It was relatable, funny, and it came out at the perfect time last night - getting a substack notification when I have time to read it rather than when I'm at work is always a delight.
But on the negative side, there was a mention of great ice cream with no further details given. Why does she feel the need to keep this ice cream place a secret? Why mention it at all then? Just to rub it in our faces? Soft serve or hard? Funky or traditional? Sugar cone? Waffle? Bowl? Frankly, this post has left me with more questions than answers.
Still, the lighthearted tone and a short fun read is a treat in these trying times and I will be returning again to read more in the future.
This is utterly relatable Cariad, my friends and I also stayed at a FINE air B&B recently. I mean it had mouse shit and a pair of dirty pyjama bottoms in the kitchen cupboard and only four cups and one small pan and one really dismal bedroom and a nonfunctional washing machine but it was FINE and cheap and had lovely things too, and was the base for a truly fantastic three days, and we all debated how to review it, I think we decided that it was better to message the owner privately rather than do it all in public but I'm not sure we even ended up doing that.
Hmmm, I did, not exactly complain, I mean I was asked for a review, several time before I did. And there was dust, quite a lot in the corners of the room and behind the doors. There was also long read hairs all over sofa cushions and one of the showers was blocked. I was kind, our kitchen was well stocked, it was fine and they were insistent in asking for a review. There were lots of good things about it, the location, the views. Anyway went to book it again the following year and they wouldn't take my booking…
Excellent- but share the shit kitchen info - because I don’t want to stay in a one pan grease hole in the future and if I do it will be your fault haha - more pressure!
I hate being judged on the review I give. Yes, there was something I'd like others to know, so they can make up their mind if they want to avoid this experience. _but what if they hate me now? 🫣_
The first review I read of my first book wasn't on Amazon but in a magazine sitting on the shelf at WHSmith. I was mortified, felt sick, considered giving up writing, and - because it's just *there* on a shelf in a shop - felt publicly humiliated.
The feeling wouldn't budge, until I went around deleting negative views I'd left for other people. That b'n'b in Cardiff with a hole in the sheet and a weird, grinding toilet, that book I didn't like very much on Goodreads.
Then people started leaving me good reviews for my book and I recovered!
It's hard because reviews can help customers make choices, but then... I'm not a professional hotel reviewer. Am I really qualified to diss a place? Is my issue with the weird, grinding toilet just a personal ick, not something that would put off other people? And these days we get demands for reviewing everything. Argos wanted me to review a chopping board and a big bag of clothes pegs! They're nice, so... Is that ok?!
Very relatable. I actually find myself wondering about what the hypothetical reviews would be after friends and family come to stay (!) and definitely fret over reviews of places we’ve stayed in. Used to have similar issues in “annual appraisals”, while fully appreciating that the most useful feedback I ever received was the constructive criticism, rather than any “well done” pats on the metaphorical head…
The most useful part of the process is giving feedback that only the renter sees, for me, where I definitely feel less constrained and more obliged to be helpfully truthful.
I left a review which was ok about a mediocre place and the owner asked for more as he needed to have at least 8 stars. I’ve realised that the star system is not reliable or honest so since then I left no review rather than lie and it was new to experience a degree of pressure to up my game in the review section .
I give this post a B-.
It was relatable, funny, and it came out at the perfect time last night - getting a substack notification when I have time to read it rather than when I'm at work is always a delight.
But on the negative side, there was a mention of great ice cream with no further details given. Why does she feel the need to keep this ice cream place a secret? Why mention it at all then? Just to rub it in our faces? Soft serve or hard? Funky or traditional? Sugar cone? Waffle? Bowl? Frankly, this post has left me with more questions than answers.
Still, the lighthearted tone and a short fun read is a treat in these trying times and I will be returning again to read more in the future.
This is utterly relatable Cariad, my friends and I also stayed at a FINE air B&B recently. I mean it had mouse shit and a pair of dirty pyjama bottoms in the kitchen cupboard and only four cups and one small pan and one really dismal bedroom and a nonfunctional washing machine but it was FINE and cheap and had lovely things too, and was the base for a truly fantastic three days, and we all debated how to review it, I think we decided that it was better to message the owner privately rather than do it all in public but I'm not sure we even ended up doing that.
This is incredible. I think we kind artists and we should always stay in luxury to save us having to debate this… pjs in the cupboard?!! Why??
Hmmm, I did, not exactly complain, I mean I was asked for a review, several time before I did. And there was dust, quite a lot in the corners of the room and behind the doors. There was also long read hairs all over sofa cushions and one of the showers was blocked. I was kind, our kitchen was well stocked, it was fine and they were insistent in asking for a review. There were lots of good things about it, the location, the views. Anyway went to book it again the following year and they wouldn't take my booking…
Oh my! So anything less than a 5* review lying that everything was sublime is unacceptable?
So it would seam. 😏
Excellent- but share the shit kitchen info - because I don’t want to stay in a one pan grease hole in the future and if I do it will be your fault haha - more pressure!
😂😂 that’s my fear! But I will tell you if you need to book a seaside Airbnb soon
I hate being judged on the review I give. Yes, there was something I'd like others to know, so they can make up their mind if they want to avoid this experience. _but what if they hate me now? 🫣_
This. Exactly this.
My first issue. Glad I signed up.
I know the feeling!
The first review I read of my first book wasn't on Amazon but in a magazine sitting on the shelf at WHSmith. I was mortified, felt sick, considered giving up writing, and - because it's just *there* on a shelf in a shop - felt publicly humiliated.
The feeling wouldn't budge, until I went around deleting negative views I'd left for other people. That b'n'b in Cardiff with a hole in the sheet and a weird, grinding toilet, that book I didn't like very much on Goodreads.
Then people started leaving me good reviews for my book and I recovered!
It's hard because reviews can help customers make choices, but then... I'm not a professional hotel reviewer. Am I really qualified to diss a place? Is my issue with the weird, grinding toilet just a personal ick, not something that would put off other people? And these days we get demands for reviewing everything. Argos wanted me to review a chopping board and a big bag of clothes pegs! They're nice, so... Is that ok?!
Very relatable. I actually find myself wondering about what the hypothetical reviews would be after friends and family come to stay (!) and definitely fret over reviews of places we’ve stayed in. Used to have similar issues in “annual appraisals”, while fully appreciating that the most useful feedback I ever received was the constructive criticism, rather than any “well done” pats on the metaphorical head…
The most useful part of the process is giving feedback that only the renter sees, for me, where I definitely feel less constrained and more obliged to be helpfully truthful.
I left a review which was ok about a mediocre place and the owner asked for more as he needed to have at least 8 stars. I’ve realised that the star system is not reliable or honest so since then I left no review rather than lie and it was new to experience a degree of pressure to up my game in the review section .
They shouldn’t ask people who like and care about writing to do this heavy lifting for them.
It’s one of my pet hates that we are asked to review absolutely everything these days.
It’s so so annoying! I have enough to do…