Well it had to happen - my first bad review received as a host

Well it had to happen - my first bad review received as a host

Much depression and fretting! We list our spare room occasionally, and I had a last minute traveller submit a booking at 7am for check in the same day. I was leaving to a conference at 11 that morning, so frantically cleaned my already quite clean house and made the room up. The guest was with us for about 9 days, paying what he would for a single night in a 5 star hotel. I even helped him load up his car at the end! I thought he had had a decent experience - we are a home after all, not a resort! I did peak into his room at a couple points during his stay to see if I could vacuum/dust etc... (being an older house it can be drafty), but the whole floor was covered in his clothes, suitcases etc..I thought he would rather I didn't touch them! The common areas were cleaned everyday, and the bathroom I scrubbed once before he arrived and twice during his stay. It was spotless!!

 

And then I received my review. Two stars for cleanliness (apparently the room was dusty), one for accuracy (the house is located on a main road, next to a tram line. This is mentioned in the listing as also in other reviews, but he was apparently disturbed by the noise of that AND of a bird singing at 5 in the morning?!?! How am I meant to control the bloody birds?).

 

I can't help but take it personally. This is my first bad review, and I always go out of my way to make our guests feel at home. I am not a slob. Just hoping to hear similar stories from people who are like me, inaccurately reviewed.

 

 

 

 

26 Replies 26
Sandra126
Level 10
Daylesford, Australia

Don't worry about him, he even says it is his first time on Airbnb. You probably read it as worse than it is, I read it and it wouldn't prevent me from booking, you have many other great reviews. Soon it will slide down the list. Birdcalls are nothing, I have occasional possums galloping on my tin roof at inconvenient nocturnal hours frightening the odd guest. Growls and hisses in the night... Bird calls are rather serene in comparison!

Move on, don't think about it, just do what you do best and believe that all will be well with future guests. No stressing, it will only make you ill!

Thanks Sandra! Great to hear from a fellow aussie. We also have a resident possum, who can get quite amorous, I suppose I should be grateful it didn't make an appearance during his stay! 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Sheri15 ....Sheri, the main thing that comes out of that review is the wonderful calm and measured response you gave. That tells us as much about you, as his review did about him, but the two are like chalk and cheese!

You came across as an eloquent, calm, obliging person!

He came across as one of those 'turkeys' you try to avoid hosting!

Let it go, we can read between the lines, the rest of your reviews do you credit and it won't be long before this one slips off the radar!!

 

If you have spent any time on this forum you will know all about my experiences with possums!!!!

 

Cheers....Rob

Roz4
Level 10
Auckland, New Zealand

You are right, sadly it had to happen at some point. But that doesn't make it feel any better!! Everyone has their own idea of what clean means and what their expectations of Airbnb hosts are, so you won't win all the time. 2 is exceptionally harsh though!! I recently learned that a friend of mine washes her towel every time after a single use. They have a pool and 2 kids. So in summer they can wash up to 12 towels in a day- 2 swims and a shower. I have a heated towel rail in our accomodation and I expect guests to use their towel twice before washing it. I think that's completely reasonable, but it made me realise everyone has their quirks and you will never be able to live up to everyone's standards. 

Gary-And-Rose0
Level 7
Chemainus, Canada

You could reply to hid poor review saying what the issues were and why they werent resolved ie clothes on floor unable to get in and dust, last minite booking and fid my best to accomodate, cant stop birds singing sorry. 

 

This will give new guests something to read from your pointnof view which all seem valid. 

 

Remeber you can please some of the people all of the time, all of the people some of the time but NEVER all of the people all of the time !!!

thanks! I have replied to their review. I work in sales and the mantra "the customer is always right" is never too far away from my mind. I didn't want to go beserk at the guy, so have replied in what I hope is a to the point manner whilst still acknowledging that he felt let down. Managing expectations seems to be the toughest part of airbnb hosting.

 

@Sheri15    "How am I meant to control the bloody birds?). "   Love that! 

I know it's hard not to take it personally but it's not worth it. What options are there - offer to strangle the bird?

I quite like the warbling of the birds! Specially after a long winter

Ange - I might steal/adapt some of the words in your introduction (particularly the please read the listing bit). Hope thats ok!

@Sheri15   Go for it,  anything you want to use is fine by me. Good luck. In my experience it makes a bit of difference but it is not fool proof!

 

btw:  remember to write  in things to note:  Warbling birds may be heard joyously celebrating the dawn!  🙂

Just added to my description: "Please note that as we have a decent amount of greenery around the house (trees, bushes, garden), you may hear some amount of bird song and warbling. Unfortunately this is unavoidable (but also in our minds, quite pleasant). If you would prefer to not hear this, we have earplugs available, please ask us." 

 

laughing that this is something i have to warn about! Thanks Ange!

I would be stung by that too, but I agree with others - as a reader you think 'this guy is petty', not 'this property sucks'. It's like the complainers on Tripadvisor - ignore and move on. 

thank you! Very reassuring, I was panicking a bit to be honest. I think the worst part was that during all my interactions with this guest, never once did he say he wasn't happy! Even when I was saying goodbye.

My listing says you will hear the roosters crow and the mini donkey bray.  The guests have added (in their reviews) that the full size bed is not a queen, that the farm smells . . . like a farm, and that it is dark at night.  All true.  I am happy with a true review that perhaps will repel people that don't like roosters crowing, farms smelling and their 6 foot 5 inch tall feet hanging off the end of a perfectly normal length bed.