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.

[Brian68]

@Lizzie,

Absolutely I do, we even pick them up from the airport gratis and I send a welcome guide ahead of schedule and drop them a line the day after they've arrived to make sure everything is ok and to let them know do they need anything. We also have onsite guest management services to help

[Jessica286]

I have experienced the same issue and i have found that placing a little reminder in a frame that to please contact me at ANY time for ANY issue has helped tremendously in that department. Im guessing some guests may feel like it is not important enough or you will be bothered but now it puts it on their side if they failed to let you know something even after you ask but then again there will be those that say nothing regardless how many times you ask if they need something then they leave a negative review. 

[Ria39]

I just had a guest give me a crappy rating because it rained during his stay and he didn't like the noise on the roof 😞 I am so very careful to supply accurate and detailed information about my property in the listing, including many photographs etc., and I have been blessed with mostly wonderful reviews, so this guy just made me feel horrible. Especially since I asked him each day of his stay if he was comfortable and if he had any problems - to which he always answered, 'No, everything is wonderful". I think some people just 'need' to find fault, and are too gutless to be honest during their stay.

[Julia649]

Communication is definitely key.....but it works both ways. I stayed in a flat in Brooklyn this time last year.....I arrivied in a heatwave and there was no air con, only a very noisy fan, so I spent a sleepless night in a room with a window which didnt open. When I noticed next morning that there was an air con unit and it was advertised on the listing I politely asked if I could have the remote control. After a bit of a wait I was given the remote and I then had 3 nights' sleep. When it came to the reivew I thought 4 stars was about right in the circumstances but my host was furious I hadnt awarded 5 and then she wrote me a review saying I was  "demanding" guest!

I am a host as well and have a an occasional review finding fault, usually when Ive actually put myself out to accommodate a different check in time, which I now try and avoid. But 99% of my guests have been lovely and Ive even had some returnees. And sometimes they have flagged up an issue in a polite way which I have then been able to address.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Brian68 I completely agree with you that many guests are cowards and they worry that you may retaliate by leave them a bad review.I believe the best way to deal with such guest is to ask them a day before their checkout how was their stay at your place and how you could improve your hosting style.If they tell you that everything went fine for them immediately remind them of leaving a 5star rating and a good review for you.Don't be shy to ask for a 5star rating as it does have a massive impact on your guest review.Good luck and happy hosting!!!

[Brian68]

@Oomesh

Thank you, I will try and ask for a 5 star rating. But therein lies the problem, people's perception is that of a hotel when seeing stars.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Brian68 People's perception differs from one another but if someone is paying a fraction of what they would pay for a hotel most of them will understand that you are not a hotel.Good luck!!!

[Miloud0]

Salute,  

Thank you @Jessica0, for the photo and your created idea. I will try to use like it. 

Thanks, 

Miloud 

[Sarah1302]

I just had my first experience with this and I have been so sad about it today. It has really gotten to me! I made sure my place was spotless and I really put so much care into my spot, I kept in contact with texting and everything. They seemed happy and nice, so I left a good review of them. The last night they did the review for me and just totally went off on how it was dirty (I don't even know how they could say that because it was clean!) How my lights don't work ...( Which they did when I checked) but why wouldn't they tell me that while they were there? This was all private response..but then they gave me low stars, and on their review it just says it's a compound with high fences and a heavy gate. 😑 (My yard has a wood fence around it and a steel gate) but they called it a compound?! I'm very hurt by all of this and now I can't change my review on them, because I would never recommend guests like this! It's like they stayed here just to give me a bad review!! 😢

[Linda861]

Sarah,

Leave a short response, stay positive, and professional.

Mention how you take pride in providing a great place to stay, and that you strive to make sure guests are comfortable.  You might meniton that you wished they had reached out, so you could fix any issues you may have had.

You have a lovely place, I am sure.  Don't lose heart. 

[Fred13]

^^ "This was all private response"

Best to not make mention of what is said in ~private~ publicly. Think of something witty to say about the fence, like it is there for the ~security~ of your guests. Try to turn it into a positive. All very light hearted.

[Brian68]

Some people are just ingracious Sarah, sorry to hear.

Airbnb will remove the review if it states something which simply isnt true.

I had one take down after being accused of using someone elses photographs. I sent Airbnb the invoice from photographer and cc'd her into the mail. 3 hours late it was gone.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

So sorry to hear that you had a bad review from your guests.Don't worry i am sure you will soon get better reviews.Ask for the 5stars rating and a nice review.Happy hosting!!!

[Anna1315]

I’m so glad it’s not just me! I usually get 5 star reviews and then I had 2 really unpleasant reviews and the guests hadn’t said a word. Air b n b then blocked me from further bookings until I had rectified the situation and gave me a sort of warning that things had to improve. I then continued as before (without changing anything ...) and the 5 stars have continued. Really unfair when I do my utmost to make my guests feel happy. I nearly stopped hosting as it was so unpleasant. 

[Fred13]

You do have 174 reviews, from what I read all positive. All that matters.