Airbnb support never actually helps

[Neeraj20]

 so after hosting more than 250 nights and working so hard to keep the ratings 4.9 I received this review from a guest who forgot her wet garments on bathroom floor and decided to review us 1 star after we informed her that the cleaner had to threw them. I contacted Airbnb to remove the review as I found it should be removed as its completly irrelevant and its not our fault and its not our job to pic wet garments of guests and wash and keep them ready incase the call or come back. But as usual Airbnb support never actually comes in the support of hosts. I asked the Airbnb representative what else  I could have done which would prevent that review and she had no answer. Anyone has any idea what we did wrong? Or its just how it works with Airbnb that we should just suck up to whatever guests wants to do. I never found Airbnb support helpful. Also Airbnb representative got upset when after a lengthy conversation with no success I told them they don't give a..... To superhosts or hosts. They sent me a message that they have marked a report on my behaviour over call and will suspend my account if same happened again.

[Anonymous]

@Neeraj20  This guest was a stinker, and hopefully the honest reviews from you and her previous host will persuade future hosts to decline her. But unfortunately I don't really see a reason that review should be removed, as it doesn't violate anything in the review policy.  The way you communicate with guests after check-out and handle their forgotten belongings is a valid and relevant part of their experience, even if you feel it's "not your job" to deal with it.

Realistically, I don't think you can ever expect a perfect 5-star review from a guest after telling them you threw their clothes away. You just have to decide for yourself whether keeping up the ratings is worth going the extra mile to do things that aren't your job. Guests who really like your unique listings probably won't be too put off from booking just based on someone else's wet panties drama.

[Neeraj20]

Thanks @Anonymous for the great insight. Now I do understand I should have handled it better once my caretaker informed he threw it away. She actually didn't review until today which was the 10th day after her checkout and once she remembered that she forgot it at our place and now she can't get it back she decided to review. What girl. Maybe I should have just told her we never saw it and the matter would have closed. My mistake I just conveyed her what my caretaker told me that he threw it away. Oh man. Now I really regret choice of my words 😣 even though it was the truth. 😣

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Neeraj20 the other lesson to learn is to try very hard not to get frustrated with/be rude to customer services. It is not their fault that they are poorly trained, probably poorly paid and not capable of dealing with issues. 

[Neeraj20]

Well said @Mike-And-Jane0  I also feel they are poorly trained. I think Airbnb should just handover the process to some good Indian call centre. I am pretty sure they will also be poorly paid 😉 but I am sure they will be perfectly trained. 

[Sarah977]

@Neeraj20  You can request that the response you left to that review be removed if you like. 

Honestly, there is nothing bad about that review that would affect future bookings. She just spoke about her own inattention and expectations. Which I agree is irrelevant and not a review of her stay, so future guests aren't going to pay attention to it, nor do most people expect that if they left wet clothing on the bathroom floor, that were not "saved" for them, that is anyone's fault but their own.

But in the future, it's a nice gesture to let guests know if you found something they left behind. They will either say it's no big deal- to just throw it out, or they will come back to get it if possible or ask you to please send it. But if they want it sent, they need to pay upfront for the cost of that and the time to do so. 

[Neeraj20]

@Sarah977 yes we carefully keep items guest forget such as adaptors, chargers, books, diaries, necklace or anything which make sense as we know its genuine mistake and they have forgot it in hurry but what do you make of a clothing which is not even hanged.. Its just left shower wet in bathroom and you have guests who will be checkin in in next 2 hours. I have forgot my clothes at places but they were washed and hanged to dry outside  which a person can forget when leaving in hurry to pickup but I never called them to keep them safe. Everyone knows you don't call for such things. 

[Colleen253]

@Neeraj20 I have a note on my check out instruction page, to “check and then check again that you have all your belongings, We regret that we are unable to be responsible for forgotten items”.

Of course, I don’t just throw things out if they do get left behind, but I found that note has greatly cut down on this aggravation. 

[Neeraj20]

And now her mother called and asked for a refund stating its our responsibility to keep belongings safe if a guest forget no matter in what condition. She regrets her daughter's fault that she left review which wasn't fair and agreeing to remove it and will give a 5 star if I provide refund of 12-13 dollars which was the value of her belongings she forgot 🙁🙄 Any suggestions? I told her I will call back tomorrow after discussing with Airbnb as I was hoping Airbnb will remove the review as its irrelevant to her stay but they never think our way. 

[Sarah977]

@Neeraj20  Do not engage any further either with her or her mother. Ignore them. No need to contact Airbnb unless it's to point out that they are trying you extort you.

As I said, there is nothing bad about that review that will affect future bookings. Stop fretting about it. 

[Anonymous]

@Neeraj20   Clearly, in this guest's family the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But I can only suggest that you block the phone numbers of these rotten people and wash your hands of the situation. You don't owe the guest any money, and it's not possible to edit a review or change the star rating after it's published.

We do disagree on whether the guest's remarks were relevant to the stay (communications between host and guest, as well as handling of guests' belongings inside the rental property, are very much a part of the stay), so honestly all three of you are needlessly wasting time on these nasty wet panties.

[Lorna170]

@Neeraj20  When we find clothing hanging in the closet, in a drawer or on a chair, we fold it and put it in a safe place until we can contact the guest about the items.  If a guest has left clothing in the washer or dryer, we finish the laundry and again, try to contact the guest.

However, if I were to find clothing lying in a wet heap on the floor of the bathroom, shower or tub, I would put it in a garbage bag and throw it away.  Who knows how nasty it is.

STOP.  Do not discuss this any further with the guest, her mother or customer service.

[Neeraj20]

Thanks @Lorna170  yes I have stopped communicating with them after yesterday. I understand I shouldn't waste my time thinking about it anymore. 

[Neeraj20]

Thanks everyone for all your wonderful responses. I was very upset after talking to Airbnb representative because of  them being so sensitive when we try a bit hard and not considering that how unfair is it with us when it's not our fault

After hearing from all other hosts it made me feel better that sometimes we can't just do anything about these things and should keep trying our best. I think guests do possess much power in this system with reviews and it's just they don't know the value of it and there are very few people who knows how to be responsible with reviews... Thanks again everyone who took their time and responded.