BAD REVIEW, Oh No!

[Farah1]

There are guests who try to push you to your limit, make you feel/think that you should help them by breaking your rules, or making you feel guilty for sticking to your rules. I used to easily feel annoyed/hurt/frustrated by this. I always do my best for my guests and I always provide what I say I would on the listing. Then what makes me deserve this?! Oh no! ha ha... then I realized that there are bad people/bad guests that share a different value/standard than me, who cannot appreciate my professional hosting/rules and help, who want to do whatever they want and not being honest, etc. It would be really stressful if I keep feeling "stress" about it, so I start to learn to be stronger. Sometimes, bad review is actually doing me a favor from having a similar type of guest in the future because those people will see that I will not entertain their behavior. I completely understand that it is not a comfortable feeling to receive a bad review, but I need to do myself a favor not to stress about it and just take it as a learning process and leave a professional review response. Bad guests are people who make me appreciate my good guests even more. So, for other hosts who have experienced this, you are not alone! 🙂

[Farah1]

@Barbara453 the old airbnb review system was review being posted right away once someone leave a review. That *hurts* the point of giving review. For example: Host was going to leave a nice review, then guest leave a review first and it is a negative one. Host receive the review notification and read the negative review, now host feels hurt/offended/etc and no longer going to leave a positive review and will leave a negative one instead to justify or vice versa.

With the new review system, review will not be published until both party leave a review OR after 14 days if either host or guest does not leave a review. This helps to keep the review *objective* (not necessarily honest because there are people who leave false review) and not affecting the attitude/plan on how the other person going to leave the review.

[Jann3]

I know many hosts think the current "no one sees reviews until both post or 14 days elapse" is not good/fair, HOWEVER I feel so-called "blind" reviews do more to help than to hurt both parties.

I won't mind a bad review once-in-a-while because if hosts/guests have ONLY great reviews I feel it is kinda fake. I think 97% rating is what I am gonna aim for - and if I get better, great!

As an iOS programmer - whose business depends on people leaving reviews - I watch what they say but so many users are not gonna be pleased no matter what you do. No matter what I program my App to do, someone STILL wants my Disneyland app to cover Universal and downrate it because it doesn't! I can't please everyone - but hopefully people won't downrate me because of one small thing.

[Farah1]

@Jann3 I personally do not understand how some people think it is not fair. I think it was worse when the review got published right away because it can affect the review that the other person going to write.

Exactly, I cannot please everyone, but I do the best that I can do. The reality is that not all people are the same and some have the same standard/expectation/lifestyle like me and some not. I travel a lot and I think that is why I have a better understanding, expectation, and respect for an accommodation. Some of my guests don't and that is why they can say that $61 for private room for 2 people with the amenities I offer 7 miles from downtown seattle is overpriced. If they do their research and check the price of a bunk bed in a hostel, I think their head will explode... it is still more expensive than my listing.

[Lina53]

@Farah1  I agree. 🙂

I recently started asking guests to confirm that they 'understand all' the House Rules and 'will follow' them.  This is different from 'reading' and 'accepting' to Airbnb, a broker.  Unsurprisingly, I've already had 4 separate guests go above and beyond to avoid actually writing that they 'understand all' and 'will follow' them.

When I had IB turned on... asked confirmed guest to confirm directly to me that he understands all the House Rules.  Response:

"Hi Lina - I reviewed the house rules when I made the reservation. Airbnb won't let users confirm the reservation without this requirement.  That is, I can't process a payment or a reservation request without confirming that I've read and accepted the house rules. Hope this helps!"   (called Airbnb and had rep cancel of course)

With inquiries... responses to "do you understand all the House Rules and will you follow them?":

"I read the house rules" "I already read them" "I have accepted the House Rules and that is fine" OR I hear crickets. 

[Farah1]

@Lina53 once I received an IB reservation. I sent the thank you message and house rules. He wanted to cancel right away because he said that the house rules was communicated after he booked. Hmmm.... no it is not, it is because you did not do your responsibility reading the listing and house rules prior to booking.

Anyway, I love your profile picture. I went to Peru 2 years ago. The trip to Machu Picchu was magical and sometimes I still cannot believe that I have been there. I would love to visit Peru again someday.

[Lina53]

@Farah1Than you - It was really cool.  I did the 4-day trek (challenging hike for sure!).  🙂

[Farah1]

@Lina53 that is so cool! I only had 19 days to spend in Peru, so I did not do the hike and took the train instead. Maybe I will do the hike next time I visit Machu Picchu 🙂

[Susie0]

For the first time since the Superhost program was created, I'm not a Superhost. That was a real break in my relationship with Airbnb. I'm thinking it has to do with some young parents who thought it was OK to risk their toddler being killed on my stairway. They didn't get why I didn't trust their judgment (such as in choice of baby sitters...which generally isn't allowed in my rules anyway) after they chose not to use my baby gate. Before that guest I had a long guest stay who didn't leave me a review.

Meanwhile a friend who rarely hosts on Airbnb became a Superhost.

Who knows. 🙂  

[Joanna85]

I see a nutritionist and the other day I realized we as Airbnb hosts need to behave how she does.  She's no joke...she does not waiver on her policies.  You get there early, she doesn't open the door...you arrive late or no show, you are chaged full price and the time NEVER goes over.  She doesn't email you if you ask her tons of questions about this or that, she expects you make an appointment and pay for her time.  If you can't make it and do not give her three days' notice..you guessed it, she charges your card.  She even has you sign a paper when you first meet her---it is a list of her policies.  She's a professional.  She's running a business.  She works out of a little office suite--like a mom and pop place--but she dresses well and she knows her stuff.  She comes to work every day and is ready to help but she expects she is respected and treated like a professional.

Why should we as Airbnb hosts be any different?  I don't feel like a jerk if someone asks if I will refund them even if they arrive the next morning at noon instead of the ight before at 11pm like the originally said because they overslept and missed the bus to get here...that's too bad.  Yes, leave me a bad review because the floors were filthy BECAUSE YOU CAME IN FROM HIKING AND DUMPED YOUR DIRTY TENT ALL OVER THE CLEAN FLOOR. My place is just fantastic for what I charge and I am not a doormat.  We are all doing our best. I have a really hard time believing any host is not trying 100%...I have yet to read or hear from a host who was not trying their absolute hardest.

[Maj-Britt0]

hi Farah, nice of you to share your experience and what you learned and how to feel better too! I can only support you, the few times I have gone against my own rules, to help guests, that ask if they can arrive earlier or stay later, when I have back to back guest, have most of the time not arrived or left when they said, I stressed myself and my family to clean and get ready in record time and then I can sit and wait hours for their arrival... it is a hard to be tough, and one tries to be human... but if I am not here or arrive 4 hours late.... any way, communication is key, open mindedness and stick to the rules that you make and the guest accept!

[Todd-and-Reese0]

I'm sure my day will come for a bad review. So far, one German solo traveler who was one of our first guests left 3 stars because he asked me to pick him up from the airport and of course I said no. He was also mad that I was married because he said the photo was only of me, so I changed it to both of us right away. I should have reported him to AirBnB as lecherous and gross and only choosing places where he thought it was a single woman as hostess. Still gives me creeps. I would report him in a heartbeat now, but we don't take solo males anymore, sadly he was one of the ones that ruined it for them all.

[Liz140]

Thanks!

Just what I needed to hear at this moment!

Liz in Arizona

[Huma0]

@Farah1 this is a subject very close to my heart. The more I host, the more I realise that I have to stick to my rules and if the bad reviews come, well let them!

I also ask the guests to confirm they have read the full description and agree to the house rules before I even accept a reservation (I won't use Instant Book) and I mention quite a lot of the rules again when I show the guests around. This helps much of the time, but there are many guests who either say they have read them when they haven't, or worse, say they agree to them to get the booking and then do whatever they feel like once they get there.

In the past couple of weeks alone, the majority of my guests have broken rules big and small, to the extent where I wonder what on earth more I can do to get them to follow them. A friend suggested that I leave notes stuck up around all over the place to remind them, but I really don't want to do that.

Still, I am sticking to my guns. If I say I can't do an early check in, I mean it. Don't agree to my 3pm check in and then turn up on my street at 9.30 am repeatedly messaging me to be let in. I am going to say NO. A polite, but very firm, NO.

By the way, if the guests who harrassed me for the 9.30 check in leave me a five star review, I will not only eat my hat, but run through the street naked with a wok on my head. But I'm glad I said no, because as soon as they arrived, they started asking to do more stuff that was against my house rules. Give them an inch...

On the other hand, I'm more than willing to be flexible for the guest who makes a lot of effort to follow my rules and understands the difference between an entitlement and a favour.

[Farah1]

@Huma0 yes yes yes! Based on my experience, usually the guests with most demands (and try to break house rules) do not appreciate any help/kindness anyway. The guest who complained about not being able to use the oven for example, it is clearly listed that it is not allowed, so you would think they are smart enough not to purchase a food that required an oven and of course he feels that he needs to do "revenge" or justify his *inconvenience* of not being able to use the oven by saying the place is dirty, etc. He did not bother to mentioned that I spent at least 10mins everyday to help them schedule their day with recommendation per their request and I helped him find a barber and lend him my plug adapter. These people always choose to write the *bad* things that sometimes did not even happen/clearly listed and do not write about the favor/good things at all. I know that I sound very strict... which probably I am. I always do my responsibilities and never take something that is not my rights, so why do guests get to pick and choose? Like what you said, many times I am willing to be more flexible for guests who show effort to follow rules and be respectful. My husband and I have went to play bowling with our guests, watched live music with our guests, offered drink and just relax in the evening with our guests, drove a guest to pick-up her car that got towed because she parked in front of my neighbor's driveway, etc. 

I think your running with work statement is so true and really funny 😄

[Huma0]

Hi @Farah1, I didn't make the wok thing up. I have actually done that as a forfeit before, albeit in my younger years, so it probably didn't scare the neighbours as much as it would now!

There was another thread on here recently which I think you also saw about leaving honest guest reviews. I'm always in a bit of a dilemna about what I should and shouldn't say when I'm not totally happy with how a guest behaved, i.e. the rules they broke. Normally I take the coward's path and wait to see if they leave me a review. If they don't, neither do I, because I find it hard to publically criticise them, but I know this is wrong and counterproductive.

One of my guests recently got a bad review for cleanliness. She explained the situation to me and, if you go by her side of the story, it sounds like the host was being somewhat unreasonable. Who knows the full story? What I have noticed though is that even though the rest of the guest's reviews are positive, she was hurt by that one and is going out of her way to show me that she is clean. She has offered to empty the dishwasher for me even though they weren't her dishes. She is asking lots of questions about the cleaning she needs to do in the room before she leaves (stuff that I don't mind if guests don't do). It seems to me that that less than positive reviews really affect some guest and they want to make sure that doesn't happen again.

Of course, there are other guests that don't think like that. They want things their way and don't seem to care so much how you might review them. Maybe they understand that a bad review can hurt a host more than a guest and hosts that leave lots of bad reviews can jeopardise their future bookings. Or, maybe they don't think about that and are simply inconsiderate people. Who knows?