Techniques for keeping minor quibbles out of reviews?

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In my first review, my guest raved about the place but at the end mentioned that he got bird poop on his car because he parked under a tree. Personally, that seems like something you’d want to mention to the host and not feel it necessary to post in a review.

After that guest, I’ve taken to sending a text message to each departing guest saying something like “If we’ve met or exceeded your expectations, we hope you’ll consider leaving us a complimentary review. If you have any comments or suggestions that you’d like to share with us privately, please feel free to send us a text or email anytime. We’re always looking to find ways to make our guests’ experiences more enjoyable!” So far, that seems to have worked – the next several reviews have been fabulous. Sometimes a guest will put a quibble in that “tell something to the host privately” field, but nothing in the main review.

Anyone else have any techniques for keeping minor silly things out of a review, especially when the guest is overjoyed with their stay and is genuinely writing a great review?

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Nope… And that is one of my biggest complaints about airbnb. You can’t stop the nitpickers.

The bird poop comment was ridiculous and says way more about the guest than it does the host.

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It’s something you’ll just get used to. If you have enough positive reviews, they will more than dilute the minor quibbles that show up in your review feed. There’s almost nothing you can do to prevent the occasional passive aggressive remark or non sequitur in a review. Sometime they’re funny, sometimes they’re a little out of line, but most of all, they are uncommon enough to just let them slide.

As @konacoconutz mentions, they generally reflect more on the reviewer than the host.

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As much as I hate the nitpicks, sometimes they work to keep expectations lower. LOL.

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I haven’t had any nitpicky public reviews yet so I must be doing something right… I like to think I’m offering a good experience but there may be more to it. Maybe it’s that I’ve started using Kona’s technique of not reviewing everyone so they aren’t prompted to review me. I review the great and awful guests to help future hosts, but the mediocre ones I never interacted with I don’t leave reviews, since I don’t have a read on if they liked the place or not.

The bird poop comment makes that guy look bad, and it isn’t worth a public reply.

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I think your idea is good the way you’re handling future guests and asking for suggestions in private feedback.

Do you think the guest mentioned the bird poop on his car to warn other guests not to park under the tree unless they want to clean off bird poop? Maybe he wasn’t complaining at all, but just saying he didn’t think about it when he chose where to park? You say he raved about the place.

I had a bird poop on my head when I was riding one of those double decker tour buses in Barcelona. I would never think to mention anything like that in a review - except (if someone did) I would think it would be just to let people know they might want to sit on the lower deck. I just figure shit happens. (pun intended).

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