How do you handle unreasonable reviews?
Rental Property Investor · Worcester, MA · Member since 2018 · 131 posts · 135 votes
How do you handle unreasonable reviews?
Most Popular Reply
Noah WrightBusiness Member
USA, Nationwide · Member since 2024 · 170 posts · 86 votesBrandon, I totally get where you're coming from. Dealing with unreasonable reviews, especially when you’ve done your best, can be frustrating. Your instinct not to reply is valid, especially since you already have a strong base of positive reviews. Most prospective guests can indeed see through an overly picky critique.
However, there are ways to respond to critical reviews that maintain professionalism and avoid coming off as defensive:
- Keep it Short and Professional: A brief, polite response shows that you care without getting into the details. Something like, “Thank you for your feedback. We strive to provide the best experience possible and will take your comments into account for future guests.” This reassures potential guests that you care about service quality without engaging in a back-and-forth.
- Address Any Legitimate Issues: If there’s any valid criticism hidden in the hyperbole, acknowledge it briefly. This shows you're open to improvement but won’t let a picky guest's minor grievances dictate the narrative.
- Avoid Emotion: Keep the tone neutral and professional. A calm response reassures potential guests that you handle issues maturely and are focused on their experience.
- Future Guests as Your Audience: Remember, your response isn’t just for the reviewer—it’s for potential guests who might read it. So frame your reply as something that reflects well on you, even in the face of an unreasonable complaint.
In the end, trust that your positive reviews will outshine the rare picky one. Being selective about when and how you respond is often more powerful than addressing every single critique.
29 Replies
- Rock Star Extraordinaire · Northeast, TN · Member since 2015 · 10k+ posts · 16k+ votes1yI'm Italian, and originally from North Jersey/NYC area so we just send out some guys that specialize in knee cap alterations 🤣.
Quote from @Brandon Gale:
Almost every host has experienced it, a high maintenance guest that you go the extra mile for and reports nothing wrong during the stay, but then posts a hyper critical review as if they are Gordon Ramsay reviewing a restaurant.
I have always opted to just not post a reply, especially since we have over 50 great reviews on both sites. I assume most people are able to see through the pickiness of a couple high maintenance people when the rest of the reviews are stellar.
But lately I've been wondering if I should reply to these reviews and what the best approach is. I always worry that correcting them or trying to contradict them will come off as condescending and do more damage than the review itself.
How do you all handle reviews like this?
Ok, more seriously, I personally believe in responding to reviews both positive and negative because it builds a critical body of work such that when you do respond to negative reviews it doesn't look out of place. The main thing to me has always been to respond honestly, try to avoid being negative or (worse) calling the customer names, and similar. But I don't think there's anything wrong in providing context or clarity to a poor review. One time we had guests that brought a dog (against policy), tried to sneak it in but got caught on outside cameras, provided a bogus emotional support certificate they downloaded on the internet after the fact, left the house a wreck and then left a bad revenge review after we reported them to the platform. I replied with all the contextual information. All that can happen from that point is reasonable people make their own decisions based on the information.
On the other hand, sometimes the negative info is honest and warranted. We had a bad PM who let the pool furniture get mildewed and didn't say anything nor get it cleaned. We got a less than stellar review from a guest who told us that they enjoyed their stay but then mentioned the mildew pool furniture in the review. We had someone check it out and the review was honest. We apologized in the reply, and also noted that if someone had brought it to our attention at the beginning of the stay we would have been happy to have it addressed, which is also honest (can't fix something you don't know about).
Skyline Properties - 1yStephen KeigheryBusiness MemberRental Property Investor · New Orleans, LA · Member since 2018 · 716 posts · 555 votes
Yes you should reply. Don't be defensive but address their concern and show anyone that reads their review that the host is active and cares about feedback. My STR has 1 crazy bad 1 star review that starts by calling our STR a scam but the rest are 5 star reviews. While the review hurts, it hasn't stopped the bookings rolling in.
Home Buyer Louisiana4.855 Reviews - 1yJohn UnderwoodPro MemberInvestor · Greer, SC · Member since 2014 · 13k+ posts · 17k+ votes
Quote from @Brandon Gale:
Almost every host has experienced it, a high maintenance guest that you go the extra mile for and reports nothing wrong during the stay, but then posts a hyper critical review as if they are Gordon Ramsay reviewing a restaurant.
I have always opted to just not post a reply, especially since we have over 50 great reviews on both sites. I assume most people are able to see through the pickiness of a couple high maintenance people when the rest of the reviews are stellar.
But lately I've been wondering if I should reply to these reviews and what the best approach is. I always worry that correcting them or trying to contradict them will come off as condescending and do more damage than the review itself.
How do you all handle reviews like this?
You said reviews as in multiple of this type?
I agree with responding. Remember you are speaking to all your future guests with what you put in your reply. A couple less than stellar reviews show that your reviews are real and not just all 5 stars.
I personally head this off on checking day. I send a message asking if everything is good with the house and we leave a nice treat in the fridge from a local German bakery.
So after 10 years we get a response like " The house is beautiful we appreciate the attention to detail and thank you so much for the treat"
This sets the stage for a 5 star review.
- Lender · TX · Member since 2024 · 308 posts · 196 votes1y
With over 50 great reviews, most people can probably see through the occasional high-maintenance guest.
Replying could be a good move. Just keep it short and polite, like, "Thanks for the feedback, we appreciate your stay and are always looking to improve." That way, you’re showing you care without sounding defensive, and future guests will see that you're professional.
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