Post by High Priestess on Oct 14, 2015 16:20:36 GMT
Jim shared Oct 14 2015
Bad Review from Difficult Guest
I just got a bad review, for the first time. I did not review the guest, because I didn't want to give him a bad review. Was that a mistake?
The problem was that he did not respect the limitations in the listing. For example, he wanted to use the kitchen. I helped him out a little with some paper plates. He asked whether he could work out with my weights. I gave him permission, but that was not required (he didn't bother). Several other similar exchanges occurred where he pushed to see where my limits were. Not pleasant.
One of his complaints was that when he inquired where to put his trash, I took it to the sort area for recycling. Is there an unspoken custom of letting the guest determine trash policy?
Anyway, you get the idea, I think. He had no previous reviews. Maybe other hosts thought as I did; maybe it was his first AirBnB experience.
In the future, should I be candid in my reviews and review everyone?
Juliet and Ed:
Jim, I'm sorry you had a bad guest, I guess this happens from time to time. I understand your reluctance to review the guest - I did the same thing when I first started hosting, but really it is very important that you review every guest, so that future hosts know what to expect. You review of him should be polite (in other words, no name-calling or insults), and factual, but honest. You know that neither party can see the other's review until both reviews have been written, so there is no longer any fear of retaliation (like there used to be). I expect you will hear from other hosts who will mostly agree that it's very important to leave a review.
Roj:
We have not had a bad guest experience with guest/s so far (hope it will stay this way!) but then again we just started hosting. I absolutely agree with Juliet and Ed! That's why we get the option to review guests-so we can help our fellow hosts and of course vice versa!
This guy obviously was pushing the limits and deserves a negative review, may be it will teach him a lesson... Sorry you had that bad experience and on top of it a negative review! I would say don't be reserve to leave an adequate comment either good or bad!
Pauline
You have had so many good reviews and the bad review is way down the list and as you get more reviews will not be seen. Many guests that are new to Airbnb do not bother reading the listing properly so if they have stayed at Airbnbs where use of the kitchen is an amenity they assume they can use yours. I now state quite clearly that my kitchen is not available for the cooking of meals and that is something that I should have said from the start and picked up from the experienced hosts on this site. All your other guests have loved staying with you and his review looks totally out of place.
Jim
Thanks, everyone. My new rule is to review every guest. I was conflicted with this guest and his girl friend because in many ways they were ok. It was the challenging of limits that was annoying. Here is the private message I sent him:
"Sorry you didn't read the listing carefully, Dave. All that was spelled out. I too was uncomfortable, especially with your attitude of testing to see how far you could go. Please remember, this is a private house and guests are entitled to full use of the bedroom and bath. I allow access to the roof deck as well.
Every single other guest has understood this and has been fine with it. I did not review you, because I did not want to give you a bad review.
Perhaps, you should rethink whether AirBnB is right for you. It is not meant to be equivalent to a motel."
Jim
Taking Pauline's suggestion, I now state explicitly that the kitchen is not available for food prep.
New guests arrived tonight, and they are just great. It's nice to be back in the happy guest groove.
Dee
Jim, I'm also new to this, not 3 weeks yet, I had a guest a few days ago, which I felt really uncomfortable with, I decided not to leave a review just like you, but now you're making me rethink my decision?
Bertina
You have 14 days to leave a review.
Raymond & Elaine (elaine)
Guests and hosts do have the opportunity to reply publicly to reviews, but this should be done calmly and not in the heat of the moment after reading a bad review. Sometimes it's best to ignore these reviews instead of attracting attention to them. Sorry Jim but you had a bad experience with this couple because other guests didn't leave an honest review either and now he's out there waiting to cause misery to some other unlucky host who needed a warning.
Jim
R & E, I think I will let it rest with my private remark (see above) to the guest. I agree that not drawing attention to the review is better. This guest is unlikely, in my opinion, to use AirBnB again. He and his "lady" basically wanted to watch TV and eat pizza. They brought both, lugging a fairly large-screen TV display into their room and a DVD player. That's not quite the experience on offer here, . . . not that there's anything wrong with that.
Raymond & Elaine
A wise decison Jim
Now you can look foreward to meeting some nice guests which will put a big smile on that very Matrix looking profile pic !
Jim
No way am I changing my profile pic! Who else of you has a cloud exploding out of his head?
The style of that photo harks all the way back to the Blues Brothers and Men in Black, as well as the Matrix. It's a meme!
Deborah
Queenie &Ted just posted about this very same issue here:
globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/797/importance-writing-reviews-all-guests
Bad Review from Difficult Guest
I just got a bad review, for the first time. I did not review the guest, because I didn't want to give him a bad review. Was that a mistake?
The problem was that he did not respect the limitations in the listing. For example, he wanted to use the kitchen. I helped him out a little with some paper plates. He asked whether he could work out with my weights. I gave him permission, but that was not required (he didn't bother). Several other similar exchanges occurred where he pushed to see where my limits were. Not pleasant.
One of his complaints was that when he inquired where to put his trash, I took it to the sort area for recycling. Is there an unspoken custom of letting the guest determine trash policy?
Anyway, you get the idea, I think. He had no previous reviews. Maybe other hosts thought as I did; maybe it was his first AirBnB experience.
In the future, should I be candid in my reviews and review everyone?
Juliet and Ed:
Jim, I'm sorry you had a bad guest, I guess this happens from time to time. I understand your reluctance to review the guest - I did the same thing when I first started hosting, but really it is very important that you review every guest, so that future hosts know what to expect. You review of him should be polite (in other words, no name-calling or insults), and factual, but honest. You know that neither party can see the other's review until both reviews have been written, so there is no longer any fear of retaliation (like there used to be). I expect you will hear from other hosts who will mostly agree that it's very important to leave a review.
Roj:
We have not had a bad guest experience with guest/s so far (hope it will stay this way!) but then again we just started hosting. I absolutely agree with Juliet and Ed! That's why we get the option to review guests-so we can help our fellow hosts and of course vice versa!
This guy obviously was pushing the limits and deserves a negative review, may be it will teach him a lesson... Sorry you had that bad experience and on top of it a negative review! I would say don't be reserve to leave an adequate comment either good or bad!
Pauline
You have had so many good reviews and the bad review is way down the list and as you get more reviews will not be seen. Many guests that are new to Airbnb do not bother reading the listing properly so if they have stayed at Airbnbs where use of the kitchen is an amenity they assume they can use yours. I now state quite clearly that my kitchen is not available for the cooking of meals and that is something that I should have said from the start and picked up from the experienced hosts on this site. All your other guests have loved staying with you and his review looks totally out of place.
Jim
Thanks, everyone. My new rule is to review every guest. I was conflicted with this guest and his girl friend because in many ways they were ok. It was the challenging of limits that was annoying. Here is the private message I sent him:
"Sorry you didn't read the listing carefully, Dave. All that was spelled out. I too was uncomfortable, especially with your attitude of testing to see how far you could go. Please remember, this is a private house and guests are entitled to full use of the bedroom and bath. I allow access to the roof deck as well.
Every single other guest has understood this and has been fine with it. I did not review you, because I did not want to give you a bad review.
Perhaps, you should rethink whether AirBnB is right for you. It is not meant to be equivalent to a motel."
Jim
Taking Pauline's suggestion, I now state explicitly that the kitchen is not available for food prep.
New guests arrived tonight, and they are just great. It's nice to be back in the happy guest groove.
Dee
Jim, I'm also new to this, not 3 weeks yet, I had a guest a few days ago, which I felt really uncomfortable with, I decided not to leave a review just like you, but now you're making me rethink my decision?
Bertina
You have 14 days to leave a review.
Raymond & Elaine (elaine)
Guests and hosts do have the opportunity to reply publicly to reviews, but this should be done calmly and not in the heat of the moment after reading a bad review. Sometimes it's best to ignore these reviews instead of attracting attention to them. Sorry Jim but you had a bad experience with this couple because other guests didn't leave an honest review either and now he's out there waiting to cause misery to some other unlucky host who needed a warning.
Jim
R & E, I think I will let it rest with my private remark (see above) to the guest. I agree that not drawing attention to the review is better. This guest is unlikely, in my opinion, to use AirBnB again. He and his "lady" basically wanted to watch TV and eat pizza. They brought both, lugging a fairly large-screen TV display into their room and a DVD player. That's not quite the experience on offer here, . . . not that there's anything wrong with that.
Raymond & Elaine
A wise decison Jim
Now you can look foreward to meeting some nice guests which will put a big smile on that very Matrix looking profile pic !Jim
No way am I changing my profile pic! Who else of you has a cloud exploding out of his head?
The style of that photo harks all the way back to the Blues Brothers and Men in Black, as well as the Matrix. It's a meme!
Deborah
Queenie &Ted just posted about this very same issue here:
globalhosting.freeforums.net/thread/797/importance-writing-reviews-all-guests