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I recently had a guest who had trouble operating Streaming services on some devices in my house. She was able to figure out other devices. I also have cable TV. She started complaining at 11:30 PM Youtube wasn’t working on her laptop. I tried to say nicely that since the household internet/network was working, I wasn’t able to offer further help for her personal laptop. She was extremely angry with that response. She “was just reporting internet problems” but had not wanted my response. She was no longer enjoying her stay because I implied she was inept (I had just said I hadn’t come across this issue with previous guests). Since she was only staying one more day I just said “sorry, I thought the many messages she sent was a request for help”. She had one last message reporting her issues but asked me not to respond.
I have several ways to connect to various streaming services. I’ve hosted thousands of guests and this is the first time I have had a guest have trouble with the instructions I have provided. I checked my devices and instructions and it appears she was connecting to the wrong devices she was complaining to me about. It was user error and she was struggling to communicate what she was attempting to do. Since I didn’t have the right information from her my responses were mostly that I was confused but she could try another device. I just removed some more dated devices to simplify the options going forward.
Anyways I do think that guest was an anomaly but to what extent do hosts offer streaming device support? I personally think it ends with if my network is working and have provided some basic instructions, its just a free amenity you can choose to figure out or not.
It is a little confusing in my home since a large shared TV is on our ROKU and the guest room TVs have Firesticks. I am a bit of a luddite myself, but I help when I can. That said, I’ve just told people that I can’t help when I’ve tried several things and offered other things to watch. So far no related complaints. My guests are more apt to be teaching me shortcuts and “how-tos”.
Well, I feel an obligation to help them to connect to the devices we have in the home.
So, for example, there’s a way to connect to Pandora to our speaker system but I don’t know how to do it (though I do know for Spotify). The next time I work with my computer consultant I will aim to get a checklist.
Everyone can use our HomePod minis by voice control, but if the guest has an Apple computer or iPhone they can get it to do a lot more than it does now. I have created a set of basic written instructions to play music and use the utilities on the HomePod minis but I don’t feel an obligation to make them do somersaults. But that’s me.
We have a TV projection system and I’ve downloaded apps and prepopulated some, so I feel an obligation to get them through that and have a step by step written guide. It also takes their fire stick and they know this well before check-in.
We had received comments (not exactly complaints) that some guests had difficulty in figuring out how to use the washer or coffee maker or cooktop and we’ve created and shared some basic instructions but I do have a work in progress manual that gives more detailed instructions if they want to use the more advanced features of these appliances. I tried programming this into a virtual concierge but it didn’t work well at all in the first pass and this is one of my projects this year.
But if it fails I will have a Word document in progress with a detailed index and Table of Contents that will give them lots of information. It was quite a learning experience for me! I didn’t know these appliances had so many capabilities (but some INHO are worthless).
Your place sounds nicer than mine hehe. You also sound like an attentive host. I suppose tech support might be on a sliding scale depending on the price point of the home.
As an in-home host, and owner of a small web and software company, I feel that if I can offer help to my guests it’s part of the service.
Some guests have never used a Roku TV so they need to know how to access their apps and then be reassured that they’re logged out when their visit ends (I do this manually on the Roku TV before and after each guest). I had a guest yell at me while sitting in the dining room (perfectly good desk in the bedroom) while I was watching TV in the great room (shared with dining area) that the password was wrong and I needed to fix it. Without moving I said “Check the Caps Lock,” and he was abashed. Added to the fact that he was on a call and yelling out personal information while I was watching TV. When I moved to another room, I suggested that the privacy of the guest suite would better suit private calls.
Otherwise, everyone has been able to access the wi-fi instructions in their room and figure stuff out.
I provide a sheet of instructions on how to use over-the-air and streaming devices. They are step-by-step with pictures. I check before each stay that they work. I do say if they are having trouble to contact me but also provide my hours of availability. At 11:30 pm, I probably would be asleep and my cell is put on do not disturb but If I was awake I would give them a few minutes of time trying to resolve and if that didn’t work, tell them I would come first thing in the monring.
I keep simplifying the instructions and now I never get a call for support unless there is a legitimate issue with the internet.
As a user of Airbnb, setting up my internet connection is one of the first things I do when I check in because I own a business that requires me to check in occasionally. I however, bring backup hotspot so I can get online but I would hope that my Host would address an internet issue ASAP,
Thanks all this is helpful to get a range of ideas. I do try to respond and be helpful to guests but I was woken out of sleep several times by this person. She wasn’t able to give me any discernible information to what was going on except that she couldn’t watch her shows in EVERY room of the house. She was telling me to turn off the VPN (don’t have one) and weird stuff that I just couldn’t figure out the root issue. I wasn’t able to be there in person during her stay but shortly after just kind of figured out what she meant by how the TVs and devices were left.
There is no reason for you to make yourself available to guests 24/7 aside from for emergency situations. It’s extremely rude and self-centered for a guest to call you at 11:30 PM just because they can’t figure out how to watch their shows.
Let guests know, both by messaging and in the house manual, what hours you are available for non-emergency calls or messages. And it would be a good idea to give examples of what constitutes “emergency”- like water pipe bursting, a fire, etc. lest they consider not being able to watch their favorite show at midnight, or not being able to locate the hairdryer to constitute an emergency.
