Keep calm & say sorry

Keep calm & say sorry

(This contains negative feelings. Consider before you read)

I have read lots of advice from other experienced hosts when they had come acrossed the unfriendly guests. And basically, you should not let the bad reviews or bad comments from guests distress you. You should just say thank you for your feedback and move on.. Naturally, the guests are always kings and queens and especially in the hospitality & tourism industry, that is even more correct. Some hosts say: your house your rules, but there are small things that I can not make a fuss to start a whole argument: hey this is my house. Plus, because of my culture I guess, I just want to avoid any conflict with guests. Additionally. I signed up for the airbnb system myself and I want to become a really good host, it's not that anyone made me do it. But sometimes, it does makes me feel like I have no rights to say I am right, just have to keep calm and say sorry. 

 

28 Replies 28
Ann72
Level 10
New York, NY

Thank you for posting this positive message, @Giang18.  I have a feeling you'll be a Superhost very soon!

Thanks for your kind support! I am not sure if my message is really that positive, but I am trying to be ^^ I guess with the time and experience, I will be able to keep calm and host in a professional way like you.

@Giang18, Thank you for your kind compliment!

 

I didn't see anything overtly negative in your post.  But I am guessing that you had an unpleasant guest?  If the guest was American, they may have made a complaint.  In our culture we are taught "the customer is always right," so we feel free to point out things that do not satisfy us.  But the first time I went to Southeast Asia, I read about cultural differences.  I discovered that telling someone he or she is wrong is profoundly insulting.  When I checked into my hotel in Bangkok and was told that I did not reserve a smoking room, I opened my mouth to say, "But you are wrong.  I did reserve a smoking room."  Then I remembered.  So instead I said, "I am so sorry.  I must have made a mistake.  Please accept my apology for not paying closer attention."  After that the management offered to change my room and treated me very well for the duration of my stay.

 

All hosts encounter people who make requests, demands, or complaints.  Yet, like you, even when I think they're being insulting or rude, I just say, I'm so sorry.  I will take care of that right away, and please accept a free night.  No one has ever taken me up on the free night, because their travel plans are set and they don't have the freedom to change them.  But receiving the offer always makes them happy, and I tell them to remind me of it if they ever come back and I will honor it.

 

Your place is beautiful and I have saved it to my wish list!

@Ann72That is so nice to hear from your viewpoint and how you treated the unpleasant guests in a such kind and generous way. I will definitely learn that from you!

I think I made a mistake of setting the price too low at the beginning to attract more customers to my listing. It did the job of attracting more bookings, but it also attracted the ones who do  not have very good manners. 

My current guests are from China, so there is not so much of a cultural shock between us. However, I have the feelings that, since they used to book cheap places before, they don't care much about the experience of the staying, but just simply: "oh I paid this money so I had the rights to demand this and that and critisize things if my demands are not met..." I feel startled every single times they send me a photo of something as an evidence that they didn't like the place. 

but yeah, ayyooo... That is also a part of the hosting experience I guess 🙂

@Giang18 Ah!  Yes, if you read around in this community enough, you'll find that everyone has experienced what you are experiencing - lower prices attract a lower class of guest!  I did the same at the beginning - listed modest prices to get bookings and reviews - and then I raised the price a lot and have had very few problems.  It's funny - if you value your place highly, you'll get guests who do the same.  Hope you survive these awful people and get better ones soon!

Indeed, I have realised that very soon after some bookings and yet very late to do anything about it hehe. Yeah you are right. The price is not just about the money but also how the place is valued. And thanks, I really hope they will leave the place in peace! 

Sally440
Level 2
Margate, United Kingdom

Hi Ann, yes so true about your comment that lower prices attract a lower class of guest.  I have just had that experience myself.  I wonder if you or anyone else can tell me about whether bad reviews or experiences with guests - i.e. they cancel before the end of their stay - can impact negatively on ones Super Host status?

Jeremy100
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

The customer is not always right - but they are always the customer.

@Ann72 and thanks a lot for liking my place! I have saved your 3 listings in my wish list as well! till the day I save enough $$ I will definitely go there 😄

@Giang18 Thank you in return!  If you come I will of course offer you a special friends price!  🙂

aww, that is so sweet of you! Thanks a lot! ^^

J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hello @Giang18

 

I think you have some rights! 

 

I would say

1- "Keep Calm and write a review on the bad guest profile!" Do not recommend the bad guest. Tell the truth about what happened" 🙂

2- "Keep Calm and write a response below the bad review on your profile." Answer in a polite way aiming the future potential guests who will read it. Demonstrate that you will fix any problem. Or tell the truth if the bad guest lied about something.

In both 1 and 2 item, The shorter the text, the best.

 

And, yes avoid conflict! If the guest brokes severely the house rules,  just call Airbnb and ask for advice on how to deal with the situation.

 

Hi @J-Renato0,

Thanks a lot for your advice!!

Yeah, I guess I will have to do both of the action points that you mention, when they give a really bad review about me or say something that is totally not true. I wonder what Airbnb will do to protect the hosts in this situation, will they do something like deleting guests' reviews if it is not objective, not reflecting the truth or even lie about what happened?

 

@Giang18 They usually don't delete the review.  But if they leave a bad review, as @J-Renato0 said, you can leave a response.  Most hosts and guests will be able to see that the negative review didn't truly reflect you as a host.

 

I did complain once about a "revenge" review - the guest had lied about the number of people, had been caught (when she drove up my driveway next door), and was asked to pay the fee for extra people.  She was so angry she left a ridiculous review.  Airbnb didn't remove it, but they put it all the way at the end, on the last page, so most people never see it.

 

They might not leave a bad review, but if they do, and it is really full of lies, do respond as @J-Renato0 suggests.  Flag the guest, and point out the review to Airbnb.  They might do nothing, but you never know.