Hi all - I'm hoping to pull on some advice please.
We have been hosting since the start of this year, and have had 19 very amazing experiences, and pretty much straight 5 star ratings. However, our luck was bound to run out at some point.
We have recently hosted a couple and their friends. It was a slightly longer than average stay so, midway through, we messaged them asking if they wanted us to give the property a clean, change the bed sheets etc. which they refused, but asked to meet with us.
We immediately telephoned them to ask if everything was ok, during which the guest quite abruptly told us that we were hosting her in a property that was not fit for anyone to live in! She then went through a list of nine separate issues she had with the house, and how they were required to be attended to immediately. To our view, only one of the issues was a matter that was required to be addressed relatively quickly.
Regardless, we met her at the property a few hours later, where she insisted that we look at each of the nine issues which she had discussed on the telephone and subsequently send us photographs of, together with her, and allow her to 'tell' us what was needed to be rectified.
The issues ranged from a light switch which had recessed slightly into the wall (which I would put in the needs fixed relatively quickly list and called an electrician immediately), to the emergency panic buttons in the house not being clearly signed as for emergency use only and making clear that they are not light switches (despite them stating emergency in red capital letters and being quite different from the light switches). The floor (which I cleaned myself and know was immaculate) was the most disgusting floor she had ever seen, the front door was too stiff for her to open, and only the heat light in the bathroom worked, with the non-heat light spotlight requiring to be changed. There were various other issues ranging from a plank on the deck that needed a nail to a ceiling light in a bedroom not working (we had actually deliberately had that light disconnected as the room was far too bright with the other lights otherwise).
Anyway - suffice to say, the issues (with the potential exception of the light switch) were non-issues and, indeed, the light she was bothered about would have been changed had she not arrived early for check-in and while the house was still being prepared.
Her feedback was one thing (and to be honest quite good to receive as we fixed every single one of her non-issues promptly and know that no-one else will ever be able to find anything to complain about as they would never go to the length that she did to find issues, however it was the way that she did it that really bothered us. She was incredibly rude and condescending in the way that she spoke to us and, to be honest, a bit of a bully as she continually said she would not going to provide adverse feedback if we immediately rectified the issues (which we did).
So to the issue. This morning, we received a message from the guest which was quite hard to read. Rather than being addressed to us, it was addressed to "Dear Sirs" It has lots of typos within it, but I think it basically says "We provided feedback on this property but it has not been published on the site".
I initially took this to mean that the guest was telling us they have left private feedback only and no public feedback. But as I think about it, I think the guest has actually thought they were emailing Airbnb to complain that the (presumably adverse) feedback they have provided on our property is not showing on the Airbnb website, without realising it is because it is within the 14 days and we haven't yet left feedback.
We were actually minded not to leave any feedback for the guest and just put this down to (a very bad) experience.
The bottom line is that, due to the way they spoke to us and thought it was their place to tell us what we should and shouldn't do with our property in a very condescending way (and the threat of adverse reviews if we didn't immediately fix things (which we considered to be minor at best)), we would not host the guests again and would not recommend them. But I can see if becoming a legal nightmare as they mentioned how experienced Airbnb users they are (looks like they have 8 positive reviews) and how they will not accept a bad review. I could actually see them instructing lawyers (which we would have to follow on with).
What are everyone's thoughts? I have drafted a review that sets out factually what happened, and allows other hosts to make up their own mind. I have (in my draft) explained what each of their issues were, and how we were grateful for the feedback but the condescending way in which it was delivered was not acceptable.
Funnily enough, we received another 5 star review from our guest who stayed after this guest this morning. This anticipated bad review is going to badly effect our overall rating.
Thanks all - we have literally lost sleep over this and trying to work out what's best to do!
