Post lockdown super critical guests?

[Alexandra199]

Anyone else noticed that since opening up again after lockdown guests seem to be over critical and more than willing to mark down for everything and anything?

I have  had consistently good reviews until we were shut down and reopened at the beginning of July. Since then, I have had lots pf requests for discounts and guests trying to bargain with me for their stay. I have decided not to agree to these because as this is my business and I am trying to recoup the losses I have incurred from lockdown. I am pleased to say I have had excellent occupancy.

I have however noticed that guests seem to want to find reasons to find fault. These are really little things but it is becoming noticeable and ever review I receive is getting stressful. They seem to leave a pleasant description of their experience and then hit me with 4 stars in the categories and a  private note saying what they felt was wrong. The last guest decided to tell me that a second toilet would have been useful in a cottage that is advertised as having one bathroom...she marked me down for value because the cottage had one toilet? Really? 

I'm getting really fed up of guests thinking they should be getting more and more. Is it just me?

[Kelly149]

@Alexandra199 it's not just you and I do think that unfortunately, reviews can become a feedback loop within themselves... so if your overall stats have taken some dings and you've had a few complainers then it could be that guests follow along in those footsteps.

the discount askers, yep, I've seen that too and no, I'm not agreeing to any either.

if it makes you feel any better (and just bc I'm still frustrated about it), I had a guest read all our house rules and then IB yesterday. Then as soon as I send him his rental contract... just like the very first thing in my house rules says I will... he gets all jackwagon lawyer attitude with me that I must immediately cancel his stay for him bc he will absolutely not be subjected to this contract... so I'm over here scratching my head like, why in the world did you book my place then?!? I'm going with poor guy has gone Covid-crazy.....

[Alexandra199]

Thanks Kelly, luckily my stats haven't taken too much of a hit but its just so upsetting when guests try to find anything to mark you down. The nice written review is then ruined with a stab in the back on the star rating, and more annoying, a lack of explanation as to what was wrong. 

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  Ugh, what a jerk.  Did he cancel, sign, or what in the end?

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 I know how to speak jackwagon lawyer as well as anyone, but I'm still in the "life's too short for this BS" frame of mind so I used one of my 3 free cancellations and then immediately reported his profile... would have blocked him if the option had appeared but it did not, so hopefully this guy goes away on his own. As soon as some guest says "well according to ABB ToS..." they are NEVER showing up at my place. The bummer was, he had a nice intro message in his IB so I have no idea what changed.

I considered a "AITA" post about the whole situation but really, If I say you're going to sign a contract then why are you freaking out about the contract??

People are weird.

[Ann72]

@Kelly149  Good call all around.  I don’t know what AITA is but I want you to do a post on it 😄

[Kelly149]

@Ann72 ask the internet...

🙂

[Anonymous]

@Alexandra199  Ideally, we all want guests who are visiting the destination they wanted to visit, who looked carefully at the available listings and liked ours the best.  It took me a bit too long to figure this out, but I eventually learned that the fewer accommodation options are available when the guests book, the more critical their reviews will be. Same goes for other external circumstances:  when guests experience disappointment in whatever the point of their trip was - like all-rainy weather on a beach holiday - they often take a more pessimistic view of their Airbnb.

And now we have this global situation that's rained on just about everyone's parade in some way. I can relate - the places I'm fortunate enough to be able to travel to this year are vastly less exciting than the destinations I'd planned before Corona struck, but  they're also much more expensive. Your cottage looks marvelous, but i wonder how many of your recent British guests had originally intended to spend their holidays somewhere like Spain or France before the situation forced them to settle for a humble domestic trip.

[Alexandra199]

That is an interesting take on the issue. The fact that people are already disappointed with a staycation could easily put them in a poor frame of mind when it comes to reviews! I also wonder how may people are panic booking and not reading the listing properly? I decided not to increase my prices after Covid because i just wanted to get up and running again, but as usual i still get dinged for Value.

[Colleen253]

@Anonymous  'Nail on head', as always.

[Helen3]

That’s an interesting take @Anonymous 

I host in the UK too and haven’t shared @Alexandra199   experiences in terms of having guests leaving unfair ratings .

I’ve had really lovely guests who have loved my city and the accommodation so have been lucky enough to have 5 star reviews since opening up again in July. 

I have had the bargain hunters though saying other hosts are offering them 40% discounts for longer stays but they prefer my place so would I do the same?

I just tell them my place represents great value already and they are best going with a host who can offer them accommodation that fits their budget. 

[Huma0]

@Helen3 

Ditto. Far more bargain hunters sending enquiries, but no decline in quality in terms of the guests I have hosted. I am not hosting holidaymakers though so I don't think @Anonymous 's theory would be relevant to my guests.

[Helen3]

Ah - my guests post covid have all been holiday makers or visiting friends @Huma0 

[Ann72]

@Alexandra199  I have noticed the same thing.  Although bookings after lockdown were very strong, because people are desperate to get away, I got more 4s for value and location than usual.  One guest who gave a 4 for location suggested I cut some trees down.  First line of the description says it's a cottage in the woods.

People are enormously anxious this year.  It's difficult to be 100% positive about anything right now.  I know that at least twenty percent of my guests were planning European vacations this summer.  Oddly, they are not the ones who have given 4s.  But those who have - I can only guess that they thought a Maine getaway would solve all their problems for them, and while they did indeed have a good time and leave relaxed, at the end of their trip they were right back to real life and the pandemic was still there, so maybe giving a 4 in a review was some form of assigning blame for something they can't control.

I don't know, but I'll be glad when this season is over 🙂

[Emilia42]

@Ann72 What omg?! My favorite part about your places is how they are in the trees!  You are literally one with the woods.  🙄