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

[Annette33]

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

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Annette33

great topic, I would like to hear and copy some suggestions to 🙂

[Janet147]

Thank you everyone for your comments.  I also am keeping a list of your comments.  I had a couple who used the common TV/Cable are and charged pay-for view movies.  I didn't find out until I got the cable bill.  I didn't know how to let other hosts know this - BUT now I do.  More suggestions are welcomed by me.

I had a long term guest who started out liking everything in the apartment and ended up not liking the closet space (I bought a closet shelving unit), didn't like the mattress (I bought a gel/foam topper), and her dog didn't like the apartment, she left after 9 days.  Thank goodness as I was there every day doing things for her.  She sent me a text wanting to be friends and go shopping together LOL.

[Liz6]

I can so relate.I have a guest here just now and to put it mildly we have not really hit it off .??

He is paying 29 pounds per night he is here for a month and so far I don,t think he likes anything !

showed him to his room ,he shrugged OK  asked what he wanted for breakfast,well Idon,t like this this and this ,

he has piled all the towels in his bathroom on the chair as ,,,there were far too many and he has removed all the cushions and pillows from the bed as he did not like them.He has also complained that he got cat fluff on his trousers so has put them in the laundrey basket for me to deal with ??? fair enough my cat does sneak in there at every oppertunity despite my best efforts.

So the long and the short is a few useful phrases for my review of him would be most welcome..I can,t bear to think what kind of review I am going to get from him xx

[Linda108]

@Liz6  thumbs down review...period

[Cormac0]

@Linda108

Best suggestion so far, why should we waste any more time on "Donkey sphincters"

Regards

Cormac

The Explorer's Club Krakow III

The Explorer's Club Krakow VIII

[Denise107]

Be sure your listing describes and shows everything about the space, so that when the guest complains in the review you can rebutt with statements that show that the guest needs to review listing carefully prior to booking. Also mention your pets for the same reason.

[Megan109]

Love this post. I've host many guests but only had one bad experience- basically she was a bit disorganized and wanted to stay an extra night which I happily accommodated. She left very late the next evening and I was just convinced she wasn't going to pay me for it as she refused to do it through Airbnb. Her teenage children were delightful but came round asking for dinner because they were 'starving ' - I think there may have been some alcoholic issues in the mix. I've never left a bad review for anyone but I just described them as 'very interesting guests'. On reflection- I was much too kind and yes- as a community, we should definitely have a code! 

[Viktoria56]

exactly! Like what exactly to write... I like some of the suggestions but surely there must be more!

[Princess20]

I put a parental lock on my cable to prevent pay per views.

[Karen-and-Brian0]

Hi @Annette33 I have thought the exact same thing & so started to keep a little file of some of the better gems that I've seen either here in the forums or on other people's reviews. Other than the old chestnut "better suited to a hotel", I have these:

"While we were honoured that guest x chose our house for his stay, it seems home stays may not be the best option for guest x while traveling."

Or how about "Guest x had a different set of values to those we hold"?

Karen

[Costa2]

Why don't you just honestly say exactly what guest did to help our comunity?

[Cam-And-Shannon0]

The easiest and simplest review without adding a bunch of extra nonsense people won't read

"I would prefer not to host again and would not recommend to any future host."

short and sweet.

if I read that I would pass on a guest. 

[Janet147]

Help,  would I put this in the private area (I believe that this is the area) I'm sure.  How doyou grade the guest?

[Annette33]

@Janet147 , I was thinking more of the public response, as  that is  what everybody will see, and which is of help to future hosts but which also reflects on you. The "grading" of the guest happens in the star system that Airbnb also brings up in the review process after a stay and you are asked to rate the guest on communication, cleanliness, and observance of house rules. But you probably know all that, I just saw that you are an experienced super host, congrats!