Post by High Priestess on Feb 16, 2016 4:55:58 GMT
Fiona shared Feb 13 2016
Guests who want the RITZ - but have a budget for TRAVELODGE!
Why is it when you get an enquiry the majority of them want a massive discount!
I'm astounded by the lack of intelligence with people who do not read the tariff in their search.
They seem to read what they want to read?
Usual response is 'Oh, I didn't see the extra guests charges for 10 people'
'No, because you only typed in 1 guest for a 10 guest booking'!
Then you get the ones that know the price but state 'there are only 2 of us can you do a deal?!!!
No! Because the set up cost is the same and apart from 4 sets of bed linen & towels to be made up and laundered there's not much i can negotiate on.
'Why dont you go back on airbnb and look for a smaller property for 2 guests that will fit your budget?'
Why do you want to stay in a massive barn when there is only 2 of you?
Ah,because the barn looks amazing, its got table tennis, hot tub and you allow dogs.
Muppetry on a daily basis!
Now, to get rid of all the time wasters I've reverted back AGAIN to just a nightly charge with no additional guest charges as it stops time wasters.
Any guest who's got half a brain will ask the right questions and negotiate sensibly if they want the property for less than 10 guests.
Yes, we are always open to negotiation but from wanting one of our properties for free for 24 hours (filming / crew - btw. they are the worst. Jeez i got a life story with the latest !) to other enquires wanting 50% off is downright insulting and serious time wasting.
I wish Airbnb could make it clearer to travellers something along the lines of 'Please read listings very carefully re prices and guest numbers before enquiring to avoid wasting yours and hosts time'.
Or even better there should be an etiquette from Airbnb to say the price quoted is the price you will pay.
Please do not ask hosts for discounts.
'
I wish there was a section in the 'DECLINE' options where the host can choose the following:-
GUESTS WANT THE RITZ BUT HAVE A BUDGET FOR A SHED!
GUEST HAVEN'T GOT A POT TO P*** IN!
OR 'COMPLETE TIME WASTERS!
Or even better MUPPETRY! Ha! Ha!
Would you walk into Cartier / Porsche / Bentley / Aston Martin or even a restaurant and ask for discount?
Highly unlikely!
We are are not renting our properties out so we can go 'on holiday'' and make a bit of 'cash'
No, this is our business and myself and my team dont work for nothing. We all have bills to pay!
Ah!....
Feel much better now got that off my chest! Thank you for reading fellow tolerant hosts!
Fiona
X
11 comments•5 likes
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Elena
Dave & Deb
Sathish
Talat
Taylor
Sathish
Sathish3 days ago
Hahahahaha! Loved your rant! I have just recently messaged back 2 inquiries effectively telling them to eff off.
Reply Like
helga
helga3 days ago
Fiona, I understand your anger. Unfortunately airbnb has this notion that deals are good for business. Their price recommendation over the last 2 months had the recommended price at 75% of local longterm rents for empty flats without charges nor heating nor electricity. Some hosts must rent at these prices to get the global price so low. It's no longer amazing that guests try for such deals.
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Ah yes Helga Airbnb are very good at 'setting the rate'
Personally i never pay any attention to that.
Funnily enough when I first listed with Airbnb i had what i would call a reasonable catchy rate £112 a night I Never got an enquiry for months for 3 months. So i put the rate up to £150 a night and yep i got bookings.
Hats off to them - clever, because even if i charged £7 for a room they are guaranteed a £1. The host on the other has laundry / cleaning / utility usage 'bagels tea coffee' etc/ own personal time spent dealing with the enquiry to check in. This would amount to more than £7
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Sorry Helga i got cut off'
Won't make sense now!
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
I think you get my drift!
But basically if your going to to the job for Airbnb at least for some of those folks out there make at least a bit of a profit - because they do and they do it very well.
Fx
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Sathish - thanks for that it made me laugh!
Well done you!
Reply Like
helga
helga2 days ago
Fion
Reply Like
helga
helga2 days ago
Fiona, I just checked your amazing places. It's not even get the Ritz for a lodge price, it's Get a Castle, in your case. I just wanted to tell you: in the listing with the hot tub, you have the rule "Switch off the lights" twice.
Reply Like 1 reply
Fiona
Fiona2 days ago
P.S. Helga I forgot to say thank you re lights on in house rules - although I'm tempted to leave it in as , yep you know what's coming .... Lights are left on 24/7! Have a lovely evening F X
Fiona
Fiona2 days ago
Ah bless you Helga! So sweet and kind of you.
It's hard work as you can imagine but on the whole with my Airbnb guests staying here 9 out of 10 extremely rewarding .
(I'll tell you about the 10th guest problem before the forum closes - it's quite a good one)!
Always love reading your tails and advice.
Think you should be called Saint Helga, as you have the patience of one!
Expression in uk - You have the patience of a saint!
That is def' you !
Best
F
X
Reply Like 2 replies
helga
helga2 days ago
Haha, thank you, but I'm not always a saint. But I have to tell that to my family ;-)))
helga
helga2 days ago
Fiona, please tell us the tale of the 10th guest. I had a hard week (but for a lovely evening yesterday, meeting Raymond and Elaine, Edith and Nathalie) and I'm in need of something funny or amazing or interesting. ;-)
C C
C C2 days ago
I had a student who asked for a deep discount since he was "drowned in debt." I declined, saying I myself am drowned in debt. He asked me again to lower the price "for the sake of (his) debt cause." What about my debt cause? Earth to guest: there are other people in the world.
Reply Like 2 replies
helga
helga2 days ago
CC, you should have told him about the listing you planned for Rhonda, between the rails. House rule: not tossing around and exact hours to get to sleep and get up. Just lay still and think about your debt.
C C
C C2 days ago
Priceless, Helga!!
Taylor
Taylor16 hours ago
I have asked as a guest for a deal and some people were quite happy to give me a deal as I was traveling alone to see friends I've been separated from for a decade and they preferred to have a longer stay guest and help me out, I still couldn't afford it but I have also offered guests significant discounts if I like them or they're just trying to get by. I didn't join Airbnb to make a profit. And I didn't make a profit as a host when I did host. It was like paying it forward after receiving such nice help from potential hosts in small foreign towns that inspired me to help out some nice people on a budget. But it really does my head in when they are inaccurate with their dates and the number of guests! That is dodgy and I don't even consider accepting. If a single person types in the right dates and number of guests I'm receptive to them asking for a discount though.
Guests who want the RITZ - but have a budget for TRAVELODGE!
Why is it when you get an enquiry the majority of them want a massive discount!
I'm astounded by the lack of intelligence with people who do not read the tariff in their search.
They seem to read what they want to read?
Usual response is 'Oh, I didn't see the extra guests charges for 10 people'
'No, because you only typed in 1 guest for a 10 guest booking'!
Then you get the ones that know the price but state 'there are only 2 of us can you do a deal?!!!
No! Because the set up cost is the same and apart from 4 sets of bed linen & towels to be made up and laundered there's not much i can negotiate on.
'Why dont you go back on airbnb and look for a smaller property for 2 guests that will fit your budget?'
Why do you want to stay in a massive barn when there is only 2 of you?
Ah,because the barn looks amazing, its got table tennis, hot tub and you allow dogs.
Muppetry on a daily basis!
Now, to get rid of all the time wasters I've reverted back AGAIN to just a nightly charge with no additional guest charges as it stops time wasters.
Any guest who's got half a brain will ask the right questions and negotiate sensibly if they want the property for less than 10 guests.
Yes, we are always open to negotiation but from wanting one of our properties for free for 24 hours (filming / crew - btw. they are the worst. Jeez i got a life story with the latest !) to other enquires wanting 50% off is downright insulting and serious time wasting.
I wish Airbnb could make it clearer to travellers something along the lines of 'Please read listings very carefully re prices and guest numbers before enquiring to avoid wasting yours and hosts time'.
Or even better there should be an etiquette from Airbnb to say the price quoted is the price you will pay.
Please do not ask hosts for discounts.
'
I wish there was a section in the 'DECLINE' options where the host can choose the following:-
GUESTS WANT THE RITZ BUT HAVE A BUDGET FOR A SHED!
GUEST HAVEN'T GOT A POT TO P*** IN!
OR 'COMPLETE TIME WASTERS!
Or even better MUPPETRY! Ha! Ha!
Would you walk into Cartier / Porsche / Bentley / Aston Martin or even a restaurant and ask for discount?
Highly unlikely!
We are are not renting our properties out so we can go 'on holiday'' and make a bit of 'cash'
No, this is our business and myself and my team dont work for nothing. We all have bills to pay!
Ah!....
Feel much better now got that off my chest! Thank you for reading fellow tolerant hosts!
Fiona
X
11 comments•5 likes
Follow
Like
Elena
Dave & Deb
Sathish
Talat
Taylor
Sathish
Sathish3 days ago
Hahahahaha! Loved your rant! I have just recently messaged back 2 inquiries effectively telling them to eff off.
Reply Like
helga
helga3 days ago
Fiona, I understand your anger. Unfortunately airbnb has this notion that deals are good for business. Their price recommendation over the last 2 months had the recommended price at 75% of local longterm rents for empty flats without charges nor heating nor electricity. Some hosts must rent at these prices to get the global price so low. It's no longer amazing that guests try for such deals.
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Ah yes Helga Airbnb are very good at 'setting the rate'
Personally i never pay any attention to that.
Funnily enough when I first listed with Airbnb i had what i would call a reasonable catchy rate £112 a night I Never got an enquiry for months for 3 months. So i put the rate up to £150 a night and yep i got bookings.
Hats off to them - clever, because even if i charged £7 for a room they are guaranteed a £1. The host on the other has laundry / cleaning / utility usage 'bagels tea coffee' etc/ own personal time spent dealing with the enquiry to check in. This would amount to more than £7
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Sorry Helga i got cut off'
Won't make sense now!
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
I think you get my drift!
But basically if your going to to the job for Airbnb at least for some of those folks out there make at least a bit of a profit - because they do and they do it very well.
Fx
Reply Like
Fiona
Fiona3 days ago
Sathish - thanks for that it made me laugh!
Well done you!
Reply Like
helga
helga2 days ago
Fion
Reply Like
helga
helga2 days ago
Fiona, I just checked your amazing places. It's not even get the Ritz for a lodge price, it's Get a Castle, in your case. I just wanted to tell you: in the listing with the hot tub, you have the rule "Switch off the lights" twice.
Reply Like 1 reply
Fiona
Fiona2 days ago
P.S. Helga I forgot to say thank you re lights on in house rules - although I'm tempted to leave it in as , yep you know what's coming .... Lights are left on 24/7! Have a lovely evening F X
Fiona
Fiona2 days ago
Ah bless you Helga! So sweet and kind of you.
It's hard work as you can imagine but on the whole with my Airbnb guests staying here 9 out of 10 extremely rewarding .
(I'll tell you about the 10th guest problem before the forum closes - it's quite a good one)!
Always love reading your tails and advice.
Think you should be called Saint Helga, as you have the patience of one!
Expression in uk - You have the patience of a saint!
That is def' you !
Best
F
X
Reply Like 2 replies
helga
helga2 days ago
Haha, thank you, but I'm not always a saint. But I have to tell that to my family ;-)))
helga
helga2 days ago
Fiona, please tell us the tale of the 10th guest. I had a hard week (but for a lovely evening yesterday, meeting Raymond and Elaine, Edith and Nathalie) and I'm in need of something funny or amazing or interesting. ;-)
C C
C C2 days ago
I had a student who asked for a deep discount since he was "drowned in debt." I declined, saying I myself am drowned in debt. He asked me again to lower the price "for the sake of (his) debt cause." What about my debt cause? Earth to guest: there are other people in the world.
Reply Like 2 replies
helga
helga2 days ago
CC, you should have told him about the listing you planned for Rhonda, between the rails. House rule: not tossing around and exact hours to get to sleep and get up. Just lay still and think about your debt.
C C
C C2 days ago
Priceless, Helga!!
Taylor
Taylor16 hours ago
I have asked as a guest for a deal and some people were quite happy to give me a deal as I was traveling alone to see friends I've been separated from for a decade and they preferred to have a longer stay guest and help me out, I still couldn't afford it but I have also offered guests significant discounts if I like them or they're just trying to get by. I didn't join Airbnb to make a profit. And I didn't make a profit as a host when I did host. It was like paying it forward after receiving such nice help from potential hosts in small foreign towns that inspired me to help out some nice people on a budget. But it really does my head in when they are inaccurate with their dates and the number of guests! That is dodgy and I don't even consider accepting. If a single person types in the right dates and number of guests I'm receptive to them asking for a discount though.