What to do following this not so good review?

[Mike Lambert]

Hi everyone,

After replying to hundreds of posts, I never thought I'd be the one posting and asking to the community for help but I guess everything has a first time! :)

We have a new listing on Airbnb. There is a designer sofa bed in the living room with a queen bed with a comfortable mattress in it and it was pretty expensive. Before listing the property, we were using it for ourselves and our family and friends. Once, somebody older from our family mentioned that the sofa bed wasn't that comfortable if you sit for a long period of time in it. Otherwise, no complaints and some mentioned it was actually (very) comfortable. Personally, I'm fine with it but I'm not very demanding for a sofa so it means little. I was told that, by definition, a sofa bed would be less comfortable than a sofa because of the metal in it. We then listed the property on Airbnb. We got two 5-star reviews. And then the third review came. We were hoping for another 5-star to start with an official 5-star review but we got the review that kills, a 4-star bringing us down to 4.67 below the direct competition and also with a content that I think could prevent further bookings. Here's the review:

"We had a very nice vacation. Lucky with the weather. House is well equipped with everything you need. One small point of criticism; we were there in the winter and in the evening a lot to play a game or watch TV. The couch is very bad, but fortunately many pillows and throws so we were able to make the comfort acceptable! Everything else is great!"

What should we do in your opinion:

1. Keep the sofa-bed and not reply to the review?

2. Keep the sofa bed but reply to the review? How best to do it?

3. Replace the sofa bed by a sofa and reply to the review thanking the guest for his feedback and mentioning the substitution (somebody has suggested that maybe we could change the inside of the cushions.

4. Buy a sofa and keep the sofa bed to keep the extra-capacity, at the risk of cluttering the living room too much?

5. Any other ideas?

I'm not sure if I'm making too much of this but my concern is that if I was the one looking for a property in the area:
- I would discard the property without looking at it because the competition has higher ratings.
- If I still look at it, I would discard it because why take the risk on a bad sofa when I can rent a similar property without such comment.
- Once we get more great reviews, the influence of that one will reduce but we have to make sure it doesn't prevent us to get bookings in the first place!
- Somebody else in the future could find the sofa bed not that comfortable too and "confirm" that review, which make things even worse.

Thank you so much!

Mike

[John Underwood]

I would replace the mattress or replace the sofa bed.

Also a 4 star review is still considered a good review. I was expecting you to say you got a 2 star review.