Review That Bugs My .....

[Generic]

I have complained to TA about it and a friend of two has, as well. There are two points with this. One is that if they had said the same thing with another type of discriminatory word it wouldn't be there... like black or Muslim.
The second part is that when someone mentioned something like that, it isn't about the other party, it is about themselves. It is obvious, but sometimes hard to accept... they have a problem with our being Gay, because otherwise there is no reason to mention it at all. It's like when you walk up to a fat person and say "you are fat". Well... they know they are fat, you aren't delivering any news. What you are saying is "I have a problem with your being fat." Which just sounds so awful.
The whole tone of the review is based on their bias. Ever hook in that bathroom is marked with a label indicating that they are for reuse. We are quite careful and environmental. We have a green recycling box near the front door. We use central distributors so we don't have that packaging. We use paper cups that can be recyled. We even fish out maps and newspapers from the trash to add to the recycling. Low flow toilets, water saving showers, etc. (The government also takes this into account in our rating system.)
I just don't know which is worse... TA for publishing it without actually reading it (shouldn't they have automatically flagged it because of the wording?) or them for actually submitting it. And when you look at their other reviews... all seem to only review when they have complaints, even when they are baseless.

 

[bbinnsitters]

I have complained to TA about it and a friend of two has, as well. There are two points with this. One is that if they had said the same thing with another type of discriminatory word it wouldn't be there... like black or Muslim.
The second part is that when someone mentioned something like that, it isn't about the other party, it is about themselves. It is obvious, but sometimes hard to accept... they have a problem with our being Gay, because otherwise there is no reason to mention it at all. It's like when you walk up to a fat person and say "you are fat". Well... they know they are fat, you aren't delivering any news. What you are saying is "I have a problem with your being fat." Which just sounds so awful.
The whole tone of the review is based on their bias. Ever hook in that bathroom is marked with a label indicating that they are for reuse. We are quite careful and environmental. We have a green recycling box near the front door. We use central distributors so we don't have that packaging. We use paper cups that can be recyled. We even fish out maps and newspapers from the trash to add to the recycling. Low flow toilets, water saving showers, etc. (The government also takes this into account in our rating system.)
I just don't know which is worse... TA for publishing it without actually reading it (shouldn't they have automatically flagged it because of the wording?) or them for actually submitting it. And when you look at their other reviews... all seem to only review when they have complaints, even when they are baseless..

I also looked at their other reviews...complainers all the way. I also tried to "report problem with review" but nothing happened when I hit that link so I figured it was just for the owners to submit a response. Good luck and keep us posted.
Side note -Anne and I always get asked if we are sisters - I always assumed it was cos we looked like each other! The question they follow up with is the one that IRKS me! Which one of you is older? Of course that is because I am younger... by 7 years! Anne, of course, loves it!

 

[Generic]

Hey, I would use that to complain about the review. Removing a bad review is worth trying it.
Would a response about going green and thus the housekeeping was part of going green... Make it a positive or too much?
Off topic - your guests seem to do a lot of reviews. Any trick to that?
Edit - You have some truly fantastic reviews. No one likes a bad one but if the person who is going to stay reads more then one review you are fine..

Off topic - your guests seem to do a lot of reviews. Any trick to that?

We ask them. And we ask them if they want us to mail them a reminder. The reminder is personal note to them asking and giving them a link (we use a personalize tinyurl redirect.)
But we don't ask everyone. We also invite them to write in their native language and we give them a different URL to the page for that language, so that they are comfortable doing it.
We also generally ask guest if there is anything that we could do better. We know we aren't perfect... so tell us how we can do out job better.

 

[Generic]

We just had a review published revealing that our place is for sale and that we are opening a new business, two rather personal pieces of information we don't generally let our guests know. It's a nasty review, as well, and they are saying that we're not "on it" as innkeepers anymore. Lots of judgmental things said purporting to know my state of mind. And of course, the guests' review went up within hours of posting. (A nasty woman posted the minute she got home! Ticked because I had to ask her to watch her young son, who was constantly found wandering about alone, especially near our large hot tub, which they constantly kept open.) My response 4 days later is still not up. Other guests told us days ago they had left a lovely review, but that's not up either. Perhaps TA favors controversy?
I protested that they are revealing personal information about me and TA's response was of course, the review stays and I can write a response. Did not mention they'd take a week to publish it! And that does nothing to put my own business back where it belongs!
Oh, and the TA writer is now solely responsible for our new no-kids policy. Love kids, but what a liability nightmare when you've got a neglectful parent like we just experienced. Wish I could tell everyone her name, like they do to us on TA..

We just had a review published revealing that our place is for sale and that we are opening a new business, two rather personal pieces of information we don't generally let our guests know. It's a nasty review, as well, and they are saying that we're not "on it" as innkeepers anymore. Lots of judgmental things said purporting to know my state of mind. And of course, the guests' review went up within hours of posting. (A nasty woman posted the minute she got home! Ticked because I had to ask her to watch her young son, who was constantly found wandering about alone, especially near our large hot tub, which they constantly kept open.) My response 4 days later is still not up. Other guests told us days ago they had left a lovely review, but that's not up either. Perhaps TA favors controversy?
I protested that they are revealing personal information about me and TA's response was of course, the review stays and I can write a response. Did not mention they'd take a week to publish it! And that does nothing to put my own business back where it belongs!
Oh, and the TA writer is now solely responsible for our new no-kids policy. Love kids, but what a liability nightmare when you've got a neglectful parent like we just experienced. Wish I could tell everyone her name, like they do to us on TA.

They are notoriously slow with the responses. You would think that would be the first priority in the queue.
We have a tall Victorian staircase in the house. My nightmare is a child tumbling down. We have a minimum age of 7 because of that. 22 stairs in one staircase and 18 in the other.. and a open area from the top of the house to the bottom.

 

[egoodell]

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki

 

[Don Draper]

And this is where if I were in your shoes and had the particulars I'd think about signing these folks up for the GLAAD mailing list...

 

[Alibi Ike]

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki.

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki

To make a complaint about a review, you have to sign in to your TA account and then select one of the options as to why this review is unacceptable. Then you write what you think is wrong in a pop up box and submit that.

 

[EmptyNest]

I posted to TA and told them it should be removed. It accepted my note. So we'll see what happens. Never should be there!!

 

[Joey Camb]

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki.

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki

To make a complaint about a review, you have to sign in to your TA account and then select one of the options as to why this review is unacceptable. Then you write what you think is wrong in a pop up box and submit that.
.

I'll try and complain as well as it is well out of order

 

[Generic]

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki.

Is there not a way we can complain to TripAdvisor? I too tried to report it but it would not accept my complaint.
Riki

To make a complaint about a review, you have to sign in to your TA account and then select one of the options as to why this review is unacceptable. Then you write what you think is wrong in a pop up box and submit that.
.

I'll try and complain as well as it is well out of order
.

I appreciate your efforts.
I have to remember that this isn't about me. It's their problem. And that they are trying to mold me to their liking and frankly, I'm just me and I'm not changing to please them. Obviously most of the reviews think we are doing a good job. Now, I just have to make sure that I do it for the next 100 people who will appreciate it and frankly don't care what happens in my bedroom.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I also reported it to TA. It's totally inappropriate and I'm so sorry you are going through this situation. If they indeed do remove the post, be sure to have them remove any of her posts on the TA forums also.

 

[IronGate]

That review is not a "bad" review. It is an "average" review, which I understand is bad, relative to your normal review and your level of caring. For me, though, it would not have even blipped onto my radar because I don't tend to read reviews that are average or above. I can get glowing accolades from your website, and I'm jaded enough to believe that stellar reviews got arm-twisted out of Aunt Tilly anyway. I'm more interested in where a guest felt the experience came up short, and what the management had to say about it. I'm smart enough to be able to spot someone's agenda, and in this case that agenda came through like a run-away freight train. As a potential guest, I would immediately dismiss the entire review as stupid/false/inappropriate, and probably move you right to the top of my list and book with you as an unspoken show of moral support.
I'm sorry you are having to go through this. I'm sorry that anyone would ever have to go through someone like this. I do believe that we will all face our judgment someday, and I feel pretty comfortable that when that day comes, intolerance will not be seen as a virtue. Hang in there.

 

[Alibi Ike]

I also reported it to TA. It's totally inappropriate and I'm so sorry you are going through this situation. If they indeed do remove the post, be sure to have them remove any of her posts on the TA forums also..

I also reported it to TA. It's totally inappropriate and I'm so sorry you are going through this situation. If they indeed do remove the post, be sure to have them remove any of her posts on the TA forums also.

The guest who is on the TA forums is Pollyanna's guest, not Eric's.

 

[Alibi Ike]

We just had a review published revealing that our place is for sale and that we are opening a new business, two rather personal pieces of information we don't generally let our guests know. It's a nasty review, as well, and they are saying that we're not "on it" as innkeepers anymore. Lots of judgmental things said purporting to know my state of mind. And of course, the guests' review went up within hours of posting. (A nasty woman posted the minute she got home! Ticked because I had to ask her to watch her young son, who was constantly found wandering about alone, especially near our large hot tub, which they constantly kept open.) My response 4 days later is still not up. Other guests told us days ago they had left a lovely review, but that's not up either. Perhaps TA favors controversy?
I protested that they are revealing personal information about me and TA's response was of course, the review stays and I can write a response. Did not mention they'd take a week to publish it! And that does nothing to put my own business back where it belongs!
Oh, and the TA writer is now solely responsible for our new no-kids policy. Love kids, but what a liability nightmare when you've got a neglectful parent like we just experienced. Wish I could tell everyone her name, like they do to us on TA..

Pollyanna said:
We just had a review published revealing that our place is for sale and that we are opening a new business, two rather personal pieces of information we don't generally let our guests know. It's a nasty review, as well, and they are saying that we're not "on it" as innkeepers anymore. Lots of judgmental things said purporting to know my state of mind. And of course, the guests' review went up within hours of posting. (A nasty woman posted the minute she got home! Ticked because I had to ask her to watch her young son, who was constantly found wandering about alone, especially near our large hot tub, which they constantly kept open.) My response 4 days later is still not up. Other guests told us days ago they had left a lovely review, but that's not up either. Perhaps TA favors controversy?
That reviewer is commenting on the TA blogs that you threatened to retaliate against her business. At least yours is the last review she wrote in the past year and her complaint went up the day after the review was posted. If I misread that whole thing, apologies. But, as a guest, that's what I would assume.

 

[egoodell]

Okay for some reason now it allowed my complaint to go through. But I can't find any forum comments.
RIki

 

[Alibi Ike]

Okay for some reason now it allowed my complaint to go through. But I can't find any forum comments.
RIki.

Okay for some reason now it allowed my complaint to go through. But I can't find any forum comments.
RIki

My bad. I wasn't clear...Pollyanna's reviewer is making TA forum comments, not Eric's.

 

[One Day]

When you say "outed".......to whom ?......The B&B world of guests ?......to your families ?..........to them ?
apparently it was about them..........so who cares ?.......they're the ones with the problem.
Just do the standard business response....over look the "outing" part of the whole thing.....
Remember.......small minds make big things over nothing

 

[Generic]

When you say "outed".......to whom ?......The B&B world of guests ?......to your families ?..........to them ?
apparently it was about them..........so who cares ?.......they're the ones with the problem.
Just do the standard business response....over look the "outing" part of the whole thing.....
Remember.......small minds make big things over nothing.

Our family knows. I just don't think that we need to have it broadcast. It's something we keep to ourselves. We don't throw it in guest's face (unless they ask).
We are just two guys who run a B&B. I don't want people to think it's a Gay B&B, it's just a B&B and the owners are two men, we don't discriminate against our guests. And I just don't think it's appropriate to post it like that. And frankly, the fact that she has an agenda means that the review shouldn't be posted.
I'm still hoping that TA has some scruples and removes it. Frankly, I think that TA owes me an apology for publishing it in the first place.... as I said, if they had written black, moslem etc. They wouldn't have published it. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe they would. Maybe it's a question that a newspaper or magazine should be asking them.

 

[jkarennj]

After playing middle man for the last three years between frustrated innkeepers and TripAdvisor, the best advice I can offer - if you feel the review should be removed - is to cite TripAdvisor's own guidelines for writing reviews, if you feel the reviewer violated a guideline. They can be found here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/our_guidelines_for_traveler_reviews
In particular, I think these guidelines come into question with your grievance:

• Please refrain from using personally insulting language, attempting a smear campaign or posting content that is irrelevant and unhelpful to tourists.
• TripAdvisor is not a forum for general political, ethical or religious opinions, discussion or commentary.

With the first bullet, I would not classify "gay" as insulting language or that the reviewer was attempting a smear campaign, but rather mentioning the innkepeers as gay, in my opinion, is "irrelevant and unhelpful". What does that have to do with the quality of the stay?
With the second bullet, I think you can say that by mentioning this presumption, the reviewer was potentially warning future guests, which reveals their own prejudice about homosexuality. Such prejudice is rooted deeply in politics and religion. Otherwise, why mention it, right?
You have a case to make - and I think you should make it. Good luck and please let me know ([email protected]) what the response is from TripAdvisor.
Best regards,
Jay

 

[JBloggs]

After playing middle man for the last three years between frustrated innkeepers and TripAdvisor, the best advice I can offer - if you feel the review should be removed - is to cite TripAdvisor's own guidelines for writing reviews, if you feel the reviewer violated a guideline. They can be found here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/help/our_guidelines_for_traveler_reviews
In particular, I think these guidelines come into question with your grievance:

• Please refrain from using personally insulting language, attempting a smear campaign or posting content that is irrelevant and unhelpful to tourists.
• TripAdvisor is not a forum for general political, ethical or religious opinions, discussion or commentary.

With the first bullet, I would not classify "gay" as insulting language or that the reviewer was attempting a smear campaign, but rather mentioning the innkepeers as gay, in my opinion, is "irrelevant and unhelpful". What does that have to do with the quality of the stay?
With the second bullet, I think you can say that by mentioning this presumption, the reviewer was potentially warning future guests, which reveals their own prejudice about homosexuality. Such prejudice is rooted deeply in politics and religion. Otherwise, why mention it, right?
You have a case to make - and I think you should make it. Good luck and please let me know ([email protected]) what the response is from TripAdvisor.
Best regards,
Jay.

"Such prejudice is rooted deeply in politics and religion."
Please be careful in not overstepping the bounds on this forum as well. There are many deeply political and deeply "religious" on this forum.
I believe, imo that this thread has already overstepped as we do not need to go into details. I am not trying to shut the thread up, I am just saying the forum is to be a safe place from highly controversial issues, of which this is one. Which is apparent as the TA review has brought this issue up. We are addressing the issue of a "seemingly slanderous" review, set by the tone of the reviewer, not discussing civil liberties in this country or continent.