Unrealistic demand from a guest

[Reda254]

Hello,

I'm experiencing a very disappointing experience with one of my previous guests who booked my studio, which has a sofa-bed.

During check-in, he was suprised there is no bedroom with a standard bed.    I explained to him that my listing is precise and accurate, the title is "Studio" not a OneBedroom, the pictures clearly show the sofa, in both positions.    (sofa mode and bed mode)

The only reason i can think made him so confused, is that he blindly booked my listing, based only on the price most certainely  (Since it's a studio, it has a lower price than a OneBedroom).

I explained everything to him after his surprised reaction, and told him that if this is not working for him, he is always welcome to cancel, he said it's okay since it's only 1 night.   (Unfortunlaty this was only a verbal exchange)

After check-out, he made a 2* review stating that "There should be a bedroom with a confortable bed".  And in his private review: "There is only a sofa-bed...".

Now when another visitor of the listing will read that comment, he would think that this guest has been kind of scammed by the host.   

I contacted Airbnb support, they wouldn't remove the review as they consider it inline with their Review Policy.

I don't get how this can be inline with the review policy, since the guest demands something that is not provided in my listing to begin with ?!

What if another guests comes and demands another room or a pool inside my apartment ?   This is very vindictive, biased and irrelevant review.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Reda254 I can't see the review you mention but I can see your responses to reviews. My advice is to direct the response toward future guests not the guest who stayed. For instance complaining about a communication rating given just highlights it to future guests who wouldn't otherwise know about it.

[Reda254]

Thanks for your advice.  You are completely right, i'm aware of that mistake now.   (i've repetead it 2 or 3 times actually before i realised what a rookie mistake i was doing)

As a side note, about my response to that comment, the guest particularily expressed his good satisfaction with the communication with the host in his review, but still gave me 3* on communication  :S    Truth is, it made me just furious of how inconsistent that was.  But lesson learned, i should be more diplomatic in my responses and as you said direct them towards future guests.

@Mike-And-Jane0   What do you think about my current situation though ?

* This is his public review :  " غرفه للنوم المفروض تكون مرتبة النوم مريحة "
غرفه للنوم = a bedroom
Translates to arabic : "There should be a bedroom with a confortable bed."

* This is his private review : ".....سرير النوم عبارة عن كنبه"
Translates to arabic : "The bed is only a sofa-bed..."

[Emiel1]

@Reda254 

I can see the public review, but it translates on my screen as:

[Reda254]

@Emiel1

Yes that's the review. My translation is more accurate than the automated one though (im a native arabic speaker).   

His problem isn't just a matter of an honest feedback about the "comfort" of the sofa-bed. He doesn't want a sofa-bed to begin with (ie the private review..)  and expected a bedroom, having a standard bed with a matress.

Even though i proved him wrong during check-in, which he utimately admitted and accepted to spend the night. He still gave me a 2* review as a retaliation for his own mistake.  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Reda254 I wonder if by 'proving him wrong at check in' you upset him. You can win a battle and still lose the war I am afraid.

[Reda254]

@Mike-And-Jane0 

I wondred the same...   but in the same time i didn't sense any tension at the time, it was not confrontational.      I just politely insisted to show him the listing on my phone, to clear any doubt he had about his mistake.  Which then he admitted.

I actually very unfortunately lost the battle, but my aim is to win the war.... That is for Airbnb to start recongnizing such situations and protecting hosts from abusive comments/reviews.

This will go though updating the Review Policy with the necessary amendments for such cases.

[Fred13]

You have a nice place @Reda254 and offered at a fabulous price, despite the occasional oddball you will do well, because you have a nice place offered at a fabulous price.

[Reda254]

Thank you @Fred13.  Almost all my guests recognize the unmatched quality&service/price rate. 

That's  what make it so frustrating and very unfortuante when a retaliatory abusive comment/review, comes to ruin it. 

Since Airbnb is "still" of no help, i just hope it doesn't happen to me again...  Because my studio is staying a studio, there is no way another extra bedroom will pop-in inside.

[Huma0]

---

@Reda254 wrote:

Because my studio is staying a studio, there is no way another extra bedroom will pop-in inside.

---

I once had a guest insist on arrival that she had booked a different room, 'the pink room' to be specific. I don't have a pink room. Never have. I wondered if she was thinking of another listing she might have looked at? Nope. She insisted she had booked "the pink room".

So asked her to pull up the listing on her phone and show me. I then had to point out every piece of furniture in the room and the colour of the walls and then she finally agreed she was indeed standing in the room she had booked (beige walls with gold and green furniture).

I just assumed she must have been drinking...

Or, I could offer a service where guests could pick a colour for the walls and I will paint it that colour before their arrival for a nice fat fee 🙂

[Reda254]

I'm just happy for you, she didn't give a défamatory/retaliatory review.

Not like in my case, where although the guest recongnized it was his mistake for not checking the photos well, he still made a review afterwards as if i scamed him.     (As pointed out by others here, there was a little factor of confusion as it marked somewhere it's 2 place bed instead of a sofa-bed, but this guest didn't even notice this, but instead was expecting à One bedroom with a standard bed)

[Hugo633]

I understand your pain when it comes to the review policy.  I once had a guest who checked-in and left 10 minutes later due to an emergency back home, leave me a 3-star review.  I reached to Airbnb to ask them how it was possible to receive a review from a guest who didn't stay in the property for more than 10 minutes.  Their answer was that the review was in line with with their review policy. 

[Gillian166]

in all honesty, I don't think you spell it out clearly at all, and in the listing it actually says there is a double bed in the living room, not a sofa bed. now of course i can see the situation clearly from the photos, but you have to plan for absolute laziest guest ever, ie those who don't read and just shop on price. I don't have a TV in my listing, and I mention it 3 times.... because in the beginning i had guests ask me where the TV was, even though I hadn't promised a TV, so now I am sure to point it out very directly. 

I would call CS again, get someone different, and quote them the policy that deals with irrelevant reviews. the review is unhelpful to guests, he is complaining about something that isn't offered and your listing (for people who read) does show there is only the bed in the living room. Try again!

[Reda254]

@Gillian166   Thanks for your input.    I do agree 100 % with all you said.   I changed the double to sofa-bed option.   Unfortunately, i tried 2 or 3 times with Airbnb CS, but they wouldn't do anything about the review (even though they clearly understand the demand of this guest in unrealstic)

[Inna22]

@Reda254 I agree with @Gillian166. It is not clear from your listing at all. You selected 1 double bed from the pre-filled options and you have no description of the apartment. You should clearly state that this is a sofa. If you are worried about loosing reservations, adding a picture of yourself facing the camera rather than away may go along way in getting people to think that you are trustworthy. Overall you have fabulous reviews. It is near impossible to have all five stars. A review like this can be used as an opportunity to underline what you offer: "this guest did not realize that I offer a sofa bed and not a traditional bed. I encourage my future guests to read through my description prior to booking". This of course assumes that you have a description (right now you do not)