Contemplating how to not knee jerk respond to a percentage altering low review by my recent abb guest. Not only is it clear in the description check in is from 3-6 pm, I asked her to be sure she read the dull description when she requested to book. She got upset when I told her she could not show up at 9:00 pm. I have had the abb since 2017. The times have never changed. Then she said she felt compelled to eat breakfast because I had it out.
Flustered but going to wait till later to respond.
It's hard when people are unfairly critical of our work. You're already thinking smart by not immediately responding with your initial emotional reaction.
If I'm a potential guest and I see an unreasonable negative review I actually become more interested when I see the owner respond politely. If I see a location has only positive 100% scores I automaticly devalue all the positive comments because I assume the negative ones are being censored.
Some people just like to complain, if a future potential customer is turned off by- I couldn't read or follow instructions, and I have no self control towards what I stuff in my face... you probably don't want to deal with them as a customer anyway.
Negative feedback is also a good chance to improve your business practices too. If the information is too long and boring to read maybe you can highlight and shorten the presentation in your communications. I always try to be polite to everyone, but I also assume that everyone is easily distracted or tired or just plain dumb. Some people need more handholding than others.
Don't forget your business is not you. You will never make everyone happy all the time. They are allowed to be disappointed, you can try to reduce the disappointment but it will never be eliminated.
Good luck, keep at it!
This is the downside to using OTAs (online travel apps/agencies ) and why I try to cultivate more direct bookings. Abb promotes super hosts above others. If you fall below a percentage then you lose that status and that edge. And it takes an enormous number of higher scores to overcome the beating one very low one can inflict. Since I have just the one room I don’t have a large number of guests in any one year.
