New Instant Booking should I be Concerned?

[Jillian115]

I just got a booking through Instant book and took a look at some of the reviews she's left in the past: Out of the three I saw two had negatives and one host said her communication was nonexistent: 

"My partner and I had a wonderful stay here for 3 nights. The location is beautiful right on the water with an outstanding view especially on the dock. The kayaks were easy to access and made a great sunrise activity. The host was very accommodating and quick to answer. Our only complaint is that there were many ants in the cabana, mostly in the kitchen. Once we notified the host, she was quick to come spray and clean. Must be okay with geckos and ants in the household, we were told this was a normal thing for the area. Definitely would recommend."

"My partner and I stayed here for 4 nights and we absolutely loved it! It’s a great getaway in a small community right on the water. We especially enjoyed the kayaks, outdoor fireplace, and propane grill. Mary is a great host, kind and helpful. Our weekend had high winds which made kayaking difficult on the gulf, but Mary generously offered her kayaks in Weeki Wachi. Our experience was for sure a 5 star, however, there were a few areas lacking. One of the bikes was broken, we found shedded hair on the bed linens, and the kitchen was missing a few things (coffee filters, sharp knives, scissors)."

Our house is super clean but it was built in 1901 and it's post and pier so it's sensitive to temperature changes meaning it will expand and contract based on heat. That often results in doors that stick and may be difficult to bolt lock at times. Should I be worried? 

[Olivia-and-Olivier0]

The fact that you are writing this, shows that you are concerned... when in doubt, take no risk. If i write asking the guest something and they do not reply, that to me is a bad sign.
I cancel or reject whenever i feel the other person doesn’t have the same courtesy to Keep the communication and put me at ease. I d rather lose a bit of money, than lose sleep Or have to do major renovations. Just my opinion! 🙂 Good luck 🍀 

[Pat271]

Yes, you should be worried. Airbnb have us trained to the extent that if we know a guest is prone to leave public reviews containing negative feedback, we run for the hills.

Not really, but analyze the guest’s negative feedback, and try to determine if your place will be a good fit. If the guest might encounter conditions at your place similar to the conditions he/she found necessary to slam in a public review of a past stay, it might not be a match made in heaven. With Instant Book set, you can cancel the guest, choosing the “I’m not comfortable with this guest” option. 

The goal is for guests to be happy with their stay, and for hosts to be happy with their guests. With that goal met, everything else will tend to fall naturally in the right direction. 

[Colleen253]

@Jillian115 It seems it’s standard for this guest to mention anything they find lacking or questionable in the review (even insects one should not be surprised to find in a particular locale). The question is, do they tend to follow suit with their rating? If you think you’ll easily get another booking in it’s place, cancel. 

[Sarah977]

@Jillian115  To me, her negatives don't seem like that big a deal, unless she also gave lowered star ratings, which you have no way of knowing, unless you ask the hosts she reviewed, or she asked for a discount.

The sense I get reading those reviews, in which she also had a lot of good things to say, is that she thinks it's somehow necessary to mention the cons. And the comment about the ants was actually to the host's benefit- she said the host was immediately responsive and came over with some spray, said guests need to be okay with geckos and ants, which are endemic, and that she'd definitely recommend the place.

On the other one, if there really was hair on the linens and the host offers bicycles, but one was broken, those are legitimate things for a guest to mention.

I know hosts would prefer zero "cons" mentioned, but I also think we should try not to be snowflakes who bristle if a guest leaves anything less than a totally glowing review.

[Jillian115]

@Sarah977 Thanks, that's kind of what I was thinking too. But the lack of "sharp knives & scissors" seemed petty to me. Honestly, that's what made me worry. 

[Mark116]

@Jillian115  Yes.  She seems like one of those people that feels compelled to always find something negative.  A guest who feels the need to mention the knives were not sharp enough will always, always find something negative and mention it.  It depends more on whether she still left 5 stars or not, but she seems at high risk of being unhappy with something.

[Sarah977]

@Jillian115  Yes, that registered as petty to me, too. Scissors? Was that on the amenities list?

Knives maybe valid. Oddly enough, there was just a discussion about dull knives on another hosting forum. One host said he stayed at a place where the knives wouldn't cut through anything but soft butter. He had to saw away with a little steak knife to cut a tomato. 

I'm not one to talk, as I have a fear of sharp knives and mine aren't razor sharp either. But if a kitchen "with all you need", as some say in their ads, is advertised, there don't have to be some chef-grade knives, but at least some decent ones. Or provide a knife sharpener.

[Pat271]

@Sarah977 It’s true that negative feedback can actually be very useful. I have made some great improvements over the years based on both my experiences and my guests’ suggestions. I’m grateful to the guests who have suggested some of the more creative products and improvements that I never would have thought of myself.

The vast majority of guest suggestions I’ve gotten were made in the private section of the review, which carried just as much weight with me, and made me just as motivated to consider them.

[Inna22]

@Jillian115 I would write something like this: so and so, I am looking forward to hosting your family. I would like to underline that my house is an early 1900s construction and while we work very hard on keeping it clean, the functionality of some spaces is not of a modern house. My pricing reflects that. My accommodation is comfortable but not luxurious.  I’m always around to help with anything needed. Please let me know if there any questions I can answer ahead of your arrival.

[Kelly149]

@Jillian115 I agree with @Inna22 that IF I agreed to keep this reservation, I would put this guest on notice that choosing a listing and then acting as quality control via the review system is not a game I'm interested in participating in.

"Dear XYZ, in reviewing your profile it seems like you've had a string of bad luck with places that you've chosen for stays. We, of course, think our place is adorable, but it is... this and that and whatever you think she might tend to complain about, so if any of that is going to frustrating to you for this trip then we'd rather decide that now rather than have you come and have less than a happy experience." and then see what happens from there.

[Jillian115]

@Kelly149  thanks. Your responses are always so great. “quality control via the review system is not a game I'm interested in participating in.” So funny and right. 

[Lenore22]

Boy, this is rough--- she sounds like a "Yelp" reviewer... Like when reviews actually meant something and gave you a sense of a place and things you might or might not like. The whole review system lends itself to stuff like this and ideally, as potential guests, this review could tell you something really helpful.

But Airbnb isn't really that, is it? The review system is stilted in this odd passive-aggressive everyone-gets-a-trophy-or-they-get-delisted way...

My guess is she left 5 star reviews... Cuz she says so in the review "5 stars" ... But puts these little nuggets in there for future guests. I actually love these kinds of reviews. It gives me a chance to reply- thank them for the good and actually reiterate the bad if it might be true to keep future guests' expectations in check.

[Brittney101]

This sounds like a guest that wants to be helpful but may need some reminders that private feedback is where this sort of information should be shared. You could just mention/ask her to tell you any feedback privately during her stay so you can address it.