Post by High Priestess on Sept 23, 2015 16:54:03 GMT
I refused to pick up my guest after midnight and he get mad at me even before check in
I got a guest from Taiwan that doesn't speak English well. I speak Chinese so they booked with me is probably because Speaking the same language help better communication.He was supposed to check in at 10pm but his flight got delayed. I suggested him to take a cab! TAKE A CAB !to get back home and 10mins later he called me back and ask me to pick him up from Marta station. At that time it's already past mid night and it's way pass our bed time. I said I'm sorry I can't pick you up at this time please use Uber. He said he's first time to US and don't know how to use uber. Before I can explain that uber has Chinese he said he's gonna take bus and will take 2 hours and hung up on me. I waited 10 mins and ask him where he is. No response. I texted him we gonna go upstairs and sleep, please call me when you get here so I can open the door. We have other guest here so please don't wake her up. He called back and said there's no bus and demand me to call cab for him. I send him a link to uber and try to teach him to use uber. He then say how about he send me the name of the road and hang up on me again.he doesn't know where he was!! He send me roads name and demanding me to call a cab for him. How can I use road name to locate him?? There are same road name in different city in Atlanta area!! I called him back asked him to walk to the nearest store to ask for actual address so we can find cab for him. he then started to accusing me for not picking him up. And said he's not going to stay with us anymore. I was so upset. I still am. , he doesn't wanna spend that$30 to take a cab is not my fault!! As a host, my responsibility doesn't include pick up guest from airport after midnight without early notice ! As a host, my responsibility doesn't include pick up guest from airport after midnight without early notice ! I provide safe, clean and comfortable environment for my guest to stay in. That's my responsibility.
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I fully understand that you are (still) upset. You offered help and information and assistance for this of course tired and stressed guest. Which might explain his outraged reaction and bad communucation. But you are right to set limits regarding being a travel guide and chauffeur! And if he did not stay with you he cant review.
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Offering g to pick guests up at the airport seems like good customer service but it sets a bad president. You become responsible for any delays on the guests part.
I recommend you end this practice. Put in your booking g information about recommended transit options and let them make their way to you.
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I agree. By offering airport transport , you have a huge part in this problem.
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I'm not quite clear on whether a ride from the airport was a part of your original offer to the guest. If it was, then of course good hospitality would dictate that you bite the bullet and pick the guest up from his late flight. It's often not possible to notify your host of a flight delay in advance, and arriving in a foreign city late at night is stressful enough without having your transport plans changed at the last minute.
If, however, you had never offered him any kind of ride in the first place (and your listing doesn't seem to advertise it as a service) then while his frustration is understandable, he was not in the right to demand a ride from you. One way or other, the deed is done, so the best you can offer at this point is a complete refund in exchange for his cancelling the booking online (which will prevent him from writing a review).
In the future, I do recommend having thorough instructions for the various ways to reach your house via transport included in your confirmation. When guests say they'll have a late-evening arrival, be sure to prepare them for delays in advance. If a delay/late arrival will prevent you from being able to check them in or fulfill your obligations in any way, it's probably best to get the expected arrival time before accepting a booking, and declining anyone with a flight landing after 9.
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You may need to set some more boundaries with guests. I see you now state in your house rules no check in after 11pm, which is good. I also suggest just turning off your phone at 11pm. Don't let yourself be pestered by people asking you to do huge favors for them, expecting you to be a chauffeur. Just tell them that you are not a chaufffeur, that you offer accomodations but not taxi service, end the call, turn off the phone. If they never are able to arrive at your house that night, that is their problem.
One thing that I think is a bit tricky is setting a deadline by which time guests must arrive. While we can tell guests in advance that we prefer they not arrive late or take a late flight in, I don't recommend telling them that they have to arrive by a certain hour or---- or what, they won't be let in? A guests' flight might be delayed, even for many hours, through no fault of their own. We cannot punish them for this by making them sleep on the sidewalk outside our house. We can't put guests in danger by refusing to allow them to come in, or making a way for them to get in, regardless what hour of the day or night they arrive. This is one of the difficult or sometimes inconvenient aspects of hosting. Yet this doesn't mean you have to be available by phone all night. Turn off the phone, have them ring the doorbell or use a lockbox to let themselves in when they arrive.