No relation between price and guest satisfaction. What is your experience?

After having hosted a few hundred guests, I don’t really see any relation between the price paid and the number of complaints or type of review I receive from the guest (good reviews vs bad reviews) and general guest satisfaction.

I mean, I have a lot of guests who pay a really high price and they are still super happy. But sometimes (during the same season) I have to lower my price to sell the apartment and those guests paying significantly less don’t seem to be much happier, actually they tend to complain more.

This surprises me a little bit, I would expect guests paying a high price to be more “difficult”, but I guess guest satisfaction depends more on the type of person than the price they are paying?

Any thoughts / experiences on this?

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Same for us. We had guests that paid more than twice more than some and gave the best review.

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I see these comments on this forum and always wonder what I’m doing differently. I had much more fun, and people seemed much happier, when they had air beds, old furnishings, and showered upstairs. (Their rooms are downstairs). They paid as little as $50 a night, bought us gifts, gave us ‘tips’, and left glowing, happy reviews.

Now they are a private bath, real beds, nice things, and they pay more - I still get very good reviews, but not the same kind of excited babbling.

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That’s really odd … do you think that perhaps you were more relaxed when the place was less smart and they reflected that? And there does seem to be research in other fields that shows that the more people get, the more they want …!

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I also see no relation generally, but have had excellent experiences when my prices were lower. The only couple to give 3 stars in any category was a couple who paid higher prices and I let them check in a little early. If I got more bookings at lower prices I’d lower my rates but that doesn’t seem to help much.

Yes, absolutely. I also quit one of my part-time jobs because I couldn’t keep up with everything and we felt airbnb was the right avenue for us. So now, I really need to make some income, and constantly stress about my price.

And it was new! exciting! I loved meeting people from all over the world! Poland! Russia! Czech Republic! Hungary! France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden!! I still do love meeting new people, but it is exhausting ‘connecting’ to so many people. Of course, for them, we are unique and they often want to connect with us. But I don’t always have the energy to give. I’m very gregarious and social but also a total introvert. It has become more of a job, less of a hobby.

We have an absolutely lovely family from Germany - teens who look me in the eye and talk, very friendly and interesting dad - but I just can’t chat so much right now. I also have some health issues and my dad is in the hospital. Yet to them, of course, I’m just a host - an American - and they are interested in our life.

Well, I have no - I mean, ZERO bookings for September, and just 8 nights booked in October, so any new guests may actually be QUITE exciting this fall!!

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My husband and I realized that when we did wedding videos. If you’re bottom of the pricing scale, you’re getting the cheap people trying to get as much out of you for next to nothing. If you get your prices above what they can pay, you get people looking past the price and looking for comfort and experience. I need to remind myself of this as I keep lowering my prices for slow season…

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same experience here in europe. the less they pay, the more demanding and the more troublesome the guests are.

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This is true. The higher the price point the happier the guests. Although I have had several guests stay at my fire sale rate and left glowing.

I should double my price and see if anyone books and is happier. :smile:

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Someone told me long ago, the price you charge is really what you think of yourself. Of course, price is subject to a zillion other economic forces, but I never forgot that statement and perhaps applied at times, it may give us some confidence in how we price ourselves.

P.S. Sarah, got one new picture up showing one of the new decks and the upstairs tower. Will add more pictures soon…

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A long time ago, during a life I no longer live, my dar friend Jonathan remarked “I charge my cello students enough so that I am disappointed when they cancel their lessons.” He actually didn’t love teaching, but was very good. He charged more than almost anyone else in the area, and had a full roster of students.

Great golden rule.

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@dcmooney I understand you’re having trouble getting enough bookings. Have you tried to put your listing on more vacation rental websites? Most of them are free to advertise on and if you’re already having an airbnb listing it’s fast and easy to copy the content to more sites.

http://the-airbnb-tips-blog.webnode.com/for-hosts/list-vacation-rental-free/

Advertsing on more vacation rental helps me getting the bookings I need to fill up the calendar, even during the low season.

What are the one extra that are working for you?

Thanks, @Jan_J! I did review you post when you mentioned it earlier/in another thread. I am on Wimdu, and have been very happy with the guests. I have a few bookings from them for October. I’d heard negative things on here about flipkey. It seems a few hosts have mentioned success with VRBO so I will look into that.

We are about to start construction project that will turn the space into an entire apartment, and make other improvements. We are waiting to finalize the contract. So I think I’ll hold off doing anything until we have it actually scheduled. Then I’ll have a ‘grand reopening’, lol!

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