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Airbnb host finds unexpected benefits from not charging guests a cleaning fee

Host Rachel Boice went for a more "honest" approach with her listings—and saw major perks because of it.

@rachelrboice/TikTok

Many frustrated Airbnb customers have complained that the separate cleaning fee is a nuisance.

Airbnb defines its notorious cleaning fee as a “one-time charge” set by the host that helps them arrange anything from carpet shampoo to replenishing supplies to hiring an outside cleaning service—all in the name of ensuring guests have a “clean and tidy space.”

But as many frustrated Airbnb customers will tell you, this feature is viewed as more of a nuisance than a convenience. According to NerdWallet, the general price for a cleaning fee is around $75, but can vary greatly between listings, with some units having cleaning fees that are higher than the nightly rate (all while sometimes still being asked to do certain chores before checking out). And often none of these fees show up in the total price until right before the booking confirmation, leaving many travelers feeling confused and taken advantage of.

However, some hosts are opting to build cleaning fees into the overall price of their listings, mimicking the strategy of traditional hotels.

Rachel Boice runs two Airbnb properties in Georgia with her husband Parker—one being this fancy glass plane tiny house (seen below) that promises a perfect glamping experience.

@rachelrboice Welcome to The Tiny Glass House 🤎 #airbnbfinds #exploregeorgia #travelbucketlist #tinyhouse #glampingnotcamping #atlantageorgia #fyp ♬ Aesthetic - Tollan Kim

Like most Airbnb hosts, the Boice’s listing showed a nightly rate and separate cleaning fee. According to her interview with Insider, the original prices broke down to $89 nightly, and $40 for the cleaning fee.

But after noticing the negative response the separate fee got from potential customers, Rachel told Insider that she began charging a nightly rate that included the cleaning fee, totaling to $129 a night.

It’s a marketing strategy that more and more hosts are attempting in order to generate more bookings (people do love feeling like they’re getting a great deal) but Boice argued that the trend will also become more mainstream since the current Airbnb model “doesn’t feel honest.”

"We stay in Airbnbs a lot. I pretty much always pay a cleaning fee," Boice told Insider. "You're like: 'Why am I paying all of this money? This should just be built in for the cost.'"

Since combining costs, Rachel began noticing another unexpected perk beyond customer satisfaction: guests actually left her property cleaner than before they were charged a cleaning fee. Her hypothesis was that they assumed she would be handling the cleaning herself.

"I guess they're thinking, 'I'm not paying someone to clean this, so I'll leave it clean,'" she said.

This discovery echoes a similar anecdote given by another Airbnb host, who told NerdWallet guests who knew they were paying a cleaning fee would “sometimes leave the place looking like it’s been lived in and uncleaned for months.” So, it appears to be that being more transparent and lumping all fees into one overall price makes for a happier (and more considerate) customer.

These days, it’s hard to not be embittered by deceptive junk fees, which can seem to appear anywhere without warning—surprise overdraft charges, surcharges on credit cards, the never convenience “convenience charge” when purchasing event tickets. Junk fees are so rampant that certain measures are being taken to try to eliminate them outright in favor of more honest business approaches.

Speaking of a more honest approach—as of December 2022, AirBnb began updating its app and website so that guests can see a full price breakdown that shows a nightly rate, a cleaning fee, Airbnb service fee, discounts, and taxes before confirming their booking.

Guests can also activate a toggle function before searching for a destination, so that full prices will appear in search results—avoiding unwanted financial surprises.


This article originally appeared on 11.08.23

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More than a career: How two project managers are driving environmental change

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Do you ever feel like you could be doing more when it comes to making a positive impact on your community? The messaging around giving back is louder than ever this time of year, and for good reason; It is the season of giving, after all.

If you’ve ever wondered who is responsible for bringing many of the giving-back initiatives to life, it’s probably not who you’d expect. The masterminds behind these types of campaigns are project managers.

Using their talents and skills, often proven by earning certifications from the Project Management Institute (PMI), project managers are driving real change and increasing the success rate on projects that truly improve our world.

To celebrate the work that project managers are doing behind the scenes to make a difference, we spoke with two people doing more than their part to make an impact.

In his current role as a Project Management Professional (PMP)-certified project manager and environmental engineer for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Joshua Williard oversees the cleanup of some of America’s most contaminated and hazardous waste sites.

Courtesy of Joshua Williard

“Recently, I was part of a four-person diving team sent to collect contaminated sediment samples from the bottom of a river in Southeastern Virginia. We wanted to ensure a containment wall was successfully blocking the release of waste into an adjacent river,” Williard says.

Through his work, Josh drives restoration efforts to completion so contaminated land can again be used beneficially, and so future generations will not be at risk of exposure to harmful chemicals.

“I’ve been inspired by the natural world from a young age and always loved being outside. As I gained an understanding about Earth's trajectory, I realized that I wanted to be part of trying to save it and keep it for future generations.

“I learned the importance of using different management styles to address various project challenges. I saw the value in building meaningful relationships with key community members. I came to see that effective project management can make a real difference in getting things done and having on-the-ground impact,” Williard says.

In addition, Monica Chan’s career in project management has enabled her to work at the forefront of conservation efforts with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US). She most recently has been managing a climate change project, working with a diverse team including scientists, policy experts, data analysts, biologists, communicators, and more. The goal is to leverage grants to protect and restore mangroves, forests, and ecosystems, and drive demand in seaweed farming – all to harness nature's power to address the climate crisis.

Courtesy of Monica Chan

“As the project management lead for WWF-US, I am collaborating across the organization to build a project management framework that adapts to our diverse projects. Given that WWF's overarching objectives center on conserving nature and addressing imminent threats to the diversity of life on Earth, the stakes are exceptionally high in how we approach projects,” says Chan.

“Throughout my journey, I've discovered a deep passion for project management's ability to unite people for shared goals, contributing meaningfully to environmental conservation,” she says.

With skills learned from on-the-job experience and resources from PMI, project managers are the central point of connection for social impact campaigns, driving them forward and solving problems along the way. They are integral to bringing these projects to life, and they find support from their peers in PMI’s community.

PMI has a global network of more than 300 chapters and serves as a community for project managers – at every stage of their career. Members can share knowledge, celebrate impact, and learn together through resources, events, and other programs such as PMI’s Hours for Impact program, which encourages PMI members to volunteer their time to projects directly supporting the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

“By tapping into PMI's extensive network and resources, I've expanded my project management knowledge and skills, gaining insights from seasoned professionals in diverse industries, including environmental management. Exposure to different perspectives has kept me informed about industry trends, best practices, and allowed me to tailor my approach to the unique challenges of the non-profit sector,” Chan says.

“Obtaining my PMP certification has been a game-changer, propelling not only my career growth, but also reshaping my approach to daily projects, both personally and professionally,” Chan says. Research from PMI shows that a career in project management means being part of an industry on the rise, as the global economy will need 25 million new project professionals by 2030 and the median salary for project practitioners in the U.S. is $120K.

PMI’s mission is to help professionals build project management skills through online courses, networking, and other learning opportunities, help them prove their proficiency in project management through certifications, and champion the work that project professionals, like Joshua and Monica, do around the world.

For those interested in pursuing a career in project management to help make a difference, PMI’s Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification could be the starting point to help get your foot in the door.

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Shaquille O'Neal makes his kids write a business plan before he'll give them any of his money

A surprisingly relatable parenting philosophy.

commons.wikimedia.org (Photo by Eric Draper)

Shaq wants to teach his kids the value of hard work

The term “nepo baby” most often refers to the offspring of a successful Hollywood actor, but the term can more generally apply to those whose parents are at the top of other industry ladders.

The kids of Shaquille O'Neal, one of the NBA’s highest-paid players with a massive business empire, could certainly make the list. However, O'Neal is more concerned with teaching them the value of hard work—something all parents can relate to, even if they don’t have a net worth of $400 million.

Sticking to what he calls "respectable nepotism," O’Neal told Insider that if his kids ever ask for money, they have to provide a solid "business plan" before he'll consider offering.

"Since you want me to be the bank, I'm gonna do exactly what the bank is going to do to you," he quipped.

via GIPHY

O’Neal told Insider that his eldest son Myles, for instance, didn’t receive equipment to help his pursuit of a DJ career until after his dad was convinced of his actual potential.

Now Myles has made a name for himself as a DJ—holding a residency at Wynn Las Vegas and headlining across the country. And according to his dad, “he's done it by himself.”

All parents want to set their kids up for success in adulthood. But how to really do that is often a dilemma, particularly when it comes to striking a balance between coddling and neglecting.

There’s no denying that being born into wealth is a huge advantage, but even then, there’s the risk of missing out on important life lessons that build not only practical problem-solving skills but character.

It’s no wonder why many celebrity or high-profile parents do go out of their way to make sure their own kids don’t lose touch with reality.

Drew Barrymore, for example, famously doesn’t buy her kids Christmas presents but instead focuses on making memories during the holidays. Similarly, best-selling author Esther Wojcicki parents under the rule, “Don't do anything for your kids that they can do for themselves.”

It goes without saying that being able to choose to withhold support in favor of opting for learning the value of hard work is in itself a luxury. But still, stories like these show two things. One, not all kids of celebrities are lazily mooching off of their parents' affluence. And two, raising good humans who thrive is a very personal and customizable process.

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Struggling bookstore owner makes heartfelt plea online and within days was flooded with support

Nobody wanted to see the charming bookstore go out of business.

@sapphirejbates/Twitter

People love their independent bookstores.

Maybe this is just the nerdy bookworm in me, but it feels particularly heartbreaking to see a bookstore struggling. There are few commercial places in this world that hold so much inspiration, knowledge, whimsy and quaintness all rolled into one.

Independent bookstores have their own unique magic on top of that—providing their neighborhoods with a specially curated wonderland available nowhere else in quite the same way. To have that snatched away due to financial hardship is just…devastating.

This was the dire situation that England-based bookstore owner Sapphire Bates found herself in. Her shop, Book Bodega, endured an abysmal winter with very few sales. A photo Bates posted to Twitter on Feb 25 showed the shop completely empty—and on a weekend afternoon, no less.

Book Bodega needed to make £800 ($956) in three days just to pay the bills and keep its doors open. Knowing that wouldn’t happen without some kind of miracle, Bates made one last ditch effort of reaching out online. Little did she know just how many people would rush in to show support.

Using the hashtag #BookTwitter, Bates wrote, “We need your help! I run Book Bodega, an Indy bookshop in Ramsgate. Winter is killing us, it’s soo quiet & we need to make £800 by Tuesday to pay our bills. This is my current view = no customers. Please shop with us and help us stay open!”

It wasn't long before the post went viral, spreading like digital wildfire throughout Twitter as people began advocating for Book Bodega.

"Instead of buying books from Amazon, let's buy from an indy book store and keep the economy more local! Here's a book shop that needs support!" one user wrote.

Authors began sharing Bates’ post on their own platforms, along with several other celebrities.

"Your shop looks beautiful! And this post gave me the perfect excuse to order a book from you for my sister," author Hazel Gaynor wrote.

"Good luck! Your shop looks amazing and you all clearly have brilliant taste in books. We need you!" tweeted film producer Paul Fischer, along with a photo showing he had four Book Bodega items in his cart.

"No better time or place to order your next book," added Tim Burgess, lead singer of the rock band The Charlatans.

Adam Kay, author of “Undoctored” and “This is Going to Hurt,” even offered to stop by and do an event.

Eventually, one Twitter user named Jamil Qureshi offered to pay the full amount, which Bates was thrilled by but felt was too big an offer.

However, in an interview with Insider, Bates shared that she and Qureshi were able to reach an agreement—Qureshi would donate £1,000 ($1,119), a third of which would go towards a profit for the store and the rest of which would pay for books for customers who can’t afford them, so they can still shop for their favorite titles. Sounds like the ultimate win-win-win, if you ask me.

On Feb 28, Bates announced to Twitter that Mission: Save Book Bodega was a glorious success.

Again, using the hashtag #BookTwitter, Bates wrote, "I just paid our bills that were due thank you SO much for your support, this has given me faith that we can do this."

For Bates, the lesson of this situation has been two-fold. First, the internet can help people show up for one another in big ways.

"[I] didn't really expect anything to come from it. That was in my head, the best-case scenario—never in a million years would I have guessed it would be seen by 6.1 million people," she told Insider.

Second, she thinks that her miraculous rebound shows just how important it is to support small businesses.

"Please continue to support independents when you can," she said. "They will definitely appreciate it."

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