If you don't have something nice to say... Rookie needs advice.

Lauren116
Level 2
Santa Cruz, CA

If you don't have something nice to say... Rookie needs advice.

I am fairly new as a host- just a few months.  We have been so lucky with our guests so far.  The last 2 groups had some issues I am hoping for guidance on, as far as writing reviews and avoiding this in the future.  

 

Our unit is the back third of our home, completely private and separate, but with a shared wall.  

 

One situation was 3 ladies getting away before one has a baby.  They were nice enough, however we are 99% sure they had an extra guest the 2nd night, and they left the place pretty messy (pile of sand on the bedroom floor, crumbs everywhere, folded up the leather futon with spilled wine in it.)  My husband saw and heard the 4th person arrive the night before, then he went back there after he saw 3 people leave at checkout, and someone was still there.  Obviously, we can't proove this.  How would you review this person?  We are happy that they enjoyed the space and were nice people, but I want to be honest.

 

The second situation.  A couple with 2 kids (10 and 13).  Very nice people.  The kids were pretty quiet.  They left the place SO messy.  Didn't do their dishes, food everywhere, jam smeared on the coffee table, furniture all moved around...etc.  She didn't have any reviews, so maybe doesn't know Airbnb general etiquette.  I'm thinking I will save the criticism for private feedback, but how would you review?  Also, do you specifically say in your house rules to do dishes?  Everyone else has been very curtious about this.

 

I will appreciate any words of advice!

13 Replies 13
José70
Level 5
Lisbon, Portugal

Be honest in your reviews. Just say the truth about any bad or wrong behaviour guests had in your place. That helps other hosts in the future regarding this kind of guests. But be polite and serious. Do not leave emotional reviews,just go directly to the point. And send private feedback to Airbnb regarding all house rules that the guests broke. Basically,i think that is all you can do. Bset of luck to you. 🙂

Thank you, @José70!  I appreciate it. 

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

First of all, do not mention anything you cannot prove, @Lauren116. At the very least you will come to regret it when they vehemently deny it. And given that, if it is true, they went to great lengths to keep it from you, they WILL deny it. At worst it is a violation of terms. 

That said, tell the truth, but unemotionally. Just the facts. Start with the "nice" - you said both groups were nice. The children were quiet. You were surprised by the amount of cleaning you needed to do after they checked out. Give appropriate star ratings. Give a thumbs down if you would not want to host them again (because other hosts won't want to host them either).

Does this help?

Thank you @Lawrene0!  Great advice. 

Sandra290
Level 2
Banos, Ecuador

To Lauren:  On a few occasions now I've had extra guests stay without notifying me.  The best way I've found to handle it is to talk to the person who made the reservation and politely ask them if there are additional guests staying.  I've never had anyone deny it yet.  I also put the monkey on airbnb's shoulders reminding the guest that airbnb rules about extra guests are strict and that I want to write a good review based on their compliance with the rules.  I also found that if I'm in doubt about the extra guest and cannot get in touch with the pack leader, I will simply send a polite message on the airbnb message board asking them if they have additional guests.  If there is no response, then the suspicions I have usually prove correct when politely confronting the head guest in person.  This is by far the biggest problem we've had so far after hosting some 8 months now.  If I don't like a customer, for whatever reason, e.g., usually this type of sneakiness,  I will not leave a public review until they've left one first.  If they don't leave one, I usually will not stir up any problems by sending a private message to them without any proof of my suspicions regarding extra guests they may or may not have snuck in.  My public review will usually be something like: "Best wishes on your future travels."  SM

@Sandra290, Thank you for your reply.  That was my inclination, too- not to review unless she left one first.  Your example of a review is perfect.  Thanks!

Joanna85
Level 10
Las Vegas, NV

Everyone usually leaves a review- or has for me, so I don't really know what the purpose of waiting for a review makes, especially if you have no idea what they are going to say.  I do read reviews of other guests I"m about to have.  I'd like to know if a guest flooded your bathroom or were noisy or left an unreasonable mess behind.  I find most people want to follow the rules but as I do more and more hosting, I find people want to save $$ and they forget it's your home--not that they are being disrespectful but they forget you live there and they are strangers in your home..it's not a hotel.  In a hotel room, people cram themselves in to save a buck.  In someone's home...that's not super ideal, but people forget IT IS NOT A HOTEL, IT IS THE HOST'S HOME! 

I agree, it's not a hotel....when people leave lights on or the fans all night, it costs extra money; makes me mad!

Re/ reviews, I just say in the private part, that perhaps they could have left the place a little tidier!

Good luck Rosemary

Useful advice. It's taken me a while to navigate the forum but I have found it handy to see a range of views.  I need to think another day before deciding what to write about a guest who clearly left without checking if everything in the kitchen was turned off - I was away for the day

We had similiar situation with house guest. We didn't write a totally negative review. We focused on what they did positive and then sent feedback to Airbnb separately so that the guest would be flagged for future hosts to understand all the house rules they broke and make a decision from there whether to book these people. We were fairly new hosts when this happened and feared that if we wrote a really bad review that they would try to retaliate some how.

@Jerry-and-Lynne0

 

You gave them a thumbs down?

David

No just expressing we had similiar situation we didn't give thumbs up or down unless it was unintentional.

@Jerry-and-Lynne0

 

The thumbs up and down and any public comments are the way you inform other hosts, I doubt otherwise that any comments you make in the what do you want to tel ABB will even be read.

David