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

[Marit-Anne0]

Very, very seldom I feel the need to leave slightly negative review, I think I have just left my third or forth since 2012.  

"A little less tidy than my average guests and did not quite follow my house rules. I would still recommend." was for my latest guests. Glad I did - they dinged me for arrival even though they admit it was no fault of the host.  Go figure !

“Our late arrival made it a little tricky, no fault upon the host”  they arrived well beyond my midnight latest check-in with none of the dircetions I had given and called us at 1:30 am.

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

When confronted with a guest who isn't a good fit: We recommend him to hosts who have a xxxx style of hosting.  Or We struggled to make sure everything was to xxx's liking. 

When confronted with a guest who doesn't quite follow the rules: XXX decided to do x, which we felt was against our house rules.  We did our best to accommodate this.  

When late: XXX was xxx late to their check in.  This caused us to xxxx. 

When lacking in communication: Communication could have been more forthcoming. We wrote to xxx and they responded xx% of the time.  

Someone we won't host again: this has not happened, YET!  But I wouldn't hesitate to say that we won't.  We have said, we would host xxx again with some more formal guidelines.   

[Deborah1]

It took more than the typical amount of time to prepare the space for the next set of guests since extra cleaning was required.

[Peggy-And-Mike0]

Great Post!  just saved it as a word doc for future reference. 

[Costa2]

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

[J-Renato0]

I think that, when it is possible, we have to say what the issue is! And sometimes, a "delicate" review can not be necessarialy negative, but honest.

Below 2 "delicate" reviews I have written:

"Mr (Hidden) is a great guest, friendly, polite and very honest person. I would say he is a gentleman. The apartment it was clean and tidy when he left it. However I recommend him with one restriction because he is very concerned with noise. So I recommend to all the hosts that has a house or apartment which is very silent, free of any street noise or that have soundproof windows."

The review I copied and past bellow it was for a guest who left my studio very dirty and messy. In this case, when I wrote it, I decided not to mention directly the problem. I left to  other hosts read between lines that I do not recommend him. Anyway, in private, I said to him that the average Airbnb guest do not leave the apartment dirty and messy as he did. 

"Mr (Hidden 2) booked my studio apartment  and stayed there for four nights. Thank you."

If I was to writte this review today, I would say only this - "Apartment it was considerably dirty and messy when he left."

[J-Renato0]

In addition to my previous post

I think that, when it is possible, we have to say what the issue is (not necessary to detail everything)! Why? If the host says what the issue is, you hit the nail on the head.

I think that "Gentle code" sometimes can not be enough, and it give the complicated guests the benefit of doubt, it they want to complain about the review or want to counterargument when someone decline.  

>>>>  "......... may be better suited for a hotel stay" .

If you do not mention the issue the guest may counter argument - e.g. the guest can say "It is to vague, the problem is with the host, he does not like some kind of people and whatsoever ....." 

[Denise107]

I personally feel that "Delicate Reviews" are pointless. They neither help Hosts nor Guests. As a community we need to state the facts, wait a few days before writing your review which takes the anger and harshness out of your review and you are more likely to write a helpful review so said behavior isn't repeated by guest and not shocking to the next host.

[Ken28]

@Denise107

I totally agree.

I want to read honest reveiws. Don't sugar coat it, otherwise someone else might have the same problem!

[Andrea9]

I'm a screen shot lover and have a ton of those with my favorite gems for just in case, and I find they can be used piece meal with sections exchanged. Hope they come out well enough as images here on the forum, because it's way too much work to type them all out.

Most of them are from experienced hosts here, so I'm sure a number of you will recognize your own words (please don't be offended for my hijacking them!!)

Difficult or otherwise irritating guest:

More difficult guest reviews for non-HR followers:

More difficult guest reviews and for those guests who never left the house and left you a grungy mess:

Difficulty with check-in/out and messy:

Messy with more cleaning up:

Guests with 'different values':

And last not least something on snorers"

[Annette33]

wow @Andrea9, that's a gold mine, thanks!

[Linda108]

@Annette33  Good idea for discussion.  I have been way too fortunate to have to provide delicate reviews (knock on wood), but it is interesting to me to get a glimpse into what other hosts have had to deal with.  I understand the need for effective warning statements when your review is a "thumbs up" but you have reservations.  What I don't know is what happens after a host gives a "thumbs down" review.  That is, do you go on to provide more negative detail in a public review or does it just show up as an automated posting of no recommendation?

[Alice-and-Jeff0]

We've given 2 thumbs down reviews - one to a host and one to a guest.  In both instances we were asked to provide more detail but it wasn't required.    

[Marit-Anne0]

@Linda108

I have no proof, but it has been said on the forum that those with a thumbs down are unable to do instant book.  I have only given thumbs down twice and neither of those have any more reviews from hosts.  

One was a scammer and my review was very cryptic, the others were seriously clueless and did not follow house rules. In addition they gave a lengthy reply to my review that would only work against them.

[Bruce43]

@Linda108 yeah thumbs up thumb down and a big middle finger .......see what happens when i post at 2 am !