Off to a bad start, need advice!

Chanchal0
Level 2
New Delhi, India

Off to a bad start, need advice!

Hi everyone, I am a new airbnb host(completed 7 months on the portal) . Off late I am having really bad experience with my guest and top it all , they left reviews and spoiled my overall rating. They do not do their homework beforehand and ask for amenities which are not part of the listing after checking in . 

 

Airbnb has paused my listing for 5 days due to drop in rating...any suggestions what can I do to improve the situation ?

 

 

Thanks 

 

1 Reply 1

@Chanchal0  When your listing gets un-paused, other community members will be able to look it over and see what changes might help. In the meantime, I have a few general suggestions based on your reviews:

 

1. Use your feedback as a guide for how to better anticipate and manage guests' expectations. You don't have to provide air-con and television (better for the environment if you don't), but it's still your problem if guests are uncomfortable with the heat and bored for lack of entertainment options. This might mean that you find creative ways to regulate the indoor climate and find activities to offer. Or it might mean being explicit in your listing about what kind of guest your home is best suited for (e.g. active and independent self-catering travelers who enjoy warm climates) 

 

2. Screen your guests. Don't activate Instant Book; instead, engage guests in some dialogue prior to accepting a booking, to make sure they have read your listing, understand what you're offering, and agree that it suits their needs.

 

3. Close the communication gaps between you, the caretaker, and the guests. If it helps, you could have the caretaker create an Airbnb account as your Co-Host. For your next few guests it's advisable that you can personally inspect the property and meet with your guests so you don't have any surprises in the reviews.

 

4. Investigate other platforms that might better suit your location. Airbnb is trying to be a global platform but that doesn't mean it's the best option for every culture and demographic; perhaps a different listing site is favored by the guests who are likeliest to fit your property. And realistically, the better guests are not going to book a property with multiple negative reviews, so that can create a snowball effect of bad guests.