Month: August 2019

Sometimes I’m really surprised by the casual language guests use. While Airbnb isn’t the most formal of business environments, it’s still one stranger talking to another. So normally the language is pretty mainstream. But there are exceptions. Here’s a case where the guest had trouble using the Smart TV in a new apartment.

Me: I’m sorry to hear that. You are the first guest ever, so clearly we have some glitches to work out. I will ask the property manager to send over our electronics guy.

Guest: Ok thanks awesome! Also I didn’t see where to rate my stay, this was my first time doing Airbnb and your first time as well I see we popped each other’s cherry! Thanks !

I feel like I dodged a bullet. A guest made a booking at around 5pm for same-day check-in. I use SmartBNB to automate messaging, and it sent all the check-in instructions and the lockbox code the minute the booking came in.

I wasn’t so quick. I was cooking dinner, and I didn’t check my emails immediately. So about forty minutes passed. When I saw the booking, I quickly checked the reviews, as I always did. This is what I found:

In fact, at the beginning and throughout the stay I had very good communication with Jeff, he even extended his statistics in a few days. However, the apartment was left in a state of disorder and destruction that I had never seen. They delivered the apartment an hour and a half later than agreed. Clothes hooks were taken and pieces of the refrigerator were broken, also curtains, pots and everything was thrown on the floor. We are not used to this type of tenants. I am sorry for the bad evaluation, but such an episode had never occurred to us. I had to suspend the idea of hosting anyone for a few days until cleaning and leaving everything in order. A shame .

Instantly I called my property manager and told him to go right over and get the keys out of the lockbox. He jumped in his truck and was there in six minutes.

I jumped on the phone to call Airbnb. “I want to cancel with no penalty to me because I feel very uncomfortable with this guest.” It didn’t take long to get the reservation cancelled. Airbnb said that since this was a same-day booking, they would call the guest and help him to find other accommodations.

Meanwhile, just was walking back to the truck, a beat up old car pulled into the parking lot and three strung-out guys piled out. He asked if they were going to #3, which they confirmed. “Don’t bother, I took the keys out of the lockbox,” he told them. He hopped in his truck and drove off.

But he just drove around the block, and he parked in a neighbor’s driveway a couple of doors down to watch what happened. The guys hung out for a bit, one of them peed in a bush, one of them got a phone call, and eventually they left.

I dodged that bullet!

This just received from a guest:

I have a major issue & due to that is there anyway I can get at least half of the money back because it’s not healthy for my girlfriend. We were and she woke up screaming because a lizard was in her arm & she’s very allergic to all those types of mosquitoes and insects. Therefore, I can not risk myself because then I will have to end up taking her to the hospital & I don’t want to go through this long process.

I will really appreciate it if you find me a solution ASAP! If you want a picture of the lizard I can send it to you. Not only that I have killed other insects in the room already & my girlfriend is having a bit hard time to breathe.