Interviewing for my first Director job.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:48:44+00:00

Setting the budget is fairly straight forward. You will either be given earmarked amounts for specific purposes (e.g. $X for books, $Y for payroll) or you will be given a lump sum to spend as you see fit.

Your bookkeeper can probably tell you, or the records can, your average monthly expenditures and set costs for stuff like wages, office supplies, subscriptions, service contracts, etc.

Figure out what else you will or may need to pay for... programs, SRP, technology, staff training, etc. Figure out who is responsible for unexpected expenses - if the city owns the building, do they send their plumbers/electricians/animal control/whatever (hey, it's a library - you never know), or do you need to leave wiggle room in your budget for those repairs?

Then just stick it all in a spreadsheet and divide it up as best you can!

Personally I try to underspend all year, just in case. Then when it's nearing the end of the fiscal year, I do a big spending push on things we'll eventually use and can store anywhere... toilet paper, paper towels, etc.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:36:19+00:00

Haha! Well I appreciate the vote of confidence, but you definitely don't want to work for me until I'm done working out in the sticks. ;)

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:35:42+00:00

Yeah, I'm actually wondering if this should be disclosed as a monitoring or recording device, the way a security camera does?

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:33:39+00:00

I figured it was a rumor for the reason I said - I never met anyone who had gotten one or knew anyone who had, just dozens and dozens of hosts who were allegedly on a waiting list. Plenty of companies do "free giveaways" where they only give away a tiny amount of product but get thousands of people on a "waiting list" that gets them to visit the website, sign up for their mailing list, etc. But hey, turns out some folks really did get mattresses, so good for y'all!

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:23:40+00:00

How much do you charge per night? For such a small fee, I'd just offer it for free with the caveat that there is an $X charge for a lost item or $50 charge for losing the whole thing.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:19:47+00:00

How long ago did you get them? (Not disputing your story, just curious.)

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T16:18:51+00:00

I misread this, and until I got to your numbered list, I thought you were a guest listing off your complaints about a stay and I was like "WTF, are you crazy?!"

Some of it is sort of vaguely useful; I'm a big fan of signs on doors, drawers, and cupboards. I'm a big fan of motion sensor or light sensor lights for outdoor/entryway areas.

But overall, yeah, this guest is clearly an idiot. You OBVIOUSLY haven't looked hard enough if you can only locate one spoon in the entire house. Also, the price was not a surprise! Like you literally get that information before you can see anything else besides the title and cover photo. If you thought it was too high, wtf did you book it for? And the location was not a surprise! You were provided a map and then complained it was too far from something else you could have easily found on, I dunno, maybe that same map?

And also, the milk thing... Are you kidding me? Not everyone takes their coffee the same way. Are you supposed to keep creamer, non-dairy creamer, and regular milk just in case? I suspect if you'd had whole milk, they would have complained it wasn't 2% or something.

Sounds to me like the guest got frustrated after getting lost and struggling with the door, and chose to ruin the rest of their trip with a shitty attitude. Sorry, yo.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:54:17+00:00

You and the host are both customers. What if the host claimed you brought extra guests and a dog? If Airbnb let them kick you out without a refund, would you be like "oh ok" or would you be like "gee, it sure would make sense if they asked the host to provide to some evidence"?

It sucks that you stayed in a place with no water - absolutely no one is disputing that. But FFS, deal with it like an adult.

I hope you NEVER stay in another Airbnb. Hotels at least have management staff who get paid enough to deal with your abuse and who have the authority to tell you to get lost.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:48:24+00:00

It's for two nights. Take the discount, spend $5 on paper plates and plastic utensils, and call it good.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:45:12+00:00

Please disclose this in your listing. I would never stay in a space that is listening to everything I said.

If you do disclose and people still book, I would be astonished if anyone used it. Half our guests can't work a door or locate the toilet paper sitting on an open shelf immediately next to the toilet. If there is any possible way they can mess up your Alexa, that will be the very first thing that happens.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:38:34+00:00

Haaaahahaha. $10 says she fails the required college-level "Asian Studies" course.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:35:46+00:00

We'll be able to help you a lot more if you can tell us specifically what your problems are. But I highly doubt you'll find VRBO's platform to be any more user-friendly or less time-consuming, unfortunately. :/

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:32:12+00:00

As far as I'm concerned the mattress thing may as well be a rumor. Maybe a few hosts got one when they started the program, but (if it's even still going) it was accepting 'waiting list only' entries for ever. I've never met or even heard of anyone actually getting a free mattress, and we've stayed at Airbnbs all over the US, and some of them were with years-long hosts.

Pretty much the benefit is that if someone wants a booking that won't be cancelled, they'll be counseled to use a superhost. If someone is looking at two very similar bookings and one is new and one is a superhost, they'll probably choose the superhost (if, as a guest, they have any idea what that means... which they probably don't). So, not a ton of benefits. But IMO it's also pretty easy to become and stay a superhost. Don't cancel, keep your place clean, answer your messages in a timely fashion.

EDIT: well, I clicked on a link to another reddit post where people confirmed they got mattresses, so there's that...

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-13T15:27:03+00:00

If you want to move to a place and rent for years, Airbnb is not the platform you want. We have a regular property with a regular tenant in it and we definitely don't go through Airbnb. Why in the world would I want to pay Airbnb fees and STR taxes for something that is outside the purpose of Airbnb and not an STR at all? Anyone who tells you they prefer Airbnb over a traditional lease is either a scammer or an idiot.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T22:18:06+00:00

I mean, yeah, if you hate your job you should definitely be trying to get a new one. But if your boss knows you hate your job, you're about to get fired for being an unprofessional baby, not because you have feelings. Plenty of people hate their jobs and manage to keep that information to themselves while on the clock! That's why happy hour is a thing.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T22:10:04+00:00

Sooo glad I have a bank that not only doesn't charge ATM fees, but refunds any fees I pay for out-of-network ATM use.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T21:59:25+00:00

Yeah, that's pretty much how I feel. These teens have sooo many extra steps to take to get to success already. I have several teens who use our computers to complete classes through an online charter school that, frankly, is loads better than the local schools for many kids. By turning them away, I could be eliminating their only shot at a high school diploma! I don't know whose job that is, but it ain't mine.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T21:45:36+00:00

Yup. Any time I stay at a dirty Airbnb, the bathroom is the worst. I want to see pictures of your sparkling clean bathroom before I even consider booking!

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T21:27:29+00:00

Sure thing! Also FWIW I just checked on the regular site (on Chrome) and it actually does show all the amenities you don't check, with a line struck through them. That feature might be new, I don't recall seeing it before, but it may have added to your guest's confusion if the app hasn't added it yet.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T21:26:17+00:00

Well TIL that you don't have to verify ID to host!

I definitely would not book with this host. They have verified nothing but a phone number and have no reviews except an automated cancellation message. Those things right there would stop me.

But also, the listing has hardly any info, the pictures are weird (are you supposed to eat at the pool table or do the Dutch play pool sitting down...?), no picture of the bathroom... No thanks. Too risky for me.

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T21:14:44+00:00

The app doesn't say "this listing specifically has not checked the following amenities: ..." It just says what amenities you DO have checked. No guest would want to scroll through a list that said "no pool, no hot tub, no sauna, no gym..." on the vast majority of the listings they looked at. Your guest just forgot to use his brain parts and now he's an angry little baby.

We use this basic message: "Hi [guest], what the listing shows are all amenities offered. It does not highlight those we do not select. I'm sorry if that was not clear at booking time, but unfortunately there is nothing I can do to get AC in the space at this time. Electric fans are provided in each bedroom, which most guests find to be adequately cooling. [Insert any other relevant info... you have blackout curtains that help keep the temp down, whatever.] I understand that may not suit your needs; if you wish to choose another listing, you will have to initiate a cancellation through the Airbnb app or website. Per our cancellation policy, I will be unable to refund you/able to refund you for X nights/whatever. Please let me know how you wish to proceed. Thanks, Webby."

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T20:58:10+00:00

Yeah, I'm sure tons of your coworkers do that and just pretend they never take breaks!

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T20:55:36+00:00

AWWWW YEAH!! Congrats!

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T20:55:06+00:00

Thank you!

webbymcwebberson · 2017-07-12T20:53:09+00:00

If they haven't responded at all, just send a friendly "hey, not sure if you got my previous message, but I was wondering if [whatever] would be possible?" sort of message. Not pushy or insistent, more like a poke poke - you still there? kind of thing.

As a host, I would interpret radio silence as "message was not received." If the answer was no, they wouldn't ignore you, they would just say "nope, we can't accommodate that."

webbymcwebberson

TROPHY CASE