Post by High Priestess on Oct 3, 2015 23:08:20 GMT
Guest makes wrong turn on freeway, never arrives, gives me 1 star ratings
I shared this on Anecdotes forum in SEptember 2015
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-178801
Okay this is definitely a story to share with you all! Another story to put in the "star ratings maddnessss" bin.
I had a guest make a reservation for one night. I don't usually allow one nighters but I made a mistake in my settings and her request slipped in so I said okay.
She told me she needed to arrive at 1am, because she was doing a long drive and that's when she expected to arrive. Okay, I am fine with that, I tell her, I will leave the keys out for you. Call me if you have trouble getting in.
She asks if by the way do I have half and half in my kitchen, for her coffee. I say I don't stock half and half, but that I do have many other condiments.
Then she sends several text messages early that evening, saying she does not know how to get to my house, and asking for more directions. I help her out.
I leave the keys out for her, go to bed, wake up to find a vacant, fresh room that has not been occupied. I go and see she sent an AIrbnb message, saying she took a wrong turn on the freeway, ended up staying at an expensive hotel elsewhere, and now wants a refund from me.
I tell her, politely and firmly, no, you can't have a refund, as the space was being held for you and I was unable to offer it to anyone else.
Then comes review time -- I decide, being generous, to do a review for her simply saying that she seemed a pleasant person and I was sorry that I didn't get a chance to meet her and maybe next time.
Then her review of me comes in, and I see it's a bitter review, one that seems to emerge wholly from her resentment that I wouldnt' give her a refund because she took a wrong turn on the freeway. She says in her review,
Further on in this spiteful review she chides me for not having the half-and-half she requested for her coffee, saying, "I offer my guests a full farm breakfast." Out of curiosity I went to look at the star ratings she gave me. As I suspected, her most vindictive acts were carried out in the Star Ratings Maddnesssss department. She rated me 1 star for overall experience, 2 stars for communication, and 1 star for arrival (though she never arrived -- !!) and left no ratings in the other categories.
I just got off the phone with AIrbnb customer service and the CX person was great, agreeing that a person who never actually stayed at my house shouldn't be able to leave a review, much less vindictive ratings. But she said she was not authorized to remove the review and would give it to her superiors. Hopefully common sense prevails.
UPDATE: Reason prevailed! Customer service removed her review, saying reviews weren't allowed for "cancelled reservations." And as for the guest's malicious vindictiveness....now we leave the rest of the matter to Miss Karma.
Another example of STAR RATINGS MADDDDDNESSSS!!
I shared this on Anecdotes forum in SEptember 2015
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-178801
Okay this is definitely a story to share with you all! Another story to put in the "star ratings maddnessss" bin.
I had a guest make a reservation for one night. I don't usually allow one nighters but I made a mistake in my settings and her request slipped in so I said okay.
She told me she needed to arrive at 1am, because she was doing a long drive and that's when she expected to arrive. Okay, I am fine with that, I tell her, I will leave the keys out for you. Call me if you have trouble getting in.
She asks if by the way do I have half and half in my kitchen, for her coffee. I say I don't stock half and half, but that I do have many other condiments.
Then she sends several text messages early that evening, saying she does not know how to get to my house, and asking for more directions. I help her out.
I leave the keys out for her, go to bed, wake up to find a vacant, fresh room that has not been occupied. I go and see she sent an AIrbnb message, saying she took a wrong turn on the freeway, ended up staying at an expensive hotel elsewhere, and now wants a refund from me.
I tell her, politely and firmly, no, you can't have a refund, as the space was being held for you and I was unable to offer it to anyone else.
Then comes review time -- I decide, being generous, to do a review for her simply saying that she seemed a pleasant person and I was sorry that I didn't get a chance to meet her and maybe next time.
Then her review of me comes in, and I see it's a bitter review, one that seems to emerge wholly from her resentment that I wouldnt' give her a refund because she took a wrong turn on the freeway. She says in her review,
" ..in my fatigue, I ended up on the ____ Bridge
into _______(wrong city)
with a mile of stopped traffic,
instead of in ______ (my city).
I never stayed at Deborah's home.
I can't review her home except to say that
she wouldn't give me a refund...."
into _______(wrong city)
with a mile of stopped traffic,
instead of in ______ (my city).
I never stayed at Deborah's home.
I can't review her home except to say that
she wouldn't give me a refund...."
Further on in this spiteful review she chides me for not having the half-and-half she requested for her coffee, saying, "I offer my guests a full farm breakfast." Out of curiosity I went to look at the star ratings she gave me. As I suspected, her most vindictive acts were carried out in the Star Ratings Maddnesssss department. She rated me 1 star for overall experience, 2 stars for communication, and 1 star for arrival (though she never arrived -- !!) and left no ratings in the other categories.
I just got off the phone with AIrbnb customer service and the CX person was great, agreeing that a person who never actually stayed at my house shouldn't be able to leave a review, much less vindictive ratings. But she said she was not authorized to remove the review and would give it to her superiors. Hopefully common sense prevails.
UPDATE: Reason prevailed! Customer service removed her review, saying reviews weren't allowed for "cancelled reservations." And as for the guest's malicious vindictiveness....now we leave the rest of the matter to Miss Karma.
Another example of STAR RATINGS MADDDDDNESSSS!!
