Negative Review? Yes, or no? If you don't have anything nice to say

Don’t tell me what to do, georgygirl. Expecially when I have been a succesfull Super Host for 2 consecutive years now! LOL!

Miss, I do read the opinions I asked for properly and I do am grateful for them. The way I react to them is my prerogative. Yours has been the most valuable so far. Thank you again.

@Boruvka Just this past weekend I had a sweet young couple that left sheets and towels full of stains that I have been unable to remove after prolonged soaking in bleach, followed by overnight in Oxy, and thusly, these items will need to be replaced. Sure it upset me, but what would be the point of getting emotional about it and write a scathing review? I prefer an objective, stick-to-the-facts approach.

2 Likes

Thank you MissMiami! You’re the most helpful here. All the best! :slight_smile:

@Boruvka, I know you just joined this forum two hours ago so you don’t know the ropes, but I would recommend being more civil to the posters here. Though we sometimes disagree with each other, we are not an inflammatory online community.

As for your review, I do think the only thing that needs mentioning is the front door being left open. Most folks here feel the purpose of a negative review is to warn future hosts. I would want to know if a guest was negligent of security. However, I do not need to know how the host feels about it. A one-sentence or two sentence review would suffice, “As H left the front door open upon self-check-out, I cannot recommend her to hosts concerned about security.”

You want to come off as the reasonable one.

2 Likes

Thank you, Xena. I totally agree with you on being more civil and on the fact that this is not an inflammatory online community, especially after being called a jerk for no reason. Maybe that same poignant remark could go to georgygirlofairbnb, too. Just sayin’… :slight_smile:

Hi @Boruvka,

I second what others are saying - this is too harsh.

On the spectrum of guest misbehavior, this is extremely mild. You have to graduate your responses. Otherwise, what would your review be like if the guest did something really bad?

Leaving the door open is certainly daft behavior, but it’s the sort of thing people do. Have you considered installing a door closer? Or setting up some kind of automated sensing device?

And if your guest wants a new towel every day, I don’t think you are actually obligated to provide him or her with one. You could just politely say you only provide one towel for a three day stay.

I’m guessing you are somewhere in Western Europe. Possibly Eastern Europe.

And if the worst you’ve experienced so far is guests leaving the door open and asking for too many towels, you’re doing exceedingly well. Congratulations on the quality of your guests.

3 Likes

Also on the “jerk” note: I may be a jerk in the eyes of georgygirlofairbnb or anybody else, for that matter. Fine. But in a host/guest dynamics on airbnb I can only THINK that about some of my guests and do the total opposite of what I THINK, and go and actually WRITE a nice and sugar coated review in order to prevent future loss of business. (by coming across as a “jerk” for writing a negative review).

Just sayin’ - LOL - that I have never in 6 years read a potential host review as mean as yours, and followed up by the ugly responses you dished out here on this board to responses.
You dont belong in the hospitality business…superhost or not…in my opinion. It is best if you continue to avoid any interaction with your guests, and stick with never saying anything bad, if you intend to continue to rent.
I guess it works for you because it is freestanding and you dont have to be onsite.
Your ranting on this site has demonstrated unhinged behavior and responses.
You are out of line.

4 Likes

It sounds like you have been frustrated with many past Korean guests, and this one set you over the edge when she didn’t properly lock up the place.

I don’t know that many guests actually click on what reviews a host has left for others. I would only know to do this because of being an Airbnb host.

If you are going to leave a negative review anyway (sounds like you are)… this is was I would suggest:

“I think H would be better suited to stay at a hotel, as she expects to have fresh towels every day.
Most Airbnb users understand they are not staying in a hotel, and that this behavior is wasteful for the environment. I was disappointed to discover H ignored my check out instructions of shutting the front door (which automatically locks) on her day of departure. I found her behavior to be careless, and luckily no one entered the apartment as the front door was left wide open for 6 hours.”

3 Likes

Chen, Kiki, Boruvka - is it possible?!

4 Likes

The troll-like behavior-- yes. The mastery of the English language–no.

2 Likes

Towels (and other “amenities”): I try to put my “traveler’s” hat on when I think about what I should supply my guests. My Ikea bathroom vanity holds nine bath towels, six hand towels, a bunch of washcloths, and two bath matts, so that’s what everyone gets, no matter how many guests, no matter their length of stay. Very few have used all of the towels – only when I’ve had four or five guests for more than four nights. What if they don’t like soggy towels? (Gotta love the JC Penney quick dry ones!). Same with Kerig pods, tiny toiletries, and toilet paper.

I would say that about 1/3 of my guests have neglected to lock one of the three doors (more than that for unlocked windows). It happens! I even have it in my house rules that all three doors and windows must be locked upon departure unless, and only unless, I am standing right next to them. Happens, none-the-less. I make sure I am at my place as soon as possible after check-out. We are all human and sometimes guests are in a hurry to get to the airport.

@Boruvka, Please leave that review! This is the only way that the bad hosts reveal themselves, lose future reservations, and send guests to the better hosts. Heaven knows, Air is not going to get rid of unhospitable hosts (the horrible host I had in Italy is still listed and now she has a new fake review on her re-listed property – even though I ranted at Air and flagged her). Seriously – this kind of anger and nastiness over a couple of incredibly small transgressions! Unbelievable.

5 Likes

Thank you, faheem. :slight_smile:

Hey Boruvka

You’ve been given some good advice on here. And unlike some posts I’ve seen I don’t think anyone has laid into you unduly.

There’s not much point asking for feedback and then complaining when people don’t agree with you. Take the fact that EVERY poster on here has disagreed with your review as a lucky break that you asked here first and that you had a chance to temper it.

At the end of the day you’re running a business and your original review would only spoil things for you by destroying your income ; Your guest can just go and set up another account so whatever you’d be trying to do would have limited effect.

1 Like

@Boruvka - I’ve had to write a negative review before. You want to keep the emotion out of it. It will serve you best to just list facts and leave it at that. Future hosts can take their own chances with that guest in the future. It will also look better for you as a host that you are level headed. I had my husband read my review first and I slept on it overnight to help calm me down. It’s for the best :slight_smile:

1 Like