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I am new to Airbnb. I have only had five guests so far. The first two gave me a 3 and 4 overall rating respectively. I got two fives after that. I got the warning emails right away from Airbnb. The problem is they rated me on what I did not offer. One said they wanted more privacy even though I clearly state I only have a curtain in the stairway. (She privately told me she did not read it all and it was her mistake). The other review said guests who stay longer would want a kitchen, which I do not offer.
I am not sure how to handle these types of reviews or how to avoid them. Why would guests rate me on what I clearly state I do not offer or on what I clearly describe? I want to be gracious but I also want future guests to see my honesty in responding to reviews on what I donāt offer or cannot offer.
One of the main reasons I hang out on host forums is to be reassured that guests donāt read.
Itās hard at the beginning, but 4 years and 60 reviews in, I still have āwhat were they thinking?ā moments.
Iāve noticed that the tweaking I do to my listing is moving away from adjectives (āsafeā ācleanā and ācomfortableā are, alas, subjective and I want to manage guest expectations) and more towards concrete details (Casper mattress, 20 minutes from Manhattan, 3 loud kids and cat)
Taking a picture of the curtain (if you havenāt already) might help?
(Though Iāve got pictures of my cat in my listingā¦ people are still surprised. Sigh.)
The thing I learnt early on, is make really really clear anything you think they might complain about. @Alia_Geeās suggestion of a photo of the curtain is a good one. Iād also mention it in the first few lines of the summary. Something like:
āOur space is your very own suite in our comfortable home, separated from your hostsā space by a curtainā (Iām sure some of our writers on here could do much better than that though!)
Another I do now is mention āthe thing that bothers peopleā in the very first message to them when I accept their request.
āThanks so much for choosing to book our place! As you will have noted in the listing description, your booking is for your room only and there are no kitchen or laundry facilities available for guest use. We look forward to seeing you at check in between xx and xx on Wednesday.ā
Then theyāre less likely to mention the lack of these amenities in the review without feeling like a dick
These are great suggestions! I like the idea of setting expectations when guests book. Thanks so much. I keep forgetting to take a picture of the curtain in between guest arrivals, but it may be a mute point. We are having a door installed on July 30. We will still have the curtain though since the bathroom door is still exposed. Once that is installed I will do new pics of both.
@Katwave. I have to say that I had to read your listing twice before I found the curtain disclaimer. I understand that you are adding a door, but this curtain does need to be mentioned in the first paragraph. Certainly, before you get to the +MORE. People just arenāt going to read every word consistently.
I agree with the other comments. You donāt mention the curtain partition until the āother things to noteā section. Put it up front in your description and add a photo. You can then change it when you install the door.
Until then you need to make it clear to avoid other guests being upset when they donāt realise until arrival.
In addition to @anon67190644ās point there is a lot of verbiage in the first paragraph that alludes to privacy: āYour space includes your own suite of 2 bedrooms, living area & bathroom. You also have your own deck space.ā, āAmenities include your own view of the ocean, WiFi, gas fireplace & private entrance.ā
Well, I think you were just very unlucky with your first guests ā¦ unless you have changed the wording recently I find it reads quite clearly what you are offering. You say it is a suite and you do not offer kitchen facilities. I canāt see how you can get any clearer.
Maybe you should think of setting it at 4 guests instead of 6? I think 6 guests definitely needs a dedicated living space Anyway, itās a beautuful place, your last 2 reviews are great, you are tackling the things you know you need to and I think the only way is up!
Reading your reviews, and the way you responded to the first one, I would have no problem at all feeling comfortable booking your place. It is a learning curve for sure, and one of the first things I learned is to address every bug as a feature (within reason, haha). I had someone tell me that they HATED my ānoisyā hardwood floors and HATED the āoldā radiators (are there any other kind?)ā¦and then I addressed them in my description with this intro:
This apartment is a beautiful example of the early 20th century Chicago style two-flat. So, though itās been updated several times, there are some quirks you may (or may not) be inclined to love as much as we do.
So, I present to you: The charms of an old house.
Havenāt gotten any negative feedback about them since.
I acknowledge I have not read your listing, but to me a āsuiteā cannot be separated from the rest of the house by just a curtain! āSuiteā connotes luxury, elegance, space, privacy. Itās much more than a real-estate description. Itās the difference between a āpowder roomā (fancy, for guests) and a half-bath (a utilitarian toilet and sink).
Very nice place but confusing description. I would not have understood the curtain is the only separation. Also, from the size, I think 6 is too many people for the space and sharing one bathroom. I would limit it to four guests, better for you and the guests. You donāt charge extra until after 6 guests, do you accept more than 6? IMHO, way too many people.
Iāve had really good luck adding a cliff-notes of my listing to the top of the rules. I figure if they only read this, theyād have enough of a heads up on the ādissatisfiersā of my place.
Cliff notes of the description:
Nested is the second story of a two story house. It is self-sufficient and private, but doesnāt have a full kitchen (no range or kitchen sink), thereās Wi-Fi, but no TV and shower but no tub. I live downstairs with Izzy the cat. She is not allowed upstairs, but I canāt guarantee itās allergen-free.
@Alia_Gee
I had a booking request from a couple who were so happy to find a whole house with no pets at such a good price. We rent a bedroom and bath and have three cats, all prominently shown and described in our listing. When I wrote back that I think she misunderstood our listing and was declining, she actually told me she didnāt read the description and could I recommend another place for her! I told her to call Airbnb lol! She ended up staying in a completely different area (I was able to see her profile through my messages) and she gave the hosts a bad review.
I agree with the curtain should be mentioned earlier in the description, good that you are working on a door and see that the curtain is a deal breaker for some.
Also I am out of touch with pricing. Off topic but I just did a quick look at your place (great views!!) to book for mid week in the summer. Is it really $500 per night?! If so, a new door should be in the budget pronto
You may have looked at the price around the eclipse, which happens on August 21. It probably averaged out to that price. For the eclipse weekend I have it at $900/night. It is crazy here and that is the going rate. I already have it booked for that price on Sunday night before the eclipse. I figured out too late how to do a two-night minimum for specific weekends or I would have scored! Oh well. My normal price is $128 Sun-Thu and $149 Fri & Sat.
