Does anyone else feel bad leaving bad reviews?

[Raul437]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first year being a host and I have had a lot of great guests but also a few bad apples. I just want to know if anyone else feels bad leaving them bad reviews? I look at people's reviews before I approve guests so I know the importance of leaving an honest review but I feel a bit evil leaving bad reviews. I have had a couple of people who have left my house like a trash can and it is so upsetting but I don't know why I feel bad saying something negative.

Am I the only weird one?

[Colleen253]

@Raul437 It’s never pleasant having to leave a negative review, but no, I don’t feel ‘bad’ about doing it, as there is no evil in being honest about bad behavior. Do you think the guest who left your place a trash can felt bad about doing that to you? Probably not, or they wouldn’t have done  it. We all benefit from honesty in reviews. Don’t overthink it, and take the emotion out of it.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Raul437 We have only had two instances of an apartment being left full of rubbish/recycling. We mentioned this in the reviews but also made it clear that there was no damage caused. My suspicion is that some hosts are more tolerant than others - Also when some of your guests leave the place almost as clean as when they arrive a mess, at first sight, is quite shocking but actually only adds about 10 minutes to the cleaning.

And to answer your original question - One of these guests was otherwise perfect and yes it felt bad to leave a slightly negative review.

[Elaine701]

@Raul437 

Nobody enjoys leaving a bad review (well, maybe some do), but the very purpose is to let future hosts know what to expect. It also helps straighten out some of the baddies, because they ultimately lose a few priveliges, such as being able to instant book.

Having been subjected to far worse than the house being left a bit messy, I tend to brush off the small stuff, and focus on the things that really cause problems, so that future hosts know what to expect. 

As @Colleen253 says, just be fair and unemotional about it. Tell the truth. 

[Suzanne302]

@Raul437  Never feel bad about leaving an honest review. As mentioned above, hosts depend on honest reviews to make decisions about who to let in their homes.

I approach "negative" reviews as if I'm telling a factual story, without commentary. For example:

"The space required extra cleaning after Guest XYZ due to trash being scattered about and stains on the carpet." is much better than, "Guest XYZ was messy and left the place looking like a pig sty."

[Betty149]

@Raul437  Siempre sabe mal dejar un comentario de una mala experiencia, pero es primordial por el bien de todos los anfitriones, nos ayuda a la hora de recibir un huésped, ya que podemos saber de ante mano, si una buena o mala idea recibirle.

[Nabin3]

@Raul437  I don't usually leave bad reviews but sometimes you have to do that just so you could sleep well at night. I had three girls staying at mine. Didn't know they were celebrating their hen do until they arrive and told me after staring to have conversations. I didn't mind that. They seem like they had a great time. But after staying for three nights. They left the house in absolute mess. My hot tub was left in the state where I had to call the hot tub servicing because the water was absolutely disgusting.  The worst of all they tried to claim the refund saying they had insect infestation in the room and they couldn't sleep. To which I had luckily some CCTV installed and could get enough evidence to turn the case. It was awful experience. I couldn't sleep for few days until I wrote a bad review because I had to for the sake of others in the community to make people aware. 

[Laura2592]

@Raul437 you don't owe anyone a good review, just an honest one. Keep emotion out of it. If they were a fab guest and left the place spotless, say so. If they were a mess, didn't communicate and couldn't follow house rules, say that too. The only time you should feel badly IMHO is if you leave a poor guest a great review and they go on to destroy someone else's property. Reviews are for your fellow hosts as much as your guests. 

[Jacky195]

 I don't usually leave bad reviews but sometimes you have to do that just so you could sleep well at night.

[Peggy-And-Mike0]

You don't really say what "leaving it like a trash can" meant. I've learned that it can mean a lot of different things to different hosts. You will find that you need to expect, and price into your rates, a certain amount of damage -- sheets, towels, etc. It just happens.  People may not take out the trash, but that also happens and you can ding them on "following house rules." The important thing, as others have said, is to leave a factual and honest review, not for the guest, but for your fellow hosts!!  No reason to feel bad about helping guests improve and future hosts know what to expect.  

[Lorna170]

@Raul437   Many guests will make an effort to tidy up after themselves and follow departure guidelines, but then there are those whose entitlement means that they will leave your property an absolute pigsty.  My guests pay a substantial fee for my housekeeper to either prepare for their arrival or to clean after their departure.  Either way, if they made her job harder by choosing to live in filth, I will say so.  The bad guest is disrespectful to everyone.

[Gillian166]

Even if the guest is bad, yes I feel bad about leaving a review pointing out their flaws.  People have to do 3 things wrong for me to leave a review that says they broke rules, I can overlook 1 or 2 annoyances, but once you've done 3 things then it's on purpose, or they are just bad guests who should go to a hotel.