Guests Reviews

[Simone86]

I just got a review that maks me feel to get off of airbnb. My guests  were french. I speak English, therefore there was a language barrier.

I tried  speaking with them while they were here but they were always distant. The  room itself  does not have a full kitchen but I told them I will make one available for them in another area. While they were here I did not show them the room as they were never around.

The first night they were here I asked them if they comfortable. They said yes. "If you need anything else just let me know". Nothing was said or asked  for. Now the room had a scent, mold etc.

I am not seeing or smelling these things in the room, if they had a problem why didn't  they come to me and tell me about it so that  something  could have been done about it? How am I to improve when I can't  see what I have to improve. The room was clean. Floors, rugs, windows. Clean towels, sheets. Were did tjey see all of this dirtyness.

We are doing some upgrades on the facility  itself and we have alot of rain jow so I woyld understand if the area, environment  was seen as dirty but not the room. When and where did they smell the scent? I can't  see it being  the room so was it outside, which area. I do have neighbors  close  to me.

[Marzena4]

You need to learn one thing, I guess @Simone86. Guests may come from different locations, and standards may vary from country to country, even from one family to another. Some guests will never understand local conditions. It's just like discussing bugs, mosquitoes, flies...

Dont forget to politely address that review in your response to it, clarifying what you think was unfair.

[Simone86]

I understand  but the review was a lie. I am being persecuted for a guests lie. The sad part about it is that  I had other guedts who were waiting  to speak with them it was Christmas. I was willing  to carry them to  lunch for  christmas.  The communication was TERRIBLE.

[Bobbie8]

I too had a guest who was hard to communicate with. Her review was skillful to ultimately discourage other renters. I dislike having to give them a review before you can read theirs, And the lack of editing my response. I felt unhappy and uncomfortable in my own home. In the end She gets the chance to dis me. I've had 6 guests now and I have not felt as uncomfortable with them as her.

[Matthew285]

@Bobbie8, if you are referring to the review from the guest from Greeley, CO, I don't really read that as being a dis at all. She mainly praises you and your listing, and mentions that it was not right for her for a long term stay. If I were a guest, that would not put me off at all.

Honestly, the most off-putting thing is your response. As nice as you kept your tone, there is no way to avoid the point that you are essentially saying every guest you had was nice but her.

[Pano0]

Hi @Simone86! I am sorry for your experience and would like to offer a possible solution.

You can report the review since it contains lies and Airbnb will contact you opening a ticket (or if they don't you can contact them as well). 

Then they will ask for your guest who made the review to provide them with pictures for what they claim (dirty apartment etc.). SInce the room was clean as you said they will not have pictures of it dirty. They will also log in to your account to read the messages you have exchanged with each other ( I hope you have suggested the things you said also through the messages and it is very important to keep your communication through the app or the airbnb website so that you can use it as reference and proof).

Then if the guest is not providing enough pictures and reasonable excuses for leaving such a bad review the review will be deleted.

I have had this experience recently as well.

All the best for the year to come!

Panos 

[Abhishek13]

Hi @Pano0,

I too had such a situation recently and i got poor ratings for most of the areas like ACCURACY, CLEANLINESS, LOCATION, VALUE in my listing. I wanted to know that if i report the review and things go fine and then airbnb deletes the review, will even the ratings posted by the guest will also be removed along with review? Because my average rating dropped because of this guest's unfair ratings.

Thanks and Regards,

Abhishek

[Pano0]

Hello @Abhishek13, in my case the review was completely removed, together with the ratings. I am confident that this is what they would do for you as well. Only thing to remember is that poor reviews can only be reviewed if you can provide proof or if the bad review violates the review content policy (personal comments about the host, swearing or such).

[Marit-Anne0]

@Simone86

There are two different set of guests mentioning certain problems. The French said it was unhealthy, only the Dutch mention the mold and they do speak English.

I would very much doubt that airbnb remove a review @Pano0 when there are two reviews confirming facts and lower star ratings on cleanliness in general.

[Pano0]

That's true, I didn't do a thorough search on the profile..though it always depends on the wording as well. My case, for example, had these characteristics, the guest had some bad language as well as no proof for his claims, so the review was removed (also being in contradiction to all other reviews as you've mentioned).

Airbnb is based on kindness. 🙂

[Rene-and-Zac0]

@Simone86 Google translator might help in a situation like this in the future. Also, here’s a helpful link on making your own room deodorants http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/03/diy-homemade-febreeze-recipe.html

Everyone has a different level of smell. You could have the most rank smelling place in the world and one guest won’t care but another will. Spray some of this Fake breeze around to mask the smells.

The really important thing to realize here is that two different guest have given you feedback on your listing. You can be humble and take what they say into consideration and try to improve or you can become defensive and justify the shortcomings in your listing. 

I understand more than anyone the amount of blood, sweat and tears we as host put into our listings but when you become defensive and try to explain the flaws away, that’s where the failure is. 

Good Luck!

’You know it’s hard out here for a Host’

[Simone86]

The 1st review I understand but the last one,kills me. The room had an airwick oil burner for the entire stay.  This  scent is what the room smelt like.

[Fred13]

@Simone86Rene, in her usual honest manner, gave you excellent advise. The best mentality to answer any bad review is too keep in mind that it will influence and should be written to ~encourage future~ potential bookings, not past ones, they already have come and gone. You were gracious in offering them to leave and refund them, but keep in mind many people are passive aggressive, the trick is not give them a reason to be in the first place.

    In this case, you could have mention that due to an usual brutal wet Fall you have faced challenging 'issues', but now you have done 'X" and "Z" and everything is back to snuff as USUAL - meaning you are offering a solution, so you are painting the two unfortunate events (aka feedbacks) as a fluke, eliminating  the impression to future guests that it is a negligence on your part or an exisiting reality without a solution.  Now, one thing is salesmanship and that is what the above is, but then one has to deliver!

P.S.   Your place is in the tropics with an average annual rainfall of 67 inches (like mine) so yes a constant battle with rusting (use anti-Rustolieum paints which have build-in Ospho in them) and the molding reality (anti-molding paints and Clorox if it occurs). Both keep places fresh year round, as does ventilation so a place never becomes stuffy even in late Fall when it is at its lowest.

Good luck. 🙂

[Mario359]

What do you do when a guest complains about cockroaches when none exist/ed but what they did see were Christmas Beetles which they swept up themselves.  Furthermore Christmas Beetles only come out in hot weather and will only enter the premises if access is provided (open door) and they are attracted to light inside?  Furthermore the guests were observed smoking (ok) outside with the doors open and the lights on at night.  It is the guests' fault not the hosts yet through ignorance they ignore this fact and cannot even accurately identify the difference between a harmless beetle and a cockroach.  Christmas Beetles are so hygenic they can, if you are willing, be eaten with no immediate or future discomfort.  My cleanliness rating has been trashed.  Bear in mind at the same time I had always made myself available if there were any issues and on both days was informed of no issues to attend to.