What do guests expect from a host? And what happens when you do everything you can to please them and despite your best efforts you are rewarded with a bad review? If you are a new host in the vacation rental industry, you may not have realized it yet but when you encounter passionate and overly dramatic visitors you will feel like you are standing in front of the execution squad. Most of the time the guests who will stay in your holiday property will be very grateful and happy for all the efforts you make to please them, but every now and then you will meet a visitor who will not be satisfied with anything.
Here are some of the most unreasonable causes that are likely to lead to bad reviews – we will also give you some tips to avoid these bad situations as much as possible!
1. There are no clear house rules
It is very easy to assume that your visitors will understand the rules you have set. For example, you can state in the description on the platform that smoking is not allowed on your property. In your mind, this may mean that smoking is prohibited both indoors and outdoors. Your visitor may perceive it differently and believe that smoking is prohibited only indoors. Imagine the following scenario: “One of your guests is smoking on the balcony of your apartment and your neighbors are complaining that smoke is coming into their apartment. You will politely ask your guest to stop smoking for the rest of his stay”. But guess what will follow! They will reward you with a not-so-flattering review and point out that the rules you have set are not clear. You should read your rules and try to analyze all the scenarios that can go wrong, so that there are no misunderstandings and you do not leave room for the guests to claim that you were not clear. Some rules to focus on: Extra guests prohibited, empty the bins, wash the dishes and no pets are allowed.
2. Your property causes allergies
Many vacation rental owners use home fragrances inside their property so that the property smells “clean”. You’re probably a fan of scented sticks or dried lavender – but for some sensitive people, these types of scents can cause sneezing and severe irritation. In addition, if your property has a lot of old carpets and furniture, it could cause other types of allergies such as dust allergies. Also the sheets must be washed very well. Do not expect to be rewarded with five star reviews if your property causes allergies and itching to guests during their stay. The good news is that there are many ways you can create clean spaces that will not cause allergies and your guests will feel great staying there.
3. You did not respond quickly enough to a visitor request
It is very important to understand that as a host who will be using online platforms, you really need to be available and responsive 24/7. If as a person you do not like to connect via phone, this will likely lead to some negative reviews. These days’ visitors expect quick answers to their questions. When we say quick, we mean within an hour. If you have a busy job or have family commitments, you should consider hiring a management company to help you with your guests. Checking your emails or phone a few times a day is not enough.
4. Quite simply, your customers did not read your descriptions!
There are cases where your visitors are not good English speakers but also times where translation tools do not do their job properly. This can lead to frustrated or dissatisfied visitors about the property – mainly because they were not able to fully understand the description you prepared. Unfortunately, you will have guests who are excellent English speakers, who for whatever reason will not take the time to read the descriptions and the rules you have set. It is not uncommon for some visitors to write bad reviews about things that are clearly stated in the listing of the property. For example, they may say that your place was “too far from the beach”, that “it is not within walking distance from major tourist attractions” or even that “the property does not have a swimming pool”. This can actually happen, despite the fact that you have clearly wrote it in the property listing. For example, you may have written “20 minutes walk from the beach” or “requires a car rental to access major attractions”. Sadly, some guests do not think “this is what was listed so fair enough”, but rather think this way “it would be good if it had this” and they write it down in their review. Unfortunately, there are few things you can do when visitors write this kind of reviews, you cannot change the way people think!
In short, to satisfy your visitors you have to be very communicative. Make sure that what you have written in the listing is 100% clear and there is no room for misunderstandings. During the check-in, try to provide useful information about the area and the property. If you prepare a welcome pack with a bottle of wine, a bit of coffee, some milk (there are many options) you will earn significant points. It is also a good idea to send a message to your guests on the second day to make sure everything is OK and there are no problems. It is also important to send a message one day after check-out to make sure your guests had a good flight and arrived safely at their destination. In this message you can also ask politely for a good review and explain to them how important this is for for your business. Of course, as important as the above are, you cannot expect much if your property is not in good condition. Sometimes there will be bad reviews as well and whatever you do for some people will not be enough, the important thing is to limit them as much as possible.
