Why Guests Leave Something in a Review that They Didn't Give You a Chance to Correct

It seems to be a common viewpoint of hosts that guests should contact us if there’s a problem or an issue instead of just complaining about it in the review. This has always sounded solid to me. I’ve never had it happen but I would also like a chance to fix an issue instead of finding out about it in the review. It seems fair. It seems right. I’ve always agreed with this.

However, I feel differently about it now. I just completed a stay on Tuesday and realized why guests don’t reach out sometimes. The first night we’d had a long drive and were focusing on finding something to eat and getting stuff from the store and unpacking and we just didn’t want to deal with someone else. Besides, the host had already “popped in” about an hour after we arrived. And the second day we had our two guests arrive and were caught up in catching up with them and did not want to have to deal with someone else. I was on my vacation and did not want to take time out to deal with the host.

We had contacted the host about one thing and his solution was to come over and into the house which deterred us from ever contacting them again, regardless of some other issues we encountered. He also did not wear a mask either time he came in which mattered to us.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do about the review yet and will probably write another post about the issues with the stay but I know why I did not contact the host with the issues that may or may not show up in his review. It was enlightening but I am conflicted. Interested in other’s thoughts.

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I only advocate that everyone leave an honest review every time.

There are some things the host may not be able to avoid like a light bulb burning out or suddenly the toilet stops up. There are other things the host did have a chance to correct…when he did the turn over. It’s not the guest’s job to do free inspections during the stay. And for every host says “no guest ever complained about xyz before,” that’s just not good enough for me.

He did this without your permisson?

I’d tell him the first time to please wear a mask and if he wasn’t going to, please exit the home. If I found out there was a second time despite my express displeasure it wouldn’t be a nice review.

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So he just “popped-in” on you unannounced? No msg, call or text with “would it be ok if I looked at it now”??

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The no mask thing is definitely something I would mention in the review. And I think it would be fair to mention any issues which his masklessness prevented you from asking him to correct.

The same would go for if a guest didn’t report future issues to the host because the host was creepy or rude when they contacted him the first time.

But if a guest just doesn’t give the host an opportunity to address an issue because they’re busy, or don’t feel like it, I don’t think it’s fair to complain about in the review, unless reviews showed that past guests have had the same complaints and the host has done nothing to correct them.

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Consider a private message about wearing a mask. Since you had 2 chances in person to mention you prefer he wear a mask and you didn’t, maybe putting it in the public review isn’t the right place.

Review honestly but treat him as you would like to treated.
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PS for humor. Last month I worked with the Handyman. I met him outside. I’m vaxxed. He’s vaxxed. We discussed masks wear or not.
Him “it’s ok with me either way”
Me “here help me try out this hand sanitizer. What do you think of the smell.”
Him “nice, fruity”
Me “ you passed. No masks today”

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I went to deliver an upholstery project to some clients the other day. I wore a mask, and though they told me they have now been triple vaxed, having gotten their boosters, I explained that I’d wear mine since I haven’t gotten my second yet. They started to put their masks on, and I said they didn’t need to as they’d been fully vaxed, I am just into being really cautious in indoor spaces myself, maybe overly so.

It wasn’t them I was concerned about, but they had just arrived the previous evening and there had been maids and property managers in there preparing for their arrival.

But the husband said, “No, it’s only fair, if you’re wearing one”, and they continued to secure their masks.
Those are the kind of people I appreciate these days.

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The real issue seems to be two-fold, w/o knowing what was wrong at the rental:

(1) you’re an experienced host so I’d suspect the things that were wrong that most bother you are things you know he should have known & addressed before your arrival

(2) he was disrespectful & inconsiderate of your privacy and your safety/health, which then detoured you from reporting issues you may normally have reached out about (unless they fell under (1) and it irritates to even have to inform him)

Did I get close?? :sweat_smile:

If so, my review would most revolve around these points (but way fewer words :slightly_smiling_face:)

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I too just stayed at an airbnb with issues. (The main one being that the sliding doors to the shared balcony wouldn’t lock but also forced payment for amenities that I didn’t want. Very dirty floors and sand on the floors, no pillow cases ). We did not discover these issues until we went to bed the first night. I was in town for my mother’s memorial the morning of the next day and wrote the host with pictures along by noon the next day after the event. We left the next morning. The host is claiming I’m scamming him and lying. (I sent pictures) and why didn’t I contact him right away. (He never checked in with me.) I always check in with my guests on the first evening. He never offered to send anyone over.

I also found that he listed a 2nd bedroom but by Florida law a room with a sliding door without a window or closet is not a bedroom. Funny (not) how he left out pictures this room.

Airbnb resolution is allowing him to send pictures to prove I’m lying. I have explained to airbnb that it’s difficult to proove at this point because he could have had housekeeping clean, fix locks, etc. It’s been a week and still no resolution.

As a guest, I am so frustrated but I’ve kept my cool why the host is harassing me. I’ll let you know how it turns out but I have to say, I have much more compassion for guests when something really goes wrong.

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It’s not just about fairness. Everyone should continue wearing masks as often as practical, vaxxed or not, if they want to avoid disease.

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Hosts here often claim that Airbnb always believes the guests but there sure are a lot of reports to the contrary.

I often see listings that don’t have pictures of the bathroom. I avoid those listings because I always assume if there are no pictures, it’s not a good thing.

It’s often said that every host should be required to stay in a few Airbnbs. I’ve stayed at about 20 now and there was something about at least half of them that was subpar.

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I agree. I care so much for my guests comfort and think about what I would want that it surprised me that other hosts don’t. This last place didn’t even have a tea kettle and 2 of the pans were damaged teflon pans.

There was only one other time that it was really bad. The host forgot to tell me people would be working the roof. I was woken early to people walking on the roof and banging. When I contacted her she went out of her way to make it right.

This is the first time I had to get Airbnb involved and they are really being difficult.

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Yes. They were absolutely all issues that should have been corrected at turnover.

I wish I had. That’s been in my head ever since it happened. But he surprised me. All of sudden someone was yelling “hello” and then walking into the house. I couldn’t figure out how to say it nicely and was aware we starting a 5 day trip there, I guess I chickended-out.

Kind of yeah. He lives in the next house over and said in his listing that he will greet us (as opposed to self check-in) but when we were close he told us to just go on in and then let him know when we wanted him to show us how to operate the pool. I text him after arrival and told him we’d like to get set up sometime that evening. He didn’t respond to my message but awhile later he was sticking his head through the front door and came in. He did it the next day too. So I didn’t want to contact him again and have him coming into the house. Especially because of the mask issue but also just privacy.

Busy, yeah or you could look at it as paying a lot of money for downtime in a private home.

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Up to 26 stays in Airs, mostly in US and France, one in Belize. I would say all but a couple were without issues.

One I stayed in when I was house hunting in 2020 was a disaster, but that was the worst one. @jjd This one also had the host without mask just coming right in to the tiny space. I would exit when she did that. I was to be there for over a month but the final straw was her saying she wasn’t feeling well and was isolating. I was out of there.

Soon to check out another in a couple weeks.

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There are many of us who would do the same. We sit here in our chairs typing out “I would do this!” with our bold font and ALL CAPS but the reality is different when you are actually there. Some of those folks will probably be along shortly to tell you “you should have this and you should have that” without addressing any of your questions. It’s just a matter of time before the thread spirals off into la-la land. :wink:

And the host saying hello and walking in is absolutely, positively an absolute no. WTAF.

I’d have no problem absolutely slamming him in the review and in the stars.

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This is that common wisdom but is it really fair that I would have to remind my host about the Covid cleaning and precautions that he has already agreed to by way of enhanced clean on his listing? As well as his local requirements (I looked them up) that also required he wear a mask indoors with someone outside of his household?

Airbnb says, currently/still, within the Enhanced Clean document that:

All hosts and guests must:

Wear a mask. If hosts and guests must interact or if there is a shared common area accessible to individuals outside of your reservation, wear a protective face covering at all times as recommended by regulatory agencies or authorities.
When you are in a common area or shared space (as a host or guest) maintain appropriate distance from anyone who’s not part of your reservation at all times.

He also insisted on shaking our hands and stood a normal/pre-covid distance from us. He’s already agreed to wear a mask and to not get to close to us. It seems fair that I could expect him to follow it without putting me in a position to police him. If either time he had told me that he was on his way over, we could’ve had our masks on and met him outside but both times he just appeared and said “hello” loudly and then entered. It was a large home so it’s not like we saw him coming.

I hear what you are saying and that is why I’m conflicted and trying to think it through. Two things:

  1. If another guest had mentioned in their review that he showed up, came inside and didn’t wear a mask then I would’ve been prepared for that. I could have told him ahead of time, by message, that we want him to wear a mask instead of being put in the awkward position of doing it in person at the beginning of our stay.

  2. Advertising “Enhanced Clean” is sort of an amenity in a way. It means that I should be able to expect that he woud follow the guidelines in it, which require that he wear a mask and keep his distance in the case that he would interact with us. Is it really so different than the listing advertising an oven? Should I have to ask him why there isn’t an oven? Is that onus really on the guest? I don’t know but it does annoy me.

Keep in mind that everyone here (so far as we know) is biased in favor of hosts because this is a host forum, not a guest forum. And quite a few of us admit we’ve never stayed in an Airbnb and some of us state outright that we never would! :open_mouth:

Every host here has made a mistake at some time and hoped they would get away with it. So we probably don’t even want to tell you to give this host the review he earned.

Oh and the answer to your question here is no.

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And I also have to worry about getting rejected by other hosts for leaving a bad review. As a big fan of AirReview myself, I hope it doesn’t end up squashing me as a guest :flushed:

I’m with you on this.

I think when you’re writing your review and reflecting on what you could have done differently in the moment, a good guideline would be to consider the purpose of the review, the same way we do when we are reviewing guests. When we review guests we are communicating with other hosts, and when we review hosts, we are communicating with other guests.

In other words, I think it isn’t your responsibility, either during your stay or afterward in your review, to educate your host. I’d try to communicate in your review that there were deficiencies in cleanliness (or whatever it was) and in Covid personal distancing. I wouldn’t go into too many specifics, just a general statement of your concerns.

The specifics of your concerns could go into the personal message, or not. I would see this as a courtesy only.

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I wonder how many hosts really use it? I have the extension but rarely look at it. I’ve never canceled a guest for leaving a bad review, only for getting one. And if you use instant book you don’t have to worry about being rejected. Unless it’s a home share I reject the concept of “vetting guests” because I’ve been “vetted” and rejected. It sucks and so I won’t participate in that BS unless I have to. Just between you and I, any host who rejects a guest because they left an unflattering review, is probably not one I’d want to stay with.

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I just bought one but no one has ever mentioned it. We offer teas but assumed people microwave the water like we do (I feel like y’all are going to say that’s tacky :sweat_smile:) Would you rate down for that?

That would give me zero confidence about how the place was prepared for my stay. Regardless of his/your mask “stance”, as his customer he should have at least asked what you wished. That makes me :rage:

I’m floored by this. Honestly. I’d be so embarrassed to present my place the way y’all described. Or to treat a guest this way.

She had ZERO business booking a stay during that kind of maintenance unless it was unplanned and critical AND you agreed to it . Forgetting to tell you isn’t the issue & I frankly don’t see how she could have forgotten.

I’ve never had a guest complaint (that wasn’t spurred on my trying to hold them accountable), so this is interesting. Did this guy have any bad reviews? What’s his rating? (Sorry if asked and answered…on phone so harder to keep up)

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