Need guidance on bad reviews

[Evelyn28]

Hi airbnb community,

I had a recent guest who damaged my furniture. I am currently going through the resolution center. My question regards a review and I need your suggestions. Basically this guest was a high-maintenance, but I was OK with this since I had a long string of lovely guests who didn't leave a footprint. I am wondering if I should leave a negative review. I noticed that some hosts don't leave negative reviews, they simply don't leave a review at all. In this case, the guest is a newlywed so he can open another account in his wife's name, so it wouldn't be helpful to other hosts, and I don't really want it on my site. 

Any thoughts or experience?

Thanks

[Sarah286]

The only time I made a claim through the resolution center for a guest, the guest subsequently left me a very negative review as a consquence.  The process is fraught and I think doesn't work particularly well because of the sequencing.  

[Momi0]

@Sarah286  Did you know that if your guest wrote in his review about the resolution or anything regarding money for damage , it can be POSSIBLY removed?  Its against Airbnb REVIEWS Terms and Conditions if there is any mention about a monetary issue in a review after the stay.  Please contact ABB to have them review that bad review to see if it can be removed.   Sorry to hear you had to deal with that. I have requested that this particular issue be discussed at the Air Bnb Open in Los Angeles because I have had to deal with damage property like someone setting my microwave on fire!  Hence why no one is allowed in my kitchen anymore.  And no I was not paid for this as its a 48 hour deadline to request damage payment and I was 3 hours late.....yes, I was a new host.  That doesn't happen anymore.  haha

@Evelyn28  FYI  - you can def mention that the guest damaged the furniture.  But do not write that you are seeking through resolution center.  What you can write is that the guest acknowledges he damaged the furniture and you would prefer not to rent to him again.  I have written about a guest by saying that they were not a match for my family and better suited in a studio apt versus a private room in our home and here's why.  Too many ppl equate honest with meaness.  A review can be written without meaness.  Just state the facts.

[Evelyn28]

Thank you Sarah. I was afraid of retaliation but went ahead anyway. el

[Momi0]

@Evelyn28 Please leave a honest review. I am a host who does  because I care about other hosts. The guests that come through my door as being disrespectful, breaking my rules, stealing and just plain messy are written about as well.  However, I also write what they did right.   That's the difference between my 5 Star Perfect Guests and my 3.5 Star Guest. That way a host can decide if they want to deal with someone who has bad communication but is very neat.  Everyone is different. But I can tell you that I wish another host had written a review about one of my most recent guests because I was led to believe I was her first host....turns out I was not.  Shame on that other host for not writing a review.   My guest was neat, but broke several rules thoughout her 4 day stay.  That's my worst case scenario.  (including leaving our front door unlocked)

As a Superhost, I would appreciate knowing everything about your guest, including the fact that you are writing a review on his account, but he travelled with his wife.  I now ask people who are coming as a couple if they have another account so I can find out what their reviews are.  Glad I do that.  I declined someone who started her own account, because I discovered her husband already had a negative review on HIS account.  I care more about getting the "RIGHT" guest way more then I care about the money.   Hope this helps. Aloha.  Momi

[Cj7]

I think honesty is the best policy. Think about it. If the last person ( assuming there is a last person) covered up for this person then you would not be going through this. 

Reviews are odd in a way, sometimes I really want to let rip but I dont. I had a few humdingers come my way but had to give the review constructivly.

I have just had a guest that left my house, they seemed nice when renting and no problems durring the stay, they asked to have my cleaning fee taken away and said they would do the cleaning themselves. They left me a review of 4 stars saying the flat was dusty!

I could have ripped a strip off of them as this scars my Super Host Status. 

Fast forward, they left and I was not in the country, I came back and heard that the guest went in and out of the flat every 20 minutes for some reason, driving my neighbors NUTS...I only found out after I left the review that all was not ok. Neighbors said that they were smoking, every 20 minutes the flat door opening and closing...

I called Air and had the review I left removed. I will now write a public response to them and try to make it a nice one in a constructive way. Not sure HOW I am going to do this as I am still so upset. 

I need to suggest that they find a flat that has outside space so they dont open and close the door every 20 minutes.

Be honest.

The review is what I look at when picking guests. 

If there has been a problem and it was solved by both of you then so be it. Everyone makes mistakes. Its how you recover.

I hope this helps,

[Cj7]

I think honesty is the best policy. Think about it. If the last person ( assuming there is a last person) covered up for this person then you would not be going through this. 

Reviews are odd in a way, sometimes I really want to let rip but I dont. I had a few humdingers come my way but had to give the review constructivly.

I have just had a guest that left my house, they seemed nice when renting and no problems durring the stay, they asked to have my cleaning fee taken away and said they would do the cleaning themselves. They left me a review of 4 stars saying the flat was dusty!

I could have ripped a strip off of them as this scars my Super Host Status. 

Fast forward, they left and I was not in the country, I came back and heard that the guest went in and out of the flat every 20 minutes for some reason, driving my neighbors NUTS...I only found out after I left the review that all was not ok. Neighbors said that they were smoking, every 20 minutes the flat door opening and closing...

I called Air and had the review I left removed. I will now write a public response to them and try to make it a nice one in a constructive way. Not sure HOW I am going to do this as I am still so upset. 

I need to suggest that they find a flat that has outside space so they dont open and close the door every 20 minutes.

Be honest.

The review is what I look at when picking guests. 

If there has been a problem and it was solved by both of you then so be it. Everyone makes mistakes. Its how you recover.

I hope this helps,

[Evelyn28]

Thanks Cj. It seems to be a concensus that I write the review. Appreciate your response.

[Evelyn28]

Thank you Momi for the thoughtful response. That is a good idea to check if a couple has two accounts.

el

[Eloise0]

Momi,

Well said Momi, THANK YOU.

I agree with you about writing truthful reviews.  If more Hosts were to start writing honest reviews it would go a long way to helping all the hard working Hosts out there that are trying their best to preserve whats left of the airbnb brand name by not breaking their own rules or the airbnb rules and not worrying about bad reviews.  I believe that timely communication, clear and firmly stated house rules, have enabled me to weed out the high maintenance and difficult Guests.  I make it very clear that I do not communicate outside the airbnb platform.  While I probably loose Guests along the way I would rather enjoy all of my Guests than have to put up with one difficult one.  I am like you, I care more about a positive experience than I do about the money. Plus I love to Host.  I do not let prospective Guests or confirmed Guests try to push me around.  I have posted here several times in the past that ever since airbnb has suddenly gotten thousands of new Hosts I have also gotten a lot of Guests who right off the bat want to bend or break the rules with the comment of "The last Host we had let us........"

If more Hosts would quit breaking the rules and stop worrying about bad reviews I honestly believe that the whole airbnb experience would little by little improve and start to "right itself."  For every Host that lets a Guest bully them, break rules, or lie about anything they are essentially telling the Guest that it is OK to behave that way to them and everyone else, just because the Hosts wants the money from that Guest or is afraid of a bad review.   airbnb does not need Hosts like that as they do a great diservice to everyone and to airbnb.  I am only speaking for myself when I say that I don't understand Hosts that don't respect the concept or the process, as they are as bad as the Guests they complain about. How can they complain about Guests who have broken the rules when they have done the same thing and then want other Hosts to sort it out for them. It makes absolutely no sense.  These are usually the same Hosts who want airbnb phone numbers. Why would you even have a listing without entering the airbnb toll free number in their phone or displayed in a prominant place as the first order of business?

Before anyone reading this post gets upset or mad, I am not writing about any one person and it is only my opionin. I WISH HOSTS WOULD STOP BREAKING THE RULES AND START WRITING HONEST FACTUAL REVIEWS.  Just by doing those two things, Guests would get the message loud and clear resulting in a lot more vey happy Hosts and Guests.

 I would also like to thank you and all the other "old timers" who are continually generous with your time and expertise in helping new Hosts who are trying to navigate the waters of a fast changing site.  I realise that it is not easy to figure out all the ins and outs of Hosting but new Hosts would find it a lot easier to manage if they would just read all the guidelines.

Thanks to everybody for letting me vent my frustration about small problems that Hosts shouldn't even be having.  READ THE RULES AND KEEP THE RULES.

Happy Hosting,

Eloise at happy Trails