Negative Review removed when guest cancelled after check-in

[Ross648]

Dear Hosting Community, 

I am leaving this message because I have just had an excellent experience with AirBnB customer service,  one that suggests (I'm an optimist) that AirBnB is paying more attention to hosts.  

I always call guests a few hours after 6 pm check in to make sure that they are comfortable.  In this case, the guest (who rented the place alone) was still in the subway in NYC,  and therefore at best four to five hours from arrival (had she gone she would have arrived after midnight).    Also, the predicted weather for the week was chilly and overcast.    I wasn't surprised when the guest phoned an hour later to cancel "because a friend was ill".     I know not to have long conversations on the phone with guests, and told her that she had to cancel, I could not do it for her. 

I have a moderate cancellation policy and therefore the guest was not given a refund.  In these situations I try to rebook (despite the fact that last season we were booked every day with day gaps for covid cleaning).   But the guest was so insistent on a full refund, either ramblingly incoherent and enraged (phoning multiple times) I decided that I didn't want to host her in the future.   "I have other uses for that money" she complained.  

She then contacted AirBnB and requested a refund, twice, adding that she would write a negative review of my place, which she did (1 star, etc.).   

At any rate, before she posted the review I called AirBnB to alert them, and then after the review was posted called again, and the review is being taken down.    

3 points for hosts: 

1.  try to have every exchange in writing through the AirBnB bot.   

2. the guest did state she was going to write a bad review because I had refused a refund 

3.  I called AirBnB before the review was posted and asked them to make a notation in my account.  

I think it was because of the above that the review was removed.   As most of us know, we need to avoid telephone calls to guests and get everything in writing -- then let the cancellation policy take care of things unless we choose to reschedule or refund.    I'll also add that I only had to wait five minutes for customer service.   I was impressed and felt that AirBnB "had my back" -- something that I never though I would type after the disappearance of customer service last summer.  

[Ross648]

Dear @Annie1372

Of course -- its not mine, though, I lifted it a few years back from another host.    We can't assume that guests understand the skewed rating systems here on AirBnB, and what i like about this message is that it invited guests to contact me if there is any problem. 

"Thank you for selecting XXXXXX for your visit. If there is anything that requires our attention during your stay or if you have any suggestions on how we could improve your stay please let us know through this messenger. We welcome your input and strive to continually improve. We work hard to maintain our review rating and if there is anything during your stay that you feel does not warrant 5 stars please let us know. At the end of your stay you will receive a request from AirBnB to leave a review of the property and your host. We hope that you will take a few moments to share your experience with future guests.

[Annie1372]

Thanks 🙏🏻 

very well written indeed 

[Dale711]

Hi @Ross648,

You’re the lucky once!

You’re the chosen once!

You’re the favorable by Airbnb!

I am so jealous.

Take a look the links below, you’ll be realized’ You just wins a Airbnb ‘Grand Prize! ‘

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Accused-of-Review-Violation/m-p/1436183#M313443

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Beware-of-guest-will-leave-bad-unfair-review/m-p/1436785#M3...

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/liar-review/td-p/1436829

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Negative-Review-After-Reporting-Guest/m-p/1431986

And many more.....

Ross, ways to go.

[Ute42]

.

@Ross648 @Elaine701 @Lorna170 @Emilia42 

It's interesting how amazed we all are about the outcome of this issue. A retaliatory review got removed – shouldn't that be the norm?

It's like: You turn on the lightswitch and the light goes on. Then You go: Honey, did You see that? I turned on the lightswitch and the light went on, isn't that amazing?

When did You last read that a retaliatory review got removed – was that 3 moths ago or 6 months ago? I think this was just a rookie mistake made by a newbie CS-person.

My requirement is, that retaliatory reviews should be removed all of the time. Because if You don't do it, You ruin the guest quality on airbnb.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Ute42 I wonder if Airbnb are subtly changing their application of the rules to be more sensible but, in Airbnb style, are incapable of telling heir hosts. Alternatively a customer support agent came up with this sensible approach for themselves in which case I am sure that it will be beaten out of them in time.