When Passive Aggressive Guests making bad reviews should be treated as TROLL

[Maddalena0]

It happened to me, luckily not often,

to have guests that kept saying that everything was good, either fantastic, during their stay, and then they come out with bad reviews after the stay.

I don't know if that happened to you but it is extremely frustrating and should be not accepted by Airbnb rules.

My guess is that they don't come out with request during their stay because they don't want bad reviews from the host.

I had a guest who kept saying everything was good,and then gave me 3 stars complaining that the shower was not working well, which turned to be true, but I  don't have  a crystal ball to gaze into, if I knew I would have fixed, as I did in no time after his departure.

I had another guest, even worse then the previous, that same, kept saying everything was absolutely amazing and then he left a very detailed review explaining everything that was not going well during his stay.

What made it worse is that he complained about lack of services that it was clearly written in the description  that are not in the apartment ( like washing machine or wifi). 

Did that happened to you as well?

Don't  you agree with me that this behaviour is absolutely petty and despicable?

Airbnb policy should allow to remove reviews of guests where there is a clear proof that they declared that everything was fine during their stay and then unfairly hitted the hosts. 

[Ute42]

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Hi @Maddalena0,

this is one of the worst elements with this review thing, that guests can criticize issues that could have easily be fixed on site, but they say nothing. Later than the complain.

It's like: I'm watching a movie with my husband that I had recorded before.

After one and a half hours my husband tells me: Didn't like the movie, it was boring.

Well, why didn't You tell me earlier, I habe 200 other movies on that harddisc.

[Maddalena0]

Is there anything we can do?

[Ute42]

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Hi @Maddalena0,

call them on day 2 of their stay and  ask, if they have encountered any issues You could fix for them.

Then put a message into the airbnb messanger.

"Dear 'guest name' as of our phonecall 5 minutes ago You have stated that there are no issues that should to be fixed from my side. Again, should issues come up, pls don't hesitate to contact me. You are not disturbing me with this, it is my obligation as a host to make shure You are comfortabele in my place."

This may later help You to get a review removed.

[Maddalena0]

 Unfortunately not. 

I don't, even manage to talk to someone from Airbnb. 

I received only a chat assistance from a guy who told me that there were nothing to do and posted me useless Airbnb links about policy. 

Trust me I have enough proof on that regard but if no one from Airbnb staff reads it what I have to do? 

[Fred13]

I do not think, anything in that review will give Airbnb enough license to remove it, they will inevitably resort to their standard opinion that what the observations the guest made were without malice and is their entitled opinion. Unfortunately, Airbnb doesn't take guest cowardness, unfairness or stupidity into consideration in their decisions.

[Ute42]

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@Fred0,

I know, but what what would You suggest?

[Ute42]

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@Maddalena0 ,

just read Your listing and the review.

Oh boy, no wifi and bad cellphonesignal in the center of rome.

Get wifi and raise Youre price.

[Maddalena0]

 I can't get wifi. It doesn't work. i tried already. That's why guest pay 35 euros per day which in Rome is quite a low price. 

[J-Renato0]

Hi Maddalena

Can not you have a cable internet provider in that property? If so you could install a router inside the house to broadcast internally the wifi signal.

There must be a solution! "Sono andato a Roma", I stayed in some old buildings around Termini, both on Via Principe Amadeo.. there was wifi. Walls it was too thick indeed.. the signal it was week in some points of the buildings. A wi-fi "repeater", I think would solve the problem. In your case, certainly there must be a technical solution.

Another thing, when you see that a guest is a "pain in the neck", never writte a review, never ask for a review. Silent is the better option. If the guest writes a review... then give he/she a professional response.

To finish.. some guests can not understand cultural differences... It is much better to have a bathtub than a small shower box.

I think that review will do no harm to your listing. Many people would stay there even reading what he said. Not to say you have many good reviews! Only the potential "pain in the neck" guest like him would agree with what he said in general.

The answer you gave him, showed that you made a great effort to be welcoming and accommodating. I think you passed the idea that you are a good host and he passed the idea he is "mean".

[Fred13]

I was just about to say that, when you asked. What would I do.

1. You ~must~ have Wifi (or equivalent) in today's world, especially staying in a city, and specially for someone staying - a month. Imagine. It is a must in my island, in the middle of nowhere in Belize with guests staying only 4-5 days. Charge more if you have to, but it must be there.

2. I would not respond and ever use the word 'despicable', in a response; specially with this particular guest (Pau). Read his reviews, he seems like a nice enough fellow, and though came across a bit 'touchy', he did come across 'kind' by nature. 

3. I would not bother even wasting a nano-second with Airbnb trying to get this review removed.

4. I would address the small things he mentioned, which should have been (of course) said via private feedback, and not bore the reader with such silly things.

5. In a nutshell, I would learn from this guest.

I trust that none of the above is taken wrongly, but we could help one another best by being honest, and above all by always being fair. 

[Maddalena0]

Amazing answer @Fred0 ! I wish I could have asked you before to write mine.

[Maddalena0]

 I can't put wifi because it doesn't work. I tried already and I spare you the pain I had with guests finding wifi was not working. So I removed the wifi and I wrote BIG : THERE IS NO WIFI. 

So it is not a surprise. 

Anyhow he didn't read it (as he didn't read anything apparently) and I still offered him to leave without penalties. He replied that "apartment was amazing and quiet, I was a wonderful host and he was overwhelmed by my kindness and of course he wanted to stay". 

[Helen56]

You could add to your rules 'You know that there is no wi fi'.  Then if a guest complains in a review Airbnb might take it down.  In my rules it says: 'You know the bathroom is shared. You know that I have a cat'.  I don't want complaints about no en suite bathrooms or cat allergies.

[Ute42]

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Hi @Maddalena0 ,

@Fred0 is right in all of his 5 points.

Get a wifi router with connector for outside aerials.

Glue this aerial onto the outside wall of the building.

Cellphone-signal-boosters are also available.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_1_13?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=cellphone+signal+...

[Maddalena0]

 I can't put it I tried already. I tried all. But my tread is not about this. 

It's about guests not asking to hosts and then complaining on reviews.