Cowardly guests who hide behind their review

[Brian68]

I'm pretty much done with guests, who if they have a problem during their stay decide to say nothing and then moan about it in the review after.

Why is that?

It's very simple actually, the guest thinks if they request or complain about something during their stay that it will influence your review of them.

As a host,  I rarely hear from my guests and I do check in on them very occasionally to make sure they have arrived safe.

No news is good news they say, absolutely not!

For all intents and purposes you have been led to believe that there were no problems, issues or complaints?

Basically I feel like I am flying blind and 99% of the time give the guest 5 stars only to find out and to be fair, mostly private feedback that there have been issues.

I just feel that that reviews should be subject to more scrutinisation and changeable by Airbnb if the guest has failed at any time during their stay to message you about it on the app or via email and then gone on to make it public in a review.

I'm happy to listen to guests concerns or if there are issues and would not discriminate ( I already had to change a water heater out for someone who had no hot water for 24 hrs, no problem at all).

But DON'T keep quiet and then blub about it afterwards, because you are the worst kind of guests.

[Sarah977]

Interesting perspective @Paul154.

Maybe you don't see this as an applicable analogy, but if you buy something, then when you get it home realize that it's damaged in some way that you didn't notice at the time, are you going to bring it back and ask for a replacement, or just keep it and go on social media complaining about how the store sold you something damaged?

[Paul154]

They are both valid mechanisms.

Either way, the store is put on notice.

Returning an item is time consuming and clunky.

A review is a review.

I paid my money, so I have the right to be unhappy.

It's just how it is.

[Sarah977]

@Paul154 I can understand a guest not wanting to say anything at the time re cleanliness issues, as you mentioned. Obviously a paying guest expects the place to be clean, the bedding freshly laundered, and if it isn't, the negligent host deserves for it to be mentioned. 

But what about guests who complain in a public review that there weren't enough blankets and they were cold (when all the previous guests had said they were totally comfortable), but the host in fact had a whole cupboard full of blankets and the guest just didn't bother to ask? Or the guest claims the Wifi didn't work when all they needed to do was contact the host, who would have come right over to maybe find that the modem needed to be reset?

[Brian68]

Hi Paul,

Yes I have guested in Airbnb.

To be honest if I found an apartment with the problems you have encountered regarding the bathroom I would say something immediately.

Fortunately I employ a management company that run the cleaning and guest management. I have absolutely no problem with guests contacting me with an issue during their stay.

My point was. Speak up, I will do everything I can to assist, but don't say everything is fine then later on post stuff in a review that goes against the grain of the bexchanges we had during their stay.

[Paul154]

@Brian68

Have you ever been an Airbnb guest?

I know as a guest, I never want to rock the boat. I do not want to upset my stay by upsetting the host. Sure, if it is a little fixable thing like missing toilet paper, I will ask. 

But what about big issues that show disrepect or that the host is unhinged?

Like a host giving you  stained or unclean linens?  Or a host thats says the door woke her up at 7:00 am? or  pubic hairs? or yick on the toilet seat?

Some guests are like me, they grin and bear it.

Because it was late, I actually paid to wash those unclean sheets in his coin laundry. 

BUT, I do get to complain in my review.

You could call me passive/aggresive, but the review system works for me too.

I could never say to my host "There's poop on the rim. Clean it" 

[Noel--and-Linda0]

I am glad to hear I am not the only one who feels the same way about guests who are not satisfied unless they come up with a petty complaint about something.  

I'm not sure what AirBnB asks guests in their process of reviewing a host.  I have had my own website for the past 15 years (before Airbnb was in existence), and I advertise on other platforms.

I rarely, if ever, get complaints from our guests who book through platforms other than Airbnb.  

It seems like almost every guest who books our homes through Airbnb find something to complain about.  

However, those same guests who ask for an early check-in and/or Iate check-out  (which I accomodate, if possible)  fail to mention in their review you were kind enough to accomodate them with a check-in several hours early or check-out several hours later.   

[J-Renato0]

Difficult and unhappy people exist!
The world and humans are not perfect! We have to lean on how to deal with this aspect of the life.
There will be always someone that will write a review that can displease some host.
It is necessary to be mature to deal with it or JUST ignore it.

Sometimes it is also necessary to understand that, even a bad review (or unfair review as well) can be seen as a feedback.
Maybe the host has to improve the communication, or improve something to avoid being defeated by someone which is difficult to deal with.

Or maybe the host has to find a way to avoid guests that are not suitable to its listing by improving the description, price settings or whatsoever.

To blame the guest (whether he/she is stupid or not) is the natural and easiest way to finish the matter!
Another way, that is considerably more difficult, but can "bear fruit" in the future, is to blame ourselves.

If you can run a losing race without blaming someone else, you have bright prospects of success further down the road...

(Napoleon Hill)

[Fred13]

  Very good discussion.

  We offer about 10 features, which are covered in the listing description. We make sure (no excuses) those 10 things are ready and in working condition, and are always improving them. There is always a better way.

   Guest makes a great suggestion, they are thanked and it will be done. Guest complaints about some silly minutae ONLY applicable to them - totally ignored. 

[Lilly28]

@Brian68

@Fred13

@Paul in Seattle

I think we are here discussing the more difficult problem. Yes, Paul has the right to complain as a guest when he paid and received not what was expected. Although it all depends on the problem and how much the guest has paid. If you have a guest for 4-5 months with 30-40% discount, I think it is not reasonable even to ask for toilet paper! The guest is expecting to receive the toilet without a stain, as well as the tiles around, and no hairs, of course. But even in a 5-star hotel cleaning is done only once a day, and in hotels with less stars - not every day, many do the cleaning only when the guests are leaving. But as I said all depends on price you have paid - when receiving a linen even the 5-star hotels are not always prone to give you, have extra that again 5-star hotels are not providing, and that at a price twice less then a hostel has - then I do not think the guest has the right to complain for the one stain found on a carpet, furniture or ornamental pillow. 

And then comes the problem with the psychology of different people. Some of them are prone to search for even nonexisting falty things - just because they are fussy, never have been working hard in their life, have always received everything with a golden spoon -  and they often complain about their own misdoings! I found that most part of such reviews are from generation Z.    

[Linda108]

If I understand your post correctly, @Brian68, your guests are not using the public review to complain but are sending you feedback via the private message.  If that is the case, as a host, I would appreciate the feedback and use the opportunity to do just the Community education you speak of.  I would thank them for the feedback and then suggest that if they want to enjoy future Air BNB stays they should communicate with the host at the time so it can be remedied.

As a host, I have done that same thing on occassion, that is, I provided private feedback that addressed some issue and educated the guest.  I did not find it necessary to make public comment  because I felt the guest was in need of education and would make good use of my comments.  Sometimes the guests have thank me for my feedback.

[Fred13]

Private feedback is the best kind of feedback there is, in fact, it is where it really belongs. It tells me the guest wants to be helpful, and usually it really turns out to be.

[Lizzie]

This is a interesting discussion, thank @Brian68 for starting it. 

I just wonder do many of you often message your guests on the first evening of their stay or during it? Do you think this would help with encouaging guests to share their thoughts earlier on in the stay or do you think this would just cause more work for you? 

[Letti0]

@Lizzie This is our message sent thur AirBnB messaging system. It is usally sent in an hour or less after their arrival to give them some time to check things out. We do self check in's, but will greet some guests we are a little worried about, so they are made aware that we are less than a minute from the guest house.  

Good evening XXXXX,

Just wanted to check in to see if everything was okay with the Guest House and if you needed anything. Please let us know if you have any questions or any issues.

Thank you,
Letti
Live Oak Vineyard

[Ann306]

I asked daily...everything is great  😞

[Stephanie365]

Lizzie, in my welcome greeting, I let the guests know that if there is anything they need to make their stay more comfortable to please contact me. I have this written in my welcome manual,  going a step further stating that I would rather my guests let me know during the stay if there is something they need so I can address it rather than finding out in the review after they've left that there was something simple I could have done to earn a 5* vs 4*. 

I had one couple stay with me and I was chatting with the husband for 30 minutes in my driveway enjoying some nice weather, talking about the local attractions, etc.  I asked if everything was to his satisfaction and he said, "Yes, everything was delightful! Wonderful!"  I reiterated that if that were to change and if he needed anything to please let me know and I'd be happy to accommodate him.

In his review he said I was a pleasant host, ready to help. He gave me 5* on the individual scores but overall he only gave me 4*. His private note was that it was too cold and I should turn up the thermostat a few degrees.  Something that would have taken 10 seconds cost me a star because the guest wouldn't tell me he was a bit chilly.