Cleaning Reviews

[Janene10]

Hi Everyone.

I have been hosting a cottage on a country property for about 18 months. The cottage is not a 5 star luxury place and the nightly price point matches this. It is just a lovely cottage on a large property with dirt roads and starry skies.  I am seeing a pattern emerging with reviews and stars that I feel I need help with.

It involves the cleaning reviews.

Most of my guests LOVE their stay and give me amazing reviews. I have attained Superhost status.

However, I see something eroding my score. Which started with one guest, giving me really a low score.

I had one guest who was obviously had some OCD tendency. He actually lifted up the rug under a heavy wrought iron bed and showed me the dirt under there. He sent pictures of tile glue and claimed it was dirt, he put paper on the floor and sent a pic of his dirty boot mark on it, he claimed the bench tops were unclean but they are oiled wooden benchtops that have a certain feel... and all through his stay he was texting and texting to the point  I didn't know what to do. He gave a long very critical review about the cleanliness and my communication and scored me really low which really hit my rating. It was so odd, it made me wonder if a competing bnb had sent him deliberately to give me a bad review (it made me that paranoid it was so bizarre!)

I have never had to deal with anyone like him since, however, since looking more closely at my ratings, I have found, those guests who have not followed the house rules precisely have scored me low , example; because it is an out of town country property one of the rules is that guests take their rubbish with them to dispose of at the community mini bins on the road out of the area - so guests who have not done that and left their rubbish, end up scoring me low on cleaning, as though trying to counteract their own actions? I don't get it.

I have a cleaner, I also go and clean the morning of arrival, there is no way there is uncleanliness in my cottage.

However, I see my score getting lower because of this and its really frustrating me.

Even for guests who have left their rubbish, I never score them badly on their reviews.

It is just really concerning me now, especially with covid, unfair cleaning reviews like this could really put guests off wanting to stay. 

I don't know what to do? Appreciate all advice.

[Clare167]

Your property is great @Janene10 and the reviews reflect that, even that man who moaned. Don't worry, and if it happens again, keep your reply much shorter. I have always noticed that the (few) guests who mark down on cleanliness have done something questionable, it's a thing. 

[Susan1404]

@Janene10- I have discovered there will always be that "one" guest who is particular about everything and will find something dirty no matter how much cleaning you do.  In the 2+ years I've been hosting, I have had 2 of those guests out of the 80 or so that I've rented to over several different platforms.  One of those guests was quite nice to me in person, extremely complimentary in fact, so I never realized they had any issues at all.  Then they left the review and I was floored by the criticisms.  I decided there was nothing to be done but to move on.  Since that time, I've received so many positive reviews, that the poor reviews were buried.  Just keep doing the best you can and that is all anyone can do.  You will never please every single guest 100% of the time.

[Robin4]

@Janene10 

Janene, God didn't create all guests equal, some are wonderful, some are plucked ar*e parrots and the bulk are in the middle somewhere. Unfortunately you have struck one in the Parrot category. They are out there and sometimes we can't see them coming. Just rest assured that potential guests are not going to be swayed by one review in isolation and what you and Eric are offering is outstanding.

You are correct in that guests who tend to skim over house-rules are the ones which will have an issue with what we offer, but try to get a bit better at picking them. Do they like what they see and just want to stay, or do they need clarification of something or other before they book. Learn to avoid guests with questions and requests.

There is another issue which we hosts have to deal with!

Ordinarily in hospitality there is a acceptable standard by which establishments are rated....poor quality will fall below that standard, exceptional quality may rate above it. Unfortunately Airbnb confuse the whole order of the rating system by adopting 2 reference points.....one for guests and one for hosts. The guest is told an overall rating of 3 stars means the establishment met their expectations. The host is told an overall rating of 5 star means the establishment met the guests expectations. If the guest does anything other than lie and say that okay stay was perfect, the host gets penalised. I have a stack of reviews where the guest has given me a 5 star in every category and a great written review but has given me a 4 star overall. As far as the guest is concerned they thought they were complimenting me. As far as Airbnb is concerned I wasn't good enough and need to pull my sox up.

There is nothing we can do about this, years of complaining have meerly seen the review system become even more restrictive and false.

You have set a pattern Janene, your reviews read like gold, I would stay there in a heartbeat, don't be discouraged by the odd difficult guest that will come along, just keep doing what you are doing......it works!

All the best for the festive season to you and Eric.

Cheers.........Rob