I think I might get a bad review!!

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Toscana
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
Location: Tuscany

I think I might get a bad review!!

Post by Toscana »

My apartment is hosted by Owners Direct and I am in a bit of a delima. Basically you live or die on the reviews posted by your guests experiences so it’s important that all the small irritants are removed to obtain the best feedback.

We have a shared 3 km stretch of gravel road that should have been repaired and maintained in late May but due to a number of reasons it hasn’t been done. My American guests have already mentioned this and I have told them its due to be done soon.

However, on Monday I had a Belgium family ring me up saying that they are outside my apartment and had booked my apartment through Airbnb. I checked and no double booking. They had remonstrated with my American guests who decided to give my number to them. The upshot was that the Beguim family had got the wrong apartment, so crisis over !! Then yesterday my apartment was burgled whilst my American guests were asleep!! My guest are ok thank God but even though they had not locked (their fault) the front door they feel unsafe.

So between the road, the double booking debacle and burglary I think I am on to a bad review.

Even though American guy told me yesterday they love the apartment and views, he mentioned that road was not good. I am thinking of trying to head off a bad review, particularly as I think they will slate the road. I thought of offering a part refund. I just don't want the road to put off potential furture booking as normally the road would better condition at this time of year.

Am I mad ?

Cheers!!
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional bad review, if youre able to reply to your reviews do so and make it clear in your reply that the roadway repairs have been delayed for this that and the other reason and repairs will take place asap.

Make sure that you say the road is NOT unsafe and passable. However ones bad roadway is anothers delight too don't forget. I love a badly maintained roadway overhanging a 1000mtr shear drop half way up a mountainside myself!!!!!

The burgalary was there fault, the guests getting the wrong appartment was an error on there part, your guests should accept these for what they are but your right putting the three situations together you may be in for a negative review i admit.

Just how bad is the roadway? Really? Offer to pay for the cleaning / washing of the vehicle on the day they leave. Send them to your nearest carwash with monies to have it cleaned or a voucher.

I've had one really bad review and it didn't make any difference to my bookings at all whatsoever. The internet spead wasn't good enough for the kids (22 & 27yr olds) to play online games via there own Desktop PC's they had brought with them! The review they wrote was a bad review and longer than 'War and Peace' complaining about everything possible and more.

If you get a bad review for the roadway reply with a suitable response to reassure future guests that it isn't impassable or dangerous etc and repairs are due to take place asap. Think up a suitable response for all the issues you have experienced with your guests just in case they really do leave a seriously bad reveiw about everything.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

Good advice there.
I would agree not to worry too much. To put it in to context our guests this week have had a flood upstairs due to a blocked loo, trouble with a patchy Internet service and finally the electric tripped. They just laughed at the last problem when we rushed round and shouted 'I bet you think we're the guests from hell!'
Things happen.

To save you worrying I'd have a word with them before they leave and just ask them were they satisfied with your explanation about the road. Apologise again and perhaps give them a small gift/bottle of wine as a goodwill gesture. Make a joke about how you wished things in Italy could be organised as easy as they could probably do it in the USA (I always think that helps people understand that getying things done in some countries isn't as simple as they expect).
I'd also mentoned that you've prewarned the next guests affected, as you thought that might be the best thing to do until it's fixed. Hopefully that gives them the hint that they don't need to mention it on a review.

Good luck
Mousie
x
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

Here in the UK work will often get delayed by snow being the wrong kind of snow or it's too cold or too hot and or dry.

Perhaps use a similar excuse, It's the wrong type of sunshine at the mo for the workmen to repair the road!! We've been promised it will get repaired several times now and it's been cancelled because it's too hot and dry for the workmen!?
Toscana
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
Location: Tuscany

Post by Toscana »

akwe-xavante wrote:I wouldn't worry too much about the occasional bad review, if youre able to reply to your reviews do so and make it clear in your reply that the roadway repairs have been delayed for this that and the other reason and repairs will take place asap.

Make sure that you say the road is NOT unsafe and passable. However ones bad roadway is anothers delight too don't forget. I love a badly maintained roadway overhanging a 1000mtr shear drop half way up a mountainside myself!!!!!

The burgalary was there fault, the guests getting the wrong appartment was an error on there part, your guests should accept these for what they are but your right putting the three situations together you may be in for a negative review i admit.

Just how bad is the roadway? Really? Offer to pay for the cleaning / washing of the vehicle on the day they leave. Send them to your nearest carwash with monies to have it cleaned or a voucher.

I've had one really bad review and it didn't make any difference to my bookings at all whatsoever. The internet spead wasn't good enough for the kids (22 & 27yr olds) to play online games via there own Desktop PC's they had brought with them! The review they wrote was a bad review and longer than 'War and Peace' complaining about everything possible and more.

If you get a bad review for the roadway reply with a suitable response to reassure future guests that it isn't impassable or dangerous etc and repairs are due to take place asap. Think up a suitable response for all the issues you have experienced with your guests just in case they really do leave a seriously bad reveiw about everything.
Thank you for your heart warming reply, the road is bad in parts due to heavy rain were lots of gravel has been washed away so its a very slow drive in parts. I am tempted to offer them a meal for tomorrow night, I need to investigate though. I think your idea of writing a response now is great and it means with a few tweaks on the day I can get the response out quickly!!
Toscana
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
Location: Tuscany

Post by Toscana »

Mouse wrote:Good advice there.
I would agree not to worry too much. To put it in to context our guests this week have had a flood upstairs due to a blocked loo, trouble with a patchy Internet service and finally the electric tripped. They just laughed at the last problem when we rushed round and shouted 'I bet you think we're the guests from hell!'
Things happen.

To save you worrying I'd have a word with them before they leave and just ask them were they satisfied with your explanation about the road. Apologise again and perhaps give them a small gift/bottle of wine as a goodwill gesture. Make a joke about how you wished things in Italy could be organised as easy as they could probably do it in the USA (I always think that helps people understand that getying things done in some countries isn't as simple as they expect).
I'd also mentoned that you've prewarned the next guests affected, as you thought that might be the best thing to do until it's fixed. Hopefully that gives them the hint that they don't need to mention it on a review.

Good luck
Mousie
x
What a mare you must have had !! :shock: Humour is definitely the way to go!!
I think your suggestions are excellent, definitely need to speak with him and get his view on his holiday, particularly the road and try to show that I have tried to get the road fixed sooner. A good suggestion to highlight to future guests that the posibility that the road may be more bumpy than usual.
Cheers
Last edited by Toscana on Thu Jun 21, 2018 1:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Toscana
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
Location: Tuscany

Post by Toscana »

akwe-xavante wrote:Here in the UK work will often get delayed by snow being the wrong kind of snow or it's too cold or too hot and or dry.

Perhaps use a similar excuse, It's the wrong type of sunshine at the mo for the workmen to repair the road!! We've been promised it will get repaired several times now and it's been cancelled because it's too hot and dry for the workmen!?
Excellent :D :lol: I would love to say all that but not sure in the light the burglary how it would go down !!!
akwe-xavante
Posts: 306
Joined: Wed Jul 01, 2015 3:19 pm
Location: East Yorkshire

Post by akwe-xavante »

Probably but you could say something on these lines to your next and future guests on there arrival until it's sorted. Pre empting a potential complaint from them.

When the roadway is sorted reply to a review, any review even if it's not relevent to the specific review saying something on the lines of 'Thank goodness our roadway has been repaired at last' for you.
Toscana
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Jul 21, 2016 11:22 am
Location: Tuscany

Post by Toscana »

akwe-xavante wrote:Probably but you could say something on these lines to your next and future guests on there arrival until it's sorted. Pre empting a potential complaint from them.

When the roadway is sorted reply to a review, any review even if it's not relevent to the specific review saying something on the lines of 'Thank goodness our roadway has been repaired at last' for you.
Well I have been told that the road will be repaired tomorrow last day for my American guests, sods law they will probably have difficulties traveling the road due tot he trucks !! But good advice on the reply to reviews , thank you !!
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