"Would you host this guest again - yes/no" thumb question

[eyeborg]

Hey everyone,

I have always chosen the thumbs-up when reviewing a guest and answering the question “would you host this guest again”, even when I’d never have them in my house again. I just feel it’s so brutal, and I worry that my particular dislike of a guest shouldn’t affect their overall rating. What if I just don’t like someone but they never broke any major rules? I just don’t want that person in my house again. I don’t even know if the guest gets a message about a thumbs-down, I mean, does anything actually happen?

For instance, my current guest is a bit inconsiderate and rude. Unfriendly to talk to, banging doors during the night, dirty toilet, showers at 2am, leaving the noisy bathroom fan on all night, forgetting to double lock the flat when going out for the day. I’m tempted to use the thumbs down as I’d never let him stay again. What do the rest of you do?

[sandy2]

I really don’t want that guest! And, I have IB that dictates that the guest must be approved by other hosts. So please do a “thumbs down” as I think that will prevent them from instant booking a place like mine (but I don’t know that for sure).

[dcmooney]

Please thumbs-down! It’s not a personal issue - like “he’s unfriendly” he is categorically rude. Think of all the great guests you’ve had - that have brought little gifts, engaged you in interesting conversation, left the room clean, etc. THEY get thumbs up - why should this guy.

Shyeash. Sounds irritating. I hope he’s gone soon!

“Guest was not a good fit for my house. His schedule didn’t mesh with mine and the 2 am showers and noise were not pleasant. He was not particularly clean or respectful of safety (can you find anything nice to say?)”

[cassid]

definitely thumbs done for him, dirty toilet is a big no no .

[eyeborg]

How do you all enforce good toilet behaviour? I really hate having to scrub the marks after a guest, I even have a note on the wall asking to ‘please use the toilet brush when needed’. My coping strategy is to think of the £££ I’m being paid for the literally shitty task!

[konacoconutz]

Toilet scrubbing is the first cleaning task I do so I can get it out of the way. Most of the time it is left clean by guests with the occasional stripe.

[searchedtobelost]

I’d venture to guess more than 99% of people in this world would never think to use the toilet brush. They even may think the streak is embarrassing, but not think of using the brush to remedy the situation. That isn’t a common habit for people.

[eyeborg]

Interesting! I was never brought up to use it, I just figured out myself that I shouldn’t leave anything gross after myself for others to deal with. I even use the brush when I live alone! Maybe I’m a higher form of human
I share the bathroom with my guest so any grossness is really annoying.

[EllenN]

Taken literally, you should give this guest a thumbs down as the question is would you host this guest again. For you, the answer is no you wouldn’t want a second visit from this guest. For me, most of what you describe seems to be different styles. Although I hate door slamming, many if not most of my guests slam doors. I always clean the toilet and thankfully so have all my guests except the one who threw up. That said, I clean the toilet with gloves and a dedicated sponge, so I wouldn’t deny a guest another visit over this issue. Unless you told the guest not to shower at 2:00 A.M., it might be considerate in his view. It means that he’s not using the shower and using up the hot water when you need it. My husband and I are sound sleepers so we don’t wake up when guests take showers in the wee hours. Again, unless you told him to double lock the front door he might not of known that he was supposed to. Our front door has three locks. We only lock the top deadbolt. Unfriendly to talk to is of course subjective.

[eyeborg]

Yeah, I guess you’re right, different styles. He was a first time guest so I might just give him some private feedback rather than the thumbs down as I realise now that it would prevent him from instant booking. Still, I do think banging doors at 2am is out of order no matter what style. I should have brought up all these issues with him while he was here of course.

About the keys: I give a special talk and demo about how to bolt lock the flat and also have a neon pink sign on the entrance door as a reminder. Now here’s an idea: install a speaker under their bed and play the house rules while they sleep: Lock the entrance door… you will feel very calm and at peace once you have locked the door… and now, relax…

[EllenN]

As you gave clear instructions about door locking it would have been entirely reasonable to give him a thumbs down. I too hate door slamming, but so many guests do it.

[jaquo]

I’d venture to guess more than 99% of people in this world would never think to use the toilet brush.

I might be weird (OK) but I have never used a toilet brush in my life! If have always found that toilets are very efficient in removing what needs to be removed

[Stephanie_Borns]

I tell the truth.

You’d be surprised at the number of guests we would not allow in the house again - and for fewer offenses than that.

Most Airbnb guests are one-time events anyhow and my goal is to build our guest house into something where people we like can come and go. We want to be an exclusive, gracious home for travelers who contribute something to the world. Period. We need to make a little money but we’re not greedy.

I don’t give good reviews lightly anymore. In fact, I don’t think we had even one guest in all of September that I felt was good enough to even bother reviewing. (although we did have several that I probably should have reviewed badly.) If we never host another wedding guest again, it will be too soon.