So that gets a one start drop in rating?
What do they have to do to drop two stars?
Does it matter if they are not obnoxiously drunk but charmingly drink (at least in their mind)?
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Not my area of expertise, but I was curious about the short message burst style myself awhile back and looked into it. Anyone out there with more background can chime in.
There is an established character limit for SMS messages vs. MMS or iMessages when using your mobile. Depending on a person’s phone plan, longer messages could cost more or get split up.
So short messages may have become established as a norm or habitual even for those who currently have unlimited plans.
I now do multiple short rather than one long message, as readers who prefer or are used to keeping it short may not read the entire message.
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I 100% agree and have the same policy. We had a guy recently, super nice chap, last minute booking, who is going through a nasty divorce and needed to get out of the city for a few days break, and he smoked. I didn’t have the heart to stop him, he was going through a tough time, and he only smoked outside. But, after he left I could smell smoke in the room, because as you say, the smell is on them and their clothes, and they breathe it into the pillow, gross! The ozone machine fixed it though, 15mins and all smells gone.
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I think you’re correct about there having been a limit to a message length, as well as only a certain number of messages one could send on their phone plan without incurring extra charges. I think that stuff is pretty much unlimited now.
But I asked my guest who was doing that a lot to explain it to me- why they don’t put everything they have to say in one message, rather than 8 in a row, in rapid succession, and what she said was that her generation (she was in her early-mid 30s) considers texting to be a form of talking, not writing. So you say something, then I say something, then you say something, etc.
I then asked my daughter, who is 39, and another friend of mine who is also in that age range, who do that same sort of messaging, the same thing, and they confirmed that yes, they think of it as talking, not writing.
Also, when I told my daughter that it was frustrating, because I’m only halfway through replying when she sends another one liner text, she pointed out that her generation also can keyboard (or whatever you call typing on a phone) so fast, and use so many texting acronyms, that if she’s texting with her friends, they would have already shot back a reply by the time she hits send on the next one.
They can bang out 10 back and forth one liners in the time it takes me to do one.
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Doesn’t really make a difference. I’ve learned to not take offense to guests’ behavior unless it effects my house rules, it’s dangerous or if the are verbally abusive to me in person.
All else is just noise. Just like in kids, No means no and by clearly defining in my house rules what my expectations are and having they agree to my house rules before they arrive, much of the aggravation has been taken away for me.
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You can also dictate and get the texts out quickly. I’m faster than my DH because I do that and he won’t
I think poor spelling and bad grammar would be 1 star from me.
I guess I am off the generation who grew up with email and remembers being part way through a really long email or text and the phone or computer crashing. Unlike an email the only way you can “save” a text is by sending it and then continuing. Maybe for young people sending intermediate texts is like drawing breath, perhaps literally if their face is all screwed up and constipated while texting.
Apparently Vladimir Putin speaks perfect English.
Then you need to set boundaries with guests. The first time they ask for something you don’t provide simply tell them “I’m happy to provide a nice (home/room) for you, and I hope that you enjoy your stay. I regret that I can’t (provide the service they want/the amenities not included) that are not included in our clearly written listing.”
You should NOT offer a “reason”. If pushed, say, “I’m sorry, I can’t”. Stop letting these pushy ***tards guilt trip you. It’s YOUR business, YOUR house. Run it YOUR way. You will never get respect if you don’t push back. That’s how their lizard brains work.
What people “expect”, if it wasn’t offered in the first place, is not your problem, it’s theirs. And if they choose to be unhappy because they don’t get everything they want, that is also their problem, not yours.
However, just because they ask for things you don’t provide doesn’t mean they are unhappy, it just means they are demanding and entitled. And other people’s happiness or lack thereof, is not your responsibility.
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I’ve had a similar experience, entitled guests pestering us for things that were not specifically offered in my listing, things like:
- Hot water – and get this! – Both in the bathroom and kitchen. Sheesh!
- Windows [Didn’t they realize it was open air in some rooms? Look at the pictures!]
- A working refrigerator [Get some dry ice, for God’s sake!]
- Electricity [nowhere does our listing say that this is provided]
They keep saying that they “ASSUMED” these were part of the deal, and we have to keep reminding them what the first three letters are in the word “ASSUME.”
Never apologize for something that is not your fault. If they ask for something you can’t or aren’t willing to provide, then simply say “No, we don’t (or won’t) offer that service”. I sometimes point them to a neighbor or a hotel that offers what they want, if I want to lose them.
Do not say you CAN’T offer the service. That opens the door to them helping you to figure out how you can offer the service.
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I use passive voice, as if some mysterious third party has control of the situation. “That’s not available,” “that isn’t provided here.”
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Yes, it seems that many hosts rush to say they are sorry when guests complain or demand about something that isn’t the host’s fault. The problem in English is that “sorry” is used both to express compassion and apology.
So if there is an area-wide internet outage, disrupting a guest’s ability to work online, a host might naturally say “I’m sorry”, simply meaning they have empathy that it is inconvenient. But since that can psychologically register with a guest as the host accepting responsibility, it’s better, IMO, for hosts to try to wipe that word from their vocabulary when dealing with guests.
Even if it’s the host’s fault, i.e. the cleaner forgot to remove the previous guest’s food from the fridge, or clean the dryer lint trap, an “Oh my, I must have a word with my cleaner, thanks for letting me know”, seems better than giving them the idea that you are mortified and fearing a bad review, or that it is grounds for a refund.
Canadian hosts, however, may have an impossible time with this, as Canadians say “I’m sorry” multiple times per day, when there is clearly nothing for them to be sorry about. 
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Perfect! Acknowledge that something isn’t perfect but don’t make a big deal of it.
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With Airbnb it is the host’s problem as you can get a bad review.
I think it’s quite easy to say not to worry about reviews, but in reality reviews can affect your future bookings and pricing.
Yes, I do that and some people still keep asking. I take care of these people in the review by describing their unacceptable behavior.
Some of them do provide a five-star review, but many simply don’t leave a review. A few weirdos have left lower than five stars for not agreeing to their demands.
I’m dealing with one weirdo right now who asked for early check-in before booking. I told it that won’t be possible. She is checking in tomorrow and messaged again asking for early check in. I will be taking good care of her in the review.
But there is little you can do about guests leaving a bad review if they are the type to do that, even when the host has provided all they say they provide, so there is no point in being anxious about it. That’s my point.
It’s like sitting in your car fuming and cursing about being stuck in a traffic jam- all it does is make you feel stressed out and won’t clear the traffic. Better to crank up the tunes, call whoever you are now going to be late for an appointment with and explain, sit back and wait patiently for the traffic to start moving. Attitude is everything when it comes to feeling anxious about things. (And I speak as someone who can easily have anxiety about things and have to remind myself that it isn’t productive)
People who are the demanding, entitled types (narcissists in psychological terms), are generally also not appreciative of going out of your way for them, as they feel they deserve whatever they ask for. Scrambling around trying to cater to them usually just leads to them feeling emboldened to keep asking for more and makes them perceive you as weak and easily taken advantage of.
Whereas they tend to respect those who stand firm without apology.
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