What are you best short effective statements for "delicate" reviews?

Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

What are you best short effective statements for "delicate" reviews?

I have noticed that quite a few of us hosts hesitate to come out with a straightforward, negative review, even if we feel like it. Also,  some of us can go a bit overboard with too many details in a bad review, which renders it mostly ineffective, and it says more about the host than about the reviewed guest.

 

So I am still looking for good, short phrases that say it all... Luckily I never felt the need so far, but my day may come. The one time I had a "bad" guest, I didn't really deal with it, I just didn't post a review. Now I would, primarily as a signal to my fellow hosts - we need to help eachother! 

 

So I know about.  "......... may be better suited for a hotel stay" . That is a classic!

Not sure if the "neat and tidy" is a compliment or a coded description for an uptight  guest. 

I'd just like to add : "Unfortunately, our listing was not a good match for ........'s needs".

 

What other gentle codes

71 Replies 71
Betty-B--M-0
Level 10
Nairobi, Kenya

After an initial few times of agonising over what to say and how, I now use only one guideline in giving reviews: the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, WITH a measure of kindness that is pressed down, shaken together and running over.

This helped me completely eliminate agony time and is just the fairest thing to guests (chance to reform bad behaviour or to respond in the section below their review once it posts), hosts (chance to make informed guest choices), the community (imagine what would happen if we all spoke plainly but kindly) and to myself (hosting is fun but can be hard work, no need to further complicate matters).

Can I improve and lighten up sometimes? Of course. That's why I take my reviews from guests seriously and always verbally ask them to tell it like it is, as well as put this request in my private comments to them so that they can publicly respond to my review. I'll take the risk of their response going public. 

Is it necessary to nitpick over every detail of the truth? Of course not. That's where the grace comes in. 

One last thing: almost completely avoid the need for composing delicate reviews by avoiding the "delicate"guest. 

How?

One trick that helps me: keeping it real when it comes to pricing, rules and my own profile. 

When my price was too low, I attracted undesirable guests who were hard work, while barely turning a profit. 

When my rules were too lax, I experienced guests with very different values from mine.

In the community spotlight @Gerry and Rashid mentioned adding more pictures and really filling in your profile well so that you attract similar people; thanks to them for this simply genius suggestion. 

For guests who read the details, all this works. (I once had a guest cancel after booking because she couldn't keep one of my rules for which I was very grateful as a problem was solved even before it happened). 

For all guests, a truthful review applies. 

Happy hosting, thank you for reading, @Annette33 not to dismiss your question at all, I think it is valid, this is only my response.

 

Peace and love,

Betty 

 

  

A review from another host that we found helpful went sometime like this, "so and so was friendly and left the space in good condition. However, she helped herself to 2 bottles of our wine on her way out."

 

Since we have wine that we do not wish to share in this way, we declined the reservation. Thanks, fellow host!

@Betty-B--M-0 , couldn't agree with you more , thank you! your post should be required reading for any new host 🙂

@Betty-B--M-0

But how do you review a clever scammer - you know it is a scammer, but mentioning this in a review would be regarded as slanderous and immeditatly taken down because you cannot produce any proof.  

Hi @Marit-Anne0, good observation about slander. Scamming is serious and the first thing I would do is flag the user on ABB. Depending on the nature of the situation, you may want to contact ABB directly. Without knowing all the details, I would stick with the facts in my review. Something along the lines of "So-and-so did such and such which breached trust and safety because of ABC." You could then add your take e.g. "Would not recommend" or "Would recommend provided 123 was fully disclosed in advance." 

 

@Betty-B--M-0

It was a near copycat of "Sally the Scammer" in this article - very clever indeed, and my only weapon was a cryptic review and a thumbs down + a private message to airbnb.  Flagged as scammer, still there.  There is no proof, so there is the benefit of doubt as always.

https://globalhostingblogs.com/2015/12/06/ten-guests-you-dont-want/

@Marit-Anne0 that article was golden; thank you for sharing.

To some requests : say/scream/write across the sky/picket your own listing with NO!

Kelly117
Level 2
Tulsa, OK

Sadly, I had a guest stay that was a travel agent.  She stated that she was "in town for business".  I felt bullied during her entire stay! Verbally punching and jabbing at me at all hours with why do you do this, do you have this or that, or statements that started out positive to draw me in then to just take a sharper jab verbally at me!  I've had nothing but RAVE reviews and I was so glad that I decided to leave my FIRST bad review on someone!  Honestly, I felt she only stayed to do just that.....pick and bully since her line of work is based on making commissions on traveling!   I was NEVER SO GLAD for a guest to check-out!  

I left the review of, it might be a good idea to be sure that all of your ammenities suit her BEFORE check in!!  Be certain to double check with this guest that she has read your ammenity list and will not be provided with any more or less of what's listed!  

I do like the statement that maybe a hotel stay would better suit this guest!  

Thanks AIRBNB community for your honesty and help in these situations!  We all pride ourselves on our hard work as a host!  

Julia66
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

This guest would be better suited to a tent.  😉

@Julia66

 

LOL, the best laugh I've had this week. I'll store that one for future use.

 

Regards

 

Cormac

 

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

The Explorer's Club Krakow VIII

 

 

I had one guest for a WEEK that I was glad to see leave - LOTS of inapropriate behavior and demands - I am not taliking about MINOR issues but major ones including running around the house in underwear, exposing himself to me TWICE, cleaning his golf clubs with my white guest towels after round of golf  in the mud and rain, innapropriate coments and barging into another long term FEMALE guest room that I was hosting, she was doing an internship at a local hospital < SHORT LIST!   Then he left me poor scores on CLENLINESS AND LOCATION. Every one of mt 50 Plus previous reviews had a 5 star rating for CLENLINESS and location he left  3 star ratings? I left a short review. I did state inapropriate behavior in the any problems box at the end of the review that no one sees. 

 

 

>>>> "running around the house in underwear" !!!

 

May be better suited for a lunitc asylum stay ! 🙂

The one time I sugar coated a review it backfired and the guest booked additional days. So now I just say it as I see it. If you are messy, break house rules, or don't check-out on time I let it be known in my review. I guess I have a better grasp of how incorrect ratings can spin a business model out of control since I drive for a ride-share company that has the "inmates running the asylum"

Flo17
Level 2
Berlin, Germany

Interesting topic... super agree with you, Denise.

Flora-and-Jim0
Level 2
San Antonio, TX

When accepting guest based on reviews - I find it best to read between the lines at what was "not" said as opposed to what "was" said.   

I do not ussually leave glowing reviews for most guests.  But I make sure great guests  get the designation of "great guest" and then proceed to clarify what this means to me - like 'clean, quiet, respectful ...etc."  

I think when we leave reviews about guest  we should say more than just "great guest"  or "bad guest." These comments just don't say much to me as a host   A great guest to you might be a mediocre guest to me.   You might want and like chatty guests wheras I like quiet guests.   We need to be clear about what we liked or didn't like about guests.  The host reading the review can then decide if the guest is appropriate for them. 

The same would be true for bad guests.   It is important for me to say for example - "This guest, though friendly, didn't follow my house rules. He left dirty dishes unwashed, trashbins full and sand all over the carpets & floors."    This statement clearly states in what in what condition my place was left by the guest -  it does not call the guest "dirty" or "messy" - just states the facts.    

A host can read this and still tdecide to still rent to this guest because these issues are not ones they care too much about.   A more festidious host migth rightfully choose not to rent to this guest because they to expectpeople styain in their home to be quiet, clean and tidy and leave there place just as they found it.  

So in answer to your question about being "delicate"   - I would say  - avoid name calling - but be clear about what has made you  unhappy with a paricular guest.   To do any less would be disengenous and a diservice to other hosts - when they are trying to decided weather to let this guest into their home.   Remember that some host rent out rooms in the homes where they actually live. They sare their personal space with guests.   There is NO room or need for being overly "delicate"  when comes to bad guests - period.   That just lets the bad apples continue to propogate.

Hope this helps