Negative quest review

[Kamila40]

Hi All, 

One of my quest has recently left a very poor rating score which was very dishonest and extremely disappointing as I went extra mile to accommodate her (late, last minute check in, issues with payment, picking her up from the bus station, carrying her luggage’s etc) During her stay I texted her and called her to ensure she enjoys her stay as she was very nervous due to previous Airbnb experience  and no issues have been raised. She ranked me 1 for listing description and photos accuracy which were taken from Airbnb.  Prior to her review I scored 5/5 at every single aspect from every single previous quest and I have hard evidence to dispute her nonsense however Airbnb said that they can’t assist and interfere regarding this matter. Why Airbnb don’t verify customer reviews if it’s done maliciously? 

[Linda108]

I did not find a negative review in your 13 reviews, @Kamila40 .  Were there private remarks or just low ratings while the public review is positive?

[Kamila40]

Hi Linda, 

Thank you for your response. 
There were both private remarks and low rating scores for each individual aspect like location, photo adequacy, value etc which she rated unfairly 1 or 2. 
I would normally let it go, but I have worked hard to ensure that each of my quest feel  welcome, looked after and relax which is reflected in my other reviews. There were some strange aspects of this booking in general-  my dates were blocked but somehow my guest managed to make a reservation, then there were issues with the payment and reason of the booking which was due to other host cancellation. I felt sorry for my guest of not having a place to stay therefore I accepted  the booking and then waited 3hours for her arrival  and that’s how I got rewarded... regards 

Kamila 

[Sarah977]

@Kamila40  So sorry you got one of "those " guests. Unfortunately, the ones who inconvenience you without a thought or an apology and who you go out of your way to accommodate, are the very same guests who go on to leave bad ratings and reviews. At the first inkling that a guest is unappreciative of your efforts and disrepects your time, it's best to stay very businesslike with these types of guests and not bust your butt any further trying to help them out- just do and offer what you normally do, without any frills or special treatment, because they'll not laud you for it. At least then, when they leave a bad review, you won't have to regret making some special allowances for them.

Airbnb's attitude and line is that even if a host has 100 5* reviews and then suddenly gets a 1* review from a bad guest, that the review is a "reflection of the guest's experience". Which of course, is absurd, as it's in fact a reflection of the guest's bad attitude, vindictiveness, or mental problems.

[Anonymous]

@Kamila40  I think we can all relate to the bad feeling one gets when receiving negative feedback, but fortunately there were no visible comments in the public review text that would damage your business or discourage other guests from booking.  A "malicious" or retaliatory review would be one that 

The Content Policy governing reviews does not apply to private feedback, and there's no rule about star ratings, which are subjective by nature and not necessarily reflective of your performance as a host. This is also true for the 5-star ratings; they don't necessarily mean there's no room for improvement. One thing that might have had an impact here is that guests who book at the last minute, when options are scarce, are far less likely to be a good fit for your home than ones who decided your place was the best choice for them when there were still a lot of other appealing options.