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After a recent retaliatory bad review that really killed my star rating from a guest who was pissed that I would dare to charge her for the children that she “forgot” to put on the reservation (new host, not enough reviews yet to handle a bad one), I’ve been really nervous about getting good reviews and getting my star rating back up into Super Host range.
I just had a guest that stayed over 2 weeks, seemed nice, left the house super clean, so I thought all was well. I checked in with them a couple times during their stay to see if they needed anything, and they said no. I sent them a message after they left, thanking them again for their booking and for leaving the house so clean and let them know I would be leaving them a 5-star review. Never heard anything back.
Well, I just got a really nicely-worded review from them, 5 stars in all categories, but 4 stars overall because apparently, the shower wasn’t working and they had to go rent a hotel room in order to take showers! They told me about this not during their stay, not even in a message to me at checkout, but in the private review, which they left a full 3 days later. So not only did they go for more than 2 weeks without a functioning shower, they didn’t even bother to tell me so I could fix it for the next guest (which thankfully, is family staying for free… but still, I’m sure they would like to shower!)
WHY, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY, WOULD YOU NOT CALL YOUR HOST AND TELL THEM ABOUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT???
So now I have a rating that has dropped even further, and I’m just fuming! What right do you have to ding my rating for a problem that you never even bothered to tell me about, let alone give me the opportunity to fix?!
It is truly bizarre that a guest wouldn’t let you know the shower wasn’t working.@jkamm - I am sure this is frustrating for you, but I am wondering how you neither picked up that the shower wasn’t working before this guest stayed or after they left.
Is this not a facility that either you or your cleaner/co-host check in-between bookings?
I don’t know what sort of welcome message/guest book you leave your guests - but do emphasise in it, that if anything is not as described in your listing or is broken, when a guest arrives or breaks during their stay that they should contact you via Airbnb messaging (or call in an emergency) and you will do your best to get it fixed straight away.
I am so sorry it makes me so angry too. Not to tell you about the shower, go to hotel and tell you that everything was ok is just ridiculous. I had a guest get angry because they couldn’t find the bottle opener - the other extreme.
I have had a couple of guests this week also tell me there was an issue AFTER they stayed - it’s so annoying.
In my welcome message I write this (that doesn’t mean anyone reads it!):
I strive to offer a 5 star experience, therefore please message me here so that I can assist immediately (rather than letting me know later in a review) if there is anything that makes your stay less than 5*.
I stayed in a less that satisfactory place in Cuba and when I checked back a few months later to see if other people had also been unhappy I discovered that she had a number of separate listings same photos etc. Air doesn’t seem to mind.
In fact Air told me to make two separate listings for one of my places to make it clear whether guests were renting it as a one bedroom couple experience (with the other bedroom door locked) or as a two bedroom property.
Have your family review you since they’re staying there. That should even things out and get your reviews back on track. You have to charge them at least $10 a night in order for them to have access to the platform so they can write it. Send them an offer for $10 a night. Once they accept, they’re official. If they don’t have an account, they will need to open one first.
There is a huge difference between making two listing of the same place when you offer accommodation in several ways ie room in a house and whole house, or multiple rooms within a house (which Airbnb allows) and doing `as Barns suggested which is ‘relaunching’ ie making a new listing to hide previous bad reviews (against Airbnb’s T&C’s)
As per forum jinx mine didn’t work for my guest this morning. The pressure on the gas boiler dropped so the water was cold. Topping it up takes 1 minute. Goodness knows why she didn’t just send me a message straight away!
@Helsi@Jess1 I chat with a couple on social media, they gave up hosting a year ago, but previously they had ‘relaunched’, after their first review was 3stars because they weren’t quite prepared for IB on their first day. A new account was opened in the husbands name, new banking details, new listing name, different photos, blocked dates on new calendar to honour previous bookings. Just the same effect as having hosts move out of a house, and new hosts move in, it’s the same address but different people. Probably took half hour.
Obviously fraud squad and Interpol are after them, and their days are numbered*
Don’t worry,you are not alone. I had guests who never said anything about absense of hot water for 4 days resulting in my water and gas bill.of 1400$. I understand they don’t care about my bill but hot water? My husband went there to get mail and they saw him and only then told him.
They told me about this not during their stay, not even in a message to me at checkout, but in the private review, which they left a full 3 days later. So not only did they go for more than 2 weeks without a functioning shower, they didn’t even bother to tell me so I could fix it for the next guest (which thankfully, is family staying for free… but still, I’m sure they would like to shower!)
