How to respond to a misleading 'must sleep on couch' review

Katarzyna45
Level 2
Irving, TX

How to respond to a misleading 'must sleep on couch' review

I recently, Sept 12-13 2020, had a guest stay with a party of '6', which is my listed maximum allowed guests. Upon checkout the public review says that this guest 'does not feel sorry for' anyone who 'has to' sleep on the couch?? My listing has 2 queen beds, one fold-out mattress couch, and one twin bed; this adds up to 7 spaces for sleeping on actual beds. The 'feel sorry for' and 'has to sleep on the couch' indicates that the guest is publicly counting my 2 couches as beds - which is absolutely misleading - as if I force my guests into no other choice but to sleep on the couch. Granted that if someone wants to sleep on the couch, I cannot readily prevent that, nor do I attempt to prevent it anywhere in my communications or listings. But, I don't want people -who don't read my listing or look at the part of the listing that Airbnb nicely draws out the amount and type of beds for them in black and white pictures- to think that they 'have to' sleep on the living room couches to fit the 6 people max that we allow in the listing. Not to mention that this claim of 'having to sleep on the couch' now has me wondering if my guest brought in more than 6 people [to cause such 'dire' need of overflow onto the living room couches].

 

Because we as hosts can publicly respond to the guests' public review, I wonder if I should bother to use my public response space to correct the misleading indicator that my guests must somehow be 'forced' to sleep on couches (and maybe not be felt sorry for - not my words, the guests words). Or should I just let it go and -not- use my public response real estate to address this guest's misleading claim that people who rent our home will 'have to' sleep on couches which 'at least are comfy'?

6 Replies 6
Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Katarzyna45 Personally, I think you are looking too far into it. I don't see anything wrong with the review and take it as a positive: the couches are very comfortable. I wouldn't address it in the response.

Katarzyna45
Level 2
Irving, TX

I think I will go ahead and use the public response space to thank the guest for the review, and share that I'm glad they found the living room couches comfortable enough to sleep on. Then invite the guest and his group back to give the fold out couch/bed a go instead upon their next visit, and that I look forward to their public post of which they believe more comfortable: (a) the two living room couches or (b) the two spots available within the fold out couch/bed which is already marketed as an actual sleeping surface (and therefore should be arguably conducive to a more-comfortable good night's sleep than the surface of a couple of couches).

 

I think this way I can accomplish a playful approach to correct the record of where people can sleep, but also give it a laugh that the guest perhaps didn't read my listing about the couch in one of the rooms being a bed too - and therefore how he needlessly sentenced his friends to 'comfy' couch sleeping for the night.

Bryan10
Level 10
Feltham, United Kingdom

Personally, I would mention it in a review, as it's an opportunity to correct the wrong info your guest left, and show how many people you really can host.  Do it in a polite way, as if it's a marketing tool - ie useful info for future guests.  I had something similar a couple of years ago: a guest complained about the parking in my street, so I took the opportunity in my reply to say that there's free parking in my street. I now get more guests coming by car. It's a different example but it comes to the same thing. Happy hosting. 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Katarzyna45 

 

Ah Katarzyna, the review and the review response is where you must display all the tact that you can muster. Remember, the response you give will say as much about you as it says about the guest.

The guest might have been a complete 'plucked arsed parrot'.....don't bring yourself down to that level. You need to remain dignified and conciliatory. 

*

I have looked at your listing and I can see how there could possibly be a bit of confusion! You say your listing accommodates 6 guests · 3 bedrooms · 4 beds · 1 bath, yet your photos show two bedrooms each with what looks like a queen sized bed only, and you show two sofas in the lounge area, that's it!

Sleeping arrangements are very important to guests and you need to show exactly what you offer. Personally I feel 7 photos in total is not enough information for guests to have about your listing. Guests are very visual, they are not good at reading house rules and descriptions but they go by what they see. You start off by saying you sleep 6 in 3 bedrooms, you show 2 bedrooms (and they are nicely done) but the guest is going to assume that there is going to be another bedroom lurking there that you have not shown a photo of. I am assuming the 7th photo is the sofa bed

My feeling is you should tidy up what you offer and that will get around these sorts of issues! If that 7th photo is the sofa bed, show a shot of it made up nicely so there can be no confusion as to what it is!

 

The other possibility is the guest bought along more people than the 6 they admitted to and someone actually did end up sleeping on one of the couches!

 

But, to this current review  response I would say something like. ....."I try to cater for families/groups of up to 6 with my sleeping arrangements. I am so sorry if there was any misunderstanding and one of my guests actually had to sleep on a couch"!  That then makes the guest look a bit stupid and the fact that you have said sorry makes you look like a nice genuine host!

 

Cheers.......Rob 

Pat271
Level 10
Greenville, SC

Your maximum is 6, but there are not 6 places to sleep without sharing.  Some people don’t like to share, especially if unrelated to any of the others. I think all the guest is trying to say is that sleeping on the couch is a very good option in this situation. He is giving you a high compliment about the comfort of your couches!

 

 It’s clear in your listing that you have 4 beds for 6 people, which means that someone will need to share unless he/she wants to use the couch. Personally, I wouldn’t elaborate or attempt any kind of correction in your response.  It is a great review!

Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Katarzyna45 I don't think the review is bad at all, but if you feel the need to offer clarification, I would leave a polite and humorous response.