Guests not reading listing and giving less stars in reviews

Hitomi3
Level 10
Montreal, Canada

Guests not reading listing and giving less stars in reviews

I would like to know how other hosts are dealing with guests not reading your listings/rules properly.

As I hosted more guests, I have noticed many of them don't read the listing and rules properly, even though I added a couple sentences both in the top of the listing and the section where they must agree right before booking.

 

My guest room is facing a busier road and can get loud. So I write that on the listing very clearly and tell them I provide earplugs, but it's not suitable for light sleepers. Recently, I've had a couple guests complaining about the noise and reducing stars in their reviews. The most recent guest gave me a 4 star on Accuracy and pointed out "noise" in the improvement area. I mean, I had fully listed that and she didn't read it. I don't know how I can improve in this situation.

 

Questions:

1. How do you deal with guests not reading your listing/rules/manuals? Any suggestion to prevent this?

2. Have you been able to get it corrected by Airbnb if it's due to the guest not reading your listing?

 

I never got anything less than 4 stars, so it's not the end of the world, but it does get frustrating when I honestly disclose potential flaws that they may experience and they reduce rating because they didn't read it.

34 Replies 34
Valerie192
Level 10
Inglewood, CA

Hi @Hitomi3 I have read elsewhere in the Community Center of hosts that put a special phrase or something at the end of the House Rules and they are instructed to email you the special phrase as a kind of "secret test" to ensure they have read the rules. If they don't get the special phrase, they would decline the booking request. Hope that helps.

Thanks for the tips 🙂

There are a few things you can do.

 

1) Be proactive.

 

We started messaging as soon as they book with the two biggest issues we've had with non-readers: "Hey! Just making sure you noted that you are booking a room and bath in a home and not our entire house and also that we have cats. If you made a mistake, you have 48 hours to cancel the reservation penalty-free."

 

We may change this up depending on their incoming message like if they ask a weird question about dietary needs so we have to tell them we don't actually offer breakfast.

 

So, in your case..."Hi! Thanks for the booking. Just want to make sure you noted that I live in a busy traffic area and you might need earplugs or a noise-cancelling app on your phone if you are a light sleeper. If this is not okay, then you have 48 hours to cancel penalty-free."

 

2) Make sure you have this in those new pop-up messages.

 

3) Greet them and give them a quick tour and make sure to mention the earplugs or that they can download a free white noise app (or maybe you provide a white noise machine).

 

4) Have a printed binder in the room with the house manual and house rules and mention all the things.

 

We tried the hidden message in the house rules and it only worked 1 out of 5 guests. That would have been too many cancellations.

Great advice, @Todd-and-Reese0! 🙂

I will definitely mention it again in the message. Thanks for providing a sample message as well!

 

Another question: I would love to have a 48-hour free cancellation. I just checked my listing from an incognito page, but the icon and the description about the 48-hour cancellation don't show up on my listing (I see it on other hosts'). Is there any set-up you need to change? I couldn't find it from my listing's cancellation policy setting.

@Hitomi3

 

I do pretty much what @Todd-and-Reese0 does with my guests too. I too am pro-active in sending messages about my listing, what I do/don't provide, and my major house rules (especially no "guest(s) of the guest allowed). Based on questions the guest asks, I usually get an idea of what they read and what they skipped. I also usually copy+paste my house rules to the guest about a week or so before the check-in date and ask them to read my rules again before coming (most of my guests tend to book several months in advance).

If it's clear the guest has really read my extensive list of rules then I can ease back on the reminders, but any guest with a hint of not thoroughly reading I tend to repeat myself alot.

I've recently decided refrain from hosting types that seemed to need constant reminders - I understand they aren't exactly BAD people, but their carelessness and lack of effort to respect certain rules (and doing whatever they feel like) is really annoying. I don't want to have to nag people about making sure there is no soap residue left on cups or about the fact that used kleenex does not go into our recycling bin!!!

Thanks @Jessica-and-Henry0,

 

Yes, I also do refrain from the guests who don't introduce themselves, the purpose of the trip, etc. (because I ask them to on my listing). That said, I have only hosted people who seemed somewhat reasonable in their first few contacts. It's very hard to find in the first couple communications if they are too picky or have too much expectation for the price they are paying and the description they have or have not read. I also see the trend that for guests a 4-star rating is still very good, whereas it impacts hosts' status and future booking.

 

I agree with your frustration around guests' cleanliness. I have less expectation for this one though. People all have different standards of cleanliness, so I would just clean the cups again if they didn't do a good job cleaning them. 🙂

How about this one, the Airbnb guest "instant booked" same day check-in scammers...that didn't read, (or may have been iliterate?)  our upfront prebooking/house rules clearly stated booking terms and modest charge for these additional services provided! ( Not a shared home) Then the guest called to insult host when comfirming payable on-site Local taxes and additional services provided and stated within Airbnb's own guest policies for the host, all this for exceptional value-added services like,  private multi-car gated parking and security monitoring, Full high speed wifi, multi-channel Sat. tv. and fresh bedding, linen and contract laundry services. clearly stated in our pre-booking,  Then Airbnb placed a "Host cancellation" notice on my listing and review by this guest  ( Host did not cancel... the confirmed Guest did)  a day after check-in,  and Airbnb allowed for a bad review on a "NO SHOW"? Inturn, reducing our high star rating, after Hosting hundreds of happy Airbnb guests that posted dozens of great 4 and 5 star reviews,  and then I get a message from Airbnb with possible suspension of listing? Try contacting Airbnb for corrections of the facts,

good luck !!! This is so punitive and discriminating to the Host and proves instant booking is a scam to be abused,  even when you have a No cancellation refund policy clearly stated on your listing! So Beware, all hosts are reduced to ridiculed losers, by Airbnb. at 3 .5 billion dollars in revenue annually they must be completely accountable to all their listed Hosts and their rental properties.

 

 I applaud you for saying this because it is true now airbnb has turned the corner from home sharing to pushing the hosts to accept instant bookings more and even if your a superhosts your the last one to be helped by airbnb and the guests are the first to be able to abuse a situation and get away . I have been lucky with my guests but anytime I have a problem there is not much help getting airbnb to help the host is on thier own.

 

yes but they already paid the cleaning fee to Airbnb ...so... suck it up Hosts ... guests don't clean up !!!!

and they don' t read your rules and they certainlly do not  do your paid duties to clean up oh and I paid Airbnb everything is included in the posted price paid ! I wasn't aware there were extra fees for Taxes or wifi or paid parking or fire wood of extended check-out or give respect to person and property during their stay they paid you good money to abuse you so... ?

Kevin-s0
Level 10
Minamiashigara, Japan

Hi Hitomi,

 

I posted about a similar problem.  I host in Japan.  Although I have a lot of information in Japanese, English and Chinese, often enough

certain guests don`t read it.

 

Sometimes in a friendly way, send them the link to the information, while answering a question.

 

Or I explain why they cannot book if that`s the problem.

 

It`s annoying, but I guess there will always be guests like these.  Some people don`t like to read, even in their native language.

 

I sometimes discourage them with my reply, thus encouraging them not to book (as my place does not suit young children - for example).

Thanks @Kevin-s0,

 

Yes, I started reminding them of the flaws when replying to requests. People who ask questions are not so bad. At least, they put the effort into understanding the conditions, and we can come to agree or disagree to make a deal. It's those who seemed to have no problem who complain afterward.

 

Haha, I do refuse a good chunk of people who seem unreasonable rather than discouraging them to book.

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Edwin57
Level 10
New York, United States

Same as the other host as told you proactive is the best, in my case my Dad welcome guest do a walk through with them and explain if you don't like the noise just closed the drapes we have heavy drapes to reduce the noise outside 

Edwin57
Level 10
New York, United States

Doing the walk through the rules are explain,and yes they don't read the rules at all so my Dad number one rule is respect my house and my respect you ...