Sound Familiar?
Pesky Problem
You don’t know how bad Airbnb can get.
Your Airbnb is a delight. And so were the handful of other Airbnbs you’ve visited. Sure, you could have given those hosts a few pointers, but when it came time to leave that review, you didn’t hesitate to hit those five stars. And while this is all wonderful (we’d never wish a bad stay on you!) it can leave a big empathy gap between you and your guests. When folks land on your porch and seem on edge, you might very well take it personally. What are they worried about? Haven’t they heard: your Airbnb is a delight!
Let's Try This
Bite-Size Solution
Give apprehensive guests the benefit of the doubt.
When folks arrive at your doorstep with their hackles up, we’d bet it has nothing to do with you and a lot to do with bad experiences they’ve had before. Traveling with Airbnb can feel a little bit like a grab bag, especially when you’re booking on a tight budget.
Once a guest has been burned, their trepidation goes up. They’ll arrive at your place on the lookout for red flags. Your job is simply to diffuse the situation. Give folks the benefit of the doubt and extend the olive branch first. Your kindness will ease their fears, and they’ll be on to having a good stay before they know it.
5 Minutes
Here's Your First Step
Read our post about our five worst stays.
After living fulltime in Airbnbs, we’ve experienced more than our fair share of rocky stays. We’ve seen the fringes, the worst as well as the best of this community of ours. So if you’re looking for a little insight into how it feels from the guest’s perspective when things go wrong, start here: Bad Airbnbs and Buyer’s Remorse: The Five Stays We Wish We Could Take Back.
This series of short stories will let you walk a mile in a guest’s shoes without actually having to go through these rough and tumble stays. Get ready for a healthy dose of empathy. And a few laughs. (Seriously, this post has a vintage Darth Vader poster, a mouse, and canned possum. It’s definitely worth a scroll.)