4 Types of Difficult Airbnb Guests (and How to Handle Them)
Strategies To Help Deal With Difficult Guests
Running a short-term rental business is not all sunshine and roses–sometimes, there are situations where you’ll be ready to pull your hair out from frustration. One area that often can cause points of tension is dealing with difficult guests. People come in all shapes and sizes, but sometimes your personality or way of doing things will clash with someone staying on your property, and that can cause big problems if it’s not handled properly.
Today, we’ll be highlighting four different types of difficult vacation rental guests and giving you tips for how to handle them with a smile. Not only can these tips help you to avoid bad reviews, they can also give you the tools you need to improve your customer service offerings for future guests as well.
The Guest with Endless Questions
It’s normal for guests to have questions about your rental, especially if they have specific needs that haven’t been addressed in your listing title, description, or house rules. Answering those questions politely and quickly can help you to earn points with potential guests, but sometimes, guests will take asking questions to an extreme. While guest communication is of the utmost importance, it can be taxing and time-consuming to answer everything from when the house was last painted to how to use the mop.
How to Deal With It: If a guest is asking an inordinate amount of questions and you don’t have time to write out an answer to each one, think about politely letting them know that, while you appreciate their enthusiasm, you don’t have the time to answer everything that might come to their mind. Another option is to hire a property manager that can handle guest communication for you, like LocalVR, so you won’t have to worry about it at all.
The Guest Throwing a House Party
Another type of difficult guest you may encounter are those intent on throwing a house party on your property. Small get togethers or family gatherings are usually not an issue, especially if your guests let you know in advance, and although Airbnb does have ways to detect potential party scenarios, scammers are ingenious at finding ways around it.
How to Deal With It: If you suspect that a future or current guest is gearing up to throw a large house party, send them a message letting them know the consequences. Breaking house and platform rules can lead to losing their deposit and being on the hook for any damages, and letting guests know this in advance can help them make the right decision. This is also why it’s a smart idea to befriend your neighbors, so you have a witness in the event that a party does occur.
The Guest Who Damages Property
Sometimes property damage just happens by accident, but other times, it’s due to a pattern of poor guest behavior. Whether your doors are damaged or you’ve found irreparable issues with your plumbing, there are many ways that property damage can turn a good guest into a difficult guest in an instant.
How to Deal With It: In your house rules, clearly spell out the consequences to property damage, and tell guests to let you know immediately if something is damaged or broken so it doesn’t get out of control. If property damage does occur, document it as soon as possible with photo evidence.
Another good way to avoid property damage altogether is to read host reviews of potential guests to identify any patterns of damages and irresponsibility that could cause problems for your property. If a guest has previously caused damages and seems unrepentant about it, it’s a smart idea to axe their reservation entirely.
The Guest Who Holds a Bad Review Over Your Head
Nothing is worse than doing your best to make a guest happy and hearing the dreaded words, “I’m going to leave you a negative review.” Many difficult guests know that short-term rental owners rely on good reviews to keep their business afloat, and these guests will hold a bad review over a host’s head in order to get what they want. Not only is this tactic especially irritating, it also puts you at the mercy of your guest’s whims and moods, which is not something that can be relied upon to go your way.
How to Deal With It: When a guest tries to pull this move on you, it’s never a good sign, so it’s best to document all of your communication from that moment forward to help you cover yourself in the event that they do end up leaving a bad review. Be civil and tactful but honest about how things may turn out for them if they threaten you and your livelihood, and submit all evidence of any wrongdoing to your distribution platform to let them know what this guest is doing.
Let An Expert Property Management Company Handle Things For You
One of the hallmarks of any good short-term rental business is great customer service, and it’s nearly impossible to give good customer service to guests who are determined to have a bad time. Difficult guests don’t always have to be a curse, however, if you know how to handle it like a professional.
Looking for a property management company that can do it all for you, including smart guest screening and booking management? Check out LocalVR, which is made up of property management experts who can guide you through any difficult situation you may encounter.