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I get only a handful of Air bookings because most of mine are repeats or from other sources so i have responded to many of the reviews with customized notes as felt it was a nice thing to do when they did something nice for me. However, i also have used it to try and counter some negatives such as this exchange:
It’s the perfect little cottage in the perfect part of Chatham. You’re pretty close to nature (with some nature making its way into the cabin), but if you’re looking for less nature, just go to the Hamptons! A great experience.
Response :
Thanks for the positive comments but as to ‘nature making its way into the cabin’: Cottages are in the pine and oak woods so it’s not a sterile city environment. Also, in same unit, long time tenants who stayed week prior to you and first time tenants the week after reported no similar issues so maybe some Cape Cod bugs just found you folks attractive?
Hopefully anyone reading it will get that it was ONLY this guest who had any issues that entire summer season so I don’t think it was my problem and he was from an apartment in NYC so probably no where near any rural bugs!
I respond to every review. I started in the very beginning because I didn’t know not to. Now I feel it would look odd if I suddenly stopped. I try to make it personal, for instance, I thanked a guest for the wonderful Christmas decorations their family made for our tree. As a plus side, I feel that it helps draw attention away from the one/two review that you might feel compelled to challenge.
See, I don’t get this. Responding to reviews doesn’t show that “I care”. My reviews show that! Why do I need to publicly polish my halo?! Also, what about that guest you really didn’t like so much? Posting a generic ‘thank for you staying blah blah’ is simply hypocritical.
I don’t know. I suppose it’s one of those black-and-white issues, as in you’re either for or against. Like all things, whatever works for you to attract the kind of guests you want. For me, I don’t want needy guests who like lots of interaction and expect me to gush over the experience of hosting them.
But I can see leaving nice friendly responses would work for new hosts.
I’m not talking about showing you care to the guest the checked out, but the potential guest that is looking at your listing. When a potential guest is looking at your rating and going through your reviews, they will see the reviews left for you by other guests along with your public responses.
You can argue that guests can see the reviews you left for other guests, but my bet is that is more effort than almost all potential guests are willing to put forth.
Anyway, if you’re looking at it from a pure business mindset, then you simply need to consider if the time it takes to respond is worth any potential bookings you will get. I.e. if you’re fully-booked all the time and never respond to reviews, then there’s certainly no reason to start now.
Just a word of unsolicited advice - I find it best never to use the word ‘bugs’ in conjunction with Airbnb ever. I’d say the word in conversation but on the platform I’d write insects or even your local type. The word ‘bugs’ can freak people. Daft I know, but true.
Yes of course! That’s what I was talking about too. Perhaps I didn’t make that clear. For me, as a guest, it’s really irritating to scroll through pages and pages of reviews where half the content is taken up with the host replying with generic meaningless replies. It’s not that important though, really. It depends what you’re looking for.
You’d be surprised at how many guests DO actually look at the reviews that hosts leave for guests. Airbnb is mainstream now and guests are not stupid.
[quote=“jaquo, post:25, topic:30394, full:true”]
Just a word of unsolicited advice - I find it best never to use the word ‘bugs’ in conjunction with Airbnb ever. I’d say the word in conversation but on the platform I’d write insects or even your local type. The word ‘bugs’ can freak people. Daft I know, but true.
[/quote]Since while he was there, he never said a word about issue so i was surprised to see it in review and i just made the assumption it was not some other creature plus most people will ask about potential for bugs vs insects so using that term didn’t seem a problem to me.
I understand. It’s just that the biggest fear amongst hotel and Airbnb guests is that of bedbugs. They are always in the news. So just to be on the safe side I never want my place associated with ‘bugs’. We have insects aplenty, but never bugs
I respond and my responses are always personalized. Or changed up a bit. Just so they don’t sound like a form letter. A public thank you is never a bad idea. I don’t usually respond to any negativity except to say “Best of luck in your future home stays,” or the like. Only once did I address a criticism directly because it was bizarre.
I wasn’t concerned with anyone thinking it was bedbugs because HE wrote that nature was making its way inside and bedbugs come in by people, not from outside woods.
Has anyone ever received such an email? Or when a guest replies to the host review? I’ve never looked back to see if any of my guests have replied to the review I left, but I’ve never received notification that they have either.
I have had guests tell me they decided to book after reading my kind response to a critical review.
For instance, guest mentioned that the garbage can smelled-I responded that I was very sorry and wished he had mentioned it during his stay so I could immediately fix the problem for him.
This let potential guests know that I cared about the quality of their stay and that they could tell me about a problem knowing I would care about fixing it.
I don’t respond to every single review, but I do respond to most, for this reason.
I just went through ALL of the reviews I have left for guests (about 15 total), but not one had left a public response to my review. Only one had ever left a public response to another host.
I don’t think hosts receive a message from Airbnb when guests reply to a review.
Once I checked the profile of a past guest and found he had posted a reply, saying he was sorry for leaving the house a mess and would improve in future. His subsequent reviews were good so I believe had had learned from the bad review I had left.
But I didn’t receive any notice about the reply from Airbnb.
Interesting, several well-read books on ABB management say to respond to every review and use that platform as a way to promote your listing. Your explanation here makes more sense. I would presume someone looking for a place to stay would not want to have to read the host’s replies. So much advice around, going to stop cluttering up my listings–that leaves more room for REAL reviews.That will be tough, been a journalist for 40+ years.
It’s the second time I’ve said ( ) this weekend that there is SO much nonsense written about Airbnb. It’s all over the internet and there are plenty of ‘get paid for your spare room’ garbage books available (even on reputable shopping sites).
Part of the reason for this, and you as a journalist know this only too well @kaiserdr, is that Airbnb has been so popular for quite a few years now and these spins offs are a way to make money. Airbnb has become a sort of buzzword.
Just think of the number of people we get posting here with a ‘great idea’ about supplying Airbnb hosts with this, that or the other … things we don’t need, in other words. For several years now Airbnb has been almost a mantra chanted by those who want to make easy money.
However, I’m in danger of having a right old rant now so I’ll stop - except to repeat what I said the other day - this FORUM has more great advice and fantastic information from real and experienced hosts.
Indeed! It has so many differing viewpoints plus there is good cross-section of hosts, from those with a budget spare room listing to those managing high-end properties.
) this weekend that there is SO much nonsense written about Airbnb. It’s all over the internet and there are plenty of ‘get paid for your spare room’ garbage books available (even on reputable shopping sites).