How do you handle negative experiences with guests?

[Elisa]

Hello everyone, I hope you are doing well today.😊

It’s impossible to deny that handling challenging situations with guests is something most hosts face at some point.

Whether it’s dealing with unexpected mess, following house rules, or communication challenges, every situation is unique. Some hosts prioritize addressing issues directly, while others prefer to document incidents and seek support in other ways.

I’d love to hear about any experiences you’ve had with guests and how you handled them.

What advice would you give to newer hosts facing their first difficult guest experience?

I look forward to reading your thoughts!

Warm regards 🌻,

[Elisa]

Hi @Armend17 😊, 

That's wonderful to hear that you've never had a negative experience with guests!

I like how you see things. How long have you been hosting?

Warm regards 🌻,

[Armend17]

First thank you for your response, I have been hosting for 5 months now.

[Elisa]

Hi @Armend17 😊, 

that's a great achievement, congratulations for your 5 months of hosting! 🎉

I would like to share with you a community tip ‌👉‌ remember to tag members in your comments so they receive a notification of your message. Simply press @ on your keyboard, and the name of the person you are trying to reach should pop up. 

Warm regards 🌻,

[Alissa131]

Hello Elisa,

Handling negative guest experiences can be tricky. 
It’s important to communicate in a calm, professional and positive way. I look at these experiences as opportunities to improve our listing and to educate guests.

My first negative experience was a guest that left the place a mess, overflowing garbage,  pizza under a white pillow,  wrappers and bottles under the bed and left in a hurry and took my keys with him. Luckily, I had a fee to replace keys already in my listing so I was able to send him an additional charge. All of my messages were in the app so Airbnb was able to help to clear things up.

I was very respectful and understanding but at the same time highlighted the rules and he was happy to pay the fee.
 Wishing all future hosts and guests the best of success!

[Elisa]

Hi @Alissa131 😊,

Thank you so much for sharing this experience with the hosts here!

I agree, we learn more from negative situations, and that’s the best way to approach them. All my compliments on how you handled that episode with the guest, you were truly professional.

I didn’t know it was possible to add a fee to replace keys in your listing. This is a great idea! Would you like to share this with the community? I’m sure other hosts would find it useful.

If so, it will only take a few minutes, you can start a new conversation here to share this tip.

Warm regards 🌻,

[Abby358]

I’m going to block the guest after their visit. I know this isn’t what most hosts do but I also go above and beyond for guest, flowers candy, special itinerary for their specific stay, snacks, paying for lunch whatever it takes but at the end of the day you will have guests that untrustworthy/unreasonable. I have two more recent incidents recently. One guest booked with me because he thought he would meet me in person. He was not aware the home was shared with other guests prior to booking. Even though it’s displayed on my listing clearly. He said he wanted alone/personal time. When I informed him I wouldn’t be in the home for his arrival, he wanted me to cancel because he wanted to speak to me personally. He even went so far to say I was a fake vegan because my refrigerator downstairs had meat products that belonged to other guests currently staying in the shared home. I have entire kitchenette and refrigerator in my room for my food by the way. He even bribed me that he would forgive me for being a fake vegan if I gave him a refund and in return he’d give me a 5 star review… all on the Airbnb messages. I was so scared to be home with the guest I never returned during his stay and had to change my profile photo. In this situation I involved the platform to assist him at locating another stay but he didn’t want to leave. He has not left a review yet but he was extremely upset in several messages I was not home. I even had my co host assist him but he wouldn’t speak to him. I dealt with this by blocking him.l after his stay.

[Elisa]

Hi @Abby358 😊, 

Thank you for sharing your experience with me and other hosts!

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to handle a negative experience. Sometimes, we just have to follow our gut.

I’m truly sorry for what happened, it sounds like a nightmare, but I’m impressed by how promptly you reacted and found the best way to manage it.

Did you notice any unusual behavior from these guests during the reservation process, or did everything seem normal, like with other guests?

Warm regards🌻,

[Abby358]

Thank you and the guest stopped reaching out as much in a harassing manner once my co host became more involved( a man) . Pretty sad honestly but yes he told me he traveled 10000 miles to be at my home and so far hasn’t left a review. Thankfully his stay was only two days so I just went elsewhere for that timeframe. Usually when I have a less than happy guest I ask them during their stay immediately upon their arrival if the listing meets their satisfaction. Then I ask again the morning after their first night and again prior to them checking out. I always try to meet the guest in person and give them a walk through of the home so if they aren’t satisfied or need to know where anything is I can be hands on. That’s more of my approach. In person interactions when it is safe and time allows. This allows me to fix issues head on rather than waiting for the review. I have also learned no matter how much you ask or fix issues some people just won’t tell you. They will feel more comfortable writing it down. I now have a “what can I do better” box in every room with a pen so people can write their ideas. That also helps me get returned guests because they enjoy seeing their ideas being implemented for their next stay.

[Cindy83]

From the many replies so far it sounds like the Airbnb community is doing it right! From maintaining a calm demeaner to documenting every little item the guest damages to offering discounts when there are disappointments...these are all best practices and the same ones we implement.  I would add that poor guest behavior, while incredibly frustrating, shouldn't be taken personally.  You never know what drives a guest to do what they do but by maintaining calm, understanding that you, as the host, are not the issue and requesting Airbnb assistance with claims is the right path. 

When the negative experience is caused by the home or any property issues or failure, we always ask the guest what we can do to make it right.  And whatever they say is what we do.  It breaks my heart when something happens to a guest...even when out of our control.  This is, after all, the vacation they've saved their hard earned money for and have looked forward to...so being empathetic goes a long way!  Someone mentioned the "Golden Rule" and that is a great approach to the business...even if the guest isn't abiding by it! 

[Elisa]

Hi @Cindy83 😊, 

It’s so nice to read your comment and your kind words about the Airbnb community!

Your approach to handling negative experiences is truly constructive, my compliments to you.

How long have you been hosting? Have you had any challenging experiences to deal with recently?

Warm regards 🌻,

[Elaine701]

@Elisa I write an honest description of the behaviour of the guest in their review. 

If it was an undesirable guest, I say why, and avoid personal remarks.

If it was an exceptional guest, I say why, but may add some personal remarks praising them. 

That's pretty much it. 

[Elisa]

Hi @Elaine701 😊,

Thank you for sharing this comment here!

You have a very valid method. Did any guests call or text you to complain about the negative review you left about their stay?

Warm regards 🌻,

[Guy991]

Hello @Elisa ,

That’s a great question, because it is not all sunshine and rainbows. My approach is to try to resolve issues myself and only turn to Airbnb customer service as a last resort.

If I have difficult guests, I handle the situation gently, overwhelming them with kindness. I often meet with them in person to listen to their concerns. Sometimes, the issue itself isn’t significant, but they just need to feel heard and know that their opinion matters. I do my best to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, treating their concerns as urgent. Some challenging guests are quick to track the host’s response time and may already be thinking about what to write in their review.

One incident stands out: a guest reported seeing a drunk man sitting on the ground near the main entrance inside the property. I hurried over and found that it was actually another guest from one of my other units. Since I didn’t want to physically intervene, I took a chair and sat beside him. Whenever he tried to shout or sing in his native language, I reminded him we had other guests. He also wanted to walk to the supermarket for more drinks, and I encouraged him not to go in his condition.
I kept the original guest informed, assuring them that I was there and everything was under control.

I stayed with this guest for about three hours until his friend, who had made the reservation, arrived. The friend helped him up and got him back to their unit to sleep. 

[Elisa]

Hi @Guy991 😊, 

It’s always a pleasure reading your comments and insights about hosting in the community!

This is the most unique situation I’ve ever read about. You’ve been so professional, and I’m really impressed. 

When you have a difficult guest, do they appreciate being overwhelmed with kindness, or do they prefer more distance?

Warm regards 🌻,

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Elisa Unless damage was being caused we just grin and bear it with the guest. Then we slammed them in the review! A quick review and review response also allows damages to be claimed within the 14 day timescale but we never had to do this.