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I joined today. I have close to 20-30 airbnb hosts every month. All my units are independent and I don’t stay there.
Latest issue: all my listings have policy of strict cancellation. The guest booked for 7 seven days and three days before arrival, he want to reduce the number of days. I declined his reservation request then he called me on my cell and asked me to reconsider, when I said No; he said not to expect good reviews. How do you deal with such issues?
I have no pet policy. One of the guests brought pet, can smell, dog hair and dog pea pad. Sent pictures to airbnb for policy violation. Airbnb asked for proof for pet stay- when I asked for what kind of pet proof then case manager never replied to it and customer service agreed with me - but customer service can’t do anything with resolution cases and case manager can’t be reached over phone. Very frustrating with Airbnb.
I don’t expect good reviews, expect honest reviews from good guests, the type you’d more than happy to host multiple times.
I have both when I used to be a host and now for my clients, for the most part have a strict no pets policy, in cases where the guests is somewhat persistent. I offer them to help them find an alternative booking or a hotel in the nearby area that does allow pets, at this point the guests usually moves on as both an Airbnb that allows pets and a hotel are a far higher price point.
If you have a clear idea to the type of guest you want to serve and you’re very clear about that, you’ll see that you deal a lot less with guests asking for exceptions.
I completely agree with you. But they should first disclose it at least. My unit is in building and I don’t pay pet fees. If they catch any guest with pet then they end up fining me. Very clearly listed on my listings - no pet , no parties …
Again, happened with only one guest of 200+ guests in last 1 year.
I would suggest you call BNB and let them know your guest has said you won’t get a good review because you wouldn’t accept an alteration to their booking.
I would also message the guest back and remind them it is against BNB rules to threaten bad reviews (quote the information on BNB’s website) so there is a record.
Next one tell a guest that all correspondence regarding a booking needs to go through BNB messaging, so you won’t be able to discuss on the phone.
Well, I already called BNB but their response, as expected, was please open case case when guest leave incorrect review. I haven’t seen case managers trying to resolve many issues lately. They close the case and refuse to further engage on it.
Guest must say on BNB messages that he will leave a bad review. I somehow managed guest to say on BNB that if you will let me alter then I will leave positive review. Never a good feeling to start on wrong for with guest.
Do you list on other sites besides Airbnb? If so, you could then tell the guest that you can re-open the dates (the ones he no longer needs) on other sites, and if you rebook them, then you will glady refund him minus whatever fees you choose to assess (ex: 3% fee plus maybe an admin fee). But that doesn’t work for you if he changes his mind later and wants to stay. Then you will be left holding the bag with the other guests.
It’s difficult if you only list on Airbnb. You could tell him to send you the money through resolution center for the dates he doesn’t want to stay. And then you will accept his alteration requestion once the other monies are received. That’s assuming that there is no recourse for him to get them back. And he would have to fully trust that this is what you would do. Then if anything books, you will reimburse him.
I am assuming you explained to this guest that you had the dates blocked off for him, and therefore could not entertain other inquiries? If so, was there something he did not understand about this in order to proceed with threatening you?
As far as how I would have reacted with the phone call? I would have asked him to clarify to me that he is threatening extortion/blackmail whatever the crime is, and does he realize this is a crime with possible jail time? And then I would have told him that I am extremely uncomfortable with having him rent my place and I would advise him to cancel if he is so unhappy, etc. because it’s likely this isn’t going to have a happy ending. My advice isn’t the best if you want to play by Air’s rules. I still would have called Air afterwards to document it. But you often have to call people directly on their BS in order to get them to back down.
I agree. If this is the first time he’s dealt with Airbnb he is likely thinking of it like booking a hotel. He obviously isn’t educated on how ABB works, and needs to realize that, because he booked those dates, he has stopped other inquiries coming in for those dates. Too bad for you to have to do it. Hopefully he won’t do it again.
But yes, he is basically blackmailing you - won’t be tolerated by you or Airbnb. He also needs to know a review goes both ways!
@Zensuitesnyc Your messed up when you accepted his call and discussed the reservation request. You should have said, “I do not discuss AirBnb business over an open phone Message me with anything you want to say” Since you’ve already contacted Air, there’s not much else you can do.
Ignore a bad review; if it’s too bad call Air and ask them to remove it. You’ve got enough traffic that one bad review will be buried in the mass in short order.
Since you are no where near your rentals, why do you not have surveillance cameras already in place in each unit? That way you would have visual proof of a pet violation rather than some tenuous aromas.
