Reviewing a Not So Great Guest

[Rebecca160]

Help! I have been an AirBnB host for just over a year and am just now confounded on how to review my last guest. I rent a room in my home. I clearly state in the ad (and have pctures of my friendly house cat and dog. Guests have sole use of the main bathroom, can use the washer/dryer (with my supervision), can cook (if they clean up, can make theselves oatmeal, coffee and tea. Last guest was a young male who was teaching at a flight school. He had 13 very nice reviews, so I apporved him, even though one of the reviews referred to him repeatedly as she. I am wondering now if more that one person is using this guest's account. Anyway, this guest arrived and was scared of my chocolate lab and expressed dislike of cats when my kitty went to greet him. Immediately upon arrival, he threw in a bunch of clothes in my washing machine and then complained they took too long to dry. Within 10 minutes of his arrival, he picked up a ceramic box and brought it to me to ask if it was a trash can. I told him no and that there was a very large plastic trash can in his room, visible from the bedroom door. He spun away and it flew out and broke. From there, it went downhill. He kept trying to bully me into doing things for him, in the most charming way. He never cleaned up the kitchen and left the range, counters and more covered in grease; ate two to three servings of oatmeal (provdied by me) daily; drank the coconut creamer straight out of the carton like it was a coke; had trouble locking the exterior door; made fun of my religous icons; left the bathroom filthy (toothpaste on the ceiling even); bedroom was dirty; discovered that he was drying himself with his own tiny towel, plus the aid of my kleenex and paper towels, not using my really nice towels and on and on. On the plus side, he was mostly in his room and was quiet.  I cannot reconcile how this person  received 13 very nice reviews. I would not want him in my house and I do not think any single woman would want him in her house, either. I really am torn as to how to write a review to alert other hosts that he may not be for them, without getting too detailed. And do I give a thumbs down? What happens then? I have never given one out.  Thanks for any insights!

[Douglas109]

I just had to leave my first negative review today to a guest and I understand your situation.

I think a "thumbs down" is a must if you don't feel like you would recommend this guest to another host, specially since this portion of the feedback is private.

As far as the public review, he sounds like a very inconsiderate individual and kind of a slob, future hosts deserve to know. My advice would be to focus the details of the public review on house rules he broke (if any). 

Just be honest about the experience. There are things that could be considered nitpicking, like the convenience of using their own tiny towel, but direct transgressions should be outlined as such.

[Rebecca160]

Thanks, Douglas!  Sorry that you had to do a negative review. It is stressful just thinking about it.

A friend did ask me what house rules he broke, and there were not that many. I figured that some rules were not necessary to write out, but this guy proved me wrong. Now I will make a longer rule book. Sigh...

[Rebecca181]

@Rebecca160 You might also say that you felt uncomfortable with the guest in your home, and that you found it difficult to communicate easily with him. The facts, but without judgment. The one phrase that all experienced hosts will recognize is 'This guest is better suited to a hotel environment'. This alerts us to the fact that we likely would not want to host this guest. 

Unfortunately, Airbnb's current review system favors guests at the expense of hosts. Guests are given far too much power over the success or failure of a given listing - Even one low-star review (often undeserved) can be lethal if the host can not get it removed. And so some hosts understandably become hesitant to call guests out on poor behavior or do not assertively intervene when the guests are breaking house rules due to fears of a retaliatory review; they also fear reviewing the guest honestly because they don't want to look 'bad' to prospective guests or get a raging public response from the guest on their honest review, and so we have many, many reviews that mean very little, which ultimately does not serve anyone in the community. 

I have had several guests that had rave reviews and after I saw my Cottage (and the hot tub) when they left I knew this could not have possibly been true. I just don't believe that a person with 5 Star ratings across the board for being Clean and following rules suddenly turns into a house-rule breaking sloth the minute they enter my rental. 

I give honest reviews now no matter what, because I decided the only way I can both survive and thrive emotionally as an Airbnb host was to not let fear control my actions in any way, ever. Not always easy, but possible, and it is working well for me so far. 

[Rebecca160]

Thank you! I love the term: 'This guest is better suited to a hotel environment'. Will definitely use this.

And, yes, fear has been throwing me for a loop. Fear of how they would retaliate physically and via Airbnb reviews.  I do not want to let it control me. I will be honest and hope that more hosts alos give honest reviews.

[Chris232]

I certainly would not want this guest

Thumbs down and “Better suited for a hotel environment”

[Rebecca160]

I like the simplicity of this very much. I think that I will give me detailed review (when it is bad) to the individual only and then post this on the public side, with the down thumb.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Rebecca160

Basically agree with what the other hosts said - be honest but stick to the facts. I had to write a negative review end of last year (my first and only) and I had to really seriously keep myself in check not to rant about all the passive-agressive BS we put up with. 

This is how I wrote my negative review "While we appreciate that most house rules were respected, the guest needed occasional reminders about common sense/basic courtesy and we were a bit disappointed that our comments or requests were accepted with a smile & apology but then mostly disregarded. Would not recommend for a shared house situation."

In my particular situation, the "better suited for a hotel" was not appropriate, which is one of the reasons why I struggled a bit to find the right tone and words to say. Hope this helps~

[Rebecca160]

Your review was very nicely worded, yet makes the point clearly.  Thanks!