I have had several guests from India and they were amazing. As a matter of fact, I have had guests from India, China, South Korea, France, United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Egypt, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Poland, etc.... I have had a few issues but they were taken care of without demeaning my guests. As an Airbnb host, it is your responsibility to be patient and help your guests through the process and to understand how things work. Sometimes it means babysitting adults and sometimes they will not understand and leave a bad review. I do one of two things, I either leave a constructive and honest review that thanks the guest or I don't leave one at all. Here is an example of how I would have responded to that guest from India.
"Hi Team, Today I checked in the place and left the place within one hour because the whole place was so dirty and infected. I got red marks on my hands (pictures attached) just by sitting on the couch which Sorin gave me to sleep. My couch was so dirty and smelly and there was cat hairs all over the place. Everything in the apartment was so dirty and it was not a living place for any living person. If I would have stayed for even one whole day, I would have gone to the hospital. It's like a fraud to customer by not giving accurate pictures and description of the place. I came from India this morning after 16 hours flight and checked in to such place which was so dirty. Just to let you know that I recently recovered from Dengue fever when I was in India (find attached doctor document to my employer) and I didn't want that I will get sick again at such horrible place which was so dirty. I am requesting Sorin (owner) that please clean the place as it's not suitable for yourself and your cats. Kindly refund me the whole amount as I didn't expect this from any listing at such reputed website airbnb. Thanks, Atul"
Dear Mr Atul,
Thanks again for your initial reservation. I am an experienced Airbnb host that has many great reviews of the facilities I provide. As a host, I do realize that everyone has different expectations and I am sorry I was not able to meet yours. I do keep myself available to all my guests so that if any issues arise, I can fix them immediately. My goal is to make sure each and every one of my guests has a pleasant experience. I wish you would have given me an opportunity to fix your issues first. In any case, please contact Airbnb directly and they can help you with any questions you may have.
Sorin
Then I would have taken pictures and called airbnb about the issue to come to a resolution. Never demean and insult a guest as it just makes you look bad. Personally, I check reviews when staying at Airbnb's for my trips and would never stay witih someone that is unprofessional with their reviews or responses. I believe what has made me successful is that I have managed hotels and apartment buildings for the last 25 years and have gained a lot of experience on how to deal with difficult people. I have had people spit in my face and even threaten to kill me for evicting them from their apartment. I keep my cool and professionalism and never let the guest rattle me. I hope this has been helpful. I am available if anyone has questions or suggestions to my comments.
Have a great day everyone,
Cesar Marin