|
Post by High Priestess on Sept 12, 2017 15:02:42 GMT
HEre is a discussion about hosting burnout on the AirHosts Forum: airhostsforum.com/t/hosting-burnout/17210By the way, this forum has a lot of good commenters, knowledgeable hosts, but I don't participate on it much because I was not impressed with their moderation. They will remove inappropriate comments which violate the forum rules (such as personal attacks) but they do not remove the members who continually make inappropriate comments, such as personal attacks. So there are some members on that forum who I've seen continually violate the forum rules with impunity.
|
|
|
Post by helgaparis on Oct 3, 2017 10:56:43 GMT
I’m in a 3 weeks streak of daily turnovers. Interspersed with a verbal sexual assult till 2:30 am, a crazy flower today, à don’t-know-my-Eta type yesterday, à security guy on interrogation mode ever herbal tea, which he accepted by surprise and actually liked to his surprise. No burnout so far, I get complimdnts on the streat how good I look, like being in great shape. Must be down to the diet Edith prescribed and loosing some weight. ;-)
|
|
|
Post by High Priestess on Oct 9, 2017 4:38:05 GMT
Helga I think it's because you are just a person of real style, able to take everything in stride!!
|
|
|
Post by helgaparis on Oct 14, 2017 17:13:53 GMT
Lol, thank you, Deborah ! I just changed a few more kitchen wall sockets to wet room sockets, after the young man, who poured water into one. They don’t come in pretty versions yet, but already in neutral, whilst before tgey were only utilitarian. Nobody but an airbnb host would need waterproof sockets in a kitchen. They also come only in singles and doubles, so it’s slow work. But they come with lids, no more water in unused sockets. I also found a pretty teapot to replace the one the same guest broke. So I’m having tea in style. At least if I ignore the unmade bed on the loft. Today’s guest built heaps on it, of pillows and stuff, so I can’t even spread a cover over it, what I normally do in such cases. All covers are included into the structure.
I’m thinking how to reformulate my listing. The flower left me less then 5 stars in four categories, all the guests I cited above left lukewarm reviews and/or four stars. All the nice ones leave glowing reviews and 5 stars, the business people leave a few nice words and 5 stars - how do I chase away those frustrated esoteric types? You atteact them especially, Deborah, what I don’t do. Did you notice categories for them and do they react differently/ review differently? I get people coming for esoteric trainings and then a lot, who choose a diet or organic as a lifestyle. No problem woth those. They know, what organic food costs and are happy, when they get it for breakfast. Nice talk, nice review. Then there are stupid people, who choose a religion without knowing anything or wanting to know anything. They may declare themselves vegetarian without liking vegetables. They will eat bananas, potatoes and shakes made from different powders. A bit strange, a bit suspicious, when I have different unknown fruits for them, but they usually like it. And then there are tge very strange ones, like a self proclaimed organic baker. She brought a bread with sunflower seeds. Only those were green and big. “Ah, you use pumpkin seeds, like we do in Austria!” - what do you mean? - those green ones, that’s pumpkin seed! - If you say so. I offer a salad and add a dose of sunflower seeds. “What’s that?” - sunflower seeds! - they are strange, so flat. Ah, they are already peeled. Given, that she may be a baker by having married a baker, but it means she never even saw the raw material. As I can’t imagine the husband peeling grain after grain befire the tv. He buys them like I did, peeled. She left me brochures of her guru, and Ineed to kerp tgem. It’s a pain doctor. “I have no pains!” - Keep it, you may need it one day. You need to keep it, it’s the best! Four stars on global and 3 for price. Not considering a dinner at arrival and a breakfast on departure, which wee not included in the listing she rented. So, can you enlighten me: how do you discern the harmless from the noxious esoteric ladies?
|
|
|
Post by High Priestess on Oct 16, 2017 2:17:45 GMT
Lol, thank you, Deborah ! So, can you enlighten me: how do you discern the harmless from the noxious esoteric ladies? Hi Helga So in answer to your question--- One of the things I think helps distinguish the harmless from the noxious is the degree of self centeredness. Actually I think this is a major signifier. The more self centered someone is--- the more they seem to be focused on their own needs and uninterested in yours-- the more concern I would say you should have about them. One of the best tools I have in helping to detect this in prospective guests is the fact that I have fairly strict house rules. I do this not only so that I can have things in my house go in a way that is comfortable for me, but unbeknownst to the guest, I am also testing them with my house rules,to see if they balk in some way when they are basically being told they need to consider someone else's needs to this extent. Can they do that? By closely watching every detail in their response, I can often (though not always) tell. So my advice would be-- don't focus on someone's beliefs or practices as much as you focus on their ability to respect you and your needs. And this is hard to do without coming out strongly front and center with your needs. Also-- if people are telling you too many details about their beliefs or practices, this is already a bad sign. It is a case of "TMI" or "too much info" and you tend to see this when people are too self-centered. Or when they have poor boundaries which is another cause of problem guests. Reasonably other-oriented people don't do this.they keep more to themselves.
|
|
|
Post by helgaparis on Oct 27, 2017 8:44:50 GMT
Thank you, Deborah. You are right of course. And gave me something to think about, as I am rewriting my listing after a streak of high maintenance ungrateful or outright crazy guests. I’ll repost a story here later, probably during the weekend. I adhere to the house rules theory too, but have had an annoying phenomenon lately. People who do not read the listing at all and either did not even see picture 2, which is deliberately a summary of my space, but write in the review, public or private, that I should say that the space is small or the loft is an attic or that the ceiling over the loft is low. So I thought, I will make it extremely clear, by writing it in the Extra Things to Know, which pop up with the house rules at booking and have to be checked separately. Guess what? I had already put them there as soon as I had seen the feature- half a year ago?
I had rewritten my listing till Edith sermoned me and helped me rewrite the French version (to be published later today). It took her that long to convince me, that I give TMI now after the hits I took.
But to return to the original question, did you see that happen too, that the highest maintenance guests do not give any useful information on themselves? Empty profile no portrait, a very vague message, even if it’s often long. And after you ask a few things, you get maybe two half answers on four requests or questions. But once here, they swamp you with either questions or details or problems?
|
|
|
Post by High Priestess on Oct 28, 2017 20:42:17 GMT
Yes, that is something to note when screening guests...how much information do they provide on themselves? Does it seem that they are impatient with having to provide any information at all? Do they make smart-ass comments in their profile description that makes it seem they might not have much respect for the process? Do they respond perfunctorily -- too briefly -- to your questions, again suggesting that they could care less about your needs in your screening process? Notice all these things and be willing to decline guests. IF you notice these things are happening with a guest but accept them anyway...well....perhaps that is a mistake.
I do decline some guests, and I think it's good practice for a host to decline someone every once in a while.
|
|