I received a bad review

For someone who strives for excellence in this business, reviews mean a lot. It gives me the ability to see what we are doing right and to work on any kinks we may have missed. A review by a guest also gives any future guest an idea of what to expect from their perspective. On certain sites our property is on, one bad review can put you into the bottom of their search engines. It is a good concept and I myself read reviews before booking a new stay. I wasn't in complete shock these two guests left me a bad review; they appeared unhappy to begin with.

It was Christmas Eve, and I had all the cabins booked for the holidays. I wanted to do something extra for these guests so out of my own pocket I ordered groceries to make a spread for the guests to come and go and enjoy inside the Outhouse Lounge. I made a meat and cheese platter with salami, ham, summer sausage, smoked gouda, sharp cheddar, and pepper jack cheeses. I made a fruit tray with green and red grapes, oranges, strawberries, and blueberries. I also made a popular pepper jelly cheese spread and provided my homemade firecrackers and ritz crackers. I made a large relish tray full of stuffed olives, regular olives, baby dills, and spicy sweet pickles. For dessert I made nutter butter cake balls dipped in white chocolate and drizzled with gold sugar flakes. For something to drink I made a Christmas punch with orange juice, cranberry juice, ginger ale and topped with fresh fruit. As an added touch I made some sausage biscuits in groups of two to take back to their cabins and warm up for Christmas morning as many guests were going to an event or a relative's home nearby. All was placed in the fridge with serving tongs and plates and plastic ware was provided. I was so proud of myself. That evening many guests went in and out and enjoyed the complimentary snacks and some even came by and thanked me. I had put a note in all of the cabins to let them know it would be there until gone or by the 26th. I had an actual check in on Christmas Day, so I got that cabin clean and ready and even left a small Christmas gift of a candle, a small tin of my firecrackers, and some chocolates. I left them a thank you card along with a note about all the snacks in the lounge to enjoy. My husband arrived Christmas Day and I was thrilled to see him. That evening, I wanted to make sure the outdoor fireplace was lit and if guests wanted to enjoy, they could-although temps were unusually high for December. About the time my husband went to our wood racks located by the lounge he saw the two guests coming out and he said hello, and his normal question which is where are you guys from? The guest became defensive and returned the question where are you from? When he replied with Texas, there was a response that made my husband a little uneasy. He carried on with getting the firewood and told them that he was bringing the firewood to the outdoor fireplace to enjoy. Once the fire was lit the guests came and sat by the fire with us and we tried to make general conversation but there was this awkwardness I have not felt and did not understand. Was it because we were sitting by the fire? Remember this is my Christmas night too! They left, said goodnight and we exchanged the same. We both were perplexed at how weird it felt but also know we do not know everything that goes on in people's lives. The next day I started my cleaning routine and started with the outdoor fireplace. I picked up the extra chairs and when I did, I picked up a whole cup full of green olives one of them had left, along with an empty beer can that a previous guest had left in the fridge at the lounge. I am not going to lie; I thought dang she must have taken every stuffed olive on the tray only to leave them in a chair to be thrown away. Oh well, that's life. I cleaned the lounge area and when finished we decided to go to town for the day. I got a text from the guests later in the day asking for more coffee pods. When a guest checks in I have about 8 assorted coffee pods. I also have to go cups, assorted creamers, sugars, and hot chocolate. Compared to my experience we are more than generous with our offerings. This was a 2-guest rental for 2 nights. I politely told the guest that is the normal supply of pods but that when I got back, she could come see me and I would give her more. She seemed frustrated and then began to gripe about the area being dry. I told her yes; I explained that in the paperwork she received ahead of time but was happy to give her directions to the nearest liquor store. That's when I knew. I knew despite all the extra effort I put into ensuring a special Christmas these guests were not going to be happy. In this business you have to be careful when pricing a nightly rate and what all amenities come with the stay. Items like coffee, creamer, to go coffee cups, stir straws, hot chocolate, teas, etc. are straight deductions from profit. The site she booked from charges me a percentage of the rental. By the time it is all said and done, a 200.00 a night rental rate becomes 150.00 a night bring home without the deductions of utilities, wood, cleaning supplies, and labor to keep the property in tip top shape. Once you subtract that you are well under 100.00 per night and that is hoping you do not have to replace anything damaged or stained. This business is not a money-making scheme this is a delicate balance of providing hospitality at a high level and being able to pay the bills. Most of my guests are intelligent people who are well traveled and appreciate the extra touches and even add to my life extra joy and hope for the future.

Upon check out I got a text from the guest that they had checked out and wanted me to know because the site showed them still checked in. I thanked them for letting me know. I immediately had a review pop up. I went to the cabin to get it ready for the next check in and noticed there was still 4 pods left. I thought maybe they preferred a certain kind I offered more than those. I picked the trash bag out of the can, and I heard metal hitting against each other, so I looked in. There were several to go boxes but in with them was my silverware from the cabin. I suppose they decided since they didn't get extra pods a good way to get back was to throw my silverware in the trash. They left their Christmas candle, and the crackers and chocolates. They wrote in the book the reason for visit was LOVE. I chose not to review them when I had the chance because digging out my silverware and awkwardness or wasting olives is part of the territory. No big deal. I was still hoping for that chance they could see how much effort had been put into the holiday for our guests.

The bad review started by saying the cabin is not as advertised. They were expecting a closed in bedroom and 2 bathrooms. I have no idea where they got that my descriptions are clear and the pics are self-explanatory. They mentioned the hot tub area path is not well lit and rocky. This is something I can work with. I cannot make the Ozarks less rocky, but I can put path lights to the hot tub. I like that constructive criticism. Then came the pods issue which I believe was the catalyst of this whole bad review. The fire was mentioned and me being extremely nice and having food was mentioned. It was mentioned that they didn't know the area was dry. Ok, the review was a 6 out of 10. Might as well be a zero in the vacation rental business. I had 10 out of 10 on all the reviews and one 6 puts me at a 9.8. I hope future guests read reviews and also responses. I respond to all reviews, and I surely responded to this one. I stand by our resort and what we have accomplished and what we provide. I will always take suggestions and constructive criticism. I am also available anytime to answer any question that may not be clear when thinking of booking.