I would like your opinion on this response to my truthful review please.

Answered!
Mary-Ann0
Level 10
Sun City, AZ

I would like your opinion on this response to my truthful review please.

I have read many times here in the Community Center to please tell the truth about inappropriate behavior by guests so to give a heads up to future hosts.

So I left a truthful review and now I have an issue with my guest's public response to my review.  I feel my review was appropriate and because Airbnb asks us to tell the truth and other hosts want to hear the truth ... well I told the truth in my review and this is what happened.

My review:

------ and her husband --- were quiet and unobtrusive guests; and they “didn't need a thing" the entire time they stayed. Except for a few short and cordial chats I didn't see much of them for they were busy relaxing in the sun and out keeping to their vacation agenda for the entire month they stayed. I was very happy to see that they partook of the citrus and used the apartment to the fullest; appreciated the warm weather and “enjoyed" the place. ------- obliged me and took a current picture of the potted plants off the patio porch and also of a quail – thanks -----! And --- even replaced a part that broke inside the toilet tank and also cleared the spout aerator of mineral deposit buildup; boy, how I appreciate that! Thanks so much Don and thanks for the nice remarks shortly after you arrived saying my place was “so clean and everything". I wish I could leave it at that but I can't because unfortunately the apartment was not left reasonably clean and anywhere near like it was found; and then there was damage to some costly but necessary items I am very sorry to say. I can say though that we were able to work out the damage costs in a civilized way - but because of the type of damage and the way the apartment was left, I think that ------- may be a guest who is better suited for hotels rather than Airbnb.

Guest's response:

Before we left MaryAnn's apartment, we swept the floors (with a broom that should have been replaced several years ago), tried to vacuum the very aged carpet with a small electric broom that would not pick up any dirt let alone small pieces of thread, washed all the dishes (there is no dishwasher to get the coffee smell out of the coffee cups), emptied the refrigerator of all food, emptied the trash, and gathered up the dirty sheets and towels. We did not scrub the bathroom, but we wiped it down. When we rented the apartment, we were charged a CLEANING FEE and that money should be used to have a professional cleaning service in to prepare for the next guests. If MaryAnn expects her guests to leave the apartment spic and span--then she should be charging a CLEANING DEPOSIT, and doing a walk-through at the end of a stay, so that the money can be refunded to guests who do the cleaning for her. The damaged item was a sheet with a K-Y Jelly spot on it, that Mary Ann says she could not get out-possibly she needs to change laundry detergent. We paid for a new set of sheets. After the nasty private feedback that I have gotten from MaryAnn, I will not ever recommend her place to anyone. And I can only say that if she continues to treat her guests in this manner once they are gone, it won't be long before cleaning will not be a problem, because she will not have any guests to clean up after!

 

Now I have this user's angry nasty response that I feel is inappropriate because she referred to "K-Y Jelly" as the stain on the sheets and in my review I never mentioned "sheets" so I feel that mentioning the damage as a stain on the sheets does not fit and a little bit vulgar.  Also it is a tad threatening because of the angry hostile tone and the threat of "she will not have any more guests to clean up after" statement.   The damage costs were resolved in the resolution center in which the guest wanted to “bargain” and not have to pay so much and so I did and she agreed to it and she should not be saying that I “made her pay for new sheets” it is not the way it happened.  And it was not a “spot” it was a large stain of I don’t know what on the fitted sheet and also on a matching pillow case of a good set of sheets; and also she lied about wiping down the bathroom and cleaning up too.  Then the ditty about cleaning fees is not the way Airbnb works that I know of.  And her complaint about my private feedback was exaggerated and uncalled for because it was private and not public – but now she has gotten the public’s attention. I believe this is very ugly and not only reflects badly on the guest but reflects badly on Airbnb because of the "K-Y Jelly" statement, the vehemently hostile tone, the threat of “no more guests to clean up after” and the complaints about cleaning fees and private feedback which are both sanctioned by Airbnb. I think if Airbnb wants reviews to be truthful then they should not let a guest lash back at a host with this kind of “kitchen sink” rage filled tirade for being truthful in, what I thought, an appropriate way.  My review is decent - the response from my guest is not.

 

I am open to all suggestions and feedback about this.  How could this have been prevented? Thank you.

2 Best Answers
Wendy-and-Markus0
Level 10
United States

@Mary-Ann0:

 

I agree with what others have mentioned with regards to suggesting you write shorter reviews in the future, if the issue was resolved, I wouldn't recommend mentioning it. It is tricky to have guests use the same towels/sheets etc for longer stays. Did you provide replacements in the unit?

 

My suggestions:

 

Shorter Review: ------ and her husband --- were quiet, helpful, and unobtrusive guests. Thanks so much Don and thanks for the nice remarks shortly after you arrived saying my place was “so clean and everything". Glad to know they enjoyed our unit as much as they did during their month long stay.

 

They helped you with something and in return there was a grease mark on one of the sheets. It happens.

 

-For month long stays, offer a weekly light housekeeping service: freshen sheets/towels, clean the bathroom (especially), and touch up in the kitchen type deal. Or consider offering a full on cleaning service every 2 weeks. Whether you build it into your nightly rate or state that guests are responsible for a 2nd cleaning fee for month long stays in your rules. This helps protect your home and the things in it.

 

-While we hope everyone knows the golden rule to wash the dishes one uses, that cannot be assumed. If this is an expectation you have, I would add it to your house rules.

 

-If for some reason the guest refuses the weekly or bi-monthly housekeeping service, you can either make it a non-negotiable item OR expect for your home to need a deeper cleaning than usual.

 

I don't want to judge you on your $100 cleaning fee (we charge $50 for a studio and pay our housekeeper $60, we recognize others in our area charge farless but I am not willing to compromise quality, dependability, and trusthworthiness that the job will get done right each and every single time.) During a few longer stays we have had, we have offered housekeeping on a weekly or every 10 days or so.

 

With the disclaimer that I am not trying to judge you on your cleaning fee, I did check similar listings in your area, the first that popped up under entire home was a 4 bedroom house which accommodates 8 people, they charge a $150 cleaning fee. Maybe the guests felt justified they paid a "premium cleaning fee" and felt them taking out the trash, clearing the fridge, rinsing the dishes etc was enough after a month long use.

 

Even if our listing offered a full on kitchen (we don't) our housekeeper would still be replacing and or washing all the dishes/utensils etc provided in our unit.

 

Just some thoughts:)

 

 

 

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Ann39
Level 2
Denver, CO

I don't think you can prevent this because there are always people who are defensive about any complaints. Yes, we need to leave honest feedback and you did an excellent job of complimenting the guests for what they did well, that you found them delightful, etc. I'm sure that hosts differ as to what they expect from guests in the way of leaving the place clean. I think your review was appropriate. And I think her response to the review was combative and rather immature. I'd forget it, knowing we can always expect people such as these every now and again.

 

 

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41 Replies 41

Hey @Ash-and-Dasha0

 

Thanks so much for your input and yes I agree it is a learning process and I have a lot to learn about Airbnb.

 

I have changed my rules, description and pricing several times in the last few days trying to be clear about my expectations but not scare guests away and also make enough to cover my cleaning costs so I am working on it.

 

And yes - silly me for thinking Airbnb should take the response down.   I just never seen such a thing and at the time I thought it was the worst thing in the world but I am getting used to it now.  And yes it helps a lot that, like you say, "the response appears strictly on the guest's page" so I am thankful for that. 

 

Thanks again and take care,

Mary Ann

I am getting over this ... slowly.

 

 

 

 

I feel for you!  I have decided not to rent long term to anyone I don't personally know or have hosted previously.  It seems I have had the worst problems with renters who stay over a week, and I'm guessing they either have unrealistically high expectations due to the total price of the stay, or expect "extras" because they are staying longer.  Regardless, let it go.  Chalk it up as a learning experience.  And charge a higher cleaning cost if you do host guests for longer than a week.  And I will relate a story about someone who rented from me for a week:  She must've been saving up her laundry for months and decided to pack it in her car and proceed to use the house's washer and dryer for 3 days straight!!  The dryer vent was working overtime - with the smell of cheap dryer sheets wafting through the air!  Her 3 well behaved small dogs jumped all over the furniture and scratched up the wood floors.  My lesson learned was to be extremely careful about renting and that's why I switched from VRBO to Airbnb to at least get some feedback on potential renters.  Please take pride in being honest...we hosts appreciate and respect you for that!!

Hey @Jayne7!

 

Thank you for your kind words, supportive reply and sharing your experience with one of your guests in the past.

I, too have had long term (1 - 3 months) guests and although most were good there were a few who were not that just did me in, and so I said never again to more than 30 day stays.  I just cannot imagine the nerve and guile of some people and so 30 days is my limit now.

 

After all the years I have been renting out my little guest apartment you would think that I would not be so darn naive and expect a rude and mean spirited guest to leave a civil response after I called her out.  Duh-ha – dumb stupid me! And yes though I still think we hosts need to be truthful to give other hosts a heads up; there has to be a better way to do it so we don’t get brutally smacked with a defensive (and deceitful) response.

 

I wish the thumbs down feature would show to other hosts but I don’t think it does.  If it did we wouldn’t have to say anything and hosts could just contact us for feedback if they wanted.

 

From my first three Airbnb guests only the third was great and I think it was because before she booked I raised up my price to my usual reasonable rates close to what I had been charging before.  I found that the first two low-budget people in the beginning were most demanding but gave only 4 star reviews.

 

BTW @Jayne7 your place is absolutely charming and looks like one dreamy get-away. You should do very well.

 

Best regards,

Mary Ann

I feel for you too, Mary Ann. I had two guests for one week who were a pain in the *ss. For example, they called me up at 11:30pm because "there is a bug in the room" and they wanted me to come kill it (I did). There were many little requests like this over the course of the week, when my many (more than 25) other guests never seemed to have any reason to call me at all. They left the place very dirty, mud all over the floor and makeup-stained towels, far beyond what my $25 cleaning fee allows for. On the other hand, they were pleasant and courteous, and even made me laugh a few times.

 

In my review of the guest, I simply said they were pleasant and fun, but that based on their needs I thought they might be happier in a hotel. The End. I expressed my displeasure over the filthiness with a two-star review on Cleanliness.

 

Hosts reading such a review will get the picture. And I satisfied my need to be honest without hurting their feelings and setting myself up for a backlash.

 

Also I have started leaving a roll of paper towels in the room, and this seems to go a long way toward guests leaving the room clean. Perhaps my guests left it dirty because they simply didn't have any way to clean up. I prefer to give them the benefit of the doubt on this one.

 

 

Hey @Michele39,

 

Your review you did was perfect!  You nailed it there and that would have worked on my rude guest too.

 

I really believe that rude guests are totally unhappy people and so with the statement that you "thought they might be 'happier' in a hotel"; I think that might cover everything - it covers rudeness, arrogant attitude, unreasonable demands and even uncleanliness too.

 

I wish I would have said something very close to that and forgot trying to be nice to her with giving credit to her husband. …… But it is hard when one guest is okay and the other one is terrible.

 

Oh well …. I learn, I learn.

 

Thank you Michele!

Mary Ann 

I'm reading this entire thread and trying to fit myself into the picture.  Strangely, whether it is good fortune or perhaps that the profile of person who is likely to rent our apartment differs from the norm (almost never guests who are visiting my city to party) we have only had one bad experience in perhaps 60 or so hostings.  We have done long and shorter term.  I definitely feel there is a sweet spot in the demographic of 'ideal' guests but apart from very rarely refusing requests that are clearly from 'partyers' we take almost all of our requests - perhaps refuse 10% and some of those because we have a conflict because of ongoing renovations or friends of the family using our apartment space.

 

I guess my thought is that the best way to ensure positive and amicable experiences (and I could be wrong) is to start the relationship on a very positive note.  I make an effort to be interested in them and their reason for visiting.  I sincerely make an effort to form a relationship - albeit a 'soft' one that is transitory. It starts with an effort to engage even before they arrive - asking if they have any special needs, interests or concerns and I try to be useful in terms of recommends re: nearby features that may be of interest.  I make myself as available as possible to their requests and try, if possible and if the vibe is good, to share a wee bit of food, wine or tea just to see if I can be of any use.  I'm not bragging, I guess I am sharing what I believe is a way to improve the experience of both guest and host.  What I get in return is enthusiastic expressions of contentment, interesting conversation, the pleasure of being helpful in small ways and the sense that I made their experience just a bit better.

 

This isn't possible if you are a host who does not live where your guests are. I think that's just going to be a different experience but there are still ways that you can make connections that will, I believe, ensure your guests are more respectful of your space, are more considerate of your role in the transaction and will have more positive take-aways than just a clean and pretty environment.

 

Again, this sounds like a brag (it's really not) but I am usually embarassed by how much effort my guests make in cleaning the space when they leave. I never ask for it and I almost wish they wouldn't clean up so much because I have to do it anyway to ensure that everything is done to a standard. But I know that their effort is a clear sign of the mutual respect that we feel for each other.  I love hosting.  Really.  It is not critical to my financial well-being though I don't mind the extra jingle in my pocket that lets me be a little kinder to myself and to others. It is just a pleasure to make other people's experience of our city a wee bit better. People are great and good and worthy.  I enjoy seeing that belief reinforced with every hosting experience (but one).

 

My advice? Relax and enjoy.  Discover the pleasure of service.

 

c.

Wendy-and-Markus0
Level 10
United States

@Mary-Ann0:

 

I agree with what others have mentioned with regards to suggesting you write shorter reviews in the future, if the issue was resolved, I wouldn't recommend mentioning it. It is tricky to have guests use the same towels/sheets etc for longer stays. Did you provide replacements in the unit?

 

My suggestions:

 

Shorter Review: ------ and her husband --- were quiet, helpful, and unobtrusive guests. Thanks so much Don and thanks for the nice remarks shortly after you arrived saying my place was “so clean and everything". Glad to know they enjoyed our unit as much as they did during their month long stay.

 

They helped you with something and in return there was a grease mark on one of the sheets. It happens.

 

-For month long stays, offer a weekly light housekeeping service: freshen sheets/towels, clean the bathroom (especially), and touch up in the kitchen type deal. Or consider offering a full on cleaning service every 2 weeks. Whether you build it into your nightly rate or state that guests are responsible for a 2nd cleaning fee for month long stays in your rules. This helps protect your home and the things in it.

 

-While we hope everyone knows the golden rule to wash the dishes one uses, that cannot be assumed. If this is an expectation you have, I would add it to your house rules.

 

-If for some reason the guest refuses the weekly or bi-monthly housekeeping service, you can either make it a non-negotiable item OR expect for your home to need a deeper cleaning than usual.

 

I don't want to judge you on your $100 cleaning fee (we charge $50 for a studio and pay our housekeeper $60, we recognize others in our area charge farless but I am not willing to compromise quality, dependability, and trusthworthiness that the job will get done right each and every single time.) During a few longer stays we have had, we have offered housekeeping on a weekly or every 10 days or so.

 

With the disclaimer that I am not trying to judge you on your cleaning fee, I did check similar listings in your area, the first that popped up under entire home was a 4 bedroom house which accommodates 8 people, they charge a $150 cleaning fee. Maybe the guests felt justified they paid a "premium cleaning fee" and felt them taking out the trash, clearing the fridge, rinsing the dishes etc was enough after a month long use.

 

Even if our listing offered a full on kitchen (we don't) our housekeeper would still be replacing and or washing all the dishes/utensils etc provided in our unit.

 

Just some thoughts:)

 

 

 

Hi @Wendy-and-Markus0

 

I personally laundered all of the used sheets, bath towels, wash clothes, dishcloths, etc. and folded them and left them by their door once every week (3 times).  They also had access to a washing machine and detergent, softener which I know that they used for their personal clothing.

 

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

None of these minor things should have been mentioned publically – I only mentioned them in private in private feedback because Airbnb encourages us to.  It was the guest who brought all of this up publicly making me look petty and frivolous.

This is good.  I have a couple month long guests coming up and was uncertain what to do. 

Ann39
Level 2
Denver, CO

I don't think you can prevent this because there are always people who are defensive about any complaints. Yes, we need to leave honest feedback and you did an excellent job of complimenting the guests for what they did well, that you found them delightful, etc. I'm sure that hosts differ as to what they expect from guests in the way of leaving the place clean. I think your review was appropriate. And I think her response to the review was combative and rather immature. I'd forget it, knowing we can always expect people such as these every now and again.

 

 

Thank you, @Ann

 

I did try to first give them credit for the positives and thank her husband.

 

I feel the same that more of us “need to leave honest feedback” and not be afraid of this kind of response even though it is rather shocking coming from an adult woman.

 

I still stand by what I said because I would not wish this guest on any host - but apparently there are some who don't agree.  That's okay we are all different.

 

Mary Ann

You're going to always deal with difficult clients in every business.  Just don't respond to their response next time.  Move onto the next one..... 

 

 

Rebekah-And-Babak0
Level 2
Brisbane, Australia

Hi Mary Ann,

Most hosts know how to read between the lines. There is no need to be brutally honest. You could have passed on the message to other hosts in a much more less confronting and detailed way. "Ïf you can't say something nice, say notthing at all" is a good guideline for writing reviews. You started the war now you have to deal with an angry guest. Not a situation any host wants to be in.

@Rebekah-And-Babak0

 

Would you kindly point out the sentence in my review where I was brutal?

 

Or maybe you should read through the other posts again and re-read my review.  What I think is that I was too nice and (as others have said) too detailed in trying to appease this woman by giving credit to her husband in my review. 

 

This guest was angry and rude when they arrived at my door as I mentioned in other posts in this thread.  What I regret is that I didn't mention that part in my review along with the uncleanliness and damage too so now I wish I would had been brutally honest - especially now since her response was brutally DIS-honest, over-blown, rude and quite petty and immature.

 

And yes, I agree I did not use good judgement in this review because this woman was so mean spirited I should have expected a nasty backlash; I learned my lesson, but I don't feel that I was "brutal". 

 

Also since I did not respond to her response, there is no "war" going on.

 

But thank you for your opinion.

 

Mary Ann.  You are upset.  The wounds are fresh.  You need to take a step back and let go of this rotten experience.  Your dialogue is no longer about poor behaviour, it is now about who is honest, trustworthy and well-behaved.  There is no winning this war, only further hard feelings.  There was a suggestion to rate low in the star system.  This is very useful.  The future hosts will get the information with no need for anything graphic.  It is when people are publicly ridiculed or embarrassed that they strike out irrationally.  You can never change any of this.  Move on and chalk it up to learning.  Get some more guests, audit their ratings carefully, use your intuition and get back into the pool.  Enjoy talking to people from wholly different lives and circumstances.  Find commonalities. Share wine. It will be fine.

 

colin