most guests do, leaving their toiletries in there (there are several signs and a caddy provided so there are no personal items in the shared bathroom). The day they left, they left towels on the floor, etc. If it was a private bathroom, that would be no big deal, but it is a shared bathroom so it was a bit disrespectful to the other guests.

They were nice people but every day I took all their crap out of the bathroom and put it on the table outside their room. Then the last day, there were towels, the bathmat and washcloths on the floor and counter. They were only here three nights so it wasn’t a big deal - it was just really rude. Usually, I take the stuff out and give a reminder one time and guests don’t do it again.

Am I being too picky?

Sorry @Magwitch I have read and re-read the OP’s opening post and can’t see the comment about the bathroom being shared by two sets of guests.

[AvaH]

@Helsi

If it was a private bathroom, that would be no big deal, but it is a shared bathroom so it was a bit disrespectful to the other guests.

Maybe she meant the part that says “it was a bit disrespectful to the other guests” as an implication that there were 2 or more sets of guests at the same time.?

[Magwitch]

@Helsi

Sorry @Magwitch I have read and re-read the OP’s opening post and can’t see the comment about the bathroom being shared by two sets of guests.

It was this statement:

@Peggy_Farren

but it is a shared bathroom so it was a bit disrespectful to the other guests.

Admittedly, it was not explicitly stated but I got the picture straightaway probably because I’m familiar with such a set-up.

Ah, I see someone else already picked up on it, thanks @AvaH !

[jaquo]

I hope it’s only shared between two sets of guests. The set up would be a bit hostel-ish otherwise. The OP doesn’t sound as though she’s hosting that sort of facility. (Unless it’s just me )

[Magwitch]

It could be a shared bathroom with the host as well. I don’t see that as a problem. 5 people sharing a bathroom is not that uncommon unless you’re wealthy. Plus the host is on hand to maintain cleanliness.

There used to be several places in my city that were large apartments with 4-5 bedrooms, all listed as individual rooms and all sharing one bathroom. Hostel-style but without proper management and daily cleaning. They got terrible reviews and have since been “disappeared”. But some hosts do hostel-style and manage very well. Despite what everyone says about going corporate, and all the snobbery that already exists amongst hosts, there is still a place on Airbnb for all kinds of listings.
As long as you manage it well, anything can be successful.

[jaquo]

@Magwitch

5 people sharing a bathroom is not that uncommon unless you’re wealthy.

I know, I was brought up in England where it was perfectly normal for a bathroom to be shared between a family of five, or six, or more…

We also had under-counter fridges (tiny ones) that Americans would laugh at these days.

Mind you, now that I’ve lived in the US for 25 years I think that one bathroom between only two people is unacceptable! And I love my huge American fridge

@Magwitch

As long as you manage it well, anything can be successful.

Another great quote.

[Magwitch]

Yeah. You’d be surprised at how many people are still living in those dark ages back here in blighty. But somehow we manage.

[Militaryhorsegal]

@NordlingHouse

You need to point that out in your public reply to her review that she didn’t read the description, so your potential guesst will see that her 3 stars is totally off base!

Potential guests will have no idea she got a 3 let alone that it was from them.