Post by High Priestess on Sept 29, 2015 12:22:38 GMT
Valerie shared:
guest reviews
Dear fellow hosts,I just got my first bad and unjust guest review. It turns out that you can respond ONLY within a month of them posting on your listing. So, MAKE SURE you check your guest reviews. After 30 days you can not post a response.
I had only two unpleasant interactions with my guests in almost three years - both were hosts (!) from LA. I wonder if guests who are hosts themselves are more demanding in general or its just my bad luck. Briefly, I had a reservation for 2 adults and a teen. Husband didn't come in the last minute. Wife asked if I can consider to refund $15/night for the third person stating that she knows that I don't have to. I gladly agreed to refund. Next day the husband called and texted me at 7am demanding the refund. I responded that I will deal with it later in the day. After that he left 3 angry messages demanding my immediate action. I brought a check to the wife in the evening, talked to her and teen, arranged for them to keep their bags with me for the day after the check out, explained that it was my birthday that day and I was having breakfast with my daughter and couldn't be available right away for the matter that was not urgent to start with. I thought all was good. Then I received their revenge - a nasty review from the husband. Of course, I am upset about it - they got everything they asked for - from extra towels (6 for two people), the refund, advice on the whereabouts and parking, holding their bags and more. I realized that the review was mostly just venting out anger of an entitled human being when that person complained about the location! its the one thing that ALL my guests rave about, not to mention that his own daughter walked to USF for her orientation from my place. Lessons learned - - check your reviews often to have a chance to respond- some people will be unhappy no matter what- learn to take unfair criticism without responding??
If anyone has any words of advice or wisdom I am all ears!
Gail:
Definitely respond to their bad review so that other host don't have to deal with their bullshit. You should have told the husband to call Airbnb since you are no obligation to give him a refund . You can't change your location .
Bob:
I would ask Airbnb to delete it since the husband wasn't a guest - he should not be able to leave a review. All in all I don't think it will hurt you that much - if you have all good reviews and one nut - people can read between the lines
Alex:
Definitely rebut the review. In the review process, I think the host has the last word, at least I did. In other words, in one case I had, these "high maintenance" guests that came for 4 days with their child & nanny. I should have recognized from the start that they would be demanding. The "nanny" thing is always a red flag for me. They had a slow draining bath tub (it happens once every couple months) & I suggested they purchase Draino & that I would reimburse them. Never heard from them after that, but they did leave my place up side down, so I wrote a review that included that information. The husband went on a tirade about the bath tub & even suggested that the place, including carpets were dirty. Every other review has been fantastic, so obviously these people have a problem. After both his & my review were made public, as a host, I had a chance to rebut his complaints. To take the cake, they left the keys inside the flat & not as instructed, in the lock box. My cleaning person couldn't get in, yet I was charged. Tried to get the extra cleaning fee from the guest, but Airbnb wouldn't pursue it.
Deborah:
I think if the husband and wife share an account, that either of them can write a review....
I always check a guest's review as soon as it goes live. If there is anything in either the public or private comments that I would have issue with or feel was inaccurate, I would contact the guest about it to talk about it.
For some reason, when I read your post, I thought of YELP. I think YELP has actually become known (and disliked) for the fact that it permits reviews which not only may not be accurate, but they aren't even from actual customers. In fact, for another business that I do, I had 2 negative reviews on YELP from people who were never my customers. For over 2 years, I didnt' realize those reviews were even on there, so little attention do I pay to my YELP listing! (In fact I'd prefer to remove the listing, but on YELP folks can list your business, even if you don't want your business listed!). But during the time those reviews were on there ( I eventually got one of them removed -- only one though), I was getting a lot of business inquiries from it. I actually didn't need the business as I get most of my business from word of mouth and networking, but I just thought it interesting that in spite of these two negative reviews, there was still considerable demand. So, just want to offer that as an anecdote about the possible non-significance of some negative reviews. Sometimes all the negative reviewer does is make themselves look bad.
Oh, and I would publicly respond to a review that contained inaccurate and/or critical comments...
Jen:
Actually, he cannot leave a review, it's against AirBNB policy. Everything he says is hearsay. The same thing happened to me and AirBNB removed the review. I would talk to them.
Keith:
It's probably worth contacting airbnb CX just to see what options there are.. My guess is that they wont do anything about it. It's your word against theirs.. naturally you'll say you were wonderful, they'll defend their position that you were trouble. airbnb likely isn't interested in being mediators.
Respond to the review if you wish, but sometimes this comes off as defensive, so be sure to phrase your response carefully --you don't want it to turn off prospective future guests.
As for hosts as guests.. I've been a guest and I had a couple not ideal hosts, they were "ok" but not 5 stars for sure. I was kind in my review but didn't say anything particularly glowing. Neither of them left me a review (this was before the days of the double blind review system).
Valerie:
Thank you for all the feedback!! Of course I would've responded to an unfair review , but I missed my chance because it's been more then 30 days that they posted it. I don't think it's a good practice on Airbnb side to limit the time of host 's response/follow up on a review , but it's what they have in place right now.
So, dear all , check your reviews timely !
When I talked to Airbnb Rep they said that one bad review will not affect my listing due to owerwhelming amount of good reviews . It is frustrating though that family will be back - the daughter was applying to USF and May course trouble to other hosts.
guest reviews
Dear fellow hosts,I just got my first bad and unjust guest review. It turns out that you can respond ONLY within a month of them posting on your listing. So, MAKE SURE you check your guest reviews. After 30 days you can not post a response.
I had only two unpleasant interactions with my guests in almost three years - both were hosts (!) from LA. I wonder if guests who are hosts themselves are more demanding in general or its just my bad luck. Briefly, I had a reservation for 2 adults and a teen. Husband didn't come in the last minute. Wife asked if I can consider to refund $15/night for the third person stating that she knows that I don't have to. I gladly agreed to refund. Next day the husband called and texted me at 7am demanding the refund. I responded that I will deal with it later in the day. After that he left 3 angry messages demanding my immediate action. I brought a check to the wife in the evening, talked to her and teen, arranged for them to keep their bags with me for the day after the check out, explained that it was my birthday that day and I was having breakfast with my daughter and couldn't be available right away for the matter that was not urgent to start with. I thought all was good. Then I received their revenge - a nasty review from the husband. Of course, I am upset about it - they got everything they asked for - from extra towels (6 for two people), the refund, advice on the whereabouts and parking, holding their bags and more. I realized that the review was mostly just venting out anger of an entitled human being when that person complained about the location! its the one thing that ALL my guests rave about, not to mention that his own daughter walked to USF for her orientation from my place. Lessons learned - - check your reviews often to have a chance to respond- some people will be unhappy no matter what- learn to take unfair criticism without responding??
If anyone has any words of advice or wisdom I am all ears!
Gail:
Definitely respond to their bad review so that other host don't have to deal with their bullshit. You should have told the husband to call Airbnb since you are no obligation to give him a refund . You can't change your location .
Bob:
I would ask Airbnb to delete it since the husband wasn't a guest - he should not be able to leave a review. All in all I don't think it will hurt you that much - if you have all good reviews and one nut - people can read between the lines
Alex:
Definitely rebut the review. In the review process, I think the host has the last word, at least I did. In other words, in one case I had, these "high maintenance" guests that came for 4 days with their child & nanny. I should have recognized from the start that they would be demanding. The "nanny" thing is always a red flag for me. They had a slow draining bath tub (it happens once every couple months) & I suggested they purchase Draino & that I would reimburse them. Never heard from them after that, but they did leave my place up side down, so I wrote a review that included that information. The husband went on a tirade about the bath tub & even suggested that the place, including carpets were dirty. Every other review has been fantastic, so obviously these people have a problem. After both his & my review were made public, as a host, I had a chance to rebut his complaints. To take the cake, they left the keys inside the flat & not as instructed, in the lock box. My cleaning person couldn't get in, yet I was charged. Tried to get the extra cleaning fee from the guest, but Airbnb wouldn't pursue it.
Deborah:
I think if the husband and wife share an account, that either of them can write a review....
I always check a guest's review as soon as it goes live. If there is anything in either the public or private comments that I would have issue with or feel was inaccurate, I would contact the guest about it to talk about it.
For some reason, when I read your post, I thought of YELP. I think YELP has actually become known (and disliked) for the fact that it permits reviews which not only may not be accurate, but they aren't even from actual customers. In fact, for another business that I do, I had 2 negative reviews on YELP from people who were never my customers. For over 2 years, I didnt' realize those reviews were even on there, so little attention do I pay to my YELP listing! (In fact I'd prefer to remove the listing, but on YELP folks can list your business, even if you don't want your business listed!). But during the time those reviews were on there ( I eventually got one of them removed -- only one though), I was getting a lot of business inquiries from it. I actually didn't need the business as I get most of my business from word of mouth and networking, but I just thought it interesting that in spite of these two negative reviews, there was still considerable demand. So, just want to offer that as an anecdote about the possible non-significance of some negative reviews. Sometimes all the negative reviewer does is make themselves look bad.
Oh, and I would publicly respond to a review that contained inaccurate and/or critical comments...
Jen:
Actually, he cannot leave a review, it's against AirBNB policy. Everything he says is hearsay. The same thing happened to me and AirBNB removed the review. I would talk to them.
Keith:
It's probably worth contacting airbnb CX just to see what options there are.. My guess is that they wont do anything about it. It's your word against theirs.. naturally you'll say you were wonderful, they'll defend their position that you were trouble. airbnb likely isn't interested in being mediators.
Respond to the review if you wish, but sometimes this comes off as defensive, so be sure to phrase your response carefully --you don't want it to turn off prospective future guests.
As for hosts as guests.. I've been a guest and I had a couple not ideal hosts, they were "ok" but not 5 stars for sure. I was kind in my review but didn't say anything particularly glowing. Neither of them left me a review (this was before the days of the double blind review system).
Valerie:
Thank you for all the feedback!! Of course I would've responded to an unfair review , but I missed my chance because it's been more then 30 days that they posted it. I don't think it's a good practice on Airbnb side to limit the time of host 's response/follow up on a review , but it's what they have in place right now.
So, dear all , check your reviews timely !
When I talked to Airbnb Rep they said that one bad review will not affect my listing due to owerwhelming amount of good reviews . It is frustrating though that family will be back - the daughter was applying to USF and May course trouble to other hosts.
