How to handle those difficult reviews!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

How to handle those difficult reviews!

I have posted this comment on another thread but have felt that, due to problems experienced by new hosts when it comes to how they should handle the review of difficult guests I would open a new thread.

This is a long post but a lot of time and thought has gone into it....We all learn every day, and as you continue to host you will become very proficient at sorting out 'the wheat from the chaff' but if you take note of these points I am sure this post will stand you in good stead!

 

Reviews cannot be taken frivilously because they are the centrepiece of the ABB platform. But on the other hand we are reminded at every opportunity that anything less than that 5 stars is not good enough...and for that reason we 'pussyfoot' around issues for fear what we say may come back to bite us in the bum!

And if we start rating our guests as per our experience.......ABB will find a way to remove it!

 

From seeing thousands of these posts I think I have come up with a protocol for reviewing.

There will be some hosts and guests that will fall outside of the common boundaries of accepted behaviour! There are times when police will need to be involved and even more times when help from Airbnb is required and these incidents will require immediate action, but this will only ever be the case for a handfull of bookings over your hosting experience, particularly as you become more experienced in spotting problem guests before accepting! So what I am saying will not be relevant to those situations. What I am talking about are those hostings where rules were broken, personality clashes existed, and there may have been a different perspective between host and guest. If you are concerned about what to write, try the following! And if the reviews do differ wildly keep these points in mind for your review response:

 

1/. Never write a review until you have had two nights sleep after the departure of the guest! There are many little things that will annoy you enough to make a comment when they are a fresh experience, but which, with time, will mellow and can be appraised in a more objective way.

2/. Always write a review as though you have been asked to do it for someone else. 'YOU' will see things as being 'bleedin obvious' because it's your 'turf'! Another set of eyes will see a legitimate reason why the guest did (or felt) what they did!

3/. As I have said before, make yourself a nice drink, leave your emotion out in the garage, or out in the barn before you sit down at that keyboard. What you write at this point will stay with you long after you have forgotten about that belligerent 'turkey'! It will stay with you as long as you host and....it cannot be removed! We have all said things we wish we could take back! When it's in a review it is 'set in stone'....there is no going back!

4/. Tell the community what you feel about this guest, but don't give the guest a reason to resent you. As I said in a comment in another thread, you can make them feel guilty by carefully selecting your words but still finish by wishing them well in future. This way the balance of nature is restored....you made your point, but you have also said 'no hard feelings'!

 

And if their review is a stinker:

5/. Never get into a 'he said/she said' slogging match with a guest. You will always loose, and you will make yourself look petty and a difficult person, in yourself, to deal with. Remain aloof and always assure the guest you value their contribution because after all, the only way you can become a better host is to take notice of what others say. Don't apologise, but tell the guest some things are beyond your control.....like, how much cloud cover may have been present on the day! But tell them that their comments will be taken on board and acted on.

 

Many guests will form an opinion of you by how you carry yourself in the review process....you can be seen as a diplomatic person with great hosting skills........or you can be seen as a 'tough nut to crack' !

Sorry this is so drawn out but, it is a major issue on the forum ....I am not saying I am the review sage but I have had a lifetime dealing with people....I took a mechanical services company from 3 employees to 27 in 6 years......and I don't think my people skills are all that bad!

Cheers.....Rob

238 Replies 238
Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Huma0,

Ah Huma, no, the guest does not have the right to respond to your review! Once they have given their review, that's it they have had their say and nothing further can be added on their part.

Now comes the interesting bit......That is why I said to you in that post yesterday to be positive but brief and almost generic with your review, because, although you had a perception of what the guest would write there was always the possibility that the guest would give you a good review....and that is what he has done. That review Huma is good, from what you have explained here on the forum, you could not have hoped for better. I don't know what he did to you in the star ratings but, that review is OK!

 

As I said that's it for him, your review sits on his page and it's not a bad one! Good on you Huma, you have handled this really well and it's a credit to you. Your review reads as a thoughtful, considerate host who has coped well with a guest who was not perfect, but you have not back stabbed him, so future hosts will not see him as an un-acceptable risk. That is a seriously cool way to handle a possibly difficult situation.

You can now ellaborate a bit more with your review response but remember what you say must mesh with what he has written otherwise it starts to become illogical. There was another post yesterday about a guest that gave a host a nice one sentence review, short but pleasant, and this host launched into a 1,000 + word tirade about what the guest had noted to her in private feedback.

Huma it looked completely over top and ridiculous to bring private comments out into the public arena! And I think that host has well and truly shot herself in the foot!

So Huma.......say,

"It was really nice to host you guys and thanks for your lovely review! Yeah, look it was a pity about the noise thing to start with but hey, we sorted it out didn't we? I think you possibly now have a more realistic idea of what is expected when you come into someone's home! You do have to bend, to flow, to learn from each other and respect each others space. As I said, I did so enjoy our chats. Hope this year is a good one for you and I wish you all the best"! As hosts we will know something happened and that's all we need to know!

 

Once again, your call Huma, but possibly time to keep the 'Koolaid' flowing....see what @Andrea9 thinks.

Cheers....Rob

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Robin4 @Andrea9 Thanks for your encouragement. It means a lot. No, I'm not planning on putting any negative comments in a response to the guest review. It is a decent review after all. Okay, he complained about the room being cold, but fair enough. I had my say in my review also.

 

not sure if I should leave it at that, or write a short and sweet response.

 

i saw the response to the review you mentioned @Robin4 and I certainly don't plan to have a rant like that!!

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

PS apologies for the poor grammar and typos. My iPad does not seem to work well on these forums!

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Also, a question to throw out there:

 

Am I right in assuming that the guests don't actually get to see if we give them a thumbs up or thumbs down, nor do they get to see the star ratings we give them? I couldn't find any official info on this in the Help section, just a post or two in the forums where a host had stated this. How do we know for sure? Could any hosts who have also been guests clarify this point?

 

Yes, I know, I should try being a guest in order to become a better host, but seeing as I only take a holiday once every few years, I haven't had the chance!

 Interesting idea about not mentioning the partner...... love it!

Maree2
Level 2
Queensland, Australia

Thanks for your wise & thought filled ideas on tackling those difficult reviews. 

Christina112
Level 2
Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA

I think you are not thinking like a Host running a business but a person takings each guest’s behavior too personally. Writing such a demeaning review. Learn to overlook petty stuff, it’s the cost of doing business. In the long run it will work better for you. Your review was not flowery by any means and if it were me receiving it, I would be offended and you would also probably scare future guests and affect your income when they are checking your reviews. If you feel you have to judge your guests in this manner and they will be judged by everything they do or do not, and you feel you cannot change, you are in the wrong business. 

@Karen-and-Brian0

Well, there you go and you didn't have to wait until next week!

Congratulations, and well done to both of you....you are what hosting needs, you don't let rooms.....you host!!

Cheers.....Rob

Yes, how about that @Robin4? You were right! We're really pleased but I'm not going to get too attached to it - as you know, just one unhappy guest can sink our boat. 😉

Lovely Karen. Thanks!

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Great overview of tips here @Robin4 🙂


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Dom--Natasha-and-Rosie0
Level 2
London, United Kingdom

Hi! Great post 🙂 

i wanted to ask your advice on what to do when someone stays with you and everything seems fine but they leave a really harsh review 

 

we recently had a group stay with us who reported no problems but they left us 1 star reviews in all categories and a lot of their complaints were regarding the air bnb process of charging guests which is nothing to do with us 

 

luckily they mostly put their complaints in private but the end result was a post saying they would not recommend us and had multiple issues and then 1 stars in most of the categories! 

@Dom--Natasha-and-Rosie0

Hi Guys, you do have the ultimate right of reply because once their review is posted you will be offered the opportunity to respond to their review and that response will appear directly below their review on your page!

This is a hard one because your first instinct is to say 'up yours'  and come out with sweeping statements about how you are right and they got it wrong!

Once again it's hard without knowing the circumstances but, maybe best to say something like......

"Hosting is a tough gig and as hosts, we depend on feedback, and I value any contributions that can possibly help me in what I do! Hosts also depend on reviews, and many months of hard work can be undone with just one thoughtless and ill conceived review. The pricing structure which you struggled with, that Airbnb offers to guests has nothing to do with the host, and any pricing issues should be directed to Aibnb, not the host. It's a bit like saying "the weather wasn't warm enough during our stay"! There is nothing the host can do about that.

The past is in the past, but if you choose to use the hosts of Airbnb again in the future would you please put yourself in the position of the host before you write that review! Imagine how you would feel having done your best, to be crucified in the star system. I have learned from your stay, and I hope you have too, and although I am hurting just now, I wish you all the best for the future"!

 

You stay the dignified ones Dom, Natasha and Rosie, you have made a point but you have also made them feel guilty for the way they treated you so they will be reluctant to retaliate and they will perhaps learn from it. 

And the rest of us hosts will sure get what has happened and put them in a little black book somewhere.

All the best guys, I am so sorry this has happened to you, it's unfair but God, that's life. We once had a Prime Minister in this country who said publically ....."Life wasn't meant to be easy" !!

Cheers.....Rob

@Robin4you are amazing! thanks for that 🙂 as its our first bad review we were really stumped on how to toe the line of defending ourselves without outright arguing with the guest in question. 

Do you happen to know if they can reply to our reply?

 

Thanks again!!

@Dom--Natasha-and-Rosie0

Hi again guys....sorry about the delay in getting back to you but it's a 'round the world' thing....while you play we sleep!!

To answer your question....no....once they have given their review, that's it for them, but you in your stats you will be offered (for a limited time) the opportunity to respond to their review. If you look at my profile, I always respond to every review! Fortunately I have never had any bad ones, but I know my day will come....it's just a matter of time. It may be too late on this occasion but there are subtle things you can do if that window has closed!

You can say in your 'response' to your next guests review...

"Thank you so much for that lovely review...it was such a pleasure to host guests like you. You have treated my house with respect and courtesy and I would love to think our paths will cross again. Unfortunately our last guests did not manage to see their stay as you did, which is hard because, we like to be rewarded for what we do, and to be offered 1 star where you have offered 5 does hurt!

Never mind that's the wonderful thing about life...we are all different, All the best, I would love to see you back here again so we can pick up where we left off."

You won't actually get to thrust it in those prickly guests faces but, it will be visible on your page for others to see, and Dom, Natasha and Rosie, that's what is important, not what's on that these inconsiderate guests page.

We in the community are not fools, we can see what goes on, being hosts we all the time have our radar on for just this sort of guest

All the best guys...cheers.....Rob