Post by High Priestess on Sept 20, 2015 8:22:05 GMT
Shaun shared on HOsting 911 March 2015
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-155562
Refunding Guests?
Has there been a bigger push lately to get hosts to do full refunds more? And are there lots of new csx people for summer who kind of have that as all they know to do? Anybody else have that experience? I had a guest who showed up to a listing I have 4.5 stars/61 reviews/5 stars for accuracy/4.5 location They said they felt my (super cute/established) Latino neighborhood was dangerous and that our photos weren't accurate and decided to leave to go to a hotel. The woman was nice enough, but the man was downright rude. They were of a different race/ethnicity than us and than the neighborhood. We have a lot of travelers from every country imaginable and always get along well with them. Anyway, I asked them to cancel. They called csx instead, who called me and really pressured me to give a full refund/not asking me anything about what happened. Then, did not open my day back up on the calendar. I asked that it be looked into and haven't yet heard back.
Last night I had a guest who had agreed to house rules/promised to check in before ten- not show up, not answer texts or calls or emails- until midnight. When I called csx, again, a person who seemed to not have any answers just asked me if I wanted to give a full refund. I asked if in this case I just had to sit up all night and wait, even though they were breaking the ruled they had agreed to as well as not letting me know anything at all. Delayed flights are understandable. But what if they didn't even come to Chicago??(Guests showed up finally. They decide to take an architectural tour at night.) But no call to let me know.
I've had a wonderful time hosting- really love it. But this week left me feeling like a lot of the new Airbnb customers are not getting the message that hosts are people just trying to live in their homes and should be respected, and that Airbnb was trying to cultivate those customers by offering easy refunds. Is there any recourse besides bad reviews?
4 comments•6 likes
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Wendy
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Wendy
WEndy-- founder of Hosting 911
Wendy7 months ago
I agree that customers (guests) are not educated properly on just WHAT Airbnb is....I am miffed when a guests behaves as if they are staying at a hotel...rather than someone's home... I wish Airbnb would separate out the RESIDENT HOSTED from the NON-RESIDENT HOSTED listings...so much easier that way. Then people who sincerely desire a cultural exchange experience would be immediately steered to a "home-stay" vs. a stand alone building/apt./home. Any thoughts on this? I also agree that there needs to be more guest education on good (acceptable) guest behavior/courtesy.
Reply Like 2 replies•10 likes
Wendy
Wendy7 months ago
P.S. I ALWAYS try to get my guests to cancel as soon as possible if their is a problem...I do refund days they do not stay here (usually the first day)--I consider that a cost of doing business...and I would rather have a guest be grateful than hateful....just my opinion.
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
That's a great idea- to let guests know if the host lives there. I do say that in my listings...
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
Hi Wendy, I try to be really understanding with refunds and always proactively offer one if a flight has been cancelled or someone is in the hospital or something like that. But in this case last week, I really felt like the guest just didn't like the ethnicity of the neighborhood, which was offensive, so to reward that with a refund was hard. And then, they wouldn't cancel. I suppose I can just chalk it up to a bad experience and keep it in perspective. I have had hundreds of wonderful experiences.
Reply Like 2 likes
Deborah
Deborah7 months ago
The way I look at this, is that for all of us there is likely to be that rare, very dissatisifed, fussy guest who just didnt' read the information we asked them twice to read, and who doesn't understand what it is to stay in a private home. We should all do our best to weed these out in the screening process to avoid awkwardness later, but if one slips through and we get someone who's very dissatisfied, it is probably best to offer them at least a partial refund if not a full refund, if they aren't staying at all but are leaving right away.
I look at it the way Wendy does, it is never going to end well to have someone stay at your home, deciding to "tough it out", when they really dont' want to be there, because you tell them that they will get no refund. Also, I have noticed that Airbnb does tend to give guests a full refund if they complain about the setting when they first arrive --- but that refund need not come from you. Sometimes the host gets paid AND the guest gets fully refunded --- Airbnb basically eats the cost of the reservation. That happened to me with the first guest I had who pulled this on me. She seemed to be a scammer -- because her sole review indicated she had shown up to another reservation and not stayed at that one either. (That review didn't appear on her profile until after she booked with me -- it had been a recent reservation). So Airbnb refunded her when she called them regarding some very trivial complaints, but they also paid me the whole cost of the reservation.
I understand fully how offensive it is for the host to feel pressured to give a refund to someone who doesnt' deserve it, but whether it was because of neighborhood ethnicity, or because there was a fly in their room, or a speck on the mirror, or they were upset that there wasn't the microwave or flat screen TV that you never said you had, I think all businesspeople come to realize that at times we have to give undeserved refunds and concessions, and hopefully this will be a rare event. If this is the first time this has happened for you, with the hundreds of guests you've had, then you are fortunate indeed and I would do as you say, chalk it up to a bad experience.
Reply Like 1 reply•6 likes
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
Deborah, that was a great response. Thank you. You are right. Our of all the wonderful guests I have had, there have only been a handful of bad ones. Thanks for understanding how offensive it was- I think that's all I really needed to hear to kind of get my smile back on and greet all the great people who are coming. A little understanding goes a long way.
Jessa
Jessa7 months ago
I just loved what you wrote further down on this page about leaving bad reviews for guests, it was a response so I couldn't hit like, but it was great, will keep your words in mind (as a host who two years in is still intimidated to leave bad guests bad reviews) Thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
older version w/o commenter names
Refunding Guests?
Has there been a bigger push lately to get hosts to do full refunds more? And are there lots of new csx people for summer who kind of have that as all they know to do? Anybody else have that experience? I had a guest who showed up to a listing I have 4.5 stars/61 reviews/5 stars for accuracy/4.5 location They said they felt my (super cute/established) Latino neighborhood was dangerous and that our photos weren't accurate and decided to leave to go to a hotel. The woman was nice enough, but the man was downright rude. They were of a different race/ethnicity than us and than the neighborhood. We have a lot of travelers from every country imaginable and always get along well with them. Anyway, I asked them to cancel. They called csx instead, who called me and really pressured me to give a full refund/not asking me anything about what happened. Then, did not open my day back up on the calendar. I asked that it be looked into and haven't yet heard back.
Last night I had a guest who had agreed to house rules/promised to check in before ten- not show up, not answer texts or calls or emails- until midnight. When I called csx, again, a person who seemed to not have any answers just asked me if I wanted to give a full refund. I asked if in this case I just had to sit up all night and wait, even though they were breaking the ruled they had agreed to as well as not letting me know anything at all. Delayed flights are understandable. But what if they didn't even come to Chicago??(Guests showed up finally. They decide to take an architectural tour at night.) But no call to let me know.
I've had a wonderful time hosting- really love it. But this week left me feeling like a lot of the new Airbnb customers are not getting the message that hosts are people just trying to live in their homes and should be respected, and that Airbnb was trying to cultivate those customers by offering easy refunds. Is there any recourse besides bad reviews?
Reply
I agree that customers (guests) are not educated properly on just WHAT Airbnb is....I am miffed when a guests behaves as if they are staying at a hotel...rather than someone's home... I wish Airbnb would separate out the RESIDENT HOSTED from the NON-RESIDENT HOSTED listings...so much easier that way. Then people who sincerely desire a cultural exchange experience would be immediately steered to a "home-stay" vs. a stand alone building/apt./home. Any thoughts on this? I also agree that there needs to be more guest education on good (acceptable) guest behavior/courtesy.
Reply
P.S. I ALWAYS try to get my guests to cancel as soon as possible if their is a problem...I do refund days they do not stay here (usually the first day)--I consider that a cost of doing business...and I would rather have a guest be grateful than hateful....just my opinion.
Reply
That's a great idea- to let guests know if the host lives there. I do say that in my listings...
I try to be really understanding with refunds and always proactively offer one if a flight has been cancelled or someone is in the hospital or something like that. But in this case last week, I really felt like the guest just didn't like the ethnicity of the neighborhood, which was offensive, so to reward that with a refund was hard. And then, they wouldn't cancel. I suppose I can just chalk it up to a bad experience and keep it in perspective. I have had hundreds of wonderful experiences.
Reply
The way I look at this, is that for all of us there is likely to be that rare, very dissatisifed, fussy guest who just didnt' read the information we asked them twice to read, and who doesn't understand what it is to stay in a private home. We should all do our best to weed these out in the screening process to avoid awkwardness later, but if one slips through and we get someone who's very dissatisfied, it is probably best to offer them at least a partial refund if not a full refund, if they aren't staying at all but are leaving right away.
I look at it the way, it is never going to end well to have someone stay at your home, deciding to "tough it out", when they really dont' want to be there, because you tell them that they will get no refund. Also, I have noticed that Airbnb does tend to give guests a full refund if they complain about the setting when they first arrive --- but that refund need not come from you. Sometimes the host gets paid AND the guest gets fully refunded --- Airbnb basically eats the cost of the reservation. That happened to me with the first guest I had who pulled this on me. She seemed to be a scammer -- because her sole review indicated she had shown up to another reservation and not stayed at that one either. (That review didn't appear on her profile until after she booked with me -- it had been a recent reservation). So Airbnb refunded her when she called them regarding some very trivial complaints, but they also paid me the whole cost of the reservation.
I understand fully how offensive it is for the host to feel pressured to give a refund to someone who doesnt' deserve it, but whether it was because of neighborhood ethnicity, or because there was a fly in their room, or a speck on the mirror, or they were upset that there wasn't the microwave or flat screen TV that you never said you had, I think all businesspeople come to realize that at times we have to give undeserved refunds and concessions, and hopefully this will be a rare event. If this is the first time this has happened for you, with the hundreds of guests you've had, then you are fortunate indeed and I would do as you say, chalk it up to a bad experience.
Reply
Deborah, that was a great response. Thank you. You are right. Our of all the wonderful guests I have had, there have only been a handful of bad ones. Thanks for understanding how offensive it was- I think that's all I really needed to hear to kind of get my smile back on and greet all the great people who are coming. A little understanding goes a long way.
REply
I just loved what you wrote further down on this page about leaving bad reviews for guests, it was a response so I couldn't hit like, but it was great, will keep your words in mind (as a host who two years in is still intimidated to leave bad guests bad reviews) Thanks!
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-155562
Refunding Guests?
Has there been a bigger push lately to get hosts to do full refunds more? And are there lots of new csx people for summer who kind of have that as all they know to do? Anybody else have that experience? I had a guest who showed up to a listing I have 4.5 stars/61 reviews/5 stars for accuracy/4.5 location They said they felt my (super cute/established) Latino neighborhood was dangerous and that our photos weren't accurate and decided to leave to go to a hotel. The woman was nice enough, but the man was downright rude. They were of a different race/ethnicity than us and than the neighborhood. We have a lot of travelers from every country imaginable and always get along well with them. Anyway, I asked them to cancel. They called csx instead, who called me and really pressured me to give a full refund/not asking me anything about what happened. Then, did not open my day back up on the calendar. I asked that it be looked into and haven't yet heard back.
Last night I had a guest who had agreed to house rules/promised to check in before ten- not show up, not answer texts or calls or emails- until midnight. When I called csx, again, a person who seemed to not have any answers just asked me if I wanted to give a full refund. I asked if in this case I just had to sit up all night and wait, even though they were breaking the ruled they had agreed to as well as not letting me know anything at all. Delayed flights are understandable. But what if they didn't even come to Chicago??(Guests showed up finally. They decide to take an architectural tour at night.) But no call to let me know.
I've had a wonderful time hosting- really love it. But this week left me feeling like a lot of the new Airbnb customers are not getting the message that hosts are people just trying to live in their homes and should be respected, and that Airbnb was trying to cultivate those customers by offering easy refunds. Is there any recourse besides bad reviews?
4 comments•6 likes
Following
Like
Terry & Cher
Wendy
Frank and Angela
Friederycke and Jeff
Michelle
+1
more
Wendy
WEndy-- founder of Hosting 911
Wendy7 months ago
I agree that customers (guests) are not educated properly on just WHAT Airbnb is....I am miffed when a guests behaves as if they are staying at a hotel...rather than someone's home... I wish Airbnb would separate out the RESIDENT HOSTED from the NON-RESIDENT HOSTED listings...so much easier that way. Then people who sincerely desire a cultural exchange experience would be immediately steered to a "home-stay" vs. a stand alone building/apt./home. Any thoughts on this? I also agree that there needs to be more guest education on good (acceptable) guest behavior/courtesy.
Reply Like 2 replies•10 likes
Wendy
Wendy7 months ago
P.S. I ALWAYS try to get my guests to cancel as soon as possible if their is a problem...I do refund days they do not stay here (usually the first day)--I consider that a cost of doing business...and I would rather have a guest be grateful than hateful....just my opinion.
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
That's a great idea- to let guests know if the host lives there. I do say that in my listings...
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
Hi Wendy, I try to be really understanding with refunds and always proactively offer one if a flight has been cancelled or someone is in the hospital or something like that. But in this case last week, I really felt like the guest just didn't like the ethnicity of the neighborhood, which was offensive, so to reward that with a refund was hard. And then, they wouldn't cancel. I suppose I can just chalk it up to a bad experience and keep it in perspective. I have had hundreds of wonderful experiences.
Reply Like 2 likes
Deborah
Deborah7 months ago
The way I look at this, is that for all of us there is likely to be that rare, very dissatisifed, fussy guest who just didnt' read the information we asked them twice to read, and who doesn't understand what it is to stay in a private home. We should all do our best to weed these out in the screening process to avoid awkwardness later, but if one slips through and we get someone who's very dissatisfied, it is probably best to offer them at least a partial refund if not a full refund, if they aren't staying at all but are leaving right away.
I look at it the way Wendy does, it is never going to end well to have someone stay at your home, deciding to "tough it out", when they really dont' want to be there, because you tell them that they will get no refund. Also, I have noticed that Airbnb does tend to give guests a full refund if they complain about the setting when they first arrive --- but that refund need not come from you. Sometimes the host gets paid AND the guest gets fully refunded --- Airbnb basically eats the cost of the reservation. That happened to me with the first guest I had who pulled this on me. She seemed to be a scammer -- because her sole review indicated she had shown up to another reservation and not stayed at that one either. (That review didn't appear on her profile until after she booked with me -- it had been a recent reservation). So Airbnb refunded her when she called them regarding some very trivial complaints, but they also paid me the whole cost of the reservation.
I understand fully how offensive it is for the host to feel pressured to give a refund to someone who doesnt' deserve it, but whether it was because of neighborhood ethnicity, or because there was a fly in their room, or a speck on the mirror, or they were upset that there wasn't the microwave or flat screen TV that you never said you had, I think all businesspeople come to realize that at times we have to give undeserved refunds and concessions, and hopefully this will be a rare event. If this is the first time this has happened for you, with the hundreds of guests you've had, then you are fortunate indeed and I would do as you say, chalk it up to a bad experience.
Reply Like 1 reply•6 likes
Shaun
Shaun7 months ago
Deborah, that was a great response. Thank you. You are right. Our of all the wonderful guests I have had, there have only been a handful of bad ones. Thanks for understanding how offensive it was- I think that's all I really needed to hear to kind of get my smile back on and greet all the great people who are coming. A little understanding goes a long way.
Jessa
Jessa7 months ago
I just loved what you wrote further down on this page about leaving bad reviews for guests, it was a response so I couldn't hit like, but it was great, will keep your words in mind (as a host who two years in is still intimidated to leave bad guests bad reviews) Thanks!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
older version w/o commenter names
Refunding Guests?
Has there been a bigger push lately to get hosts to do full refunds more? And are there lots of new csx people for summer who kind of have that as all they know to do? Anybody else have that experience? I had a guest who showed up to a listing I have 4.5 stars/61 reviews/5 stars for accuracy/4.5 location They said they felt my (super cute/established) Latino neighborhood was dangerous and that our photos weren't accurate and decided to leave to go to a hotel. The woman was nice enough, but the man was downright rude. They were of a different race/ethnicity than us and than the neighborhood. We have a lot of travelers from every country imaginable and always get along well with them. Anyway, I asked them to cancel. They called csx instead, who called me and really pressured me to give a full refund/not asking me anything about what happened. Then, did not open my day back up on the calendar. I asked that it be looked into and haven't yet heard back.
Last night I had a guest who had agreed to house rules/promised to check in before ten- not show up, not answer texts or calls or emails- until midnight. When I called csx, again, a person who seemed to not have any answers just asked me if I wanted to give a full refund. I asked if in this case I just had to sit up all night and wait, even though they were breaking the ruled they had agreed to as well as not letting me know anything at all. Delayed flights are understandable. But what if they didn't even come to Chicago??(Guests showed up finally. They decide to take an architectural tour at night.) But no call to let me know.
I've had a wonderful time hosting- really love it. But this week left me feeling like a lot of the new Airbnb customers are not getting the message that hosts are people just trying to live in their homes and should be respected, and that Airbnb was trying to cultivate those customers by offering easy refunds. Is there any recourse besides bad reviews?
Reply
I agree that customers (guests) are not educated properly on just WHAT Airbnb is....I am miffed when a guests behaves as if they are staying at a hotel...rather than someone's home... I wish Airbnb would separate out the RESIDENT HOSTED from the NON-RESIDENT HOSTED listings...so much easier that way. Then people who sincerely desire a cultural exchange experience would be immediately steered to a "home-stay" vs. a stand alone building/apt./home. Any thoughts on this? I also agree that there needs to be more guest education on good (acceptable) guest behavior/courtesy.
Reply
P.S. I ALWAYS try to get my guests to cancel as soon as possible if their is a problem...I do refund days they do not stay here (usually the first day)--I consider that a cost of doing business...and I would rather have a guest be grateful than hateful....just my opinion.
Reply
That's a great idea- to let guests know if the host lives there. I do say that in my listings...
I try to be really understanding with refunds and always proactively offer one if a flight has been cancelled or someone is in the hospital or something like that. But in this case last week, I really felt like the guest just didn't like the ethnicity of the neighborhood, which was offensive, so to reward that with a refund was hard. And then, they wouldn't cancel. I suppose I can just chalk it up to a bad experience and keep it in perspective. I have had hundreds of wonderful experiences.
Reply
The way I look at this, is that for all of us there is likely to be that rare, very dissatisifed, fussy guest who just didnt' read the information we asked them twice to read, and who doesn't understand what it is to stay in a private home. We should all do our best to weed these out in the screening process to avoid awkwardness later, but if one slips through and we get someone who's very dissatisfied, it is probably best to offer them at least a partial refund if not a full refund, if they aren't staying at all but are leaving right away.
I look at it the way, it is never going to end well to have someone stay at your home, deciding to "tough it out", when they really dont' want to be there, because you tell them that they will get no refund. Also, I have noticed that Airbnb does tend to give guests a full refund if they complain about the setting when they first arrive --- but that refund need not come from you. Sometimes the host gets paid AND the guest gets fully refunded --- Airbnb basically eats the cost of the reservation. That happened to me with the first guest I had who pulled this on me. She seemed to be a scammer -- because her sole review indicated she had shown up to another reservation and not stayed at that one either. (That review didn't appear on her profile until after she booked with me -- it had been a recent reservation). So Airbnb refunded her when she called them regarding some very trivial complaints, but they also paid me the whole cost of the reservation.
I understand fully how offensive it is for the host to feel pressured to give a refund to someone who doesnt' deserve it, but whether it was because of neighborhood ethnicity, or because there was a fly in their room, or a speck on the mirror, or they were upset that there wasn't the microwave or flat screen TV that you never said you had, I think all businesspeople come to realize that at times we have to give undeserved refunds and concessions, and hopefully this will be a rare event. If this is the first time this has happened for you, with the hundreds of guests you've had, then you are fortunate indeed and I would do as you say, chalk it up to a bad experience.
Reply
Deborah, that was a great response. Thank you. You are right. Our of all the wonderful guests I have had, there have only been a handful of bad ones. Thanks for understanding how offensive it was- I think that's all I really needed to hear to kind of get my smile back on and greet all the great people who are coming. A little understanding goes a long way.
REply
I just loved what you wrote further down on this page about leaving bad reviews for guests, it was a response so I couldn't hit like, but it was great, will keep your words in mind (as a host who two years in is still intimidated to leave bad guests bad reviews) Thanks!