Negative reviews

Judy29
Level 9
Brant, Canada

Negative reviews

Does anyone take negative reviews seriously.  Do these reviews reflect poorly on our good intentions to offer the best and cleanest accommodations ever?

 

My guests showed signs of being clean on the surface.  She thought it kindly to do her own linens before leaving.  Well let me say that she needs to go to "laundry school" after what I discovered  with my so called clean laundry.  She jammed ALL the linens from our house that accommodated up to six adults into two loads!  I dont even know how she got the stuff all jammed into the washer!  King sized sheets/w duvet covers, two large blankets, dozen towels, handtowels, washcloths, kitchen linens...the works!

 

...and then gives a comment that I need to pay more attention to cleanliness of floors, carpets, and...the odour in the house (which by the way we have ownly owned for the last six months....ALL new flooring, bathroom, furnishings, linens...and painted walls throughout).  How do we deal with this kind of stupidity.  

 

I have her a 5 star review (I do that just to be kind) and I get a 4 in return..for what...not using enough bleach!)  She actually used Fabreeze to fix the odour problem...HELLO...its the 200 year foundation and damp summer that sets off a musty smell...just keep emptying the dehumidifier...eliminate the moisture...dont mask the odour!

15 Replies 15
Lilian20
Level 10
Argelès-sur-Mer, France

great story thanks @Judy29 - love all them fascinating details 

Thanks for enjoying them...there are lots.  Should write a blog.  27 years hosting.

@Judy29 ahh laundry! I now have a house rule prohibiting guests doing laundry for that reason - throw the red dish towels in with the white sheets, and add some bleach, why not?! Should be fun! You should write a blog, I would subscribe. 🙂 - Karen

@Judy29

 

Please don't give 5 stars to guests who don't deserve 5 stars. You might think you are being nice to the guest, but you are misleading all other hosts that end up hosting that guest after you. Please don't do that to fellow hosts. 

You are absolutely correct and sometimes it take this backlash to figure that out.  However saying that, it works both ways.  Why is it that guests are allowed to give low ratings for things that are just not right.  For instance...I have completely renovated from top to bottom including all new furnishings, linens etc and some guest comes in and says the house isnt clean.  Who are these people???  How do we protect ourselves against these "germaphobics"

 

BTW how do we rate a guest when we "suspect" that they are not respectful to your space.  We had a guest who left suspicious cut marks covering our newly installed 4" thick solid pine  breakfast counter.  I just know that they were "cutting coke".  Do we put that in a review against them?

@Jessica-and-Henry0  Thank you for taking the time to write this....because if you hadn't, I would have.  That's one of my biggest issues since 2015 , finding out that hosts are not telling the truth to spare the hurt feelings of their guests.  What about the hurt I will feel accepting a booking from a guests with a 5 Star review who turns out to be a 3 Star guests, and I host IN MY HOME.... its much much harder then most hosts can imagine.  I don't have a second floor to escape an inconsiderate guests.  But I can tell you one thing....I have devised a personality test that one must pass in order to stay in my home and its working out beautifully.  95% of the time lol

So now I don't care what the reviews say anymore....they gotta impress me during the booking process.  And me alone. 😉

 

I was recently asked to be someone's Co-host in Honolulu, and she specifically asked me to do the same thing as her Co-host with any guests approaching her listing too.  I am honored she asked.  By the way, her views are spectacular.  I almost moved a mattress onto her balcony.  lol 

 

@Judy29  Thank you for your reply back to Jessica and Henry.  I appreciated it.  Perhaps you can add some things to your listing to "educate" your guests so they don't come back and write these things.  Feel free to read my listing. Maybe it might help.   One suggestion. don't let the guests wash the linens....I know I wouldn't, especially bc I buy the expensive stuff.  During a recent trip to New Zealand, I bought 3 sets of sheets that totalled over $350.  Great investment and my guests just love it.  Better then any hotel. 😉

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


Hi: Thank you for bringing the issue up. I am brand new to hosting, and my first guests gave me a bad review because there were flies in the house. We live in a rural area, where farms around us fertilize the grounds with manure...that can bring flies I guess. As much as I cleaned the cottage before guests arrived, flies still got in, probably when they opened the door to bring their luggage in. They were great guests, respectful...but what can I do about nature wanting in? They also had problems with WIFI. I checked the system out the next day of course, I had no issues with the signals...there are so many variables. Did they know how to get WIFI, was their operating system curren et. ...I don't know. So, my score is low before I even really start (sigh). All I can do is strive to do well, because I really enjoy creating experiences and hosting can be a blast :- ). Keep doing what your doing and don't worry too much. Great to have this community, I am learning a lot!

@Vicki0:  I have been hosting for 27 years and still amazed at stupidity from guests.  They are kind and nice up front and then Wham! bad review and for nothing.  My first review on Airbnb was nasty.  The guest complained that the brand new 4pc bathroom was "too small especially for a large man and big people".  That is most of my clientelle.  Lets just put a circle with a line through it on the front door!  These people also complained that there were not enough electrical outlets in the 1000 sq ft  bedroom.  After reading this I went to count...15 outlets later, I scratched my head and went straight to the computer and...

cancelled the account with Airbnb and set up a new one to erase the bad review...just by changing the title.  I want nothing but the best reviews at the beginning so the not go great "idiot reviews" will not have any impact.  (our house is 180 years old and guests should realize that sometimes it isnt that easy to "renovate and plunk in the plumbing just anywhere". ) Guests should be happy they dont have to use the original outhouse and bath in the river.

 

Remember that some of your guests live in high rise condos and have never seen a fly.  I live on the waterfront with forest and we get it all.  I have to tell guests to be careful with food left on the counters.  If you dont want rodents...dont feed them!  So if your guests dont want flies, dont leave the doors open.    We recently purchased one of those spring loaded curtain rods with a centre split screen curtain that pops into the door frame.  It is awkward to walk in and out of but it really works to keep flies from coming into the house with you.  It is easy to pop in and  out so if it is an inconvenience for the guests they have options.  It makes a statement that, A. We live in the country/keep flies outside; B. We care that your environment is insect free. Your guests will thank you for  little things you do for them.

 

As for WIFI, I had techs in constantly to correct issues with guests.  I dont worry anymore as I have found out that some outdated computers and some MACS will never sync with your WIFI.  I purchased a special reconnect router to bring in stronger signals into the guest rooms.  As our foundation is 14" thick stone it is difficult for signals to travel from the connection into the house to the distance where guests want to use their computer.  I  just tell them that it is a well maintained system and apologize that perhaps their system isnt comptible.  I then refer them to the cafe shops in our local town and suggest they take a leisurely walk.  Most cell phones now will automatically connect with the universe and they can get emails which is all they really need at the end of the day.   If there is a guest on an extended stay for business purposes, then I have to bring in the tech who is able to reset their computer to to adapt to the system (not that often...but guests appreciate the effort).  

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Judy29

only universe and stupidity are endless.... but for universe is not proven yet.

At the begining of our hosting trip we were often surprised and in disbelief... later we were angry ... now we just sigh and roll our eyes 🙂

 

 

 

 

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I love your response and roll my eyes in unison with you.  haha.  

 

I wish I could post the photo of the recent guests who knew we had a washer and dryer and still decided to wash their laundry in the shower, leaving water all over the ceiling and floor, and wait for it, wait for it.....goes out to my beautiful garden area where we all eat and decides that they are going to use our beach line as a place to hang up their BIG PANTIES AND BRAS all exposed for my lovely husband to see.  yikes, gross.  Seriously....who does that?  And after I reminded them that I have a laundry room, they can use to wash clothes and hang things up, AGAIN, they washed in the shower, and hung these BIG lacy "unmentionables" in the garden area again!  My family had no choice but to look at it as our entire front side of our home is ALL GLASS from floor to ceiling.  I tried to wear a sleeping mask to avoid seeing it, but kept running into the cat.  LOL!!!!

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


@ Branka and Silvia:  I have a note for the guests to see sitting on the kitchen counter.  It instructs them to place all wet linens in the laundry basket for "me" to launder.  I verbally mention at the onset that it is not their responsibility to do any laundry (and apologize for the bleach spots on the linens.  I mention that I cant afford to replace the sheets after each guest) We let them know there is laundry detergent for them if they wish to do their own.  As we are on the river and most guests come for canoeing and kayaking, they end up with wet clothing that they want to clean and dry.  But occassionally someone thinks its a kind act to "help" me with my chores.  I have very expensive linens that three sets now have white bleach spots on.  I use these sheets regardless of how they look.  Afterall...it is bleach and it sends out a clear message that some guests didnt listen and  washed the sheets 'the wrong way'.  

 

If I had guests leaving wet laundry on a line I would carefully remove and place in a laundry basket with a note stating that it is out of courtesy for residence and guests that we do not look at their laundry and then suggest other options...(and hope the cat doesnt decide to nest on the laundry...cause that's what cats do).  If you have one of those floor stand racks, you can place it in their bathroom and they can hang their clothes there to dry....in the bathtub (so the water and drip into a drain! You will have to spell out the details to these guests.   Also offer them the option of putting their laundry in a little white bag and you will clean it for them.  I started doing this years ago.  There was only one guests that  took my suggestion seriously.

OMG! @Momi0 I cannot stop laughing!!!!!!! I keep imagining your family eating in the garden surrounded by dripping womens underwear!!!!!!!!!! 

 

 

Eyes rolling with you guys @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Momi0 

I haven't had any guests that made me roll my eyes..... (and I know I've been really really lucky) but for me, a lot of the people I work with will make me roll my eyes so hard I think I might become cross-eyed. I work as an interpreter.... and believe me......A lot of the time, communication has NOTHING to do with speaking the same or different languages. 

LOL @Momi0 😄 😄 BIG lacy "unmentionables" in the garden hahaha immagine... !

 

 

After hosting for so many, many years, I have not quite gotten to that place where I can just roll my eyes to stupidity.  I always offer the very best and take it quite personally when someone has even the tiniest complaint. My sore knees, dry hands and bleached shirts have to account for something at the end of the day.