Online reviews are no longer optional in hospitality. According to a BrightLocal survey, 86% of consumers and 95% of people aged 18-34 read reviews for local businesses. Even with dozens of five-star reviews, one negative review can have an outsized impact.
It’s nearly inevitable that every short-term rental will receive a negative review, which can cause lasting damage if not handled properly. Nearly 90% of consumers read businesses’ responses to reviews, so having a plan in place for when, not if, this occurs will take the sting out of receiving one and minimize the reputational damage it can do. Done especially well, responding the right way can even boost your image and win new guests.
Document all property care and guest communications at all times.
Document anything and everything that could impact a guest’s stay. This includes both preventative property care and routine activities, like housekeeping, seasonal maintenance, pest control, and linen services. Also, keep a record of all guest communications, and if they reach out to report an issue, be sure to note response times and actions taken to remedy the problem. Have a system in place to manage this information and attach supporting docs like receipts for services, message threads, and call times.
Most importantly, documentation and timelines give you specific details to respond to a guest review with accuracy, speed, and credibility, particularly if you have to correct misinformation or exaggeration. Second, documentation also helps identify where things are falling through the cracks and putting you at risk for negative reviews. This healthy paranoia can also help prevent issues from occurring in the first place with regular upkeep and inspections.
Craft a professional public response.
For those managing their own homes and reviews, remember that how you respond to a public complaint is just as much, if not more, about future guests as it is about that particular reviewer. Think of negative reviews as an opportunity to showcase your grace and professionalism even in the toughest of circumstances. We recommend the following strategies:
Be quick: Post a response as quickly as possible, ideally, within 24 hours, even you’re still working toward a resolution with the guest offline.
Be mindful of tone: Keep it courteous, professional and sincere.
Don’t place blame: Even if an issue was the guest’s fault, take the high road and don’t explicitly place the blame on them. Stay away from using the “you” tense to keep from putting them on the defensive or angering them further. Don’t throw others under the bus either, including vendors.
Exception: It’s acceptable to point out guests’ faults when they are blatantly and intentionally disrespectful of house rules and property, such as if they trashed your home with a massive party. Photos of egregious damage do the talking for you and let readers come to their own conclusions in your favor, and they help keep fellow homeowners from renting to a problem guest. Still, keep calm and adhere to the other tips on this list.
Accept responsibility: If an issue was the result of your oversight, accept the responsibility, apologize with sincerity, and note what steps you took or are taking to correct the problem.
Address future guests: Let future guests know what to expect during their stay as it relates to this issue. This could include how they can report a similar issue, what you’re doing to prevent it from happening to them, or both.
Conclude with polite finality: Don’t leave the door open for further interaction on the review. Provide information where the reviewer can contact you for future discussion, and make it clear you will not be interacting further in this venue.
Work toward a solution offline and ask that the review be removed.
Negative reviews aren’t doomed to be permanent. Follow up with the guest privately to come to an agreeable solution (if you haven’t already). If you come to an agreement, ask the guest to remove the review. In some cases, this can be part of your negotiation.
Example Review and Response
Here is a snippet of a real one-star review for a non-local property (modified for anonymity):
Stayed at Property 123. When I arrived, the hot tub was only at 88 degrees. That’s not even a bath. I called the owner and they were rude and unconcerned about it. Then that night I found roaches crawling in the kitchen. I had to put my groceries on the kitchen table covered in plastic. Staying here was the worst mistake ever. – John Doe
A sample response using the above recommendations:
Hi John, Thank you for the feedback. We understand your frustration and apologize for letting you down. We drain, disinfect and refill the hot tub between reservations, and it can take several hours for the water to reach warmer temperatures. When possible, we will start this process earlier. Regarding the bugs, they are unfortunately a part of our environment, so we conduct quarterly preventative pest control. Following your report, we have also sent pest control to the home for additional treatments. We would like future guests to know they can always call us to handle an issue like this for them right away. Again, we apologize that our response was not up to par, and we will continue to monitor these issues internally. Please call us any time at 800-555-1234 if there is something we can do to make this right and earn your business again.