This case exemplifies not only how much I value courtesy when it comes to customer service, but also that first impressions can be lasting ones. I asked Marian for a possible, later check-out time and explained the reason why. Marian then asked what time I was looking to check out, and I answered her to the best of my judgment. She aggressively denied my request claiming she had a guest coming at 12noon, and that if I wasn’t out by 10am she would charge me for an extra day.
Her manner of communication towards me was off-putting in and of itself. However, what I found questionable was her contradictory response stating the next guest’s time of arrival while seemingly suggesting the room would still be available for another day. Otherwise, why attempt to charge a client an extra day fee? To add to that, the check-in time for guests is not until 2pm at the earliest. I asked Marian about that, but she did not respond. I felt this was a case of preferential treatment on the host’s part, and her lack of transparency rubbed me the wrong way. There’s no reason a professional within the hospitality industry should behave in such a way.
I did not feel comfortable going to Marian’s place, and called AirBnB to voice my concerns. AirBnB offered me a type of credit in order for me to book another trip as opposed to getting a refund. While it was a gracious act of AirBnB, for AirBnB to let the host keep my money without taking accountability for her behavior is not sending a good message for the host, company, and potential clients. Now had Marian tried to rectify the situation by at the very least paying me back for not being a host then my outlook on the situation would be different.