I loved “Even Cowgirls get the Blues”!
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Yes, I caught that. Think he’s a host? Maybe.
Your “in trouble at school” story reminds me of when my youngest, at that point in 8th grade, wore an old t-shirt to school she’d nicked from her older sister’s room- the one that says Cocaine written like the Coca-Cola logo.
She got sent to the office, and asked if there was something she wanted to “talk about”, as if she had a drug problem. I had to go in and pick her up, and pointed out to the school that it should be patently evident that she didn’t have a drug problem, considering she was a straight A student, had won the science and technology award, and had the only perfect attendance record in the school.
It was just a t-shirt, fer crissakes. You’d think she’d walked into school with an AK47.
"It is unfortunate that we were unable to meet the needs of this guest. As caring hosts, all problems will be swiftly corrected. Feedback is taken seriously. A comfy mattress topper will be added to the sofa bed. We agree that cleanliness is of the utmost importance; any oversight will be given immediate attention. Please read our other great reviews and stay here with confidence. Choose this apartment for the fantastic location of this older 100 year old building, situated only 875 feet from the Gulf. "
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I like the overall message of your suggested text but, unfortunatly, too many large corporations have over-used the phrases like “utmost importance.” I find myself rolling my eyes whenever I hear/read such phrases. I’d also avoid negatives and reinforce the positives.
Maybe shorten to: " A comfy mattress topper has been added to the sofa bed. Please read our other great reviews and comments on cleanliness, the fantastic location of this older 100 year old building (situated only 875 feet from the Gulf), etc. "
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Note on repainting - perhaps using Kilzs first as a primer would help with any lingering odor.
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As someone with a severe mold allergy, once I smelled it I would be back outside calling AirBnb if you weren’t standing there.
You really need to fix it, and permanently. That means checking everywhere for any leaks or any places that trap condensation. Treat every surface for mold before you prime with Kilz to encapsulate. Wait a few days after priming to ensure odor is gone.
Old floors, wainscoting, and trim can hide mold, too. Wash all rugs and floor coverings. If it’s carpeted, get it shampooed, and if there’s a floor worth saving underneath, consider using that with area rugs.
I live where it rains 100 in/yr, and my problem is humidity when temp drops, not when it’s high like in the tropics. Fungi don’t seem to care about temperature, it’s the humidity.
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Sofa beds are not comfortable, I would not offer it. I would reduce the maximum occupancy and host smaller groups.
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I agree. If it’s a matter of space, I would go with a Murphy bed, but no sofa beds or futon sofas. I was done with those back in the 70s.
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Best thing I’ve ever done!!! No complaints on comfort since installed.
I offer 1Br (king bed) 1BA. Max 2 guests. The sofa bed is rarely used.
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Did you see how much she paid for it? I would be trying to get my money’s worth of usage.
Anyone who rents & plans to sleep on a sofa bed knows these are not like a traditional bed.
In my condo description I disclose “I’ve slept on the sofa bed. Be aware sofa beds are NOT as comfortable as a traditional bed. It has a 300 pound weight limit so great for 1 adult or 1 child.”
Ok it was a 400 lb weight limit but I don’t want anyone pushing it—you know they will. My max # guests is 2 so one one in the bed, one on the sofa.
I like it! 2020202020
Anytime you cut a loss it is a gain.
Does not seem worth it to me to try and get my monies worth at the guests expense. I stayed at a STR in Hollywood recently and the bed was horrible, the location was great, there was parking onsite but the bed was dreadful. Ruined it for me.
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Awesome thank you, that review template inspires me
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It is very upsetting especially when you work hard to keep your house a great place to stay.
I have had one bad review out of some 45+ good reviews that complained about a noisy heating system (!) etc. but I did respond. This recommendation below helped me, a polite, balanced and carefully worded response is better than not responding. The most effective way to avoid Bad Airbnb Reviews and handle them in case they occur | Hosty Blog
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Don’t worry about it. A good overall rating is the most important thing. With that, few people will even read your reviews. And no one cares about one meh review.
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First thing : stop worrying about it. If you have tons of good reviews others will take those in consideration. Address all their issues maybe some are legit. Calmly and blandly reply and don’t worry about it.
If you’ve been getting decent reviews so far don’t worry about it. When I am on the consumer end I take this into consideration because I am aware there are persons like this out there who leave bad reviews just because they’re miserable people. You will never do enough yo make them happy.
Their feedback when compared to good reviews from other guests seems punitive.
I always think “Meh, this person had their underwear on backwards.”
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Hi Alll
I’ve been an Airbnb host for a few years now, consistently superhosting, with 90% 5 star reviews.
Last week I had a guest check in, I showed her around and left.
An hour or so later , I got message from Airbnb, saying the guest was leaving due to cleanliness issues. She left a review , saying it was dirty, dingy etc., totally at odds with my usual reviews.
The guest the previous night gave me 5 stars as did the guest the following night.
I’ve been in battle with Airbnb(who appear to be useless) since , trying to get them to remove this outrageous , untrue review to no avail.
Has anyone had a similar experience.
I am livid.
Many hosts have posted similar stories here for years. Airbnb’s stance is that reviews are the guest’s subjective experience. It’s your word against theirs. You could try posting on social media/Twitter (@ airbnbhelp.)
I’m curious, did Airbnb also refund this guest? What did you say in your review of the guest?
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Some thoughts on responding to awful reviews:
I thoroughly understand the drive to respond. We haven’t had many negative reviews. I know I did contact Airbnb, back when they provided actual customer service, and was able to get the two bad reviews I can think of removed. They both contained verifiable untruths.
However, the days of fairly effective customer service seem to be over.
This is what I think I’d do now:
Assuming that all the bad stuff is going to come down to he said-she said, I’d write just as scathing a reply as I wanted to. Maybe even several. But I would write them in Microsoft Word or on paper. And I wouldn’t post them at all. I’d just write it out of my system, delete it, and move on.
If, on the other hand, the bad stuff was verifiable lies, such as “listing said that the house was wheelchair-accessible” or some other nonsense that isn’t mentioned anywhere in our listing or on-platform communication with the guest, I would call Airbnb and do my best to get the review removed. If a reasonable number of attempts didn’t work, I’d move on.
I think the “move on” approach results in a lot less angst.
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