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Well, one good side of Americans is that they tend to think that almost anything can be improved or reinvented. Many people I meet from other parts of the world seem more fatalistic. Things are the way they are, and there’s not much you can do about it.
In the US, home renovation and makeover shows are very popular. So are shows in which a business such as a restaurant, hotel or beauty salon is magically transformed after some intervention by an expert. People love stories of the fat, ugly girl who loses weight, gets advice from a stylist, maybe has a little plastic surgery and then becomes beautiful. There is a notion that almost every facet of life can be made better if you just try hard enough. (Whether this is really true is another topic.)
So, when you add this aspect of the culture to the Yelp effect, it turns everyone into a critic. In their mind they might even think they are doing you a favor with their “helpful hints.”
@Joseph I really wish you had mentioned in your review that he didn’t shower. I don’t understand why we have reviews if we aren’t going to be honest. Some people have posted about internet stalking people that want to book with them. Who has time for that? But I do read any prior reviews that they have and also the ones they left for other hosts. I really appreciate honest reviews. And while I understand why not responding has some benefit to you, I’d really like to know if my guest is going to smell up the place.
What a jerk. I don’t understand these people who book places and then complain that it is far from where they want to go.
I wonder if you just made something up in your response like “There is no odor in the room. You were smelling the plant you bought at the market. Those plants have a strong odor. I am sorry you didn’t realize it, and I would have set it outside for you until you left.”
He left you completely baffled. I would leave him an equally baffling response. He won’t be able to respond to your response. He may respond to your review and say he doesn’t know what plant you are talking about. At least potential travelers will read your response and think “okay…that makes a little sense.”
You are absolutely right, I am still beating up myself about it. I should have mentioned that in my review of him. I am just trying convincing my wife to write that on the Public response.
We have another guest checking out from another room (we rent two private rooms as our apartment is large), the woman as sweet and kind, but she locked me out as I came back late from work, the guest was still outside and luckily my wife heard me calling her cell phone. The guest turned a lock on one of the entrance doors which shouldn’t be locked ( we repeated this to the guest over 3 times). So now the dilemma again, she was nice so i fell bad to say about it in the review, but my wife and kid were sleeping and I woke them up with the phone call. It was almost 1am and the guest was not back yet, the other guest was sleeping in the other room. If my wife had not heard the call or if the guest arrived earlier than me, she would have had woken up my wife , kid , and the other guest who was sleeping as well. And most probably would have made a lot a noise buzzing and waking up neighbors. I guess I will mention that although she was friendly and overall ok, she did not pay attention to house rules (she also left wet underwear in the shared bathroom …)
I really shouldve said about his lack of shower. angry with myself
I haven’t thought of this. That will make some sense indeed. Otherwise it is all out of place in the middle of everyone talking about the cleanliness. But still, he tried to shame me into basically the worst room in Taipei as of smells, I think, now, I must let the community know he doesn’t shower. But i am sure he will deny in his public response.
What to do what to do…?
Coming in late into the discussion about US guests…
About 60% of my guests are Americans (I am one too). I definitely approach therm with a cautious eye; as I approach the boat dock to pick them up to go to the island, and within 30 seconds I will know what hat is best to wear with that particular set of guests. Americans cover the wide spectrum in manner based on their wide degree in education, traveling experience, tone, backgrounds, geography, etc. No one approach will do.
Most I have found are friendly in manner and understandably those are my favorite types; some arrive with an air of superiority (professionals) which will last all of about 30 seconds when I engage them in conversation with a higher degree of diction and thought; others start out uptight but a few days at the island always cures that, and so on. The toughest challenge are the ‘Alpha females’, but with them I am first firm, but quickly follow with charm and then we always get along famously also.
No doubt, Americans are the most challenging, but since I do genuinely like them in the first place, we always have fun and they turn out to be some of my best guests.
Well…did you actually smell him because he needed to take shower? I know many people do not shower every day and they don’t have body odor because they eat very healthy.
He may get angry if you say he smelled and didn’t shower. Then he may go to Airbnb and start crying and demanding your response be removed. But then again…if he does that then I would think Air would have to remove his review.
But if he didn’t smell then I would just make something up so future guests know the room didn’t smell, rather something he brought into the room smelled. Here’s another one:
“I found a fanny pack that you left behind, and it had a rotting hot dog in it. I threw it all away in the garbage. That was what you smelled. Our rooms are very clean, as you can see from all of the other reviews. There is no odor.”
If I were a guest, I would look some other place after reading a review like this, just in case. I would say something, but briefly, something short, something clear but no need to be offensive. Its tre that the answer can get attetion if you dont usually answer, but you can say thanks to other guests and it wont pop up. Sorry you got that!
Perhaps a few examples will throw further light. 1- She tells me on no uncertain terms, where I will pick them up, meaning at their resort along the beach, without regard that A is not my custom and B may be quite impractical because of the wind (aka high waves) that particular day; 2- No sooner I arrive at dock, tells everyone to get in the boat and we be leaving immediately because ‘they have everything’; of course once I check their provisions they forgot quite a few important things (i.e. sunblock, or snorkel gear, etc). 3- the island solar system ‘better’ have enough power for her to use her super-duper hair drier (a 2000 watt power hog) because she ‘needs’ it; 4- arrive at island and quickly announces she is used to long, hot showers and glad the bathroom is so nice just like home; 5 - the real doozy, she will call me when she needs me to run them into town (6 miles) when it strikes her fancy and despite the fact they are staying a mere 3 days; 6 - the husband ‘Harold’ is usually a shell-shocked royal wimp who can’t get a word in even sidewards the whole time.
Ok, admittedly I fictitiously threw poor ‘Harold’ under the bus, for comic relief.
@Mearns Do you ever get male guests who treat you like a servant? Or only females? I had a fellow here, an MD, who told me in no uncertain terms that he was going to park in my garage even though it was quite inconvenient for me. I tried to tell him no but then I remembered I used to have it buried deep in my description that parking in my garage was possible. I meant it as “may be possible, depending on the circumstances but is not guaranteed.” So I relented but removed any mention of a garage from my listing, nor is the garage pictured. It was quite disconcerting to have a stranger tell me what is going to happen in my house.
Oh yes, of course. It is just easier, because its a guy thing; we can be dead blunt with each other and then even kid afterwards without either taking offense or taking things personably; generally speaking of course.
I am old school, I treat all women like ladies, meaning with a bit more gentleness and kindness; but I do like strong-minded women, they are usually interesting to me.
This kind of reminds me of a nice but air headed guest who claimed midway through her stay that there was a “terrible smell” emanating from the apartment. It was her only complaint. Otherwise she loves her stay! I had visions of finding dead mice or something of that nature and offered to check out things for her or to buy glade sticks or whatever. She said it was okay…she would just live with it. Well, lo and behold…what do I find when she checks out but a cup of MILK she had left in the microwave! Mind you it was no longer recognizable as a dairy product. If she had been dumb enough to leave that in a review, I certainly would have replied: "perhaps the smell you were bothered by was the large mug of MILK you forgot to take out of the microwave!
Learning the hard way. I think from now on we will mention at least if the guest breaks house rules, or do the completely opposite as instructed in check in. Something like ‘AB was a nice guest overall blah blah blah…but …’
angry with myself
