How a disgruntled guest can ruin a host's rating

[Eric766]

Good afternoon Hosts.  I have had it with the policy of Airbnb allowing Unruly, and or disgruntled guests being allowed to trash my ratings( and yours) with a single bad review.  Out of 110 reviews, I have had to deal with Four(4) bad reviews. When 99.9 percent of my reviews are rated 5 stars,  there are those few individuals who do not follow the house rules, or do something within your home that makes you angry. These individuals retaliate by leaving a review that is all 1's. When Airbnb is notified about the situation, their response is that the "guest did not violate" the guidelines of leaving a review. Airbnb does not look at the percentage of great/good re views that a Host has amassed, but take the bad review at FACE Value" AIRBNB is "Customer Driven" and therefore sides with the Guest, as they are the "Bread ad Butter" of AIRBNB profits. I have contacted AIRBNB, and suggested that an ONLINE CHECKIN SHEET be added to the platform.  similar to when someone rents an apartment. This CHECK IN SHEET must be completed within 1-2 hours of arrival and posted to AIRBNB for them to store.  If this CHECKLIST is not returned within that time frame, the guest loses their right to leave a review upon the completion of their stay.The host works very hard to ensure that everything about their listing is in perfect order. Only to be trashed by the guest. When confronted about something that they have done/not done, they become vindictive, and Hurt your bottom line. Any Host that has had these types of Guests, need to band together, and DEMAND that AIRBNB take a harder stance at protecting the HOST. If you have 100 VERY POSITIVE Reviews, and a review is given with all 1's, AIRBNB has to be more active in investigating why a super host  listing has dropped to such an unsatisfactory level. It is simple common sense that someone is not being truthful.  I implore all HOSTS to DEMAND that this simple step becomes MANDATORY in the AIRBNB Platform. Please go to AIRBNB and DEMAND this.

[Emily487]

@Eric766 

You are an experienced host who should know that if 4 people leave really bad reviews, something needs to change. Change.

Change your welcome message so guests are reminded of what is provided, your expectations, and what help you are willing to extend. Change your unkind and unnecessary responses to guest reviews. They will do you in, not the reviews. 

[Eric766]

Emily, 

Thank you for your feedback, however I feel that my message is crystal clear. If you use the kitchen, clean up after yourselves. If you make a mess in the bathroom clean up after yourselves. If you feel that what I am suggesting is not whats needed, that is fine,  good day

[Emily487]

@Eric766 

Good day and good luck, friend. Good day and good luck. 

[Emily487]

@Eric766 

What I am suggesting is what I have gleaned from my psychotherapist parent  - you can't change other people, you can only change how you react to them and how you react to the situations in which you find yourself. 

A tip of my hat and a good day to you, too, friend!

[Ann489]

@Eric766    After reading your responses to the negative reviews you had mentioned, I agree am inclined to agree with Emily.  

When you respond to a bad review, it is important to keep your future guests in mind.  A negative review on your listing is public to any potential guests who are looking. While your response is directed at the person who wrote the review, you should also write it with future potential guests in mind. With the right response, you can potentially undo a lot of the damage a negative review can cause.

Whenever you write a response to a bad review, keep it short, to the point, and professional. Avoid defensiveness or blaming — these will only make you look bad. You want to show future guests that you’re mature and objective, not someone who will lash out at them if there’s a problem. Stick to the facts of the situation and explain your side of the story in a neutral and clear way without personal attacks.  

Your good reviews by far outnumber the few not-so-good-ones.  Potential guests will easily be able to tell if a negative review is a fluke that doesn’t represent the kind of experience they should expect with you.  😉

[Lisa723]

@Eric766 106/110 is not 99.9%.

Maybe try not to let guests make you angry? It’s a business and if you take it personally nobody’s going to be happy.

I agree with @Emily487: when something isn’t working for you, change how you approach it.

[Eric766]

I have, Instant booking is no longer available on any of my properties

[Linda108]

@Eric766   I agree with the other hosts in terms of how you respond to the less than desireable guest. I agree with your good idea to get rid of IB so you can begin to establish a mutual respect for each other in booking process.  Your negative reviews of guests and your responses to negative reviews by guests reflect how personally rather than professionally you react.  Even your responses to the other hosts on this forum reflects a "thin skin".

Obviously you are a caring, respectful host when all goes well as evidenced by all your very positive reviews.  So you have the skills as a good host and a negative encounter with a guest should be an opportunity to hone those skills, not derail you.  

We all have experienced the unreasonable difficult guest so believe we empathize with what you experienced.  

[Susan1404]

@Eric766I read two of your responses as well as the guests opinions.  I understand your frustration with those guests, but your responses are a little too detailed and candid.  You need to consider condensing your responses into cool, professional sentences that do not convey emotions quite so much.  As others have said, your response has little bearing on the guest you are addressing, but has tremendous bearing on potential guests.  I have gone thru a few guests who have rattled my cage and find that it helps me to wait a day to several days before leaving any responses so that I think everything through beforehand. 

[Ute42]

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@Eric766 

Your guest Ken wrote in his review:

• they suddenly declined to do so and I had to get help from Airbnb, which sided with me because my complaints were evidenced and reasonable.

That's against airbnb review guidelines – look them up. Reviews are not allowed that talk about the outcome of an airbnb-investigation. This review should be taken down.

[Sarah977]

@Eric766  If a guest's behavior makes you angry, what I suggest is to sit down and write a review which expresses that anger, or if it's their review that also made you mad, write out the response, expressing all you feel. This gets it out of your head and emotions. But don't submit that review or response.. Just sit on it for a week or so until the heat of the moment has passed. Then revisit what you've written, change it to be without emotion, just factual, professional, and brief. 

[Inna22]

@Sarah977 I do that all the time! It’s a wonderful remedy

[Alon1]

@Sarah977 @Inna22 

I do not wish to comment on the current OP, rather on Sarah's advice:

re: 'Just sit on it for a week or so'.

I wouldn't advocate sitting on a negative, misleading review for this length of time, as it leaves a bad impression festering, unchallenged, and given that a listing can receive many views  in the meantime.

I find a couple of days of cooling off is sufficient.