Guest incorrectly reviewed us.

[Tom-and-Camilla0]

We recently started hosting on Airbnb. Up until yesterday we had 100% 5 star reviews (6 out of 6). Then we had a guest who turned up 2 hours prior to check in.....and while was very polite during his 2 day stay then in the review feedback mentioned that the "soap was missing". 

He obviously felt negative about this as he scored us 4 star on everything (which has frustratingly now brought us right down overall). But the fact is there was not only a bottle of soap on the sink there was also a bowl of various shower gels, soaps and shampoos in the shower too. 

So my question is, if you get factually incorrect feedback, which has resulted in a lower rating, is there any way to address this? Or do I simply need to forget anout it and accept that this is part of what just happens with hosting.

[Lawrene0]

It's very annoying, @Tom-and-Camilla0, but I would let it go. You will need a great deal of time and patience to explain about the soap, and I predict it will get you only, "It was the guest's perception that there was no soap."

Maybe the guest uses only Ivory soap at home, and so felt there was no soap, or is one of those fellows who shout to the wife "Where's the soap?" when it is right in front of him.

And nothing will turn those 4s to 5s. Just doesn't happen.

Guests, those creatures who fail to read, who show up early/leave late, who cannot find soap on the sink, should not be our inspectors, but they are. I recently was marked down because there are stairs to my treehouse. At least that one is true.

Those 4s will soon get swallowed up in your 5s. What a beautiful place you have!

[Tom-and-Camilla0]

Thanks so much Lawrence. Really appreciate the feedback!

We once got marked down because it was dark at night! As you say there is no sense when it comes to some guest reviews.

all the best and thanks again! 

[Sarah977]

@Lawrene0  That's unreal. What did they expect, a skyhook? An elevator? An escalator? A helicopter? Who would book a treehouse and not expect it to be up in a tree? If we wrote a book with all the guest complaints no one would believe it.

[Lawrene0]

Specifically the complaint was that she had to walk down them and back up again in the night. So either she was looking for that skyhook - cool idea, @Sarah977! - or she wished for a chamber pot. As no one in their right mind who has ever met a chamber pot wishes for one, I did not take the criticism on board. 

Be sure to add @Tom-and-Camilla0's "no soap" to your book. 🙂

[Sarah977]

@Lawrene0 Haha, I actually used to have a chamber pot when I lived on Vancouver Island. My house was about 100 years old- there was only one bathroom, downstairs. I hated getting up to go downstairs if I had to pee during the night in the winter, because it was cold until I threw some more logs in the woodstove in the morning. It was a cool old style porcelin chamber pot and when I moved, I gave it to a friend who has exactly the same kind of house set-up I had and she was happy to have it. Of course, all I used it for was to pee, so it wasn't particularly gross.

[Sarah977]

@Lawrene0 Have you guys ever seen the "Free Spirit Spheres" that a guy on Vancouver Island makes? If not, Google it. They are the coolest tree houses. I went up in one- the guy who makes them was a friend of a friend. You also have to go up and downstairs to get to the bathroom, which is in a separate outbuilding.

[Lawrene0]

They are cool, @Sarah977! Also those hanging hammock-type tents. So many options. My smart sister-in-law, for whom camping is having to settle for a Marriott, calls our treehouse a "shed in a tree". When I posted it was unfortunate that guests are our inspectors, I should have remembered it could be worse. Could be the in-laws... 

[Susan17]

@Sarah977  @Lawrene0 Can you imagine the reviews these poor Mongolian nomads are going to have to deal with? "Very inconvenient for shops and nightlife" "Dust everywhere" "Bathroom facilities not up to our standards" "We saw BUGS!! Host refused full refund, but Airbnb gave it to us anyway" etc etc... 🙂

https://techcrunch.com/2018/11/19/airbnb-is-using-what3words-to-list-stays-with-mongolian-nomads/amp...

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

auuuu @Susan17  no WIFI, no A/C , bad location....  😄 😄

[Sarah977]

@Susan17  "There was yak poop on the pathway to the outhouse."

[Susan17]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 @Lawrene0 @Sarah977

"Couldn't even get an Uber in this 'hood! Only option for transport was reindeer and sled! WTH??? 1 star all round!"

[Pete28]

If you look at any 5* hotel on tripadvsior you will see that most avg about 4.5 with 80% 5* - this was the superhost requirement up until earlier in the year.

You can't control what rating guests will leave.

Unless I had a dire need for money I wouldn't share my home with them. It's bad enough having them in a self contained unit 😞

[Kerry175]

1. We have had 10 guests, and 8 of them have left 5 star ratings and rave reviews. One left no rating. The other left a 1 star rating that almost got us kicked off airbnb. We cannot fathom why, they said the place was filthy, sheets were ragged, water flow weak, etc. etc.  This is a brand new apartment with expensive appliances, flooring, etc. We asked them several times if everything was okay and they said it was.  I don't know how you can avoid this other than get lots more good reviews to average it out.