Help with responding to a bad review

[Lia-and-Jerry0]

My first bad and unfair review experience.

Airbnb Community and Experienced Hosts I need your  help with writing a respond to the guest. I contacted Airbnb but they informed me the the review can’t be removed since it doesn’t violate their rules. 

I know it should be short and polite in order to attract new customers:

Dear Nadia, I was also very sorry that I didn’t have the chance to meet you and your lovely family in person and that my husband Jerry didn’t make your stay as comfortable as expected. We are here in our studio in the basement in order to make your stay better and we can fix most problems while you’re out enjoying yourself in the area. I am glad you enjoyed the view from our family house and thanks to your feedback we will make every effort to improve our facilities.

I will appreciate it if you could 

make any corrections to my reply 

Thanks

[Noel63]

I think it's a great response

[Noel63]

Does your basement apartment have it's own separate entrance?

[Lia-and-Jerry0]

Yes it is a separate  apartment with it’s own entrance. 

I am just so angry because they never mentioned that the 5 kids were 6months to 2 years old. They should have seen the stairs which I mention in my listing otherwise I would inform them that the house is not good for them. It was also very scary for us too and the kids where all the time crying! Also I don’t mention anywhere that the beach in the front of the house is sandy. You can see that from the photos. But I am also very sad that Jerry wrote a good review for them because it was their first! They left the house very dirty and all the sheets where Brown from the sun oils they used!

[Elizabeth429]

@Lia-and-Jerry0,

5 kids under the age of 2?!?!?!?!

Poor crazy ba****ds!! Believe me, they hate themselves for being in that situation. 

[Noel63]

I agree with you that the review is unfair. I would try to find some way of working into your response that the basement has a separate entrance

We are here in our private studio in the basement with it's own separate entrance in order to make your stay better and we can fix most problems

[Noel63]

He did also write that they left a lot of garbage in the house. As that is their only review, it would be enough for me to check what sort of review they left for you. The review they left for you would put me off having them as guests, especially as your response seems so reasonable,

[Lia-and-Jerry0]

Thank you @Noel63 for your help! 

I will take note of your correction in my response. 

[Niel3]

The person comes across as a bit of a serial whinger, they even complain about there not being a sandy beach while correctly pointing out that your photos portrayed a shingle beach so why would they expect a sandy beach in the first place? The bulk of the review also seems to be made up of their perceptions being incorrect and trying to transfer blame onto you rather the accept responsibility for their own assumptions/opinions. Anyone with common sense will see it for what it is - and if they don't then you probably don't want them booking with you anyway, sometimes this kind of review is a cloud with silver lining.

I would not respond (draws attention to it) and just let it roll off the first page of your review, and certainly would not bother giving them the courtesy of a response.

[Lia-and-Jerry0]

Your approach @Niel3 is another interesting thought. I certainly wouldn’t want to host guests like that again. 

Actually there is a sandy beach 5 min walking distance if you follow the old railway. But with 5 children it certainly wouldn’t be easy and they had to drive the whole mountain to go to the other side!

I will discuss your thought with Jerry and we will inform you of our decision

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Lia-and-Jerry0

I basically like your response BUT imo you are too nice. And agreed that the guest's review makes them look like they did not do their homework, did not properly read your description or consider whether your very lovely home would be suitable for kids/babies. I would not want to host them based on the review they wrote- they dug their own grave. 

My version would be more like this. -  Thank you for taking the time to post a review and I am sorry if it was not clear that my husband Jerry is my co-host and that your stay was not as comfortable as expected. As we reside in the basement studio on-site, we would have been available to address any issues if you had brought them to our attention during your stay. Also if you had inquired in advance, we would have advised honestly that our home may not be the best choice when there are multiple children under the age of 2. In any case, I am glad you and your group enjoyed the view from our home and thanks to your feedback we will make efforts to improve our facilities. 

[Lia-and-Jerry0]

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@Jessica-and-Henry0 wrote:

@Lia-and-Jerry0

I basically like your response BUT imo you are too nice. And agreed that the guest's review makes them look like they did not do their homework, did not properly read your description or consider whether your very lovely home would be suitable for kids/babies. I would not want to host them based on the review they wrote- they dug their own grave. 

My version would be more like this. -  Thank you for taking the time to post a review and I am sorry if it was not clear that my husband Jerry is my co-host and that your stay was not as comfortable as expected. As we reside in the basement studio on-site, we would have been available to address any issues if you had brought them to our attention during your stay. Also if you had inquired in advance, we would have advised honestly that our home may not be the best choice when there are multiple children under the age of 2. In any case, I am glad you and your group enjoyed the view from our home and thanks to your feedback we will make efforts to improve our facilities. 

Thank you @Jessica-and-Henry0 for your help!

We followed your advice and posted your version of response.

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[Fred13]

  Good move @Lia-and-Jerry0 going with @Jessica-and-Henry0, the same tack I would have taken.

[Alexandra316]

@Lia-and-Jerry0 I agree that their review comes across as mean and overly critical. However, there is one point they make that I think has merit. The listing says that it's an entire villa, when that's not the case if you are in an apartment in the basement. I looked over your listing and I can't find anything that mentions this. It says that you will come by during the guest's stay, but nothing about being on site all the time. You may want to update the listing so it reflects that it's actually an apartment in a villa, and that you live on site. 

[Susan17]

@Lia-and-Jerry0 I doubt many will take her review seriously - she comes across as nit-picky and cranky, and just looking for things to whinge about. 

Just out of interest - did they pay for the 5 kids, or were they all counted in  Airbnb's 'up to 5 under 3s for free on every booking' rule?