7 steps to convert Bad Airbnb Reviews into marketing opportunities
Will you stay at anyone’s place without reading their Airbnb reviews? No, right? Similarly, your potential guests are aware and keen to know about the previous guests’ experiences. Reviews allow people to analyze different listings available on Airbnb and select the best amongst them. Imagine what happens when they find bad Airbnb reviews for your listing? Even worse, imagine what happens when they find out that you handled that bad review badly?
Yes, you guessed it right! The answer is that they will cut your listing off their list and decide not to book your property. Bad Airbnb reviews are the uncontrollable threats that can lead to losses. Many times, it happens that the traveler is impressed by your property photographs and description but as soon as they stumble upon bad reviews, their perception is changed. But you can change this!
You might not be able to control the bad Airbnb reviews, but you can surely address them and use them to your advantage. The mantra to utilize a bad Airbnb review is to respond smartly. The way you deal with a bad Airbnb review dictates whether it will help you or break you. Bad Airbnb reviews are the threat in your business environment that can be smartly converted into opportunities.
Bad Airbnb reviews are part of every Airbnb host’s experience. The way you respond to them helps you to shine amidst the crowd. Even when the potential guests are confused on seeing the bad Airbnb reviews, they might form a positive image of you when they read a positive response.
Don’t worry if you have bad Airbnb reviews. Just keep reading and discover the ways to effectively deal with them.
Discover also more about Airbnb payment methods for hosts.
How to deal with bad Airbnb reviews without responding?
Request to revise the rating
If a guest has left bad reviews and poor ratings, then you can convince them to upgrade the rating. Customers can change the rating on your listing. No issues if they have left a bad rating, you can still try and request them to increase the rating so that your business is not affected adversely. Though the text review can not be changed, an improvement in rating will help your business to a great extent.
Ask Airbnb to remove the review
Go through the Airbnb content policy thoroughly and if you find any violation in the negative review then report immediately. The removal of a negative review is beneficial for your business. Airbnb considers the valid request and removes any inappropriate review from the platform. For this method, you should be aware of the content policy and you should act promptly to prevent any damages caused by those bad Airbnb reviews.
How to respond to bad Airbnb reviews?
Step 1- Examine it carefully
A bad review could be a single sentence or even as long as several paragraphs. For the first step, you should critically analyze the bad Airbnb review. You have to focus on every word and incident mentioned in that review. If you desire to respond smartly then you should first understand the review nicely. If you have any proof related to the incident mentioned, then ensure to store it safely.
Step 2- Apologize and Mention your positive experiences
For the second step, you should craft a response apologizing for the inconvenience. Since you have examined the review and the incidents mentioned critically, you very well know how to turn the tables around. Your job here is to highlight the bright side of the stay. You are free to mention any or all parts of their stay that you thought were positive for both the guest and the host. You have to showcase the positive side of the story so that the negative review has overshadowed. Remember for now you are just framing the response and not pressing the send button.
Step 3- Acknowledge your mistake
Now you have to acknowledge your mistake. One of the most important things that a potential guest is looking for is a consideration. If they observe that you consider and acknowledge the complaints of other guests, then they perceive you as a reliable host. Acknowledging the mistake is a big and pretty impressive step.
Step 4- Mention your plan to improve
Your potential guest is interested in the improved version of your property. Even if there was some inconvenience during the previous guest’s stay if you show the enthusiasm to improve then the travelers will be interested in your listing. Ensure to mention your plan to improve the customer experience. If you frame the improvement strategy wisely then it could turn into a marketing platform for your listing.
This way you will inform your potential guests that you are open-minded and happy to improve in order to provide better customer experience. The majority of the travelers look for progressive and friendly hosts. The determination to improve will appeal to potential guests.
Step 5- Show your progress
A little piece of proof is always better to impress your potential guests. If you have already looked into the matter complained in the bad review, then you should attach the proof to the response. Inform the customers about your progress and how you are going to fix the problem in the future. The guests are less concerned about what happened in the past and more worried about their own stay in the future. You have to prove that you will fix the issue and offer them a better and improved experience.
Step 6- Review your polite tone
Once the whole response is framed nicely, it’s time to review it. Initially responding to a bad review could reflect an upsetting tone. You have to make sure that your tone is polite. You have to handle this situation humbly and respond politely. In no case, you want to intimidate your potential guest. Maintaining a polite tone is the best way to convey your message while marketing your listing. Remember you have to give a good response to a bad review.
Step 7- Send the response
Now you can submit your marketing strategy disguised as a response to bad Airbnb reviews.
These simple 7 steps will help you to transform bad Airbnb reviews into a good opportunity. This is your platform to tell the potential guests about your qualities and priorities. You will get a chance to showcase your progressive and polite attitude only when someone points a finger at you. Along with this, a bad review is a chance to improve.
While forming the response you will figure out how to overcome your weak spots. Generally, bad Airbnb reviews are products of genuine concerns. You should constructively respond to the bad review and improve your business. Bad Airbnb reviews are actually an opportunity for you to improve your strategies and display it for your potential guests. Another way to deal with bad Airbnb reviews is to prevent it. Try not to upset your guests in order to receive only good reviews. Customer satisfaction can be a difficult job to fulfill, but you have Hosty to help you. Hosty’s Airbnb management software is designed especially for you. You can easily manage your listings through the integrated platform and avoid getting bad Airbnb reviews.