Bad review, responding

Bad review, responding

I have been Airbnb host some years already and have several apartments.

I dont know why, but one review, what I have got yesterday, disturbs me little.

 

Usually I have got 5 star for cleanliness for guests, but recent guest put me 1 star and wrote that apartment was unclean.

Did not specify what exactly, just marked that "everywhere".

They had other complains aswell, that everything was uncomfortable - bed, table etc. 

For the price they put 2 stars (it was New Years Eve period) etc.

 

I always accept customers reviews and these are very useful for me for improving my apartment etc, but this seems that they just had a bad mood or something. How it can be that most guests have put 5 stars for cleanliness and they just 1? It means that this apartment cant be more dirtier anymore 🙂

Yes, I understand, that people are different and theire expectations are different, maybe they could put then 4 or 3 or something, because as I clean my apartments myself, then I know that they are always at the same condition. This is just very spiteful behaviour from them. I looked theire other reviews for the other hosts and it was not anything nice aswell. 

 

Now it has reflected my whole  score of this apartment and this review is not very nice to read aswell from the other potential guests.

Should I answer to them something for explanation? 

 

 

 

10 Replies 10
Gerry-And-Rashid0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Küllike0

 

Hi best approach is to respond briefly ad professionally to their review - so it's obvious they are the bad guys. People will see through this and know your other reviews are more accurate.

 

Say something like: Very disappointed as we pride ourselves on satisfying our guests, hence our 5* reviews. I also wish you had contacted me at any point during your stay, and I would happliy have looked into any issue and resolved it for you.

Thank you Gerry and Rashid! Yes, something like this was in my mind as well! 🙂

Paul154
Level 10
Seattle, WA

What do you have to answer for?

You did your best and it was very good.

People will read the review for what it is - a revenge review from an unsophisticated unbalanced guest.

No reponse from you will frame it clearly. 

Paul1255
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Paul154 is 100% correct @Küllike0 !

 

The review I think you're talking about is actually so short that it isn't really noticable (and guests viewing your listing don't have any idea about the star ratings this guest left you)

 

Replying to this review will make it stand out like a beacon, because you don't reply to any of your reviews. You want to draw as little attention to it as possible, so I would leave it as it is and move onwards and upwards.

 

Other Paul 🙂

Full of wisdom 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Küllike0  It's a good idea, before accepting a guest (altho you can't do this if you use Instant Book, if the guest IBed, you'd have to call Airbnb to get them to cancel it, on the basis that you were uncomfortable with this guest) to look at the reviews they've left for other hosts, as you did after the fact. If you see that the guest has criticized every place they've stayed, it's obvious that they won't be pleased with any place and will leave a bad review.

Mark116
Level 10
Jersey City, NJ

@Küllike0  I can't even find the negative review 

Shakila1
Level 2
Long Beach, CA

I had a guest unsophisticated ungrateful, disturb me to continue or not airbnb. 

Niko1
Level 2
New York, NY

@Küllike0  I had a guest once who arrived with her mother and they definitely wanted to be alone so I gave them the 20 seconds long speech about the house and I let them be.  They left the next day without saying a word to me and I thought that was odd.  My assumption was that they were fighting (you know mother/daughter stuff).  When I went into the room I saw the bed was not slept in and everything was pristine.  I didn't know what to think until I got the review and in it they said the bed sheets had a 'chemical smell' to them.  I was baffled and then I thought they hated the fabric softener??  Who hates fabric softener??  And to be fair to me I don't use a lot I just put in what is normal.  Some people are just weird and the more you do this the more you will come across some weirdos.  I mean who hates fabric softener ?!?!?!  Really?

@Niko1  Lots of people hate the smell of fabric softener and dryer sheets. I certainly do and never use those things.