11 Oct Airbnb Complaints: My Top 3 Learnings from 100+ Reservations

Today, I reached a milestone. In a span of 8 months, I have hosted 100+ different parties. It is certain that I will have more, but 100 reservations have taught me a few valuable lessons as a host.

I was just like you, a newbie to Airbnb about 8 months ago. I was constantly refreshing Airbnb to see that my listing is there. Needlesstosay, I was being obsessive, but curious. I was really curious to see how my rates compared to my competitors.

I worked hard to build my credibility.  It is not an easy feast to build 5-star reviews and now I have over 40+ 5-star reviews. If you are just starting out, you should check out my blog posts on starting out as a new host and how to handle negative reviews.

To become a great host, it takes time. Be patient in your journey as a new host and the rest will follow.

Airbnb Complaints: Here are my Lessons

*Disclaimer: not really complaints, more like observations. 🙂

There are essentially 3 different types of guests. Some are easy, some are extremely hard to please, and others are just unscrupulous. My guests have been diverse, a mix of foreigners, business travelers, and out-of-state visitors.

In my dealings with them, I found out that most of them are honest. So far, I have only had a party that lied to me about the true nature of their visit. So, let me share with you about my learnings below. My hope is to inform you so that you are aware of these types of people!

Learning #1 – Business Travelers

I would say about 65% to 75% of my reservations are business travelers. I love business travelers. They are easy to deal with, follow my house rules, and generally fewer hassles. They are my preferred group to host, by far. I was lucky to even get some repeat customers. One of my business travelers has stayed with me 4 times in the last 2 months so it is key to build relationships  and focus your time on providing the best customer service to your best

I was lucky to even get some repeat customers. One of my business travelers has stayed with me 4 times in the last 2 months so it is key to build relationships and focus your time on providing the best customer service to your best clients.

Learning #2 – Out-of-State Visitors

I’d say about 15% to 20% of my guests are families checking out the area or visitors needing a place to stay for a few nights. Most of the times, they are relatively easy. But this is where you should be careful to screen to people that want to throw a party at your place.

I had an incident where the guests were totally lying to me about playing loud music and having friends over past quiet hours.

How did I find out?

My upstairs neighbor angrily came down to my apartment and complained about these previous guests. I was floored because these guests had lied to me. They clearly did not follow my house rules.

The lesson is that there are people like that and I needed to be more careful in screening them.

Learning #3 – Foreign Travelers

I have hosted guests from China, Brazil, India, and a couple of other countries. The learning is that people from China and India need a bit more hand-holding.

They are the type of people that would still call me after I had meticulously laid out my detailed check-in instructions. It makes me wonder if they even read it in the first place…

That is it, folks- my client demographic breakdown.

Last words

Be patient in your journey and always provide the best customer service you can to your best clients. You can’t please them all, so focus your time on those who provide you with the most business.

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