Post by Maria Lurdes (Milu) on May 23, 2016 19:26:34 GMT
So I have a group that is staying at one of my places right now, and I just need a friendly place for a rant. THey are the "death by 1,000 cuts" kind of guests.
The group of guests booked through VRBO, which in my experience tends to skew to older travelers, usually less tech-savvy. As a total generalization, my Airbnb guests seem to be younger and smart phone carrying travelers. This particular group (3 couples, not related to each other) are from the UK, but I'm guessing not London or another big city. Who knows, I only know the difference in accents from Coronation Street. In any case, they booked 8 months ago, and wanted to stay in a two bedroom/2 bathroom apartment. Since it was six adults, I let them know that although the apartment could physically accommodate them, it would mean two sharing a queen bed in one bedroom, two in single beds in the second bedroom, and two on the sofa bed in the living room. I was trying to be delicate in how I presented it, but I tried to tell them that maximum guest capacity doesn't really have to do with comfort or privacy, it's only what I think the maximum amount of guests could comfortably fit. I warned them that a family of six would have different expectations of privacy and apartment sharing, so two kids on the sofa bed for three nights is a different scenario then a 70+ year old couple for 10 nights. I suggested that they book a larger apartment where each couple could have their own room. The group leader William shot back "you're trying to upsell us" to which I replied - yes I am, but it's because I want you to be comfortable for the duration of your trip and I'm not sure that this particular apartment will be where you'll be the most comfortable. At the time I remember thinking - well he's a prick, I'm trying to make sure that he has a comfortable place and he's kind of jumping to the conclusion that I want to wring more $$ out of his wallet. While making a profit is important to me, equally important is the experience of the guest, which to me directly translates to future business. I decided to let them choose for themselves, that if they wanted to be crowded, so be it. Well, a few days later I had a cancellation for their same dates, for a studio apartmetn just below the two bedroom. So I thought - screw it, if they want it, they want it and I let them know that a studio in the same building was now available, and since I was already "upselling" I thought I'd go for broke and let them know and that's the last they'd hear from me on options. They decided to take the studio for one couple, everything was great.
Fast forward to a few days ago when they arrived. This is what I mean by death by 1,000 cuts. I had already sent them the lockbox info, a picture of where it was, a manufacturer's pdf of how to use it, absolutely everything that I thought they could use in order to be prepared to open the lockbox and get their keys. They were arriving quite late, and I didn't want to be woken up by someone saying they couldn't open the lockbox. Guess what! Ding, ding, all experienced hosts know what happened, and I was called at 1am because they couldn't get the lockbox open. I tried explaining again, as patiently as possible, the steps. Enter the code, line it up, press down on the black button, the face plate tilts open, grab the keys. 10 minutes later, all six of them had tried it, it wouldn't open. Off I go in my pj's to open it for them wondering - is it broken? NOPE, they simply did not press down hard enough (and really, it's a brand new box, no corrosion, not even a lot of pressure, certainly something even a 10 year old could do) on the black button. Instead of feeling relieved and maybe a bit embarrassed, they said "well, this is a bad system". Ok then! I just ignored them, showed them around the apartment quickly and left.
Here are the calls I've received over the next few days:
Next morning I get a call that the box of baking soda in the fridge looks clumpy and perhaps it needs to be changed. Ok! I'll change it.
Three hours later another call to tell me that one of the two lightbulbs in the kitchen light is out and its so dark they can't see. Ok, I'll get a lightbulb.
That evening a call to ask if they couldn't have three sets of keys, as they need one for each couple, and the couple staying in the downstairs studio needs a key to the upstairs apartment. I tell them I can drop off one more set and if they want a third they can cut it and leave me the receipt.
Second day:
Cooking bacon and the smoke detector is going off, what can they do? Um, open the windows?
A while later - the bedside lamp is quite dim isn't there a brighter bulb that I can put in? No, but I'll bring anther lamp
Off to the city for four hours, then they come back home and call me to ask where is the rice cooker? We don't have. Can they not use a pot? Well yes but we'd prefer a proper way to cook rice, you said the kitchen was fully equipped. Well, I don't offer an icecream maker either, should I go get one?
This morning - the cab company that I refer to in my house manual isn't answering the phone, why not? Well I'm not sure as I am not all-knowing, but why don't I get you the number of another company. No sooner do I hang up from that call then I get a call from the other couple, they are so jealous that they have to get in on the action. The dishwashing liquid is finished and the other bottle under the sink is only half full why don't i check stock to make sure that a full bottle is prepared? GEEZ PEOPLE!
On and on and on. So nothing absolutely terrible, but just the kind of guest that absolutely has to have every single thing addressed. I'm surprised that they didn't take the vent cover off and tell me that I need to change the airconditioner filter.
If they weren't old I would have told them to GFY. VRBO does now offer the option to review guests, but it's not a blind review and it's only star rankings, no editorial. They should have a category "was this guest a pain in the neck"? so I could grade them accurately.
The group of guests booked through VRBO, which in my experience tends to skew to older travelers, usually less tech-savvy. As a total generalization, my Airbnb guests seem to be younger and smart phone carrying travelers. This particular group (3 couples, not related to each other) are from the UK, but I'm guessing not London or another big city. Who knows, I only know the difference in accents from Coronation Street. In any case, they booked 8 months ago, and wanted to stay in a two bedroom/2 bathroom apartment. Since it was six adults, I let them know that although the apartment could physically accommodate them, it would mean two sharing a queen bed in one bedroom, two in single beds in the second bedroom, and two on the sofa bed in the living room. I was trying to be delicate in how I presented it, but I tried to tell them that maximum guest capacity doesn't really have to do with comfort or privacy, it's only what I think the maximum amount of guests could comfortably fit. I warned them that a family of six would have different expectations of privacy and apartment sharing, so two kids on the sofa bed for three nights is a different scenario then a 70+ year old couple for 10 nights. I suggested that they book a larger apartment where each couple could have their own room. The group leader William shot back "you're trying to upsell us" to which I replied - yes I am, but it's because I want you to be comfortable for the duration of your trip and I'm not sure that this particular apartment will be where you'll be the most comfortable. At the time I remember thinking - well he's a prick, I'm trying to make sure that he has a comfortable place and he's kind of jumping to the conclusion that I want to wring more $$ out of his wallet. While making a profit is important to me, equally important is the experience of the guest, which to me directly translates to future business. I decided to let them choose for themselves, that if they wanted to be crowded, so be it. Well, a few days later I had a cancellation for their same dates, for a studio apartmetn just below the two bedroom. So I thought - screw it, if they want it, they want it and I let them know that a studio in the same building was now available, and since I was already "upselling" I thought I'd go for broke and let them know and that's the last they'd hear from me on options. They decided to take the studio for one couple, everything was great.
Fast forward to a few days ago when they arrived. This is what I mean by death by 1,000 cuts. I had already sent them the lockbox info, a picture of where it was, a manufacturer's pdf of how to use it, absolutely everything that I thought they could use in order to be prepared to open the lockbox and get their keys. They were arriving quite late, and I didn't want to be woken up by someone saying they couldn't open the lockbox. Guess what! Ding, ding, all experienced hosts know what happened, and I was called at 1am because they couldn't get the lockbox open. I tried explaining again, as patiently as possible, the steps. Enter the code, line it up, press down on the black button, the face plate tilts open, grab the keys. 10 minutes later, all six of them had tried it, it wouldn't open. Off I go in my pj's to open it for them wondering - is it broken? NOPE, they simply did not press down hard enough (and really, it's a brand new box, no corrosion, not even a lot of pressure, certainly something even a 10 year old could do) on the black button. Instead of feeling relieved and maybe a bit embarrassed, they said "well, this is a bad system". Ok then! I just ignored them, showed them around the apartment quickly and left.
Here are the calls I've received over the next few days:
Next morning I get a call that the box of baking soda in the fridge looks clumpy and perhaps it needs to be changed. Ok! I'll change it.
Three hours later another call to tell me that one of the two lightbulbs in the kitchen light is out and its so dark they can't see. Ok, I'll get a lightbulb.
That evening a call to ask if they couldn't have three sets of keys, as they need one for each couple, and the couple staying in the downstairs studio needs a key to the upstairs apartment. I tell them I can drop off one more set and if they want a third they can cut it and leave me the receipt.
Second day:
Cooking bacon and the smoke detector is going off, what can they do? Um, open the windows?
A while later - the bedside lamp is quite dim isn't there a brighter bulb that I can put in? No, but I'll bring anther lamp
Off to the city for four hours, then they come back home and call me to ask where is the rice cooker? We don't have. Can they not use a pot? Well yes but we'd prefer a proper way to cook rice, you said the kitchen was fully equipped. Well, I don't offer an icecream maker either, should I go get one?
This morning - the cab company that I refer to in my house manual isn't answering the phone, why not? Well I'm not sure as I am not all-knowing, but why don't I get you the number of another company. No sooner do I hang up from that call then I get a call from the other couple, they are so jealous that they have to get in on the action. The dishwashing liquid is finished and the other bottle under the sink is only half full why don't i check stock to make sure that a full bottle is prepared? GEEZ PEOPLE!
On and on and on. So nothing absolutely terrible, but just the kind of guest that absolutely has to have every single thing addressed. I'm surprised that they didn't take the vent cover off and tell me that I need to change the airconditioner filter.
If they weren't old I would have told them to GFY. VRBO does now offer the option to review guests, but it's not a blind review and it's only star rankings, no editorial. They should have a category "was this guest a pain in the neck"? so I could grade them accurately.
I did LOL loudly at "I only know the difference in accents from Coronation Street". Some people really shouldn't be allowed passports...
