How to Respond to Airbnb Guest Reviews (Helpful Examples)

Sooner or later it’s going to happen:

You’re going to receive a negative Airbnb review from a guest.

No one likes getting a negative review – especially if you have tried your best to provide a quality service.

But the truth is even if you’re the most amazing Airbnb superhost (and why wouldn’t you be), it’s impossible to please everyone.

As you gradually get more Airbnb bookings and compile more guest reviews, it’s only going to be a matter of time before you receive a poor review.

It’s the law of averages.

If you ever find yourself wondering how to respond to an Airbnb review, remember that although it’s understandable that receiving a negative review is never fun and can make your blood boil with rage, it’s important to keep your cool and respond to the guest review with a cool and level-headed mind.

Here are 5 things to do if you receive a negative Airbnb review from a guest:

1. Take a deep breath and relax

Source

Although it sucks getting a poor guest review, it’s important to respond in a cool and calm manner.

Take a deep breath and step away from your computer for a few hours. Go outside and take a walk or meet up with a friend. Anything to keep your mind occupied and relaxed is recommended.

This allows you to cool off and approach the review calmly without letting your emotions affect your reply.

Here are 9 secrets to attracting more Airbnb guests

2. Don’t take it personally

Once you are relaxed, remember that the negative review is just a guest’s opinion. It’s not fact so don’t take it personally.

You can’t please all Airbnb guests and even if you tried, they still wouldn’t be happy!

Basically, don’t argue, get defensive, or demand that they remove the review since this will make you look bad.

3. Thank them for their feedback

Source

I get it. This is probably the last thing you want to do as an Airbnb host, but thanking guests for their feedback does a few things:

1. It makes you look professional.
2. It shows guests that you appreciate and acknowledge their feedback.
3. It shows that you strive to provide the best experience for your guests.

Here’s a specific example on how to do this: 

“Thank you for your feedback and we apologize if the (issue) wasn’t up to your standards.” 

By doing this, your readers will likely see things from your side and be more likely to take a chance to book with you.

Here are 12 tips to increase your Airbnb bookings

4. Stick to the facts

After you have thanked guests for their feedback, write your response but be sure to stick to the facts. Explain what happened and address each of their complaints point by point and reiterate that it’s an isolated incident.

If there are any valid concerns that the guest brings up, be sure to mention how you have addressed them or plan to do so soon. If guests complain that the wifi wasn’t working properly, say that you have checked it and it appears to be working fine but has gotten a new router so that it doesn’t happen again.

Here’s an Airbnb review response example to illustrate this:

“Hi (guest’s name),

Thank you so much for sharing your feedback. We appreciate your input as it helps us improve the experience we provide to our guests. We’re also sorry for any inconvenience you may have experienced during your stay.

Regarding the wifi, we’ve checked our router and found that it was indeed functioning correctly at that time. However, we understand how important having a fast, reliable internet connection is, so we’ve upgraded our router to the newest model.

Rest assured, we take your feedback seriously as it helps us to identify and address any issues we may not be aware of. We’re grateful for giving us the opportunity to resolve them.

Sincerely,

(Host name)“

As you can see from the example above, we are acknowledging and addressing their concerns. By doing this, you’re showing future guests who read the review that they can be confident if they book with you. You’re demonstrating that you take your guests’ feedback seriously and aim to provide an exceptional experience for anyone who books with you.

Find out what to include in an Airbnb guest manual.

5. See this as an opportunity to improve as a host

Source

Just like anything, Airbnb hosting is a learning process. If you receive a negative review, and if it’s valid, look at it as an opportunity to improve as a host.

Make a checklist of things that can be improved about your space and get to work on improving them. Whether it’s getting a better wifi router, softer pillows, or scented candles, make it your mission to provide your guests with the best experience possible.

Anyhoo, if you’re looking for easy ways to attract more guests, be sure to check out my professional Airbnb listing copywriting services. I’ll help you in crafting an Airbnb description that wows potential guests and boosts bookings.

Additionally, if you’re aiming to provide the best guest experience possible, my Airbnb guidebook services can create a professional and informative guidebook or manual for you.