A bad review in Airbnb can hurt your reputation and possibly your income, and even worse if it was your first time renting your property, there’s no way to balance it with a positive one, but don’t worry, breathe and relax, you can fix this, and in no time work to obtain 5 stars eventually.
What happens if you get a bad review
If you get several bad reviews and you fall below the average on Airbnb, your listing will be paused for a few days, which means that it won’t come up in the search results. Even worse if you get a lot of bad reviews you will be removed from Airbnb.
This can get you tense, we understand, but you can address these issues and fix your bad reviews fast.
Respond to a bad review
Your first reaction to getting a bad review in Airbnb is to respond immediately but this could be worse, you need to keep calm and assess the negative commentary in an objective way. Use the commentary to learn what went wrong and remember your response will be viewed by others so a good response is crucial.
If the commentary was about anything you can change immediately in your property, like a smell, stains, or uncomfortable chairs/beds, you can respond fast so people can see you are committed to great hospitality and service.
Make sure you tell the guest his/her complaint was heard and you are taking action and describing the steps you’re taking to make it right and you are actively working to give guests the experience they deserve, be respectful, and try not to let your emotions win.
Get better reviews
Future guests present an opportunity to increase your rating and bumping down those bad reviews.
If you’re not getting any new guests, try to decrease your rate to attract people, the idea is to give the future guests the experience they need so they give you a good rating, the more good ratings you have, the bad review will be forgotten and your rating will increase.
So take advantage of new guests and change whatever was said in the negative review to increase your chances of getting to that sweet top spot of 4.5 to 5 stars as soon as possible.
Of course, preventing bad reviews has to be a priority as well, so remember to check reviews from other rentals and see what they’re doing right. It’s mostly the same things, cleanliness, acting fast if anything goes wrong, excellent service and making sure your guests feel comfortable in your rental, and also make sure your photos and description stay true to the experience and expectations.
