The guest is to lazy to read the listing and then leaves a poor review!

[Jeremy100]

I have had two guests this year who were not happy with the stay because, without reading the listing and/or asking for any clarification, it was not what they had imagined!

Read the listing in full, look at the photos, any questions please ask.  Its not difficult.  
Would you go to a restaurant and order without looking at the menu? (Probably)

I imagine I drive a Bentley but in reality it’s a Skoda.  GET REAL

RANT OVER!

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

Here is the full story:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/A-Narrow-Escape/m-p/881786

This guest really seemed to be a piece of work. I am SOOO happy I took the time to check out all the reviews she had left and dodged that bullet.

[Marco3499]

Hi @Jeremy100 , how did you got the review removed? I have the same problem with a guest leaving  an inaccurate review. Asked to Airbnb support and they said the cannot remove.

[Lisa186]

I have learned people do not take the time to read and some have difficulty with reading comprehension. So what I do is send my lost of rules after they have already confirmed the reservation. They must accept my house rules. Of course all the rules are in my listing as well. But this has helped a lot. 

[Jeremy100]

All good points you both make but this is their holiday not an audition for University Challenge 🤣

[Anonymous]

@Jeremy100   Don't you just hate how guests complain about problems that were totally within their power to prevent, if they'd just put a little more effort in?

Same goes for hosts.

[Jeremy100]

A nice little touch in there at the end.  Well done 🤣

[Stephanie365]

I had this early on in my hosting. I have a 1 bedroom listing for 2 people.
Photos show 1 bed. Listing states 1 bed.
(At the time I didn't have an aerobed for a 3rd person as I do now)

Two frat boys booked my place.  I wasn't about to question whether 2 men were going to share the bed. None of my business. But when they showed up they were like, "Where's the second bed? You say you sleep 2."

"Yes, two people share the bed."

They gave me 1* across the board because I didn't have a 2nd bed.
As this was only my 2nd guest, and I didn't know I could have gotten the review removed for (ir)relevance, I just deleted my listing and started over.

I did add language saying "Suitable for two people who share a bed" since having photos of one bed in a 1 bedroom apartment apparently wasn't clear enough for two losers from Tulane University.

[Huma0]

@Stephanie365 

Oh dear. Sorry that happened to you. There can be quite a steep learning curve when you first start hosting.

When I started out, I also assumed most people would be logical.

Nope.

[Sudsrung0]

You are right about some guest, but also many host dont read the rules on Airbnb

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

it happens all the time to us too, guests are acting like teenagers - blaming others for their own wrong assumptions and mistakes. We were dinged for not being able to provide late or early check-in, for having a sandwich maker instead of a toaster, for not having an oven and a second toilet, for hearing street sounds in the city center, for not having 100% light proof window blinds, ... all clearly stated in our listing description and house rules which they didn't bother to read prior booking.

This year guests are very challenging, more than ever before so it is important to lift a shield, like on the Enterprise so everything just bounces back instead of hitting you 🙂 It's just a business, not a hobby or pleasure. We invested and work for money, not for reviews, compliments and ratings (although it is nice to get some).

But, according to all my friends who rent through Booking com, Airbnb guests are still better,  because we can rate them too.

[Jeremy100]

I think you are 100% correct on this.  Definitely see a difference in guests this year.  Maybe last year they were just happy to be out and about again.  50% of this years guests I would not wish to host again.

[Helen3]

Wow that's a huge percentage @Jeremy100 

I've had over 45 sets of guests this year and they were all delightful.

How are you vetting your guests to help maximise the chances they will be a good fit for your place.