How to Handle Bad Reviews on Airbnb - What to Do After You Get 1 Star

As a dedicated Airbnb host, you’ve been doing your best to get the highest review rating possible. All was going well, until suddenly THIS happened. One of your Airbnb guests left you a 1-star review. It was surprising, unfair, and you’ve been left completely clueless (especially since it’s virtually impossible to delete reviews on Airbnb - we wrote a post about it here).

Encountering negative reviews is a part of the hosting journey. While it's natural to feel concerned after receiving negative feedback, it's crucial to remember that even the most successful hosts face challenges—and it’s not going to stop you from attracting new guests or securing future bookings for your property. In fact, giving the guest a chance to express their experience can offer valuable insight.

The important thing is how you respond. By addressing issues thoughtfully, future guests will feel reassured, and you can use this opportunity to enhance your hosting skills. In this guide, we'll delve into practical strategies to effectively manage bad Airbnb reviews and transform them into valuable tools for improving your hosting prowess.

Understanding the Power of Negative Reviews

Prospective guests often read negative reviews to gain a comprehensive understanding of others' experiences with hosts and properties. When guests are deciding whether to book, they want to see how you deal with bad feedback and handle an angry guest.

Conversely, hosts with a surplus of negative reviews risk losing bookings (obviously). However, getting a negative review doesn’t necessarily spell disaster. In fact, these reviews can be leveraged to your advantage, playing a role in your overall marketing strategy. Why?

Most guests find it suspicious if a host has a perfect 5-star rating. So play this to your advantage! A high rating on OTA sends a signal to potential guests that you’re a great host. It shows that you’re reliable and that guests can expect a good experience if they stay with you. It doesn’t have to be a perfect score, but the higher, the better. A few negative reviews, balanced with positive reviews, reflect authenticity and help guests understand which aspects of your business stand out—like cleanliness or service quality.

In fact, a well-handled negative review can become your secret marketing weapon. It shows that you care, respond professionally, and go above and beyond to make things right. This can ultimately help you earn more positive reviews, as guests appreciate a host who knows how to handle challenges effectively. Negative reviews won’t hurt as much if your overall rating remains high, reinforcing the message that your property offers a great experience.

Embrace Challenges as Learning Opportunities

Even seasoned hosts, including Superhosts, sometimes receive negative feedback. Rather than worrying, you need to act and see these moments as opportunities to grow. Negative reviews can help you stay focused on improving for future guests.

Every guest has their own experience, and you may not always be aware of certain factors that affect how they feel. By listening to their side of the story, you can use the review process to make meaningful improvements.

Addressing common reasons for dissatisfaction and taking action based on feedback will help you turn reviews into opportunities to enhance every guest’s stay.

Practical Strategies to Address Bad Airbnb Reviews

To protect your reputation as a host and handle negative reviews effectively, consider one of the following four strategies while maintaining a professional demeanor:

1. Request a Rating Change from the Guest

Directly engaging with the guest and requesting a rating change can transform a negative review into a positive one.  Swift action and thoughtful communication are key. Explain the importance of positive reviews to you as a host or your property and express your commitment to guest satisfaction. While the review content may not change, a higher star rating can significantly preserve your reputation as a host.

2. Seek Airbnb's Intervention

If a review violates Airbnb's Content Policy, you can contact Airbnb to remove it. You’ll need to provide strong evidence for removal, especially if the review involves spam, extortion, incentivized reviews, or misrepresentation of personal experiences. Make sure you’ve followed Airbnb’s Terms of Service and have communicated with guests via the Airbnb platform.

3. Delay Guest Review Submission

If you sense dissatisfaction, give the guest a chance to cool off before submitting your review. This approach offers guests time to reflect, potentially leading to more balanced feedback. By delaying your review, you may also avoid prompting the guest to immediately leave a review, which can sometimes be written in haste.

4. Craft Thoughtful Responses

Responding thoughtfully to every review, whether positive or negative, is crucial in maintaining your reputation as a host. Always communicate with guests in a professional and courteous manner, even when addressing negative feedback. Showing that you are open to criticism and willing to resolve issues builds trust and can help you earn positive reviews from future guests.

You have a 30-day window to craft a response to a review after its submission (you can read more about the official Airbnb statement on it here).

Leveraging Negative Reviews to Your Advantage

Now that you're equipped with strategies to manage negative reviews, consider these tactics to transform setbacks into opportunities:

1. Highlight Positive Aspects of Your Guest’s Stay

In your response, counterbalance negative comments by highlighting the positive moments from the guest’s stay. Acknowledge your mistakes, accept criticism, and address their concerns, then emphasize what went well. This approach not only provides a balanced perspective but also shows your dedication to improving the guest experience. When you respond to every review, both positive and negative, it demonstrates your commitment to enhancing the guest experience.

Begin by recognizing the feedback and expressing gratitude to your guest. A straightforward approach could be something like, “Mary, thank you for your review! We genuinely value your effort in sharing your thoughts about your experience.” Whether the review says something negative or contains praise, always appreciate the input and make the guest feel heard.

2. Craft Comprehensive Responses

Compose detailed responses that focus on the positive aspects of the guest's stay while accepting criticism constructively. By elaborating on the situation and your efforts to resolve the issues, you demonstrate proactive engagement. Lengthier responses create an impression of genuine concern and commitment to resolution. Whether the review is good or bad, responding thoroughly shows your commitment to guest satisfaction.

3. Share Improvement Plans

Some guests leave negative reviews hoping hosts will improve for future stays. Show your responsiveness by outlining steps you've taken to resolve their concerns. Mention any changes or upgrades you've made since their stay, which can reassure future guests of your dedication to their comfort. Whether it’s adjusting your house rules or enhancing amenities, showcasing these improvements can make the guest feel valued.

For example, you could say, “We understand the discomfort you faced with the beds. Knowing the significance of a good night's sleep, we've taken action and added comfortable mattress toppers based on your feedback.” This not only addresses the guest’s concerns but also signals to potential guests that you’re continuously learning and making improvements to ensure a 5-star experience.

4. Demonstrate Continuous Learning

Use negative reviews as opportunities to uncover guest priorities and preferences. Implement necessary changes and update your listing description to reflect these improvements. Sharing these updates on social media will also highlight your attentiveness to feedback. Additionally, analyzing your competitors' negative reviews can help you refine your hosting strengths and house rules, ensuring that your guests have a consistently better experience than others.

By embracing both positive and negative reviews, you show that you not only accept criticism but actively work to resolve it. This approach increases your chances of earning a 5-star review and turning potential setbacks into successes.

Bouncing Back from Bad Reviews

Navigating negative Airbnb reviews is an integral part of being a host. Accept criticism and resolve issues professionally by addressing concerns raised by your guests. Responding calmly and focusing on improvement shows you’re committed to providing the best experience possible.

Use feedback to update your listing description, ensuring it aligns with guest expectations and highlights any changes made. When a review contains specific points about your host or property, take it as an opportunity to reflect and improve your approach. Remember, guests don’t expect perfection, but they do appreciate hosts who are responsive and willing to learn from their experiences.

Your dedication to continuous learning and superior guest experiences will ultimately shine through, contributing to a thriving hosting reputation. Stay committed, adapt, and turn setbacks into stepping stones toward hosting success.

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Guests, cleaners or contractors can then collect the key securely from a KeyNest Point, which is usually open 24/7. You'll be notified each time the key is picked up or returned, and you can even customize check-in and check-out times.

KeyNest has an ever-expanding global network of locations located just minutes from your property. To find out more, visit our website: https://keynest.com/