Clarity about the recent Superhost criteria change

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Clarity about the recent Superhost criteria change

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We’ve noticed a lot of discussion lately about the updated Superhost criteria, so we wanted to explain why we made this update.

 

The Superhost program recognizes the best and most iconic hosts on Airbnb. Since it began, in order to be a Superhost you had to meet several criteria. You had to host at least 10 stays per year, you had to have zero cancellations (except for extenuating circumstances), you had to respond to 90% of the messages you received within 24 hours, and 80% of your ratings had to be 5 stars.

 

The first 3 criteria are staying the same, but beginning in July, instead of needing 80% 5-star reviews, Superhosts will now need an average review score of 4.8.

 

There are several reasons why we decided to make this change. First and foremost, because it’s simpler and easier to understand. One of the top pieces of feedback we received about the old program criteria was that guests couldn’t intuitively understand what it took to be a  Superhost. By making the change from 80% 5-star reviews to an overall rating of 4.8, guests can more easily understand what it means to be a Superhost. Additionally, switching to an overall rating of 4.8 stars also brings consistency across our new programs like Collections and Plus, which require a 4.8 overall rating as well as several other criteria.

 

In looking at recent data, we estimate that between 90% to 95% of our Superhosts are going to have no problem qualifying for the Superhost program under the new criteria. Ultimately, it’s our goal to have as many Superhosts as possible and have all hosts provide amazing guest experiences worthy of stellar reviews. Our plan is to continue to closely monitor how these standards impact the Superhost program and evolve them based on what’s working and what isn’t. We truly appreciate the feedback you’ve provided so far and we look forward to working with you to bring further clarity and consistency to the program.

551 Replies 551
Lisa1163
Level 1
Kingston, Jamaica

I share alot of the same sentiments of the other hosts.  You can do all that is required of you as a host but if house rules are not followed because guests do not read the rules listed, or just simply do not care and you have a discussion with the guests who simply think they can do as they wish then there bad review wipes out your superhost status. I also feel that guests seem to have more rights than hosts. When a claim is put in against a guest who you have had a discussion with regarding a damage or who have more in there party than what is listed and need to pay for the additional guest(s) you get turned down as the host no longer agrees to it and also because there is not enough proof.   

 

I totally agree with the vast majority of the superhosts who responded that this is a very negative change in status. Simple math should tell you that it will make it very difficult to maintain Superhost status, with only a minimum of poor reviews. I certainly recommend changing back to the method that has worked so well up to now.

Ann10
Level 10
New York, NY

I'm sure no guest contacted Airbnb and said you know I can't understand 80% 5 star reviws. I think it would be easier to understand if you make it more difficult and give the extortionists, other criminals and the self entitled more power to mess up other peoples lives.

Joa1
Level 10
Puerto Escondido, Mexico

The following is what I posted on the community bulletin board yesterday.  I had replies to this post suggesting I post it here:

 

The frustrations with hosting, especially with ratings...trolls in the system?
Joa
 
Joa in 
Loreto, Mexico
Level 5
 

I am both an Airbnb host, and guest.  I have written in the Community Forum about my frustration with the lack of clarity and direction provided by Airbnb to both hosts and guests in regards to the Airbnb review system.  I just hosted another Airbnb host in my place, and we were discussing the issues we are coming up against.  From talking to other hosts, and participating in and reading the Community Center Forum, it seems that a large number of hosts are having the same problems.

 

First of all is the issue of the refusal by Airbnb to remove or modify negative reviews by disgruntled guests who have broken the host's house rules, or who have caused property damage.  If an extremely bad review is a complete anomaly for a host Airbnb should review the situation and contact the guest to clarify what their issues were.  It is completely unfair for Airbnb to allow "trolls" to affect a host's overall ratings when previous reviews are good.

 

Secondly, when a guest gives less than a 5 stars in any of specific areas of their review (cleanliness, check-in, etc.) they have the option of leaving a comment as to why they chose to give that review.  If Airbnb does in fact want to improve the "experience" for both hosts, and guests, a comment on a less than 5 star review should be obligatory.  The host needs to know specifically what this guest found lacking in order to improve the situation for future guests.  As it is, we are left in a vacuum of not knowing why we were rated down in a particular area.  This would be extremely simple to do...if Airbnb has algorithms to continually modify our listing pages with statistics such as the percent of "recent" guests who gave 5 stars for cleanliness, they can certainly modify the guest review page to include obligatory comments.

 

Which brings up the issue of the stats that are now showing up on our listing pages now, and how are they generated?  There was absolutely no notice from Airbnb that they were modifying my listing page with this information.  What do they mean by "recent" guests?  They provide no information to define who "recent" guests were.  In general I get good reviews, but I had one guest who for some reason gave me 4 stars on check-in (it was a totally normal as usual check-in).  No other guests in my 6 years of hosting have given me 4 stars for check-in.  Yet, now it appears on my listing page that 90% of my "recent" guests thought check-in was good.  Come on Airbnb...play fair...

 

Finally, Why doesn't Airbnb provide hosts with the names of all of the guests who will be staying.  It is uncomfortable for both the guests and the hosts for the host to have to ask each additional guest their name when they are checking-in.  If Airbnb wants to make the guest-host experience "great" (as they like to say), why are they not transparent in providing the host with the names all of the guests?

 

I really don't understand why Airbnb seems to be working against us hosts instead of with us.  I thought the point was to provide a great experience for BOTH the guests and the hosts.

Barry118
Level 2
Surbiton, United Kingdom

A sensible modification to this new criteria would be to calculate the average rating after disgarding the lowest 20% and highest 20% of ratings. This would help avoid the occasional low score affecting the rating, and be balanced by disregarding an equal number of highest scores.

Stephanie365
Level 10
Fredericksburg, VA

I am with the overwhelming majority of respondents here. Whoever came up with this metric is sitting in a cubicle or office somewhere without a clue about life in the Real World.  Seriously, before you come up with these insanely STUPID ideas, each and every one of you should go work a retail job for 6 months and get a dose of reality. 

What do I mean by this?  Simple. You will learn exactly how unreasonable, psychotic and impossible some people can be to deal with. And exactly how many of these people there are out there. 

As a cubicle dweller, you've never had the pleasure of being compared to the Nazi murderers for "just following orders" because some self-entitled idiot of a customer can't read.

As a cubicle dweller, you've never had the pleasure of being threatened with physical violence over a $2.00 refund.

As a cubicle dweller, you've never had the pleasure of dealing with someone who is impossible to please no matter what you do.

This aren't "rare occurrences". These happen every single day.

And these same people are patrons of AirBNB and we hosts have to deal with them. 

With your new system, it will only take getting one of these guests, or a guest who thinks 3 stars is a good review to ruin a host's score, especially those of us that are not high volume or who have long term guests.  You are catering to high volume, high end hosts and screwing the rest of us. 

Your new standards are unrealistic which is all too typical of clueless corporate cubicle dwellers. 

P.S. I call bullsh*t on the guests not "understanding" the old Superhost criteria. 80% of guests rate a location as 5 stars is much simpler than an average of 4.8. It's your way of BSing hosts into thinking it's not a huge difference, when in reality, it is a significant difference.

In this day and age of social media, you might want to treat your hosts better.






Tim-and-Dagmar0
Level 3
Marahau, New Zealand

This is a retrograde step for what I thought was a progresive Company, very sad, you are losing a lot of respect.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

I also wonder why more (non) Super Hosts (including professional Property Managers) aren't up in arms regarding the fact that if they 'consistently' fall below 4.7 they may be delisted. That's a .1 difference between being a host and a Super Host under these new standards. If a Super Host falls to 4.6 because of a malicious or unwarranted review, they 'may' be delisted if they can't get it removed.

 

Perhaps we will hear more from ALL hosts once the Computer Bot that controls our lives here in the Airbnb 'Hunger Games' starts sending those warnings out. I am not concerned only for myself and for my own status - I am concerned about the hundreds of thousands of hosts who will wonder why the Bot is after them when they are holding a 4.6 - Something even the Ritz Carlton in Paris would likely be proud of. 

 

Screenshot 2018-05-23 at 11.03.08 PM.pngScreenshot 2018-05-23 at 11.03.15 PM.png

Carolyn-and-Jeff0
Level 2
Winter Park, FL

Airbnb’s new requirement of 96% 5 stars isn’t possible to achieve indefinitely.  I say this based on two different unfair 4 star reviews we recieved from two different guests over the last three years that we’ve been hosting.  I never complained because all our other reviews were 5 stars.  But now, even though I work very hard to keep my guests happy I could lose our status with only one more 4 star review from someone who doesn’t read the listing or has a bad experience while on vacation that had nothing to do with our Airbnb.  I wish I would have called in to dispute the two 4 star reviews because now we are on the cusp of being dismissed as Superhosts.

Rebecca160
Level 10
Albuquerque, NM

@Rebecca181 Ha ha ha! I took screen shots of the very same Standards that you did earlier this evening . I was planning to post, but was not sure whether to do it here or as a stand alone post. You beat me to it! Good going.

 

it would also make a great stand alone post, to help get hosts attention who are currently at or below 4.7. There are a whole lot of them and they may get delisted July 1. 

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Rebecca160 Again, we think alike. I also contemplated doing a stand-alone post this evening on this 'issue' (it really needs to be done and placed in the Hosting forum) but there has been far too much of 'me' plastered around here lately (as you yourself know). Therefore, I whole-heartedly encourage you to go for it! I have thought for months (ever since 2/22/18 when these changes began to be announced) that most hosts actually do not fully grasp the fact that ALL hosts are subject to being delisted if they fall below 4.7 'consistently'. And only the Computer Bot that governs our listings knows what the definition of 'consistent' is in this particular case. Kind of like knowing where the one bullet is in the chamber. Games of Fun Galore around here lately! By the way, I also can no longer PM you or reply to your PMs. Wheee!!!

Martin664
Level 2
Ocean Ridge, FL

I renovated a house from scratch with over $100,000 invested in the renovation to be just a vacation home. We invested into the property to be able to give guests an experience of a hotel while staying in their own private domaine.

We have received 5-star reviews from most but then there is the odd one. A lady who loved the property but our kitchen did not have a pizza pan for the oven for her to make a pizza for her daughter. It is frustrating but when you review the 4-Seasons in NYC or other over the top 5-Star hotels you will find the same thing. There is always someone that you just cannot please.
We had "guests" who booked the house for its amazing backyard to host parties that are strictly forbidden. They trash the place (literally) and when we file against their security for the damages caused they leave retalitory reviews. 

Yes, AirBNB, your "new requirements" that you want to sell us as an "improvement" are to make it harder for dedicated hosts to keep their status. You want us to work harder and yet you do not even understand your own business concept. How about this new requirement can only come from guests who have themselves a minimum of 3 reviews and all need to be 5-star before their opinion can determin if I am considered a superhost or not. Why should a first timer to AirBNB who has never reviewed a property be allowed to take away my superhost status with one review?

Here are some of the rediculous reviews I received:
- the train horn was blaring (the train is 7 blocks away)
- someone was driving by slowly making her uncomfortable (probably someone looking for an address???)

- the infamous pizza pan in a fully stocked gourmet kitchen

Mary167
Level 10
Los Angeles, CA

This whole idea is self defeating.  We Superhosts work diligently to maintain our Superhost status.  With this brilliant new rule there will be little chance for us to continue being Superhosts, and knowing it’s become virtually unattainable will remove the incentive to continue bending over backwards to please every guest.  If I lose my Superhost status for the first time as a result of this ridiculous idea, I will still do my best to be a good host but I will be able to save myself the trouble of going that extra mile because I know it just won’t be possible to get a perfect score even if I’m always a perfect host.

 

Bad idea, Airbnb!

@Rebecca181

 

" I have thought for months (ever since 2/22/18 when these changes began to be announced) that most hosts actually do not fully grasp the fact that ALL hosts are subject to being delisted if they fall below 4.7 'consistently'. And only the Computer Bot that governs our listings knows what the definition of 'consistent' is in this particular case. "

 

One can only imagine what the "explosion" of posts arriving into the Community will look like.

 

It is also interesting that it has taken 3 MONTHS of concerned individual posts about this issue before we FINALLY get this (rather poor) Administration post on which the Community can collectively post.

 

It is of great concern that the Computer Bots have clearly far more importance in the Airbnb infrastructure than the Human Hosts who work so hard. 

 

One of the things that guests relate "Superhost" to is reliability and trust .....regardless of whether you have a spot of dust on your coffee table or lack a pizza tray in the kitchen or a crease on the corner of the bed sheet. 

 

 

Marci15
Level 2
Dayton, OH

I agree with other hosts comments about the negative impact of ONE potentially retaliatory review on Super Host status. We bend over backwards to give our guests a wonderful experience. One less-than-stellar review can negate many excellent reviews. Also, I am concerned about the "no cancellations" requirement. We have auto-accept for reservations. I had a problem with a calendar update where I blocked an entire month. Unfortunately, the blocked time apparently did not take perhaps due to an internet problem. So I had to cancel a new auto-reservation. Now I lose my Super Host status?