Crazy Guest or New Cleaning Lady? Or Neither....
Luke CarlPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Tennessee Florida · Member since 2016 · 4k+ posts · 5k+ votesHad someone check out today. She was weird from the get go. Texted a lot. Said she drained cleaned and refilled the hot tub then later said she just added some water. Paid for 4 peole later found out she had 5.
Cleaning lady called and said it took her 3 hours to clean and wanted an extra $30. She also said the comforter on one of the beds had 3 rips in it and sent pics to prove it. Sent a resolution to the guest to pay for the comforter and the extra cleaning fee. She basically said no chance in hell. She said the cuts were in it when she got there.
Also the cleaning lady said the owners closet had been popped open. (it has a brand new deadbolt) Guest said it was open when she got there.
Ive only had cleaning lady for a month and really have no reason to trust her or not trust her.
Guest is denying everything and has no interest in paying.
Some other holes in both the guest and the cleaning ladys story that just dont add up in favor of either of them.
We're leaning towards eating the cost of the new comforter ($70) and the extra cleaning fees and begging for a good review at this point. We've only been in the game a month.
Only charging $89 per night so half the money this guest paid to stay there is going to cleaning and repairs.
Is it worth it to escalate the resolution or should we just move on to the next guest and be done with it?
Theresa's advice is great. And I would trust my housekeeper over guests all day long. I've had a couple of guests like this in the past few years. Always from AirBNB, never VRBO.
With that said, if there is an upcharge from my housekeeper due to something that required extra cleaning, I always pass through those costs. I've only had one bad review from a traveler like this, mostly they know what they've done and don't try to fight it or lash out, just accept it and move on. However, if you don't have many great reviews to even out a possible bad review, you may think twice here and just eat those extra costs.
If you do get a bad review, be sure to respond to it publicly. Let people know that you are sorry that things didn't work out during that guest relationship. But don't 'fight back', or if you do, make sure it's done politely/delicately.
I had a guest show up a few hours prior to check in time and basically shoo housekeeping away, then complained that it wasn't clean and asked for a discount. When I declined, she left a 1 star 'complaint' review. I responded with the following:
"We sincerely appreciate your feedback, as we strive to make our mountain retreat clean, comfortable, and attractive for all of our guests. I’m truly sorry that we were not able to make you happy at the end of your stay. We will be speaking with housekeeping to ensure that the property is spotless in the future, even if guests arrive several hours prior to the agreed upon check-in time."
I believe this review helps me, and would with or without my reply. Any property with ALL 5 stars is probably going to be looked at with a skeptical eye. A small number of unhappy customers is natural, because you simply can't please everyone. When I see 40 great reviews and 1 bad one, I figure it's a great place and they didn't pay family and friends to write all those glowing reviews.
I've done AirBNB for mutliple properties in SF and it was an absolute money maker! It's great if you can keep it rented consistently and keep damage to a minimum. I personally wouldn't escalate on something like that.
Look at the Bigger Picture....What's your goal? It's to get lots of guests again and again. How will that happen? Only if you have a great product and have lots of great reviews - it's not rocket science. I would apologize for the inconvenience and let her know the cleaning lady has been fired. (Nawh - don't fire her - good cleaning people are hard to find!! LOL) Then let her know that you would love a good review and will do the same. (Give her a neutral review. "Stayed at our home" - sharp AirBNBers will be able to read through it.)
However, if she tries to rent from you again, let her know your unit is busy.
Going forward, think about what you could have done differently. Did this nutty guest have lots of positive reviews? Or any? Does she have an AirBNB herself? My policy was to only rent from known entities. If she was "new to AirBNB," she's not going to rent from me. However, my area in SF was super desirable so had a lot of people to choose from - not sure if you have that luxury where you are.
Anyway... good luck and let us know how you end up handling it.
I've done AirBNB for mutliple properties in SF and it was an absolute money maker! It's great if you can keep it rented consistently and keep damage to a minimum. I personally wouldn't escalate on something like that.
Look at the Bigger Picture....What's your goal? It's to get lots of guests again and again. How will that happen? Only if you have a great product and have lots of great reviews - it's not rocket science. I would apologize for the inconvenience and let her know the cleaning lady has been fired. (Nawh - don't fire her - good cleaning people are hard to find!! LOL) Then let her know that you would love a good review and will do the same. (Give her a neutral review. "Stayed at our home" - sharp AirBNBers will be able to read through it.)
However, if she tries to rent from you again, let her know your unit is busy.
Going forward, think about what you could have done differently. Did this nutty guest have lots of positive reviews? Or any? Does she have an AirBNB herself? My policy was to only rent from known entities. If she was "new to AirBNB," she's not going to rent from me. However, my area in SF was super desirable so had a lot of people to choose from - not sure if you have that luxury where you are.
Anyway... good luck and let us know how you end up handling it.
Fantastic advice Theresa. That's exactly what I'll do. She had no reviews this was her first stay. Now shes saying she'll stick to hotels in the future. I'll kill her with kindness and move on to the next guest. We are in a well populated tourist area. Love the suggestion of "stayed at our home" Thanks!
wow great advice Theresa.
Theresa's advice is great. And I would trust my housekeeper over guests all day long. I've had a couple of guests like this in the past few years. Always from AirBNB, never VRBO.
With that said, if there is an upcharge from my housekeeper due to something that required extra cleaning, I always pass through those costs. I've only had one bad review from a traveler like this, mostly they know what they've done and don't try to fight it or lash out, just accept it and move on. However, if you don't have many great reviews to even out a possible bad review, you may think twice here and just eat those extra costs.
If you do get a bad review, be sure to respond to it publicly. Let people know that you are sorry that things didn't work out during that guest relationship. But don't 'fight back', or if you do, make sure it's done politely/delicately.
I had a guest show up a few hours prior to check in time and basically shoo housekeeping away, then complained that it wasn't clean and asked for a discount. When I declined, she left a 1 star 'complaint' review. I responded with the following:
"We sincerely appreciate your feedback, as we strive to make our mountain retreat clean, comfortable, and attractive for all of our guests. I’m truly sorry that we were not able to make you happy at the end of your stay. We will be speaking with housekeeping to ensure that the property is spotless in the future, even if guests arrive several hours prior to the agreed upon check-in time."
I believe this review helps me, and would with or without my reply. Any property with ALL 5 stars is probably going to be looked at with a skeptical eye. A small number of unhappy customers is natural, because you simply can't please everyone. When I see 40 great reviews and 1 bad one, I figure it's a great place and they didn't pay family and friends to write all those glowing reviews.
The cleaning woman is most likely the one who was being honest with you. What was it about what she told you that has you wondering?
If you have a security deposit, use the deposit for what it was intended, damages. Put your claim in right away, as there's a strict time frame for doing so. If you don't have a security deposit, think about adding one. Three items to claim: extra guest fee if it applies, extra cleaning fee, cost to repair/replace the damaged comforter.
Remain professional and cordial with the guest. Don't beg for a good review. If you're lucky, the guest won't think about leaving a review at all. If they leave a negative review, take it in stride. You will get good reviews soon enough.
I think as hosts, our reviews should be a fair representation of our experience. Stick to facts. I usually use the Oreo approach... say something good about the guest, then the reality- stick to facts, then something positive again.
They reserved the place for 4 guests, but actually had 5 stay there without clearing it with you to do so? Other hosts need to know that. The place required extra cleaning after their stay? Other hosts need to know that. There were some damages to property? Other hosts need to know that.
If you are three hours away, it might be a good idea to visit the property at least once a month. Also, ask the housekeeper to take before and after photos for each stay.