I want to post this review - The guests still have 3 more hell days in store

1

I’ve never used a forum before so apologies if I’m not doing this correctly. I have started to write my review bc we are only on Day 2 of a 5 day stay. Here is what I have so far. Thank you for thoughts. Bottom line - If guests are horrible, then hosts should know. We MUST be brave enough to be clear so that the guests a) learn and b) don’t visit the same hell on others. Maybe this is too specific though. Thanks for (gentle) feedback!

Shirleen

In order to ensure that you had a good stay, I provided 2 percent milk in both fridges, as requested. I snipped the bags open to save you time looking for scissors, and you assumed the milk was stale. I bought you cakes, which were three days past a best before date, which I subsequently rectified with the store. You made sure to let us know that the cakes were inedible even though I assumed that when I buy cake from a grocery, they are fresh on that day.

I bought extra pillows and blankets for your pleasure, as you requested in advance. I also made up the futon and roll away bed and placed towels with care on each of the 13 beds, and I put out a sign at the foot of the drive to ensure that you would find your way, (and you left in the road for others to take care of.)

You used up my extra large hot water tank twice in one day. Once your complaints started coming, I explained in writing that this is a house, with the largest hot water tank that money can by. Despite being a Superhost for over two years, where there has NEVER been a problem with hot water before, I even hired an emergency plumber 250 dollars who confirmed that your over use of the hot water was the issue. I explained that on the Air Bnb Platform directly to you, and despite this, you called in the middle of the night to complain that you need more hot water???

I left make up remover towelettes so that makeup would not stain my white towels. These were not used. The white towels were.
My blinds to the downstairs entry have been torn and will need to be replaced.

You left lights on ALL OVER THE HOUSE every time that you left, despite the fact that I honoured your request for a price discount before you came. I saved YOU money, so that you could squander mine.

I never heard the word ‘Thank you’. All I heard were, ‘Nothing is good enough.’ I asked you if you’ve used air bnb before, knowing full well that I had taken a chance with you, as you had NO reviews. You said that you have used it before, so I suggest that the previous hosts chose to land on the ‘If you have nothing nice to say…” rule. I’ll know better for next time.

If you are lucky enough to get an air bnb host to offer your their home in the future, I suggest that you work on your appreciation and gratitude. If you want a place where you can go and treat people like dirt beneath your jeweled feet, please find a Four Seasons and see how well you fare there… NO ONE has ever had a bad experience here because I literally work overtime to ensure that people’s needs are met. I will know going forward to confirm that the people who are lucky enough to come to my home are reasonable people who understand how to show appreciation for others’ things and places.

People - I will change and adapt, and likely add to the list of crap so that it’s not only fully documented for hosts, but also for these people. Or is it too much for me to think that these words might help them learn a valuable lesson about how to be a decent guest…

5 Likes
2

Just remember that your review is written to future hosts, not actually to the guest (even though they get to read them.)

3

It’s too long. Despite your having been a superhost for 2 years this review is quite off putting and if I read it I’d probably keep looking for a listing with a less sensitive, more professional host. I doubt that these guests or others care to know about your feelings. Leave those out and just concentrate on the facts.

Is your purpose guests learning to be good guests? I doubt this will achieve it. Make your review dispassionate and with future hosts in mind.

8 Likes
4

I know you’re frustrated with these guests, but like @KKC has already noted all this review does is make you look somewhat crazy and overly sensitive.

It’s clear you and your guest don’t like each other; Simply put this is a case of a poor fit between you and your guest. That said, the issues you’ve mentioned don’t make them the guests from hell, so your review looks like a disproportionate rant.

3 Likes
5

Great - I had hoped that the review would alert future hosts not to go near them. I’ve read yours and the next review and I already see that my post can achieve that in a much more dispassionate way. Thank you again!

1 Like
6

Very helpful. Thank you!

1 Like
7

Thank you. Much appreciated!

8

Hi @Peanut
It’s so difficult when you have unappreciative guests.

I presume you must live on the premises if you know lights are left on every day and the blinds broken. Do make sure you flag the issue of the broken blind with the guest and that you keep conversations to Airbnb so there is a record.

I am sure you already know this as a well established superhost but guests who ask for a discount and at the same time ask you to provide extras like extra bedding send out all sorts of red flags.

Personally in your situation, if you can show they are breaking house rules, I would have asked Airbnb to cancel the booking and refunded the rest of the stay, rather than having to put up with such disrespectful guests.

If you are going to continue their stay, do feel free to show us the draft final review and we will be happy to comment.

Deep breath, and perhaps a large glass of wine or pot of tea.

5 Likes
9

No, they will probably go away feeling hard done by. Some people, as soon as you gave them a discount, they think – here’s a sucker – and push and push. Shameless! Drafting a review is not your only option to get through the next few days though. You could confront them? Remember to take pictures.

4 Likes
10

Hi,

Most of us here in this forum understand what you are going through with this guest. What you wrote is fine, but only for venting your frustrations for yourself and for us, not for a public review. Too much raw emotion and too long.

How about something like this.

“Guest’s name” was demanding, inconsiderate and generally very hard to work with.

Sums it all up and devastating to her future prospects using Airbnb. This review does double duty as a response to a bad review from this guest if necessary.

8 Likes
11

I actually like the fact that you are reviewing in somewhat of a rant form. I say this because this guest may try to get the review removed and Airb is big on it must be the host’s “experience.” So you are covered there by detailing what happened.

I also appreciate the detail as a host because I want to know the reasons WHY a guest was a complete PITA. This helps me decide if I would rent to them. I couldn’t rent to this person. No, I do not sleep 13 people but I can guarantee you my hot water runs out after 2 people taking long showers or if they have the body jets running.

As far as other future guests reading your negative review…I wouldn’t be concerned with that. This review is not going to be on your front listing page - it’s going to be on your guest’s profile. It’s not likely that a future guest is going to be clicking on the review this guest leaves for you…then clicking on their profile to see what review you left for them. They might. But a savvy guest is also going to view all the wonderful reviews you left for all your other guests. So they will know this was just an odd ball bad guest. Most guests don’t even read house rules before booking. Even other hosts have trouble figuring out how to find reviews their guest left for other hosts.

You want to be sure not to mention anything regarding a “case” that might be opened. So if you try to collect on the damage deposit for the blinds, just leave out the damaged blinds. Guests can get a review removed for mention of a case. Even if the “case” isn’t mentioned, it seems these days Air reps. interpret the review policies any way they want.

I would leave out anything regarding how they didn’t thank you. Just stick to the facts and tell the story like it happened. Omit that whole paragraph about needing to work on appreciation and gratitude.

Remove the part about other hosts not leaving her a review because they had nothing nice to say. Air reps. may see this was not your “experience” so they might remove the entire review.

Overall, remember she will be able to reply to your review. So when you compose it, keep in mind to cover anything in case she tries to contradict with lies.

Clean it up a bit, Edit for typos. And then repost a shorter version. But please, please (for me as a host) leave the details as it’s easier for me to decide to decline or accept this guest in the future.

7 Likes
12

Keep ALL of the details, make it PAINFUL to read. Other hosts who don’t read it to the end have only themselves to blame. Personally I would never give anyone a discount to start with. I spent considerable time and effort pricing my unit, and if a potential guest does’t like it, too blooldy bad. Discount requesters are ALWAYS bad news. Tis certainly proves it.

7 Likes
13

Sounds like solid advice. The details are important.
PITA is just too vague! I am with Cabinhost on that one…

4 Likes
14

Yes, I agree. Be concise, professional and specific - but not specific to such detail. To be honest @Peanut I wouldn’t want to stay with you if I read that review, The first part of the review refers to mistakes you made. It’s never a good idea to leave open packages of anything and, if I’m reading correctly, you did supply cake that was past its sell-by date.

Using white towels for makeup is fairly normal, unfortunately. So is leaving lights on. And I don’t expect ‘thank you’ all the time; some guests are just surly people.

The only thing that would concern me about these guests is the damage they caused.

Hopefully, now that you’ve written the above, you’ve got it off your chest and will be able to write a short and factual review for the benefit of other hosts. Marking the guests down on stars will probably have a better effect than that lengthy review - which makes you come across as really grumpy.

Sorry, I know that you wanted ‘gentle’ but that’s my opinion. :slight_smile:

9 Likes
15

One thing I’ve learned from this forum is that I am a host who finds that there are some real experts on this forum, and I am not one of them :slight_smile:
So I think the advice you have been given is good.
As a host, and since you are writing this review for other hosts, I have to say that even the most generic concise wording such as Kona suggested, I would avoid these guests.
DC and a few others mentioned leaving some details in.
But honestly, I wouldn’t need that. The concise review, void of personal feelings, without all the particular details, would prompt me to look at other reviews you have written and how many guests you’ve hosted. If there is a pattern of you as the host consistently writing lengthy detailed reviews I would be suspect, but if not, then I would know, without knowing the details, to avoid this guest.
The result would be that I would not accept these guests.
I have declined guests previously based on reviews, and I simply put that in the ABB messaging system, declining due to previous review.

2 Likes
16

Brooks, I don’t think I answered yet?!!! :rofl::rofl: but Peanut, I was just going to say that I have been there with wanting to rant and I feel your pain. I also think you should go for it, except for the last graph. It comes off as a bit preachy but if you want to include it, but it in the private feed. Keep in mind, you are only allowed 500 words in a review. Both times I have left bad reviews I used up every last word. It does make you feel better, so you should just do it.

People sometimes say don’t be emotional but you know what? This is a personal business. Emotions come into play. They just do. Someone that acts like a shit in your house deserves a crap review so that they never get rented to again. And you get a chance to unload all the things over the five days of hell that this rotten guest put you through.

5 Likes
17

Also Peanut… if I may…no more milk, cakes and pillows for guests. Don’t do extras, as I am sure you have learned. They don’t payoff generally very well and sometimes backfire because they provide the guest with one more thing to complain about.

9 Likes
18

Agree with others. Use the forum for ranting and venting, but don’t leave a review like this. Makes you come off far worse than the guest. Keep it concise, but include enough facts to let prospective hosts know exactly what they’re getting into. I’d keep it to something like…

“Hosting guest X was an unpleasant experience. In addition to a generally demanding and ungrateful demeanor, she caused damage to property, including make-up stains on white towels and torn mini-blinds, which had to be replaced following her stay. I am sorry to say I cannot recommend her as a guest.”

Trust me…if I saw the make-up on the towels thing, that would be enough for me to decline.

13 Likes
19

So true, lol.
It was @KIKC
“Guest’s name” was demanding, inconsiderate and generally very hard to work with.

1 Like
20

I would not focus on the review that much, after all what would happen, if they want to keep using AirBnb they just set up a new profile and start again.

I would be more focussed on how to manage this stay.