Negative comment: what to do?

The dread of every renter: receiving an unjustified negative comment. After all the trouble you went through to welcome your guests and offer them a nice stay, it is always hurtful. In addition, apart from the personal attack, it lowers your overall rating and scares off future customers. We give you here the keys to respond and react to a negative comment.

First rule: do not delete the comment. This is a common mistake but it should be avoided.

First, try to understand what happened. Contact the person who left the comment and try to find a common ground.

You usually have their contact information: email, text, call, you can try everything. Be courteous and really try to listen and apologize. Discussion is often the key.

Then, even if the person does not respond to your requests, answer the comment.

Explain the reasons for the comment if the rental also went badly, or on the contrary, show surprise if you think the comment is not justified.

Responding to negative comments is very important because it shows that you are listening to your customers.

If your requests to get in touch do not yield anything, and the comment you left remains unanswered, you can contact the platform.

In this case, look for the customer service number and explain the situation in detail. Some platforms like Airbnb have pages dedicated to solving this type of problem. They put the renter and the host in direct contact.

You have tried everything: contact, the platform, the comment… and the negative comment is still active, don’t panic.

Future customers will see that you have responded by saying that you do not understand and that “despite numerous reminders your host does not give any sign of life”. This can reassure them that it is an isolated comment.

But to be on the safe side, you can always contact your former hosts. Those for whom you remember that everything went well and who did not leave any comments. Explain the situation to them and see if they are willing to help you raise your rating by adding a good one.

Often, a negative comment is due to a misunderstanding or an unresolved bad experience.

So, to prevent this type of comment, you can contact your guests during their stay. Without being intrusive, don’t hesitate to ask them if the stay is going well, if they need help or even better, if they were able to try the restaurant you mentioned, etc… It’s a nice way to get in touch and show that you are there for them.

And you, have you ever had this type of problem? How did you solve it?