A newbie guest with one review booked on IB last night. My rules include “What is the magic word in the rules?” He never got it. Had to ask him for a head shot photo, etc.
Today he asked 3 times to check 2 hours early. He didn’t seem to understand even the basics about the room. I asked him to review the listing again. He checked in, did’nt know how to use the keypad, or even the toilet. Then he asked me to check if he had parked on the street properly. At this point I was rather unpleasant and said it was his responsibility. He’s checking out tomorrow; I gave Air the details.
I am getting frustrated with having to cancel guests I am not comfortable with, but there are a lot of…you know out there. Any ideas?
Your guest did not know how to use a toilet? Do you have one of those dual-flushing buttons on the top of the toilet tank?
I would have said, “This toilet flushes by voice-command. You must speak loudly and clearly into the bowel and say in English, Spanish or German: “I am finished, you may flush now.””
I pulled this prank in my office once, when staff did not know how to use the new self-flushing toilets. Plus, I placed clear tape over the flushing sensor to make it worse.
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My guest used the toilet but did not flush because there were no lights on, he said. And my toilet does not speak Farsi.
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Oh no… now I’m gonna have to upgrade the toilet with marker lights and add running lights along the floor!!
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Actually there is a 75 watt instalight in there. It turns on when the lights go out. We want to consider 747 landing lights for the front yard. Wheeeeeee!
Anyhoo Air will ensure that I keep my money.
I do have low-wattage night lights plugged into the bathroom, bedrooms and TV-lounge wall outlets to help guests navigate in the dark.
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Yes, but do they speak multiple languages?
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I think of these guests as book-and-runs.
They book, they NEVER get back to you with the Magic Phrase, or say when they are checking in.
They then show up to your doorstep any old time messaging, “I’m here!” and think they are going to get in, and you are home 24/7/365 for their checkin whenever.
and, because they haven’t read a word of anything in your listing or house manual (deliberate?), they can therefore eat in their room, bring over guests, etc.
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Bingo, Pups. This is exactly what happened. Word for word.
But some good came out of it. We have had this type before and they can tie up your time and exasperate you. Last week I learned to put everything on platform, and, to reduce my interface with low dollar clients.
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I message them and make them and ask them to let me know they read and understood the house rules and check-in instructions. If they don’t acknowledge me, I call them. If they don’t return my call, I send one last message letting them know I’ll cancel their reservation if they don’t get back to me. If they still don’t respond, I don’t actually cancel. I just don’t worry about it. If they die, they die.
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Thanks for the laugh!
This would fix that! LOL, there are other models that sell for as little as $2.36 with free shipping on eBay right now. I think I may buy some. Never underestimate the cluelessness of some guests…
https://www.amazon.com/IllumiBowl-Toilet-Night-Light-Multi-Color/dp/B01MRKMHBH
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True!
I installed an occupancy sensor (motion sensor) switches where the bath fan switch used to be because guests refused to turn it on and I was getting water damage in the bathrooms. It also turns on a light over the shower but not the main bathroom light. So it at least gives you automatic light too.
Wait … so … I’m not clear on why you don’t actually cancel?? I find the book-and-runs are passive aggressive types who will 1. show up 2. OUTWAIT YOU FOREVER if you say you will let them in, but they aren’t getting any WiFi codes or door codes until they read the blasted House Manual and show they’ve read it. 3. Then they either leave on their own or stay and start eating in their room and being a major PITA. …
So possibly worth cancelling … Is your thinking that you have left a do-or-die message on their phone … but then you let them in (backing down) … and they find the message and now we have the beginnings of a bad review and/or a messed-up stay in general … and I don’t see at that point how there is any leverage on the guest to get with the program … ?
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Thank you for the idea. But our guest somehow managed to do his business anyway. That’s because there was a secondary light that came on for situations like this.
This has been a wake up call. I have had 4 of them now, all Middle Eastern young males. It never occurred to me that someone wouldn’t give a hoot about their position on Air.
I was told by Air that he would cancel but obviously he didn’t. On it this morning with Air.
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@PuppyLover I don’t want to cancel and lose superhost status and apparently Airbnb will only let you cancel so many times for an instant booking you ‘feel uncomfortable’ with. Airbnb kind of forces hosts to take the good with the bad.
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Please let me understand this Mexican. Guest books on IB and won’t answer the basics. I threaten to cancel. How do I “let them die”?
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Actually, they don’t let you cancel due to discomfort so many times. At least not with me. Maybe that’s because each time I want to, I call customer service, or explain in detail whY. I am trying to do this less often, but some of it is obviously against our rules.
