When The Review Gets It Wrong...

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Generic

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Just got a review and well.... I'm not sure how to reply or if we should. Among the comments, they mention three rooms to a bathroom (we only have two rooms to a bathroom). They mention our PRIVATE living space... the one with the sign saying "PRIVATE" on the door. They say we have trash in the front, the only thing we have is a recycling box for guest usage. They mention a specific colour of ants, except we don't have that colour of ants (that we don't have locally), nor do I have them in the bathroom, since I wash the floor daily (and if I did, I would deal with it immediately, ants are easy to deal with.) I'm wondering if they are mixing up our place with some place else, since some seems right but other items are really not us. How do you reply when they get the details wrong?
 
I would point out the fact that you believe they stayed elsewhere as this review does not match your facility and amenities. I believe I would point out that your region does not have blue ants (whatever color) in the region. It is too cold here for that species to survive. The KISS system works best.
 
I would point out the fact that you believe they stayed elsewhere as this review does not match your facility and amenities. I believe I would point out that your region does not have blue ants (whatever color) in the region. It is too cold here for that species to survive. The KISS system works best..
Wish WE had blue ants. I might like them better. ;-)
 
I would point out the fact that you believe they stayed elsewhere as this review does not match your facility and amenities. I believe I would point out that your region does not have blue ants (whatever color) in the region. It is too cold here for that species to survive. The KISS system works best..
The problem is that they got some of the information right and some of it wrong. It's just all mixed up.
 
Aren't reviews always wrong? Seems to be. They see one thing and the person standing right beside them sees something else. Maybe the ant reviewer is color blind. LOL
You can't respond without responding to all the comments, so you can just thank them for the review or nothing at all. That is what I would do. I read it, and they wove good/bad good/bad in a strange way.
 
sounds like the people who said the couch was on the floor and the bed was on the ceiling with me ... I would thank them for their feedback and tell them that you are confused about some of their comments, would welcome speaking further with them and to please call you when it is convenient to "better understand" the issues they experienced
Do NOT go on the defensive
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites.
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites..
Highlands John said:
He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites.
It's a relief to hear you say that! I hope you're right.
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites..
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
 
took a quick look and I think its not "bad" enough to bother with you just need to encourage a few likely suspects to do reviews (ie 20-30 year olds) and get it pushed down.
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites..
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
Oh, he's a pussy-cat. See Fo yers
 
took a quick look and I think its not "bad" enough to bother with you just need to encourage a few likely suspects to do reviews (ie 20-30 year olds) and get it pushed down..
The only parts I was thinking about commenting on were those that are clearly not correct and might leave a misperception in people's minds. Like the three rooms to a bathroom (it's a maximum of two), the trash in the entranceway (we have a green recycling bin for the guests to put their recycling) and the ant thing, since we haven't had ants and we wash that floor daily... if there were ants, we would have seen them... we wash the floors daily. Nothing else do I want to address. Certainly not going to address how gauche it was to comment on private living space, where they shouldn't have stuck their head into or believed that they had a right to comment on.
It will get pushed down, eventually. And there is nothing damaging in it, really.
I still don't understand why people would put something like "ants" rather than tell you so that you can deal with it (if it really existed). It's just so FAKE. It's like they sit there at home wondering what they can make up to get a reaction out of the owner instead of be genuine about it. We are here. They meet us and see us all the time. Really, you can't mention a problem and ask us to take care of it? You have to go home and write about it on the Internet instead of having it taken care of immediately? You sit there thinking... how can I make my review interesting... I know, I can add fictious purple polka dotted ants and then maybe someone will notice me.
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites..
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
.
Hmmmm...is this new to TA? "[COLOR= rgb(159, 159, 159)]This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC. [COLOR= rgb(32, 45, 149)]Report problem with review"[/COLOR][/COLOR]
I had not seen that on the reviews before.
 
HG, you were NOT KIDDING! So people must be going there to see this dude in person, I mean he is hilarious in his remarks and seems like, from an o/s standpoint a real character. I see him as a real wanker.
LucDMan doth protest too much, checked out late, took advantage of our “late checkout”. I am unsympathetic with guests who have time management issues and as I have no clinical qualifications, I refer all things bowel related to our local GP. “Budget Honeymoon” relevance ?………….. Ninety nine point nine percent of guests manage to check out on time……..
I note that LucDMan also posted this review with a neighbouring establishment, I don’t believe the proprietors of Foyers Bay Country House Hotel, had the benefit of meeting this party, that pleasure was all mine.
and this response:
Smoke and mirrors….I remember these guests, I have had no reports that they met with housekeeping or indeed used the shower. “patandtone” chose to reserve one of our “budget” bedrooms, sharing a toilet and shower with two other bedrooms, of course there would be an amount of disturbance, these bedrooms are advertised and costed as budget accommodation. We have available five double en-suite bedrooms overlooking Loch Ness which are reserved by the more discerning guest. Our check out time is 10.30, we have a “late checkout” which gives the guest an opportunity to check out later, as industry practise there is a charge for this service. “patandtone” arrived at reception after 10.30 obviously taking advantage of this protocol and was charged appropriately. Checked out late, was charged £10.00 period……..smoke and mirrors.
 
We had a similar review recently. A mixture of good and bad, some of the bad where justified, others not.
By the time I had decided to reply and what to write the review had dropped onto page 2 and I thought....what's the point. Chances are no-one will ever look at it again so just leave it.
There is a place near here that gets a mixture of very good reviews and some terrible ones, the owner doesn't take any c@@p from guests and sticks to his rules, which annoys people. He writes the most sarcastic replies and do you know what, he's been busy all summer. Sometimes I think we over estimate the influence of these review sites..
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
.
Joey Bloggs said:
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
Oh, he's a pussy-cat. See Fo yers
.
Highlands John said:
Joey Bloggs said:
Here is someone on Tybee Island who replies to bad reviews boldly and I love him for it! We went there as I liked his candor (unfortunately on the one day he is closed per week).
Here is Gerald correcting a good review in his comments. and here
Oh, he's a pussy-cat. See Fo yers
WoW!!! He's a pip!! I'd travel across the pond just to stay there! :)
 
The last guy has more bad reviews then good ones. I have to say I would not risk a stay after reading those. I get that he has rules and sticks to them but the other stuff seems a bit more then gruff.
Mentioning that those types of ants do not live in your area might not be seen as proof that you do not have ants. The, "I wash that floor every day and have never seen one." might carry more weight. But I think we should let these go. The owner responses almost always seem heavy handed.
 
How about a bit of humour, "I wash that floor daily and have never seen any ants, but will take up a vigil and keep an eye out for them just in case."
 
Well, TA won't remove it, even if it is wrong. (So we posted a MR instead that points out the discrepencies... and at the same time markets some of our features. If I have lemons, I might as well make lemonade.)
Damn commie ants!
 
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