Guest gave host low star rating, due to guests own haste

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

I'm finding a large flaw in the review system which allows guests to give negative ratings based on their failure to fully read a listing. I recently got a 3 star review due to the fact that my guest was expecting a private room, when my listing is clearly categorized as a shared room. I give a very detailed description of the space and clear (and professional) photos. I even include in my house rules that the guest must acknowledge that they will be renting a shared space.

I feel I've done everything in my power to set proper expectations for my guests. However, I can't control those expectation if the guest fails to read the information presented.

I've called customer service to address this issue and was told there was nothing they could do because the guest did not break any policies. I feel very strongly that the guest did in fact break a policy by giving me a 3 star review simply because he failed to pay attention to the type of accommodation that he booked.

A guest should not be able to give a low star rating on something that they acknowleged before booking, but didn't *actually* pay attention to.

[Paul154]

OMG, I loved your response to your guest.

You were so diplomatic. Bitchy without being bitchy. 

I want you to write my reviews please. 

It is fascinating that you are superhosts offering a shared room experience. I wouldn't think that were possible.

How do you do it? How do you manage guests' expectations? How often do you have to review/clean the bathroom? Do you have strong rules, like lights out?

@Chantal-and-Louie0

[Ben551]

@Chantal-and-Louie0  Awesome response to that guest!!  You guys are rocking the shared space scene, don't let this one unintelligent swamp creature get you down.  Keep doing what you are doing.

I do think AirBnb could be a little bit more helpful for you in this instance though.  It's entirely unfair for you to receive a 3 star rating because the guest is someone who doesn't read.

Do you screen every reservation request?  If you don't, then you could try doing that and include something in your listing description like "It's important to us that we know our guests have read all our listing details correctly, including that this is a shared space with a smaller than normal bed.  So we know you have read this in advance, please include the code words "Cherry Blossom" in your enquiry and we will know you're all good with everything you have read."

Then anyone who tries to book without your code word, you can clarify to ensure they have read everything.

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

Thanks for your response, Ben. We use instant book. But I almost always have to ask guests about their check-in time, and now I've also started asking them to confirm their acknowledgment of the shared space. I do this when they initially book so they have plenty of time to cancel if they so choose. I just had another guest book and then inform me that he'd be arriving around 11pm, which is after my check-in window of 4-10pm. He agreed to cancel the reservation w/o any incident. My place gets booked very regularly. So I'd rather have a cancelation than a bad review.

[Elizabeth1126]

Your response was brilliant, I once received a guest complaint that my home was difficult for them as seniors because it has stairs....it is listed as a townhome (almost always has two stories) and there are stairs clearly shown in photos. The listing also described the bedrooms and master bath as being on the upper floor. The worst part was they only gave me three stars for “cleanliness” because of their issue with the stairs. Airbnb did not care about my concerns with this review.

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

Elizabeth, I don't understand why Airbnb doesn't see this as an issue. I think it's a matter of finding the right person in the right department, but I haven't had any luck yet.

[Barry-and-Lera0]

@Chantal-and-Louie0: I actually have a few questions because I am a little confused about your layout as well.

I'm guessing you live in the home but if someone rents "the entire space" you move out? Does the person renting the seperate listing of a "cot" rent at the same time as another guest who "the entire space" and queen bed upstairs? Do you personally stay in the home if someone rents only the cot area? I can't say I've seen two different listings for the same spot with one saying the "entire place" and the other saying just a cot in the downstairs.

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

Barry and Lera, yes we stay in our home when a guest rents our cot (but no other guests would be sharing simultaneously). We vacate our home when the whole apartment gets booked. We've linked the calendars so that the two listings never overlap. Furthermore, I strategically only leave one week per month open for the entire apartment rental. It does take extra effort to coordinate everything, but the extra income is worth it.

[Marina764]

I just had a similar experience, a lady booked one night 1 hour before the check-in time but was "surprised" that she had to share 1 full and one 1/2  bathrooms with one more guest, apparently she was only willing to share with a host (I don't share my private bathroom with guests but do offer more expensive private master suite with private accommodations). In her private notes she disclosed that she cleaned Airbnb properties and was complaining about stricks on the mirrors. I feel like she was "fighting" the competition for her employers giving my place 2 stars rating. How do I let other hosts know that this guest was there to "inspect" how clean your place was and to lower your listing in the search by giving you low rating? Of course I only learn about her review after I gave her 5 stars and recommended her.

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

Marina, have you tried to talk to the Airbnb customer service about your concern? I think it could be worth a shot.

[Kylie1]

I just wrote to airbnb complaining about this! I had a guest just give me a low star rating and his review simply said ‘tall people only.’ Apart from confusing anyone who reads that, he made the error! Our listing clearly states (twice) that it is a double bed. Yet he booked anyway (or didn’t read the listing) then complained. I have complaints about all of the following, even though our listings does not claim to offer any of them:

- no freezer 

- no aircon

- not enough rugs on the floor (!)

- not leaving wifi on 24/7

I have had people burn sausage meat in our (very clearly states) vegetarian-only kitchen at midnight, waking us up to smoke alarms and choking smoke, only to have them say THEY were treated like children (we didn’t even ask them to leave for breaking house rules)... yet they smashed our rating average with two stars. How is this fair? Airbnb needs to look at untrue and unfair comments and star ratings. Or hosts will stop bothering to try. 

[Chantal-and-Louie0]

I completely agree. I just wish I knew which person or department we could raise this issue to. Customer service only seems to be trained to decipher if a rule is broken. But I think a policy needs to be changed since at the moment these problems don't seem to be breaking any existing rules.

[Lucy303]

I have a similar problem with people booking private rooms in my home but thinking they have booked the entire apartment then getting super unpleasant with me when they realise their mistake.

[Larisa87]

Hi Dear Everyone here! I am new to hosting on airbnb, just had a couple of bookings. And it was exactly the same as I've read here - after you leave 5* review for a guest, you are reading their 3* review. If there is a way for BLOCKING all guests, who are leaving low rate review? Please, let me knowing that.

I feel being smashed for my guest's ratings 3* for value, location, accuracy. So, it was a couple, they were coming for their friend's BD party. I am not renting B&B, my price is less than a hostel's price for a bunk bed in a shared room. I have my MB with a queen bed and luxury bedding for renting. My place is 3 level townhouse, and I am living in a walking out basement, my bedrooms are upstairs. So I've made tiramisu and coffee as a welcome to them. I've baked a huge cake for their friend's BD FREE, I spent 12 hours on that cake, worked for 2 days. That weighted 15 lbs, I've spent almost 2 lbs walnuts on that, 2 dozens of eggs, 5 lbs of sugar, 250 no of cognac, etc. I've made them breakfast - fried pork, fried onions, mashed potatoes, coffee, peach jam, and cakes. FREE!

I've provided snack in their room - FREE! - apples, raisins, walnuts, cookies, water, canned fruits in juice, etc. I've bought lady's slippers, bath sponge, left them in their room. Also, their room has a big table,  a fridge, a microwave, cabinets, chairs. I left two blankets for them staying warm. I was cleaning a bathroom after they used that, was literally like a maid.

Then, they came in 4 hrs earlier before my check-in time! My check in time was 4pm, they were at noon!

My house rule says - no smoking, even outside, but a guy was smoking outside all the time. Then, they be left and taken my new slippers and a coffee mug. On top of what I've offered FREE to them, the literally stayed free, for $29/two people! So she has given me 3* ratings almost in everything! I was in shock reading that! VALUE 3* - if consider everything FREE I've provided them, they stayed for free and owe me! Accuracy - 3* They didn't want for me being in my own place - she's written that! Location - 3*! That is a nice location, close to downtown and is next to a high school, in a walking distance to more than a dozen eating places, restaurants, banks, stores, That is not in nowhere in a field! I am shocked. If airbnb is NOT removing those ratings, I am shutting down my airbnb permanently. That is terrible that they are allowing bookings to those who are treating unfair their hosts. I AM SHOCKED!

[Helen3]

I am sorry you had such an awful experience.

It was a lovely gesture to make the birthday cake, but not something I would have offered the guests, nor would I have let them check in four hours early.

Sometimes there are horrible guests who just take advantage and will never be happy.

You can respond to their review and say how disappointed you were to receive such a low rating when you went out of your way to accommodate the guests including letting them check in four hours early and making a lovely birthday cake for the party they were attending at no cost to the guest. I would mention you were sad to see they left with the brand new slippers you provide for guests to use during their stay and a mug. Say you were surprised to see they marked you down purely because they booked a shared listing but were somehow surprised to see a host sharing the accommodation.

I certainly wouldn't provide all those snacks at your price point.

EDIT SCRATCH THAT

Have just seen the guest review it is very nice. I would just leave it.

It is not your job to clean the bathroom after they use it, that is up to the guest.