No idea how to review a guest that constantly complained

In this case, don’t let that motivate you as you will probably get a bad review anyway. If you do want to leave one, wait until the last minute. You can read through lots of threads here to find out the hows and whys.

Someone just said, there are some guests that sense a nervous new host and take full advtange.

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Drea, although Airbnb hosting is something you can learn on the job to a limited extent, it’s still important to learn as much as you can before you start hosting rather than shut the stable door when the horse has bolted. I suggest that you try to read up as much as you can in this forum as soon as possible. There are literally hundreds of situations you can find yourself in with guests so please read as much as possible to prepare yourself as much as you can.

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Oh I have definitely done my research. I didn’t just go into this blindly or without performing my due diligence. This is my second stream of income in addition to a full time career, so I do the best that I can to stay abreast to the newest and latest. There are just some things that come up that you weren’t expecting, much like with any business. As well as someone else pointed out, newbies to being guests on Airbnb. I appreciate the advice for sure and will continue to use this as a resource to it’s fullest extent.

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Yet you gave a guest a 20% discount for no other reason than she was a teacher and went against your 5 day limit to let her stay twice as long.

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I don’t see how that has any barring on whether or not I did my research. For the record, I DID research giving the discount on this very forum and found many suggestions/references, both good and bad, on the subject. But at the end of the day, we all have to host our homes the best way we can. The positive in that is learning your lessons the first time. With all due respect, if you don’t have any constructive criticism or suggestions, I could do without the unnecessary and uncalled for digs. After all, that wasn’t my understanding of what this forum was for.

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My comments were not intended as digs. I was reminding you that there is a great deal of information to be gained at this forum.

And as I already mentioned in my previous response to you five minutes after your comment, ‘I appreciate the advice for sure and will continue to use this as a resource to it’s fullest extent’. So I’m not sure that I needed to be reminded again of the information on this forum since I had just acknowledge it. Honestly, I’m beginning to regret even using this forum for any assistance rather than just pursuing it hoping for an answer like I had been doing previously.

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@Drea, this forum is just another learning curve in this business. My advice is to grow thicker skin and learn all the personalities who regularly post here. Most (if not all) are delightful people who really are trying to help.

Just learn, learn, learn.

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I would like to come in from the other side and defend @jaquo for the comment.
It was harsh and direct…but still correct.
Most of us agree that giving a discount will generally come back to haunt you.
We have also found that the kind of guests who ask for a discount, are also the worst guests.
You got taken in by a few newbie errors…

  • extending a minimum stay
  • granting a discount
  • flexing to unreasonable demands / requests
  • failure to communicate and document only through messaging
    None of this is meant as attacking…only as commentary to a newbie being taken advantage of.
    As I said there is a learning curve and it is better to breath and learn, and flow with the “digs”. You will get plenty of knocks in the head from guests, and it is good practice to also accept them here.
    Go forth with broad shoulders and understand that you can be taken advantage of in your own property if you aren’t alert.
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I understand you are sensitive because you just got burned, and all the due diligence in the world cannot prepare you for how guests REALLY are. Some of it is baptism by fire and a live and learn scenario. You will think twice before giving a discount again. I NEVER give discounts if asked. They can book elsewhere. Discount seekers are always trouble. Read up on the many experiences of hosts who have given discounts. Bottom line, if they don’t respect your price they won’t respect your place.

You will learn to suss out the various red flags. We all did. We were all like you once,

And again, you have to learn the hard way…it’s a bit like teaching. You can go four years of college and two of grad school and think you know all about teaching. But really? You know squat about teaching until that first day when you are in front of 25 kids who will spend all day trying to get the upper hand on you. I speak from experience. I made all the new teacher mistakes, every last one, but I know better and am older and wiser now. :joy:

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Great idea. I did that with my guests who dyed my dryer blue a few weeks back. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any “proof.”

And I agree with Kona that unfortunately teachers aren’t a cut above the rest. I’m a professor, and my WORST guests ever were a professor and his housewife. (They happened to be my first guests ever too–I joined this forum because I needed help dealing with them!)

If she doesn’t review you, wait to review her at the last minute so you don’t prompt her to write a review back.

Keep in mind a lone bad review makes the GUEST look like the unreasonable one. It isn’t the end of the world.

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Oh yeah, I think we had this discussion about your professors. I have had airheaded professors who were never terrible, just clueless and kinda dumb.

I think I posted my story here when I first joined the forums in late 2015. You were very helpful! Just because someone has a PhD doesn’t mean they have common sense or respect for their fellow humans.

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My worst guest were Surgeons.
Vomit and destruction.
They paid happily without blinking.
Money was not an issue.

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Drea, you had a horrid guest. It happens, and even tenured hosts don’t always see it coming. That’s why honest reviews are so important.

If and when she gives you a bad review, the pettiness will shine through. And though it seems impossible, future guests are wise people who can see right through a nitpicker. She’ll be history soon enough.

But when you write your review - honest, factual, unemotional and truthful - she’s going to have a hard time booking. You see, you’re going to get a lot more reviews than her in the long run, and it’s hard to bury a bad one from a host. For example, she can kiss her instant Book feature goodbye for a while.

if her review is personal, humiliating, etc. that’s another matter.

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We are currently experiencing a similar guest and can empathize with you. Additionally, I’m not a new host. And I have given a discount at my discretion at various times that suited the property. I would say 95% of those times have been fine. Some people are just awful. Ditto on the toilet paper issue. We actually state on our description how many rolls we provide and that we would like to eliminate excess toilet paper/paper towel waste, and if they are expecting a lot of people to provide their own. Since we added that, we haven’t had any issues. It disturbs me when people go through all the toilet paper in less than 24 hours and think that is normal. It is not normal.

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My very second guests were absolutely dreadful; far worse than those you have just experienced, and yes, she left me a horrid, 2* review. Her public comments have stood me in good stead since; people often refer to them with a laugh at her.

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also had a guest similar just recently, they might just complain to you and leave a good public review, which is what mine did, or they might not lol

This guest is not suited for the Airbnb platform. Therefore I cannot recommend to other hosts.

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Main lesson here, that I learned a while ago, never give requested discounts! I have twice and both times were PIA high-maintenance guests. Never again. I’d rather the place be empty than to deal which such twits.

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