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Those who follow the Golden Rule work out well. However that has been updated a little to give room for cultural differences and personal taste. We like good, honest communicators, who respect our space and belongings and have reasonable expectations/requests. It’s a plus if they are also friendly and upbeat.
I don’t expect to get the perfect guest. I expect guests to mess up, mis-guess, not care, etc. So I try to guest proof my listing and rental. I try to anticipate problems, which is how I landed here 6+ years ago.
So my reply is “what is the perfect host?” That’s what I strive for since I can’t control other people and only myself a bit.
Fer mee, ** a great guest is clean, communicates well and respectful. A perfect guest is also nice and leaves us with a feeling of good karma and friendship.
Difficult guests are the ones that take up your time in a negative way, are unappreciative or just plain unfriendly. Usually this group does something during their stay that surprisingly puts them into the great or perfect category.
I get perfect guests, I just don’t expect it, so I’m not disappointed. I’m also an excellent guest. I’m the type that cleans the hair out of the drain, dries the water spots off the chrome and glass and double checks the toilet before check out.
Well I do expect hosts to be near perfect guests as we should know what it takes
BUT what are the unmet expectations that would let you mark down a guest?
I forgot to mention that I do expect them to to actually be able to drive and manoeuvre the oversized car they arrive in sometimes.
We all dutyfully tick off the boxes and thus see our short comings - wouldn’t it be nice to have the other side do a self assessment?
I am a cynic but respectful quiet and clean person until one !ets me out of my cage …
doesn’t mess with the hot water heater temp.
-doesn’t leave dirty pots and pans
-doesn’t break the patio umbrella
doesn’t break the kayak’s seat
-doesn’t bring pets
-doesn’t pee or vomit on bed or sofa
-doesn’t annoy the neighbors
-most importantly, doesn’t have a party
Comes. Goes. Pays. Relatively self-sufficient. Minimal clean up. Minor damage if any (hey, stuff happens). Gives me a nice review (which I don’t give a fig about beyond marketing to future guests thus supporting future revenue).
The guests are not there to impress me with their great guestitude. They are there to visit family, do business, tour the monuments, or whatever.
I don’t expect perfection. I expect average and have therefore been pleasantly surprised by the majority of my guests!
Kind of the complement to the host tactic of “underpromise and overdeliver” – “modest expectations lead to enhanced appreciation.”
Neither do mine, but mostly they do:) Our place is fenced and gated, one of the gates is always open when guests are there. I love it when I can close the gates!
The perfect guest is one who pays and doesn’t stay!
The next level down is the guest who levitates, the ones who leave it so good that you are looking for evidence.
The worst guests are the the Goldilocks, have to try absolutely everything, the beds, the bathrooms, all the amenities and are never happy!
A perfect host - anticipates guests’ requirements/needs which he/she has micro-managed beforehand on-line and off-line and during a personal greeting.
The difference between a perfect and a casual guest is, the perfect guest has studied the offer, communicated clear and conscious and thus is aware of the difference between a hotel suite and a house for example.
There is ample room for both sides to educate and be educated specifically if one is prepared to move from “bed provider” to “experience provider”
A perfect guest is someone who leaves the property in the exact same state that they left it. I’m not asking for a guest to leave the bnb in better condition than they found it but I expect them to be aware that somebody has to clean up after their stay. Most guests are on vacation when staying in my rental so I want them to enjoy themselves overall, if this means picking up a few extra dishes or cleaning some dirty areas of the house, then so be it. Of course, picking up extra toe nails in the bathroom is not ideal but it comes at a small price when guests leave happy reviews about their stay.
. I’m a good guest except I don’t sleep some nights
