Lower ratings after asking guest to pay...?

[Freedom1]

Anyone else have issues with guests leaving a lower star rating when you ask them to pay for something?

I had one guest book 3 months before the arrival date for two weeks and then one week into her stay say she was leaving early and requesting to change her reservation. I asked her to pay an extra night because I wasn’t prepared or able to get in to clean the next day and it was such short notice but I refunded her the rest of the week. It was also our slow time of year and we didn’t book up for that week and lost a fair amount of $$. She left a lower overall review even though everything else was five star.

And then I just had a guest (the most difficult/picky yet) throw away a reusable coffee filter (brand new) and when I asked them to pay for it they left lengthy messages and felt they shouldn’t pay because I didn’t provide a note or instructions not to throw it away... it wasn’t really a big deal but if I threw something away without asking/on accident I would just offer to pay for it and that’s what I figured they wound feel... but same thing - they left all 5 stars but overall 4.

Wonder if there’s a way to deal with this going forward so it doesn’t affect our ratings - all others are 5 star... I guess maybe just ignore these? But it also makes me feel like I can’t charge guests even when they should pay for fear of a low review...

Thoughts?

[Linda108]

@Freedom1   Many hosts complain that they get 5 in every category and then a 4 or even 3 overall.  The categories are not really exhaustive of the guest experience.  Sometimes part of the experience includes that the guest feels unfairly charged or didn't get all the accommodation they wanted as in the 2 examples you gave.  

I think you have to weigh the cost of the missing or damaged article with the effect on the guest when asked to pay money.  Unfortunately the timing of requesting payment on this platform is such that a host has to contact the guest before most have written a review and the guest experience is tainted by that message.

In the case of the accommodation you made in reducing the length of stay, I would have opted to tell the guest to contact Air BNB about changing the reservation period and let your cancellation policy determine the refund. That you cannot get to the unit to clean is not the guest's problem.  It is yours and I would not have shared it with the guest.

After hosting for over 4 years, I have the perspective that while I aspire to earn a 5 start review everytime, I am not in control of everything.  Most hosts that post on this discussion forum will urge you to not try to make much of any review.