Bad review - Help!

[Denelle1]

I have been a host for a few months and take the job quite seriously. I go out of my way to ensure that the unit is very clean via hiring professional cleaners, I had my ad edited to make sure there are no surprises for guests, I leave a little thank you token for guests when they arrive. I try hard to be a good host! Unfortunately yesterday I got a review from a guest that is very negative. In the review the guest says that they found animal hair on the couch - I am really not sure how this could be the case since the suite is pet free. The guest also suggests the ceilings are 5'5 when they are actually 6'3. I asked Airbnb to remove the review and they won't. To make matters worse I gave the guest a positive review. I have never left a negative review for anyone - not a host or a guest - since I've been on Airbnb (starting in 2013). Even though this guest was more demanding than average (by far) I tried to focus on what was positive about them in the review. I have decided to start being less nice with my reviews and more honest - even though writing bad public reviews is not in my nature! I have to be honest that I think as a guest, if I were to read this person's review, I would be turned off from booking my unit. I'm not sure where to go from here. I am considering maybe taking the listing down altogether and starting over. Does anyone have any tips to avoid this, or what I should do? I know some things that I need to do in the future, including (1) being willing to give guests negative reviews; (2) in the future I will be more careful who I allow to stay - this guest had a few "suggestions" even when were trying to book - I should have said no right away. Anything else I can do? Should I take the listing down and re-start (with 0 reviews)? Thank you 🙂

[M199]

@Denelle1 

It's tough to get those comments.  The other 17 reviews are positive.

Guests don't rely on a single review, and your next postitve review, will make this guest sound like a complainer.

It has been said here many times..

"It's not if you get a bad review (or guest, for that matter), rather, it's when.

I would let it go.

[Dora486]

Write a response to her review briefly giving your side unemotionally and professionally.   Future guests will see her review as the outlier that it is.

[Denelle1]

Unfortunately I replied rather quickly and Airbnb also will not allow me to change my public response.

[Denelle1]

Thank you. That is probably the best thing to do. But I do want to fix my response!

[Anonymous]

@Denelle1  The review, for reference:

The location was ideal - only 3 Km from Downtown. The unit is small and cute with stairs in the middle of the room which meant we had to walk around the stairs. The unit has very low ceiling height - not convenient for anyone taller than 5.5 ft. Kitchen is compact with low fridge, microwave under the bottom counter and very small sink. Water splashed when washing dishes. Many essentials such tea, coffee, salt, sugar etc. was provided which really helps. Kitchen was equipped with small appliances and cooking utensils. Family living upstairs so expect noise from children, dogs and creaking floor boards. Furniture had animal fur/hair so not ideal for anyone with allergies. House is on a quiet street. Backyard had overgrown weeds/grass, so use was limited. Internet connection kept dropping - unexpected interruptions. Denelle, our host tried fixing it and said it was related to Rogers outage. Overall, Denelle responded well to all our requests whenever we had questions or issues.

I can certainly understand feeling frustrated and disappointed by the critical comments, but it also contains positive and neutral remarks. There's absolutely no good reason to remove it - nothing there violates the review policy, and it sounds like an honest and fair expression of the guest's experience. Perhaps this was a high-maintenance person who wasn't a good fit for your type of home. If so, it's actually to your advantage if similar guests are deterred from booking.

If it's still possible to edit your public response to that review, I recommend doing so. The point of responding is not to criticize the guest; the intended audience is your future guests. This is where you can correct any inaccurate or misleading details (e.g. ceiling height) and indicate where improvements have been made since the review was published. As a guest, I've been much likelier to book places with some critical reviews when the host seemed able to take feedback on board.

As a relatively new host, I'd really encourage you to take a closer look at the feedback and separate the items you can't change from the ones that might need a fresh look. Despite the best efforts of you and your cleaners, there may be some overlooked details. 

[Denelle1]

Hello! Yes, that's the one. I should have been more professional in my reply. I asked Airbnb if I could re-do my response and they said no. I agree though - I do want to deter these high maintenance guests in the future. So I think you are right that this aspect is positive.

I don't understand though how guests are allowed to post false information in reviews. There couldn't have been animal fur down there unless a guest violated the no pets policy.

[Anonymous]

@Denelle1   The official wording from Airbnb's review policy is:

If you feel a review is untrue

While we encourage and expect all community members to post reviews that contain objective and accurate information, Airbnb doesn’t mediate disputes concerning the truth of reviews. 

So even if the guest was outright lying about the hair, that wouldn't in and of itself disqualify the review. But in this case, I see no reason to believe the guest was being deliberately untruthful. It sounds plausible that a prior guest snuck a pet in without you spotting it, or that the guests mistook some human hairs stuck to the couch material for animal fur. Regardless of what was actually there, they perceived it as residual pet hair, so I think it's pretty important to take a close look at that furniture and figure out how they might have gotten that impression.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Denelle1 you cannot redo your response but you do have the right to ask Airbnb to delete it.

[Denelle1]

Do you know why?

[Mark116]

@Denelle1  I wouldn't say the review was even 'bad', it is clear the guest was one of those people who are compelled to critique every single thing.  The only real negative is saying the back yard was overgrown.

You can ask Airbnb to remove your review of this guest, you don't need to give a reason, and if you want to remove your response to the review.  I think the response is fine.

[Denelle1]

Hello! Thanks so much for answering! I didn't think to ask to remove my review of them as guests - I will do that - thanks so much.

As for the backyard - I intentionally let it grow wild as this keeps the temperature lower and also allows insects and native plants to flourish. It's an environmental thing. Do you think I should mention it in the ad? I didn't even realize people might care - I thought most people are ok with "no mow"!

[Mark116]

@Denelle1  It depends on how it looks, I guess.  Does it look like a nice meadow with wildflowers or does it look to most people like it's just 'over grown'. and needs attention?

If it looks good but wild, I would add a photo of the back yard and put in the caption that its a naturalized wild landscape to provide habitat for birds/bees, etc. something along those lines.  If it is really unsightly, as in if people saw the yard they  would be turned off as this guest was, then I would just put a line somewhere in the listing that says something similar and maybe add guests who are looking for a manicured lawn may not appreciate the wildness of the yard....you get the idea.

[Denelle1]

I think it's very beautiful. I know I'm not the only one because I had a professional designer at the house (for another reason) and she commented on how beautiful it is. I will take/post a photo of it with a caption - as you suggest. Thanks 🙂

[Sandra856]

@Denelle1 I would absolutely mention that the garden is “wild with purpose” as to help the bees and insects. In Denmark we have a campaign going on right now called “roughly translated” - “wild on purpose” and we now have areas many places in Copenhagen and all over the country both private and public areas with wild and blooming areas. It is beautiful and it really helps the bees and the different kinds of insects 🐞 🐝🌿