This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
And that would be exactly my assumption if I was reading through your reviews and came across hers. If I even noticed it at all. But I would definitely notice it if there’s a response to it. A response grabs the eye.
I lean toward generally not recommending responses to reviews but it sounds like you’d really like to respond. If that’s the case then the response that @KenH offered sounds ideal.
I did end up using what @kenh said plus another short sentence. I do like to close the loop by replying to reviews, and I can normally do that with a very short thank you.
Oh yeah, if you usually respond to other reviews too then this one won’t have that effect of standing out in that way.
I’m sorry to hear you’re going through this. Yes, there are that (thankfully) small number of people that go looking for things to complain about.
I’m waiting for the 2 week period to be over for an Air guest who was difficult from start to finish. She didn’t read our policies, and complained that someone would be in the house the last night, though it is written all over, and they have to sign that they understand that if they don’t book the whole house. (She later acknowledged that she hadn’t read it, and was her misunderstanding.)
Within minutes of arriving she sent pictures of things she wasn’t happy about, including our not-new oven having baked-on perma-stains inside. There was also a picture of a wetted kleenex with some barely-perceptible dust and a note saying this was found on the floor and we need new cleaners. I didn’t tell her that I did the cleaning myself before her arrival… and I know that everything is twice-cleaned - vacuumed and mopped. We’ve consistently had 5-stars for cleaning, and people often give personal feedback about how clean it is. I was confused and wondered what was going on. I immediately wished her stay was over.
Then they left an absolute disaster! Fridge and cupboards FULL of food, dishes on the table, sink, counters; Christmas decor pillows in the kids room (pillow fight anyone? didn’t read our rules for kids); kids games and drawings all over the place.
Along with all of that… a TO-DO LIST found in the kids room in child’s handwriting, which included “look carefully under the covers, dressers and carpets”. Yup! She had her kids looking for dust under dressers and carpets - things that get a deep clean in spring and fall. Now I know where she found it.
I will just breathe a sigh of relief next week. After obviously not reading about our listing, or our policies I’m hoping she is also too busy to leave a review.
I wouldn’t do those things, and cannot fathom why people would do this? Are they looking for a reason to not follow the rules or clean up after themselves (to a reasonable degree)? Are they fishing for a refund? Are they looking to somehow gain an upper hand? It’s beyond me.
Yes, of course they are fishing for a refund, or at the very least setting up a scenario where as your guests did, leave a disgusting mess behind them and absolve themselves of responsibility, claiming it was dirty when they arrived.
Exactly what I was thinking! Thanks for that!
You don’t have a co-host? Who deals with any issues that might arise during the stay?
Our cleaner deals with items that might come up and I am a phone call or text away and can take care of most items as they arise. Thankfully most of our guests have carefree stays.
Sorry that you too have had this kind of guest. I know when we use airbnbs I do my best to be the kind of guest that I enjoy having stay in our home. Hosts deal with enough issues they don’t need me to trash their place then trash them in a review. In this case she sent a bunch of photos to airbnb who found out from me that I had already had my cleaning crew come in, do some more cleaning, and I refunded her the clean fee plus 1 night. After having done all that to have her still put together such an indepth negative review just cemented for me what type of person she is. Not our fault two of them did not fit in the double bed but she even laid that out as a negative issue. Anyway…hang in there and use this forum for support and great ideas.
Are you not a host? …
I’m the. co-Host.
2020
That sounds highly inefficient.
During the upcoming high season most rentals start on the first of the month and end on the last day of the month. This means that one 27 hour period is the only revenue opportunity for STR cleaners, and with larger crews they jam all their clients in there, meaning they do not have time to wait on wash and drying cycles. Often they will do everything but the floor while sending someone back to move laundry and fold linens or make beds as each laundry load finishes. After the last load they come back and do the floors.
I find this time of year it is most important for someone to do walk thrus, as things can slip through the cracks. That said, my favorite time to do the walk thru is at night, where everything should be out of the laundry, and no cleaners are popping back in to do one more thing. And I can check the light bulbs much easier. There is time for cleaners to remedy anything they missed in the morning.
My rental is set up to have numerous days in between for a variety of reasons so having my cleaner start and stop is not the issue really, but if that is leading to her missing a toilet here, a bed there due to inattention upon her return then it is an issue for me. As most hosts know a 3*** rating tanks your overall rating fairly quickly due to how the airbnb algorithm is. I do understand that STR cleaners can get slammed and I offer some flexibility but by the same token I would hope that I get 100% of their attention when they Are in my house. A walk through by me personally is not possible and I would hope is not necessary if there is solid trust that we will be getting an appropriately done cleaning.