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This is succinct and amusing, and perfectly appropriate in my opinion. I think direct communication is the best approach, because the type of guests most of us would want in our homes will likely react positively, and for those that don’t–well who wants them anyway?
For example, I tolerated late arrivals for years until I encountered the authoritarian attitude of the Trust and Security department when a claim (my first after hosting 4 years) to replace a ruined silk and satin bedspread was denied. I now collect a security deposit and cleaning fee in cash upon arrival, so late arrivals are only accepted for known, repeat guests.
The first sentence of my house manual reads:
“Please remember this is our home, and not a commercial establishment. We open
our home to guests because we delight in providing great accommodations
and value while making new friends. With that in mind, please
understand we are living our own busy lives, and make no pretense at
staffing a reception desk or providing valet services. We’re always
more than happy to help with luggage though!”
to set the tone for what follows:
Check-in is strictly between 3pm and 9pm. Late check-ins are unwelcome if not
cleared with the host before 8pm on the night of arrival. If a guest
arrives after 9pm without having cleared their unavoidable circumstances
with the host, they will be turned away to find and pay for their own
accommodation, and will receive no refund for loss of that night’s stay.
The guest will be welcomed the following day, if it was reserved,
between 3pm and 9pm according to house rules and their reservation.
To answer the yet unasked question, bookings have dropped by 10%, but I’m enjoying on time check-ins and I don’t have to deal with the fascist inclinations of our “third party not present at the reservation”.
I thought about this and after I replied, I decided I just didn’t want the bad review waiting to be written hanging over me anymore.
So, I sat down and wrote a review that said something like this; “We are confident that guest X will be an excellent Airbnb guest some day. She is charming and responded to our messages promptly. However, she is new to the platform and does not yet understand the difference between Airbnb and a hotel. Hosts should remember to be specific in their expectations of new guests. We failed to explain exactly how Airbnb works. I am sorry for that.”
This is the one who left a sink full of dirty dishes and a $5 bill under the pillow. That really got me. I am nobody’s maid.
Anyway - no pushback so far. She has until next weekend but I do think I was fair and honest and I did not mention her condescending attitude, (she wasn’t actually charming) or her piggish household habits, (the floor was also filthy) at all.
But I did hit the “don’t recommend” button and I did give Airbnb all the details. I like to leave a paper trail.
But …but… were you fair and honest with other hosts in calling her charming when she was clearly not the least bit charming… I know different strokes and all but I personally refrain from trying to offer a positive when overall the experience with the guest was a negative and she canceled out any positives with one negative behavior after the other.
I also don’t get why you apologized to explain Airbnb. That is not your job!
Guest was not a fit for us unfortunately and doesn’t seem to understand how Airbnb works. She had a surly, condescending attitude, expected a 24/7 front desk, left dirty dishes in the sink, the floor filthy among other piggish behaviors, thus demonstrating she may be more suited to a hotel than a personal home. Can’t recommend.
I think other people might find her charming.
My husband wanted me to go easy on her because she’s young and new. (and he’s as soft and sweet as a marshmallow.)
I wanted to drive the point home that she did not do her homework without being confrontational.
Half the time “she” was talking to us, it was actually her mother - that’s a whole other issue and too complex to get into in a review. Remember, they don’t give you paragraph breaks.
Her attitude toward us was based on the fact that we are in a less affluent area of the extremely affluent school she is moving here to attend. We’re ten minutes away but we’re not an area packed full of the ultra-rich and that is the case for both her hometown and her school. She was polite and would probably be very charming if she felt you were her equal.
It was her first time.
As Michelle Obama says, “they go low, we go high.” I try to be as gracious as possible, I want us to be above criticism. It never pays to get down and dirty in a situation where getting down and dirty solves nothing and reflects badly on you.
My husband hosts with me - he is always, always, gracious. He makes Prince William look coarse. I would never embarrass him by being vulgar or unkind in a review.
Okay you are right… i take that back about the hotel although I am sure they deal with lousy guests all the time and it’s part of what they put up with.
Well I get wanting to take the high road, but personally I would not have reviewed this guest or would have maybe mentioned this in private feedback to her. As for you not wanting to be vulgar, I really don’t think the sample review I wrote was vulgar. It was straightforward an honest, using your actual words.
Don’t you think her behavior toward YOU was unkind and vulgar? Why should she get a free pass? Maybe it was her first time but this isn’t how you act? So just because she’s going to an elite school and thinks she gets to act like a princess in someone else’s home? And you are OK with not setting her straight. Glad my boys went to state universities if this is the type of student they would typically encounter at an elite school.
I think you were too easy on her. She will now think she gets to do this wherever she goes. She may be an elite student but is obviously clueless about her rude behavior.
I also teach and know that students need a firm but loving hand. Otherwise they walk all over you!
My words here and my words on our listings are not the same thing.
I am very frank here, I do not mince words. I do not mince words on our listing either but there is a big difference between what you would say about some unnamed guest in a room full of hosts who are going through the same experience and what you would say in their public, permanent review.
Basically, my review says she is not recommended because she needs to be too closely supervised for Airbnb.
She can grow into being a good guest. She already has the money to travel so she is part of our target market but any host who reads my review of her will, for sure, remember to outline their expectations. And I have every confidence that she will fulfill them.
When I messaged her to ask what this brown stuff was all over one of our hand towels because I needed to know in order to clean it - she apologized and told me it was coffee.
I know a cooperative learner when I meet one. She will work this out. She’s just spoiled rotten. That’s not her fault, it’s her mother’s.
I don’t think we need to reproduce a discourse that blames mothers and holds them responsible for every negative behavior in their adult children. LOL. Just saying.
I’m pondering whether to comment to a guest on their recent visit.
I intend to rate her low for communication as I sent her several texts about various things but didn’t receive any reply whatsoever back.
When I cleaned the room I spent well over 30 minutes just cleaning up hair from everywhere. It was in the shower, vanity, toilet, all the floors, bed, on furniture & on the dining room table. I thought that with such an amount of hair everywhere she must have known it was there & did nothing herself. There is a large broom & dustpan set in the unit.
Should I mention something to her in private comments ???
