Constructive Criticism for guests?

[Tamara725]

I am curious how you all feel about telling your guests the things they did wrong at your property?  In private of course, not a public comment in reviews.  I feel like it will help them in the future be a better guest, at my place or yours.  If they did not follow some of your rules, or did some things that were upsetting, or caused you unnecessary work or cost, do you tell them? Or do you let it go?    

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

@Tamara725  I don't find that people who can't be bothered to follow the rules are actually interested in becoming "better guests." Unless your guests specifically asked for feedback, your "constructive criticism" will be extremely unwelcome.

But who really will appreciate it is the future hosts these guests might attempt to stay with. So please make your public review an honest one. 

[Helen3]

This sort of information should go in a public review @Tamara725  to help warn hosts considering them as guests.

[Tamara725]

They are small issues, leaving lights on, soaking wet towels piled in the hampers, windows open, things not completely locked up.  Nothing HORRIBLE. Just annoying as hell, when our instruction sheets ask for these key items to be taken care of.    It wouldnt keep me from renting to them again, but I feel letting them know privately might make them think about it next time? Maybe it is a waste of my breath.  Like @Anonymous  said above probably wont change a thing about them.  I have been doing this 8 years now, and I waver after every guest as to what to say to them if they did several small things that were unacceptable.  @Helen3

[Basha0]

I don’t leave criticisms in private remarks or public for small items like forgetting to put garbage out on their way out or leaving a light on. Leaving lights on really irks me but I choose to make notes about them for possible future rebooking and make my decision about renting to them again. 

[Tamara725]

I also make comments in my calendar and check back if the same people try to book us again.  I would NEVER consider doing some of the things that people do here. It is infuriating and very disappointing to say the least.  But that is me.  I think it does no good at all to let them know the things they failed to do correctly, according to our rules. So I probably wont in the future, only about 1 in 10 get a critique now, some it is obvious that they could care less!   I appreciate the feedback!

[Huma0]

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@Tamara725 wrote:

only about 1 in 10 get a critique now, some it is obvious that they could care less!   I appreciate the feedback!

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@Tamara725 

I fear you have misunderstood some of @Anonymous 's feedback. The private feedback is for the guests only, but the public review is for the benefit of future hosts. So, it doesn't really matter if the guest could care less. Your public review for them is there to help other hosts decide whether to host this person or not. Wouldn't you have appreciated a heads up for those people who have done things that you have found "infuriating and very disappointing to say the least"?

[Tamara725]

NO I did not misunderstand.  If a guest is so horrible that I would NOT rent to them again, I say so. BUT. Why cant we read the reviews anymore?  Everything on a potential renters profile is hidden now.  What good does it do to even leave a review. YES I want to know if someone is a horribly renter, I dont want them here!

[Anonymous]

@Tamara725  Could you please elaborate on this comment:

"Why cant we read the reviews anymore?  Everything on a potential renters profile is hidden now. "

Have you encountered a situation where you weren't able to see the reviews on a guest's profile until after they booked? I haven't hosted recently, but this simply doesn't make sense to me. If a review is active in someone's profile, it should be visible to you at the time they request to book your listing, even though you can't see their picture. 

[Tamara725]

I cannot read a renters reviews before or after they book. When I click on their profile it opens and has 5 things checked, email, phone etc and says verified. NOTHING else is listed anymore. I cannot get their personal email or phone, once in awhile the phone# comes up, or you can click on "CALL" . But nothing else. No stars, no comments from previous owners/hosts.  It is worthless.  I have reached out to Airbnb and VRBO both and asked why this feature is gone and get zero response.  What are they doing to check into these potential guests to verify who they really are?  I have had multiple very very bad guests from Airbnb in the past 2 years.  They get a huge chunk of money for doing what exactly. We appreciate the exposure, but what are they really doing for us?

[Anonymous]

@Tamara725  Some guests don't have any reviews because a host hasn't left one for them yet. 

[Huma0]

@Tamara725 

I can still see reviews/ratings for guests that have them, so that feature is definitely still there. Perhaps it's as @Anonymous says and that the guests booking with you recently simply do not have reviews yet.

[Stephanie365]

Along this same line, I've had a guest (couple) who has booked with me twice. The first time they booked under her name. This time they booked under his.

Both times they have cooked some sort of heavy, greasy stir fry dishes that have absolutely stunk up the house for over a week. And it wasn't a "good" smelling food either. And it wasn't just the guest suite, but literally my entire house that reeked. 

I don't want to insult them but good gawd, I really don't want them coming a 3rd time and stinking up the house. The smell makes me gag. 

I definitely get the concept they booked (and paid for) my home to be able to cook meals, but in the end it is my home and walking in and smelling the stench is just.... [vomitous].

I haven't left a review for their latest stay and I'm not going to mention it publicly, but I would like to say something privately. How can I say, "Don't cook that vile swill in my home anymore" while still being sympathetic and a good host.  Or is this just a suck it up and deal situation? 

[Anonymous]

@Stephanie365   There truly isn't a nice way to tell someone that their food stinks. It's a deeply subjective opinion, and absolutely nobody would benefit from you expressing it. You can muster a polite reason to decline them if they attempt to book in the future.

[Tamara725]

I recently had the same issue. Some horrific lingering cabbage odor, and GREASE OMG on EVERYTHING. What a mess.  That is ridiculous.  They were friendly people and overall didnt leave the place too bad, BUT! Holy stink!  I was here for 5 days after their stay and burned candles, and sprayed constantly every day. The last day it was ALMOST normal again.  How offensive for the next guests arriving after them. Just rude!   And the switching names on reservations is an issue as well. I have multiple guests that I would NEVER rent to again, but if they make a reservation under a new profile name, or someone else in the group makes it, we have no way of knowing who they are and boom. SAME issues as before.  No way to control that problem!