As an Airbnb host, you want to ensure you are hosting a good guest. The last thing you want is someone that will make a mess on your Airbnb or not follow the stated rules and regulations. The main reason hosts write reviews is so that other hosts make informed choices and determine whether a certain guest is right for them. Most vacation rentals like HomeAway, VRBO, and Airbnb will always send a notification to travelers and hosts requesting a review. Often, hosts take their reviews seriously, as bad reviews can make guests stay away from their properties. However, guest reviews are also important. Below, find some useful tips on reviewing a guest on Airbnb.

🔔 Testimonials convey enthusiasm for and trust in your products and services, straight from your customers’ mouths or keyboards. 

Always leave a review

Be it positive or negative, always try and leave a review on your experience of a certain guest. A review is not just for you or your guest, but for the other Airbnb hosts as well. When you review guests, they might feel motivated to direct other guests to you. Hosts and guests have 14 days to review each other. Some helpful tips to keep in mind when reviewing guests include:

• Be fair: Be understanding to your guests, especially those with kids and pets. If something was out of place, sometimes it could simply be an honest mistake.

• Stick to facts: Do not make assumptions of what your guest may or may not have done. Stick to what you have actually seen.
  
• Be personable: You can mention a guests’ name and even mention something about their character, like being friendly, before proceeding to write the review.

• Point out the positives: What makes them such great guests? Did they clean up well after themselves, or maybe they left a thank you card?

Can you host that guest another time

When other hosts read guests’ reviews, they are also curious about whether you would host that guest again. Keep in mind that different hosts have varying levels of standards on whether they would host again. Maybe your guests were not so great at communication or cleanliness, but they adhered to the rules. People are likely to make mistakes; hence they deserve the benefit of the doubt. Part of your job in managing an Airbnb is learning to be lenient. Factor in what are some of the things you are looking for in a guest. If guests break the rules on things you can compromise on, it is okay to host them again. However, if they do something terrible that leads to huge losses, avoid having them at your place again.

Read other hosts reviews

For some hosts, it can be hard to come up with the right words or content for the review. An easy way to overcome this challenge is by checking what other hosts have written about their guests. You will get a good template that guides you on what to write in a review.

How do testimonials help your business 🤔?
🔔 Customer Retention: Testimonials serve as a reminder to existing customers of why they continue to do business with you. They also indicate that you invest in your customers by featuring their own words on your website, which encourages them and their associates to continue to do business with you.

Talk to the Airbnb cleaner

As an Airbnb host, it will be hard to write a review if you do not check how clean the guest left the house. If you had given the Airbnb cleaner the keys to the place for them to clean every time a guest checks out, ask how the property was when the guest left. If the guest failed to adhere to any cleaning rules, you would know what to write in your review.

Be honest and specific

Do not try to beat around the bush, as that will not benefit anyone. Instead, opt for honesty and provide enough details. Sometimes, being honest means leaving a negative review, something that most hosts try and avoid for fear of backlash. If you are facing this challenge, you can start with the positive reviews then address the negative bits. You may also want to use a pleasant tone that is not condescending when leaving reviews.

Reviewing a guest on Airbnb is necessary. Your concern should be how to write an honest review that will not misdirect other hosts. The tips mentioned above provide a great roadmap to help you write great reviews.