My methodology for dealing with a bad review

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The County had a tourism seminar some time back and the subject of social media, reviews etc was discussed.

I am a tiny operation and most of the people there were as well, I mainly went for the free lunch.

Anyway the advice was unless you have the resources to manage reviews best to avoid any system that allows them.

I remember having a few weird ones on Facebook from people I knew had never been here, was closed at the time, so disabled those reviews.

With AirBnB of course you do not have that option, and I know it is a lot of effort to get them to delete a review. I have lots of short stay guests so anything weird would disappear fairly quickly.

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I am the opposite. I love reading the reviews. In fact, now I’m curious about @Como’s reviews. Please post a link to your listing so I can see what folks are saying!!! I’m totally serious.

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Every now and then I get that one feedback that sticks out. I think potential guests get that some people are difficult to please, but some people just flat-out be out of their minds and I hate finding out that shit after I give them a good review! So, yeah, maybe this is kvetching. Sorry!

"Share wifi password on arrival.

-I did. It’s in the handbook, but she called me down and had me read that long thing out to to her for several minutes while she tried and failed to type it correctly.

"Get some extra pillows for bedroom.

-Two to start, and more when asked. But really? Why don’t you travel with your pillows if this is an issue? But two bed pillows seems like enough for a guest.

"Familiarize yourself with the city you live in

-This one is so condescending and rude it makes me hot-faced. I typed an entire digital handbook of local sites, including directions and such. Again, I guess she didn’t want to read and wanted story time instead.

"and get up to date bus time table, tourist leaflets for guests.

-Granted, new stops are going up right now so it is a little bit of a pain. If you can’t use a map app, though, what are the odds you can read a paper map?? Again, though, I did leave these things out in the room in an obvious place.

Cleanliness feedback:
“Room not ready despite knowing what time I was arriving. No bin in bedroom or bathroom.”

-Bin under sink, so ??? But I don’t keep a full trash can in the bed room, though, she’s right. That seems tacky and I don’t want that shit sitting around in there. I could be wrong? Would genuinely appreciate feedback from y’all, though. And the room wasn’t “ready” in the sense that I was halfway done with making the bed. Everything else was done. By the time she looked around the room, I had applied the pillow cases and the flat sheet. I just don’t know. Anyway, this is a rare event for me, but it makes me want therapy! Like, I thought I was going OTT for this finicky guest, and she did me dirty! Still gave me a thumbs up at the end for some reason, and a superhost I remain, but she’s going right on my block list. Sorry for the vent!

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34

Some people need multiple pillows to prop various body parts such as hips and shoulders, especially as we age. My husband sleeps with 3 and me with 2. And if your guest arrived during stated check in hours then, yes, the room should have been ready.

Even annoying guests can be right sometimes. My advice is to mentally try to pick out what’s useful in the criticism and throw the rest away.

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Yeah, I’m a multiple pillow sleeper due to fibro pain and habit (mostly habit). But the thing is, I bring my own body pillow. If I forgot, I would ask for extras, I guess, but I wouldn’t make a thing about it in the review, because it’s about me, not about the space.

Based on the complaints, I’m wondering if the guest isn’t just an extremely poor reader for some reason. If so, it’s fair to ask for help, but not fair to ding the host for not anticipating their needs. The problem is, poor reading skills are often something people are ashamed of (even–maybe even especially–when it’s something unpreventable like dyslexia) and they would prefer to take it out on other people than just ask.

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The critiques of the room are valid, but each listing is different so if you don’t feel they apply to you, don’t apply them. I have the wifi password on a guest info sheet and in a card stand by the bed. It’s also on Airbnb if the guest knows where to look. As for the read the long thing out, some of those passwords are torture to get right. Great for security, terrible for guests.

I have four pillows on the bed and two more on a shelf. Three pillows per person, different kinds of pillows for different preferences. If they asked for more or different pillows I have some in my part of the house but almost 500 guests and no one has asked. If they are flying expecting them to take their own pillows on their trip seems out of line.

As for the expected concierge service, unless this is something you tout, dismiss this as someone who needs to stay in a hotel that provides the service.

There should be a bin in the bathroom and in the bedroom and the room should be completely ready at check in time. Now this says “know what time I’m arriving.” If you allowed early check in and she complained the room isn’t ready that’s different than you say check in starts at 4 pm but at 4pm you are still making the bed.

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Oh, I agree, of course, but hosts are only human and occasionally slip up. I can’t imagine mentioning this in a review if everything else was fine. However, I myself am monumentally absent-minded and inefficient, so it does mean I cut guests quite a lot of slack on things like punctuality. I like to delude myself that it’s part of my charm …:innocent:

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I once neglected to check the inside of the microwave when cleaning and the previous guest had left partially cooked broccoli in there. The guests who found it knocked on my door and handed it to me. I was effusive in my apologies and fully expected a 4 star for cleanliness but they gave 5 across the board. I would have been perfectly accepting of 4 stars on cleanliness because I think my oversight was inexcusable. I’ve definitely made mistakes and so try to be forgiving of guest and client mistakes. But I stick by my contention that if the room is not ready at check in time then it’s not a five star experience and is worthy of a mention in the review.

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I have two small trash cans in the rental bedroom and one in the bath, the more the better after the guest I had who never threw any paper or plastic away. When he left there was a landfill under the bed of various packaging materials he apparently dropped to the floor and let migrate under the bed.

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“…landfill under the bed…” – :grin:

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I want to write a review that a guest has left their shoes on in the bed, but I can’t. I still can’t understand why they would leave their shoes on in the bed. I’m terrified that if I say this, others will get the idea and do the same thing. Just to drive me mad.

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having a check list can certainly help. its difficult to know if there’s a random broccoli waiting to ruin your life somewhere in a place someone else should have cleaned up after themselves.

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