Unreal guest expectations, hence bad review.

[Patricia1793]

I have been a super host 4 times in a row and has been working hard to keep the status.

I have a recent guest who stayed with us for two days.  She informed me that she will be arriving late like 10pm.

On that evening, I messaged to checked on her arrival and if everything was alright.  She then message me that she was utterly disappointed as I did not prepare fresh milk and cereal knowingly that she was arriving late.  I explained to her that we do not provide fresh milk but we have coffee creamer for her to start off the stay.  We also provide bottle waters, snacks like chips and crackers.  Well, apparently that is not good enough for her.  In all this years, I had not encountered guest requesting for me to prepare cereal and milk for them.  I found that unreasonable.  We are not a bed and breakfast place, although it’s called Airbnb, are we? 

Anyway, the next morning I went to the shops and got her a muffin and milk.

The guest left me a 3 stars review, stating that my listing was not accurately described, no fresh milk, bed too small(we have a double), no cooking facilities(we use portable stove), far away from train station and supermarkets (5 min walks) while most of my other guests thought our location was fantastic and close to everything. 

I felt that she did not read our listing descriptions and then gave bad review on her own expectations.  I took photos of all the things we provide on the Airbnb listing.  I will even send a pre check in information to our guest.  I felt that whatever she needs to know is already listed.   I do not like surprises and therefore I have been making sure my guest knows what they get before they arrived.  

Will you message your guest to explain we are not a bed and breakfast? Or reply a public review in her review? She probably thinks I am defensive again.  Or I should just take it as part of the business.  

[Lisa723]

@Patricia1793 it’s just part of the business. Guests like this happen to all of us sooner or later. If you respond to the review keep it brief and professional. She won’t see your response but future guests will. Use the opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism.

In my pre-checkin message I offer to to stock the breakfast area at cost if they send a list. Roughly 1% of guests do it but many appreciate the offer. This way they know what to expect in a positive way.

[Patricia1793]

Thanks for the suggestion.  I normally will offer to family with young children traveling from overseas and arriving very early.  Never cross my mind that I am expect to provide milk and cereal on a late arrival.  Hearing from you make me feel better. 

[Mark116]

@Patricia1793   Sounds like a terrible person, but you see how she 'rewarded' you for getting her milk and a muffin the next day: a bad review.  I couldn't find a bad review on your listing, so maybe she wrote something nice and only left the stars?  If she did write a negative text review, you can write a response there.  Make sure if you do a response that it's only to the public section.

[Susan151]

@Patricia1793 . In some ways, Lisa's snarky review is a gift. She is simply reiiterating what is already in your listing. No milk, quiet area, supermarkets in walking distance, and a double bed.

Since potential guests often read reviews [I think] more closely than our listing narratives, she has reenforced what you actually offer. Consider this a good thing!

[Patricia1793]

Hi Susan, you are such a positive person.  I need positive energy like yours.  Thanks for the reply.  

[Mark116]

@Patricia1793  Ah I found it, I wouldn't even bother to respond, complaining that a shop is TEN minutes away, and no nepresso...shows her for the freak she is. 

I might send her a private message though and let her know that a 3/5 is a low enough rating that if not for your 100s of other 5 star reviews, it could have ruined your business, something along the lines.  The b888 will probably not feel guilty though, so maybe just leave it.

[Patricia1793]

She commented a lot more on other areas but I guess the public cannot see it which is good.  It is just hard to maintain the super host status.  You need to maintain the 5 stars review almost all the times although Airbnb said 85 percent.  However,  one negative review like 4 or worst still 3, we need to work and wait for many more 5 stars to recover from it.  

I think I felt very disappointed by her review and took it personally.  But by listening to all you response I felt better and not so lonely.  Thank you.

[Sarah977]

@Patricia1793  Milk and cereal? Is that some standard late-night snack that we're all supposed to know about? How absurd. And here I thought cereal was a breakfast food, ignorant me.

Do not ever go out of your way for demanding, complaining guests. They are never satisfied and will always leave a bad review no matter how much you try to appease them. Save going out of your way for the nice guests, who will appreciate it.

[Yulianna0]

@Patricia1793, hard experience... I had not more than couple of guests that arrived late and asked me to give them breakfast items as they couldn’t but anything so late. No problem! But for demanding ones I have elaborate an answer: why should I? There is an offer and you knew what you bought. (Great, that I don’t have to say it very often!). 

I hope you will mention immature behavior of your guest and that she had unreasonable demands. Let her stay in hotels! 

[Mark1412]

I come from the hospitality industry, having worked in four and five star hotels. I have had to drive across the city because a guest needed a specail pair of boxer shorts but track down a special brand of bottled water. I have had a number of stupid requests from celebraties and wannabes. Milk and cereal would have been one of the easiest of request. I would have just picked up milk while I was out and about. It is best to go with the flow, they will be out of your life in a couple of days. Let it go.

I personally don't know the definition of what an airbnb is. It seems to differ with each person, both guest and hosts so some confusion on expectations should be expected.

I wouldn't compare or not compare your place to a bed and breakfast becuase in some people's minds, they would be the same.

[Helen3]

@Mark1412  we are not top hotels with huge staff and budgets who get paid top dollar for our accommodation, like the one we worked for,  though are we?

Guests should expect no more and no less than what is described in a listing.

If we say we provide cereals and milk, than that is what the guest should expect. If we don't and it is an essential requirement for them, then they should bring their own.

Why should a host go out late at night to collect milk and cereal for a guest, when that is not something they say they offer?

[Mark116]

@Mark1412   I don't charge enough to also offer a consierge service where I can go out and about and run errands and get guests whatever special items they desire.

I did that once, ran an errand to buy a birthday item for a guests daughter, she wanted a certain brand of cookies.  My thanks was that not only did the guest never even offer to repay the money spent on the cookies, she gave me a 4 rating on value and overall.  Never again.

[Sarah977]

@Mark1412  Yes, there is a wide range of what is offered by various hosts on Airbnb. But no confusion on expectations "should be expected"- all the guest has to do is read through all the listing information and ask the host questions if they are unclear about what is on offer.  If they fail to do that, that's on the guest, not the host.

And no, I'm not going to run around catering to guests' whims when they are paying $28/night.

That doesn't mean I won't go out of my way for a nice guest. I had a guest who got food poisoning and was sick in bed for a day. She didn't ask for anything, but I went out and bought her electrolite drinks, crackers, and made her some bland soup that I figured she could keep down.

[Mark1412]

We are limited on what we can do to set realistic expectations but people don't read. How many of use read the fine print when we signed up to use the airbnb service? The terms are generally very long and generally, we have realistic expectations on what we expect from the site, no matter what the terms say. Most people don't read them.

We don't read the ingredients on food packages, we have a level of expectations and to or future surprise, we learn a lot of what we eat is not good for us... it is writen on the package but few people read that information.. just like few people read the individual host's rules. It is human nature, we don't read. We can fill out the form and a post a list in the rental but it is airbnb that can set the level of expectation. Setting that level of expectation will be a challenge for them as every host offers something different.

If the only experience a person has is with Hilton then they will expect different level of service than the person who spent their youth backpacking across the country staying in strangers homes.