So, I left a review and finally got to read the one my guests left, which was quite awful. I’ll admit, while these people were horrible (and it did take a long time to admit that, because I always worry I’m overreacting), I did cry a little after reading it.
Though the purpose of their trip was to visit their son, who had just purchased a home in our neighbourhood, they stated the location was bad, suburban, away from cafes/restaurants (which is untrue, we’re a 10 minute walk away from several wonderful places), and had no views (odd, since looking out the window you have mountain views!). I guess they don’t like where their son lives, either? They booked our location because it was convenient for their trip, but still think the location is bad?
I don’t know whether I regret being quite civil in my own review by comparison. I would hope that anyone who clicks through to their profile and sees mine can read between the lines. Now I have to figure out how to best address her many public complaints (in her private feedback, it got much worse).
Here is the public review:
“Not a good experience. The bedsit is a house divided up into rooms to sell on airbnb, the bathroom is shared between 3 separately rented bedrooms.Not a good location, suburban, not close to cafes and no views… the reno has been done cheaply. Not much to rec emend for this place at all apart from very clean.”
After spending over $20,000 renovating our bedsit alone, and to improve guest experiences, I can’t help but feel rather hurt. We even documented our renovation journey, and it’s pending publication on a popular lifestyle website.
Privately, they said:
What X loved about your listing:
nothing
What X thought you could improve about the experience:
Hooks in bathroom for clothes fix lighting- bulbs shine in eyes… plastic tablecloth tacky noisy fridge need extra bedside table cant see tv from bed need a mirror in the bedsit to do make up with so you dont have to share bathroom Make it clear that the bedsit dosnt have a bathrooom… I assumed it would as every bedsit I have had does… have instructions for TV,aircon and your phone number on the info sheet. You say in other feedback your not a hotel??? but your place looks like a generic hotel but without the service… sorry to be blunt but this was the worst airbnb I have experienced…no character… it seems to be a money making venture… buy a house divide it up into as many rooms as possible and flog them on air bnb… the suburb isnt very interesting… cant walk to cafes, and no views…
Accuracy feedback:
Hi guys,i hope you can take this with my intention of continuous improvement. I think you need… Hooks in the bathroom for clothes, a mirror in the bedsit to do your make up with so you dont need to use the bathroom, better signage on your website that the bathroom is shared… the lights are at the wrong height and shine in your eyes…(maybe better bulbs) the plastic on the table is tacky, need another bedside table, a plunger for coffee…
Arrival feedback:
we liked that we didnt have to meet the hosts and key in letterbox good.you said in your information on bench we are only a phonecall away but didnt leave the number, when i needed to ring the numberon your site said not connected. Issue with TV…
Amenities feedback:
TV was an issue, plunger for coffee…
Communication feedback:
When I emailed about TV your excuse was to blame me for asking for an earlier check in time that was why you didnt check the Tv was correctly tuned in…I think your checkin times are too late.
Many of these things are non-issues. This is our home, which we live in, not an investment property that we’re monetising. We’ve owned it for 25 years. We only have two guest rooms listed, and which share a bathroom. A coffee plunger is provided. They said our telephone number is disconnected, however it is not (they said this during their stay, but it isn’t, and even if it was, we were replying to all their messages, even past 10.00 PM, without delay). Maybe it’s a lapse in memory, but I don’t recall ever saying we’re not a hotel in response to a review on Airbnb.
I haven’t looked at our star ratings. While we have been hosting for a while, the space is new, and we don’t have many reviews, so this will hurt us tremendously. We are, admittedly, not hosts because we love it, but out of necessity.