Negative comment: what to do?

Every rental company’s worst fear: receiving an unjustified negative comment. After all the trouble you’ve gone through to welcome your guests and make their stay a pleasant one, it’s always hurtful. What’s more, apart from thepersonal attack, it lowers your overall rating and scares off future customers. Here we give you the keys to responding and reacting to negative comments.

First rule: don’ t delete the comment. It’s a common mistake, but one to be avoided. First, try to understand what happened. Contact the person who left the comment and try to find common ground. You’ll usually have their contact details: e-mail, text message, phone call – you can try anything. Be courteous and really try to listen and apologize. Discussion is often the key.

Then, even if the person hasn’t yet responded to your requests, reply to the comment.

Explain the reasons for the comment if the rental went badly for you too, or show surprise if you don’t think the comment was justified.

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

If your requests to get in touch don’t produce any results, and the comment you’ve left remains unanswered, you can contact the platform. In this case, look up the customer service number and explain the situation to them in detail. Some platforms like Airbnb have pages dedicated to resolving this type of problem. They put the renter and host directly in touch.

You’ve tried everything: making contact, the platform, the comment… and the negative comment is still active, don’t panic. Future customers will be able to see that you ‘ve replied, saying that you don’t understand and that“despite numerous reminders, your host hasn’t been heard from again“. This may reassure them that it’s just an isolated comment. But to be on the safe side, you can always contact your former hosts. The ones for whom you remember everything went well and who didn’t leave any comments. Explain the situation to them and see if they’d be 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 get in touch with your guests during their stay. Without being intrusive, don’t hesitate to ask them if their stay is going well, if they need any help, or even better, if they’ve been able to try the restaurant you mentioned, etc… It’s a pleasant way of making contact and showing that you’re there for them.

Have you ever had this type of problem? How did you solve it?