Setting Expectations
(to score 5-star reviews)
"I was expecting nightly foot rubs, a hot breakfast, and chauffeur service! And all I got was this granola bar?"
I may earn a commission from links on this page, but only recommend products I back. Learn more.
Do you remember finally getting *THAT* toy you had dreamed of for months (basically eternity in kid time)? After watching commercials of other kids having the most amazing time with THE TOY that was now finally yours, you were quickly sunk with disappointment as you came to realize YOU’D BEEN TRICKED!? The airplane didn’t actually fly or the doll didn’t actually talk or whatever. That feeling of being cheated or tricked is terrible. Guests don’t expect perfection, but they do expect to know what they’re getting into. Appropriately setting expectations in your listing is crucial to setting yourself up for awesome five-star reviews.
Setting expectations to get those five-star reviews:
Hold a couple surprises back! Everyone enjoys a pleasant surprise, so though you want to advertise the great features the guests can expect to enjoy, hold a fun surprise or two back. For example, in my listing I didn’t mention anything about snacks being provided, but each guest was greeted by a “welcome basket” in their room. It included a nice chocolate bar, a couple packs of cheese/crackers, little bag of trail mix and a couple bottles of water. It cost me about $5, but probably half of the guests went out of their way to say how much they enjoyed the snacks, especially after a long day of travel.
Be truthful about your home. Is your home a bit out of the way? Or is there a staircase some folks may have a difficult time getting up? Do you have neighbors that regularly party late and loud? I found that people were really forgiving of any “downsides” as long as they weren’t surprised by them.
Post accurate pictures as the guest will see it. Did you clean like a crazy person, snap some photos for the listing, then slack off a bit? If guests are expecting to arrive in a cheery and meticulously cleaned home and instead find a dark, dusty, neglected property, they will not be pleased. If, however, the place looks “fine enough” (and is therefore probably a little less expensive), the guest will have adjusted their expectations accordingly.
Follow through on any services you promise. Even if you think advertising that you’re available for questions 24/7 will get you more bookings, don’t advertise this if there will be times you’re away from your phone/computer.
Be honest about why you’re hosting. I have stayed at a number of Airbnb’s wherein the host said they enjoyed hosting “because they got to spend a lot of time chatting with guests, discussing various viewpoints, and showing them around the town that they loved”, only to arrive and find out the host actually just really really didn’t want to be bothered, or even worse, the place was actually run by a large company without anyone onsite. If you’re a busy working person, I recommend putting something like, “though I enjoy meeting guests and strive to quickly respond to any needs they may have during their stay, I work full time out of the house and so am not always promptly available to time-sensitive questions.”