I will no longer post a bad review about a guest

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Megan160
Level 9
Tucson, AZ

I will no longer post a bad review about a guest

I had an awful guest experience and tried to settle it with the guest personally. She stayed at a reduced rate and then needed to extend her stay. We gave her an even bigger rate discount. When she left, she left the place a mess. Dirty, greasy dishes, pots and pans. All the furniture was in dissaray, both sets of blankets/quilts had spots and stains on them, there were crumbs in all the beds on the mattress pads (which had to be hand picked off), and she ruined a set of sheets.

 

I took 3 days to cool off before I texted her because we really went out of our way to help this guest and she took advantage of us. I told her I was unhappy about the state of the place and asked her to pay $50 to replace the sheets. Prior to this text, she had nothing but glowing reviews and thanks for me in all her texts. She did not understand why she should have to pay for her sheets because I was a woman and the damaged sheets were a result of a "woman thing" and thus I should understand. I said I shouldn't have to pay for her "woman thing".

 

After much internal debate, I decided to warn other hosts and gave her an appropriate but still not brutal review, even leaving out the refusal to pay for damages and passing on her lame excuse for the mess. She then gave me a bad review, lying about my place and me. Prior to this review, I had 5 star reviews. Now people think my place is noisy and I am rude. My bookings have almost stoped dead in their tracks after her review. Plus, my 3 month pre-book for Jan-March canceled right after the review. I have contacted Airbnb twice about this to no avail. I had responded to her bad review, but not in much detail because I assumed that if I could prove it was a retaliatory review, it would be removed. THIS IS NOT THE CASE! Not only will they not remove it, they won't even let me expound on my explanation to her bad review.

 

So frustrated! I am knee deep in the process of spending a lot of money to make my other 2 rentals Airbnb rentals and now I can't even get bookings in prime season. Airbnb penalizes us for trying to warn other hosts about bad guests.

1 Best Answer
John915
Level 3
New York, United States

@Megan160

 

Unfortunately there is probably nothing you can do about it. Things like this happen to all of us (guests, especially newer ones have wildly different expectations) and I hate the fact that one bad review plants a seed in future guests' minds (for example, I had one who stayed for nearly a month and I left town for nearly a week - I live in the part of the home - I came back and she had left an old pizza box, empty bottles,etc....her review dinged me for cleanliness?!)

 

Some guests are just horrible and/or petty (and I'm sure a handful of hosts are not so great either) but the best thing to do is learn from it.

 

I never leave a review for a guest unless I've personally interacted with him/her. I do this because if you are the first to leave a review, your guest sees that you left one and if they felt their stay was unpleasant, they have nothing to lose by leaving you a nasty review. A host may rely on sharing their home to cover a significant portion of housing costs, extra income, etc. but a guest may book an Airbnb once or twice a year. And even if guests get not so great reviews, in many cities there are plenty of hosts who would just be happy for the income.

 

I've been fortunate to have not yet had many "nightmare" guests but I would learn from this experience - do not be the first to review a guest! If they feel strongly about your space (negative or positive) they will usually leave a review. If I've had a weird situation/neutral, I don't bother. If my interaction was positive, I ask them to send me private feedback as to what I can do better. If someone leaves a review, you can comment on it but if you think someone had a less than stellar experience, you as a host leaving a review only prompts a guest to leave one as well (which may be unfair, misleading, etc.)

 

Saw your listing and I really don't think your guest's review was that bad. If anything it was probably prompted by your interaction with her following her stay. You have 5 stars and it was overall a positive review! I have no plans to go to Tucson but I'd stay in your place! In the future, I'd just let small inconveniences like that go. Don't be a pushover but understand accidents happen and sometimes minor things occur with otherwise well-meaning guests:

 

-No smoking but someone opens a window thinking they can get away with it

-Someone breaks a glass

-Uses toilet and "forgets" to flush (nasty but happens)

 

My advice:

1.) Do not post a review first - Regardless of what you do, you get sometimes get less than 5-stars! If you've had a less than fantastic dialogue with a guest, posting a review prompts them to do the same - in your case, she knew you were upset about the sheets & was probably defensive about being asked to pay $50 for an accident - If she thought you were upset with her as a host, I am not suprised that she didn't give you a fantastic, glowing review in response to the notification that you had left her a review.  

2.) Don't sweat the small stuff

3.) Just buy a $10 set of sheets from Wal-Mart and consider it a "cost of doing business" if they are ruined at some point

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232 Replies 232

Ok **[Content removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

That is a great idea! Thank you. Has this been Not sure what you mean by (test not to stand out) though?

I thought that also, about leaving a code, when the guest is not bad enough to warrant a claim, but bad to cause discomfort to other guests or hosts or excessive cleaning charges or theft. But all the hosts would have to be aware of the code for it to be effective. Nice thought though 

I love it 🥰 You’re a genius😁

I actually really love this idea!

Margaret856
Level 3
West Jefferson, NC

The review system in airbnb is really a problem!!

Some of the host service techs on Airbnb side have made some improvements. On a new listing I had with 3 5 star reviews, I received  a negative review from a woman that showed up (without reading my description) that the room she booked for the evening, while being a master suite, she would share the other living spaces with one other room, she made a quick phone call to her boyfriend and said my place wouldn't work for their rondevous and told me she thought it was a whole apartment. She then left. A few hours later Airbnb called me to say the guest canceled her stay, and a review popped up. I didn't know how I could review a person that I only saw for a few min. She was allowed to review me and left all 1 stars even though she checked in smoothly (I got a 1) and she complained she felt unsafe because she "was followed"  in the neighborhood. I watched her arrive, no one was around her. Communication, I got a 1, even though I answered all her questions in airbnb quickly and happen to meet her in person on check in until she left like 10 min later.  Airbnb allowed her to change out bookings at my expense.  It was crazy, I was unable to point out she should not be able to leave a review. After that, I have 50 reviews on the room of 5 stars, but her one review keeps it 4.88 with everything but cleaning as under 5. sometimes, I think airbnb should continue to tweak their review processes.  

Erin443
Level 10
Salt Lake City, UT

I'm very grateful for hosts who care enough about the rest of us to be honest. I've had very few bad experiences - maybe three - but I was honest without being nasty. I've definitely refused guests who had bad reviews. In fact, one that I refused went to a friend's Airbnb and was as horrible as the other reviews said. I felt terrible for my friend. PLEASE look out for the rest of us! I'll look out for you.