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?

[Ann72]

@Emilia42  Awww thank you!  The good guests say it's like being in a super chic or modern or comfortable tree house.  That guy was really nice but you could tell he just wanted to take control of something, so that's what he went with.  🤔

[Debra300]

@Ann72,

The second sentence in my Atlanta listing description says, "It is tucked away on a wooded trail-like street on the Mableton/Smyrna border that was once the area for country homes of city residents."   Yet, I've received comments about the apartment being in the woods, or 20 minutes from downtown.

[Ann72]

@Debra300  So you’re saying one person says it’s remote, in the woods, and another that it’s close to the city?

I get some who complain that it’s an hour to Acadia and others who say it’s only an hour to Acadia lol

The one who wanted me to cut down trees - this was literally offered as helpful feedback.  He thought it would make the view better.  Now (a) he did not tell me he booked for the view and (b) he did not bother to find out that the property is overseen by a land trust committed to preserving Maine’s beauty and that clear-cutting is strictly forbidden.  But boy did I enjoy telling him that from the moral high ground...

[Debra300]

@Ann72,

The comment about 20 minutes (street driving, mind you) being from the city was ridiculous to me, because if the apartment was closer to downtown, then it would be in the city, and not in the area for past country home retreats.

Maybe that guest of yours couldn't see the forest for the trees.

[Ann72]

@Debra300  Oh for the love of Pete, people really are so stupid.  And lol about the guest - good one 🙂

[Colleen253]

@Ann72  People really are rather thick at times. I had 'helpful' feedback and my first 4 star for location as the guest was regretting that my place was on the east side of town, not the west (closer to where she wanted to be). Of course, the map view clearly shows the town and my listing to the east of it. She even clarified that it was 'her mistake', but since she resented the extra 10 minutes it took to get where she wanted to go, '4 stars!'. What?? Feedback: move the house. K thanks, gimme a sec.

Among other things, this same guest went on to lament how uninviting the firepit location was, after I explained to her it was situated specifically to reduce fire hazard. Yes, I appreciate it could be located in such a way as to enjoy the view while sitting by it, but what she doesn't realize is her display of stupidity is representative of most guests, I'm sorry to say, and has actually played a major factor in it's placement. We've been experiencing drought conditions here, and the county later issued an outright fire ban, so she couldn't enjoy the 'ill placed' firepit after all. She apparently resented this too, as it was mentioned as a major disappointment in the stay. 4 stars for value and location both. 

I think people must need an outlet for their pent up covid driven general state of 'bah'!

@Alexandra199  You are not alone.

[Ann72]

@Colleen253   People who are grown up enough to book and complete travel yet find the placement of a fire pit a major disappointment - really have they never had a single dark moment in life or is every day just a disappointment to them?  So sad and so annoying.

I've also gotten 4 stars because the house wasn't where the guest wanted it to be.  The house-moving company is totally on speed dial.

[Ute42]

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@Colleen253  

Many of us are again and again dinged for location. Here's the way I see it:

Guests in general want to be in 2 typical locations:

They want to be downtown in a big metropolitan area where all the restaurants, clubs, coffeeshops, theatres, public transportation and museums are. (these guests are then complaining about the place being noisy).

Or they want to be directely at the beach. (these guests are then complaining about a tsunami if there is any)

When searching the listings in an area guests soon find out that places in a central downtown location or directely at the beach are pretty expensive. So they book a place outside from where they actually want to be to save money.

I assume that 10% of our guests don't know what a map is and that another 10% know what a map ist but don't know how to read a map. But the remaining 80% know full well where they will be staying.

When they are now complaining about location they are actually not complaining about the location, they are complaining that they can't afford to be where they want to be. If guests dinge us for location, in fact they're not rating us 3* for location, they are rating themselfes 3* for the miserable status of their bankaccount.

Unfortenately there is nothing we can do about that.

cc: @Debra300 @Ann72 

[Debra300]

@Ute42,

I fully agree.  Last year, I had a guest from Martinique book the day before her arrival on Booking.com for a weekend stay.  Per my policy, I take full payment for stays made within 30 days of arrival.  I sent her messages (using Google Translate) via Booking.com, asking when was she planning to arrive and confirming if she read the house rules, but she never responded.  I also sent her the receipt. 

She just showed up in a taxi unannounced.  She didn't like that she wasn't right in the tourist area, Rodney Bay, and wanted to leave.  I told her okay, but she's not getting a refund (we used the taxi drive as the translator).  She said that she would give me a bad review if I didn't give her a refund.  I informed her that a place in Rodney Bay was 4 times what I charged.

Our price is low enough to take a taxi to the local places of interest, about 8-12€ per ride (cheaper if you arrange a package with a taxi driver).  For goodness sake, they were there for just two nights - go to the Friday Night Street Party, shopping and the beach Saturday afternoon, the concert on Saturday night, and back on the ferry to go home on Sunday morning.  I also reminded her that the listing details clearly describe the location of my guesthouse, and it was her responsibility to have read everything.  She ultimately stayed, and even complemented how nice her room was. However, she was true to her word, and left a low rating, but did so as Anonymous (no profile name provided) and didn't really say anything.  So, I didn't respond.

In my opinion, she knew that she wasn't where she wanted to be, but was going to "take a chance" at my expense.  She thought that she just wouldn't pay, and leave if she arrived and decided that she didn't like the place.  Her disgruntlement was probably intensified, because she realized that I had already taken the payment, and that her plans were foiled. 

[Huma0]

@Ann72 

I've had guests in the past who complained that my location was too busy and others who complained that it was too quiet. They came from very different locations, so were judging subjectively regardless of how I had described the location on the listing.

I haven't noticed any increased negativity/fussiness from guests due to COVID, but then I am hosting long-term guests, not holiday makers whose original plans were scuppered. I have had the occasional fussy guest, but they always come along once in a while. I realised that these people are just complainers. It doesn't even mean they are unhappy and they still leave good reviews/ratings.

The way I am learning to deal with that type is to respond, "Oh, really? I am surprised because I've hosted hundreds of guests and no one else has ever had a problem with that. Still, I could do XYZ to try to improve things for you?" Funnily enough, the problem seems to miraculously disappear and is no longer a big deal...

Let's see if that tactic continues to work in the future. It's a new one for me so I'm still trialling it.

[Susan3734]

I absolutely have been experiencing the same thing! What is going on with people?! I’ve always had great guests (Only a couple challenging ones) and great reviews, but since the lockdown I’ve had the most nit-picky, complaining guests, as well as a couple that I actually had to report. It’s very discouraging when you work so hard to provide a pleasant experience for your guests and they complain and down mark you for ridiculous things, especially things that are clearly stated in the listing! I’m glad to know it’s not just happening to me, but that doesn’t help any of us deal with it. My stats have taken a hit.

i have always used instant book and this problem with nit picking guests has made me consider disabling it. How many of you use instant booking vs. requests? Do you find it makes any difference? 

[Ann72]

@Susan3734  Actually the worst guests this summer are the ones who did not IB instantly but instead asked a bunch of questions first.  That’s in line with @Robin4’s philosophy about the two kinds of guests.

[Susan3734]

@Ann72 @That’s interesting. I had a couple of those “inquirers” as well and then they turned out to be critics. I’m just very frustrated right now. I used to love reading the reviews and now I dread them!  I don’t mind constructive criticism or input but this crap recently has been ridiculous. My last guest complained that the house felt “outdated“... but my listing clearly says 50’s bungalow. And she was only here for one night! Try to cope, lady. 🤷‍♀️

Where do I find Robin4’s philosophy you referred to? 

[Ann72]

@Susan3734  So annoying, but don't let it get to you.  People will still find and fall in love with your house.  Rob summed up his philosophy in a recent post on this page:  https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/No-reviews/m-p/1345470#M320650

[Alexandra199]

I totally understand this Susan, that sinking feeling as you open the review....uuurgh....really getting me down at the moment.x