Review tips for an anticipated poor review

[Melissa1869]

Hello- we are new hosts, started in June. We’ve had 10 great guests so far ( only five have left reviews!). We finally had a complainer stay last night, and we are anticipating a bad review from her.  Here is the breakdown

Guest contacted us at 9:30PM asking to book, stating she would arrive within the hour.  We approved as it was within our timeframe.

Around 11:30PM, I looked out back, and saw a car at the apartment.

At 7:30AM the next morning, she asked to extend her stay to 3:30PM or the next day.  Our checkout is clearly listed as 11:00AM.  After receiving this message, I heard her car leave.  She was informed we could not extend due to the space already being booked for another guest. She said no problem and asked what time checkout was and we reminded her.    An hour later, she sent another message asking if she could stay until 3pm.  She was again politely told no.  
She then requested that we refund her half of the charge back because she only used the space from 2AM to 6AM (obviously this was a lie).  She was politely told no and why.  She then stated that her stay was “not pleasant”.  She was asked for details and has yet to respond.  
She’s clearly looking for money back and setting things up for a bad review.  What kind of review should I leave for her?  The place was left in good condition.

Thanks!!

[Lenore22]

Step one: contact Airbnb with your side and any evidence to back it up (camera footage of guest arriving/leaving) and letting them know you anticipate an issue.

Turnover the space as usual after checkout time & see what happens. Keep all communication on the app.

Wait for the full 13.5 days before leaving a review.

Maybe it's nothing... 🤷‍♀️

[Sudsrung0]

Dont get stressed out over a bad review we all get them, the key is in your reply how you reply to it, Most guest will see right through it,

I had one recently it made my apartment look like a dump, which was a complete lie, Other guest commented to me who was that crazy woman........? 

[Melissa1869]

Update: she requested a refund through AirBNB.  We declined of course.

She also said that the stay was “unpleasant” because of no extended stay and there needed to better communication…

I work from home and literally respond to messages within 5-10 minutes.

 Some people!!

[Huma0]

@Melissa1869 

Ok, so put simply, her stay was 'unpleasant' and the communication wasn't good because she was told no. Why is it that so many guests do not seem to understand the concept of check in and check out times? It's not rocket science and hotels have them too. Would she have stayed at a hotel for the night and then demanded a refund because she couldn't check out hours late for free or because there isn't a room available for an extra night? There seems to be some sort of misconception that, because it's an Airbnb, you can ask the host for anything you like. 

I've had guests show up six hours before check in even though the check in time was confirmed and reconfirmed with them and they were very firmly told no several times when they asked to check in early. I am now very, very strict about this. Perhaps you should write something in your house rules about it.

This is what I have:

"Guests must communicate their arrival time prior to or at the time of booking. Please respect my check in time of 3-9pm. I do not provide luggage storage at the house prior to check in/after check out. If you are arriving in London earlier, I can send links to inexpensive left luggage services. Late check in (after 9pm) or late check out (after 11am) can sometimes be provided for an additional fee of £10 per hour but please enquire in advance. If you arrive earlier than the check in time without the host's permission, you will not be granted access. If you stay past the checkout time without permission, you may be charged for an additional night."

In reality, I often let my guests check out late (guest who checked out yesterday left at 3pm) or leave their luggage here for a few hours, as long as they are out of the bedroom so I can start cleaning, but that's also because I host long term stays and keep a day free in-between. However, I have found that I needed to write the above to stop people trying to take advantage, which they were doing frequently. 

[Kate867]

@Melissa1869   Unfortunately there are some guests that really do try to push the boundaries.  They feel that if they have paid for a night, it should be the whole 24 hours.  We accepted (instant booked)  a booking for later on this year and the first question was if they could have an earlier check in and also a later check out of 7:00pm.  I let them know that it is heavily dependent on other outgoing/incoming guests and IF we can, we will try to be flexible, but that at this point we are unable to confirm and our normal times will apply.  I know that most likely I will be knocked down in ‘value’ for that particular stay.  Your guest will most likely leave a ‘revenge’ review particularly as she has been denied a refund and your best bet is to try and have it removed.  If you can’t, try to keep your response short and professional as this will be seen by your future guests and not likely by her future hosts.  

[Helen744]

@Melissa 1869 this is very clearly a 'better suited to a hotel' scenario . As a stinger you could also add . This guest ,       , seemed to think we rented by the 'hour'. Sorry . Give stars off in communication and most other things.Also i hate to say it but make your stay 'two nights minimum ' . this eliminates most of these types of guests hopefully . H

[Melissa1869]

Second update:  this crazy lady tried to book with us again tonight!!  We had to call AirBNB for them cancel and block her.  But she still showed up!  I met her in the apartment driveway and let her know she would not be staying and that AirBNB cancelled for us.  She was dumbfounded!  Wanted to know if I would give her a receipt??  For what?  I told her that we sent her a message that her booking was cancelled, and she denied having a phone with her.  She then asked for my ID.  B*tch please.  Get off my property.

[Huma0]

@Melissa1869 

As well as reporting the guest, you can block her, which will prevent her being able to book with you or message you again (unless she creates a new profile which, although it's not allowed, is something that is pretty easy for guests to do).

Go to the message thread and click the flag next to one of the messages. You have to select that the guest is 'being offensive' from the menu to get the option to block them.

[Lorna170]

@Melissa1869  If you have coded locks, change them. You don’t need her trying to get in again.

[Melissa1869]

Yes, my spouse took care of that while I was dealing with her in the driveway!

[Laura2592]

@Melissa1869 this sounds like a "digital nomad" guest who has no fixed address and does not want to plan. Were there any red flags? Is she a local? Does she have any other reviews (if there are a LOT she is likely between permanent homes and wants to avoid the scrutiny that a lease might require.)  It does also sound like she may be angling for a freebie and will drum up some reason she is entitled to one (cleanliness, you changed a piece of furniture from the pic online, etc. Something silly.) 

All you can do is contact ABB and keep them apprised. In the future you can screen for guests by either turning off IB or setting the requirements as strictly as possible. Your review for her should be something like:

"So and so was not a guest we would recommend. Communication was poor, house rules were not followed and she returned to our property uninvited when she was not a guest which was a safety concern. She did leave the place in good order. Best suited to a hotel."

Wait until the last possible minute to leave a review. When she leaves hers, you can respond if you like. Be very unemotional and brief. 

Your first dozen or so guests will be the hardest. Scammers do target new ABB hosts to pull nonsense. There is always something on Reddit about how to get a free stay and targeting a host with less than 25 reviews is one of the first things people recommend. Best of luck!