Clarity about the recent Superhost criteria change

[Airbnb]

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.

[Wayan1]

My little concern's about Superhost.

First of all:

I am a Superhost since 2 years 🙂

But: I believe and I am sure about that the Superhost status has no influence to get bookings or not.

Superhost means nothing for me. I believe most of the customers they see the photos and they're looking into the reviews and based on them they book it or not. But they even don't see or understand what Superhost is...

Now Airbnb is introducing Airbnb Plus:

On an Airbnb meeting some weeks ago I was asking: "What is the difference between Plus and Superhost"

I did not get a clear answer but I answered it by myself:

********************

Airbnb Plus: Airbnb itself is checking the property and defines if its SUPER

Superhost: Customer experience (by review's) defines if it's SUPER

********************

For me: The reviews of Airbnb customers are 100% more important than the Airbnb expert's. Only the client can decide if it's super or not!

So, Airbnb Plus and Superhost is VERY CONFUSING.

For HOSTS and for CUSTOMERS

[Gray-And-Ally0]

I'm sure the Airbnb people writing these new rules have never hosted and therefore don't appreciate how hard it is to get a 5 star review from a critic who thinks the sun shines out of his backside. These people see a 5 star Airbnb rating and expect they are going to get 5 star hotel accommodation. Even if they DO give you a glowing review and write that they will definitely be returning, they just can't give a 5 star review. Guess what, we would not accept this 2 bob critic back in our beautiful home. One more review like that and we would loose our super host status.

Airbnb need to educate the guests on the review system. 

They also need to get their programing sorted so that links actually work

[Olga307]

I am very upset with all the changes that have taken place in this year. I do not think that host opinion is essential for  airbnb. I think a little more and I'll just rent out my two properties for a long  time  rent. it becomes more and more like a hotel, and airbnb make me to offer the same service as a hotel. I can not  rent my house for $60 a day, pay all bills and "serve" my guests  like cleaning a lady, to see to it that toilet paper and coffee and tea do not run out, because I live in another city! I read and see that this is not only my opinion. The guests became completely insolent. They take offense and leave bad reviews if I'm not ready to add their "favorite channel" to them on cable TV! I understand that this service is going in some direction that I can not follow since it is too much stress and pressure for me. These ratings system and the constant fear that someone will leave me a bad review poisons my life. 

[Sergey23]

Ольга, это вполне естественно, если Вы не находитесь в вербальном контакте с гостем, не живете рядом, не устанавливаете доверительные отношения, то Вы и воспринимаетесь как отель. Отсюда повышенные требования и все те капризы, которые привычно гости требуют удовлетворить, проживая в отеле. Но если отель имеет набор инструментов для "задабривания" гостя - апгрейд номера, хороший кофе в номер, бесплатный десерт, купон на ужин в ресторане отеля и прочее, - то Вы, находясь на расстоянии, такими инструментами не располагаете, отсюда негативные отзывы. AirBnB всё же подразумевает не сухой сервис сдачи жилья в наём, а именно живое взаимодействие гостей с хозяевами, приглашение их если не в свою семью, то хотя бы в близкие друзья на какой-то промежуток времени.

Что касается меня, из последних изменений меня неприятно удивили только новые требования к статусу SuperHost, а именно установленный средний балл 4.8, вместо 80% 5-ти звездных отзывов. Кажется, эту идею они не пробовали смоделировать для начала, иначе бы поняли, что она абсурдна.

[Olga307]

Ну знаете, когда я все же считаю необходимым посетить гостей то мне напоминают о том что гости  арендовали дом и я не имею права в него заходить.   4.8, вместо 80% 5-ти звездных  так же выбивают меня из статуса супер хост так как у меня сейчас балл 4.7 Но меня так же неприятно удивило что они  обьеденили туалетную бумагу с постельным бельем и полотенцами. То есть если в мой дом с тремя спльнями заезжает 9 гостей ( максимум вместительности) на 30 дней то я должна их обеспечить туалетной бумагай на весь срок прложивания. А если ее не хватит то они оставят мне негативный отзыв о том что туалетной бумаги было недостаточно.

[Kim205]

I didn't see this thread until today. I just wanted to share here what I had shared on the other thread Review System Needs To Be Revised.

I cannot believe this new change for SuperHost to maintain a 4.8 overall rating. I shall explain below how I see the impact of changing from 80% 5* to a 4.8 rating.

All my guest reviews are 5* and I work very hard to maintain that, then I got a malicious lying guest who did not like my House Rules but still wanted my home, so pretended she is happy with everything all the way through, then made up lies in her review and gave me a 3* which dropped my overall rating from 5.0 to 4.8. I have many 5* since, and it stayed on 4.8 for a very long time and only just moved to 4.9.

I worked out that I need 9x 5* ratings just to compensate for this one 3*.

If she had given me a 1*, it would have taken me 19x 5* ratings to counter that.

My total number of bookings in a year is only around 20 as I take longer bookings and am using my entire home sometimes and do not take guests then. So, ALL my guests for A WHOLE YEAR would need to give me 5* just to compensate for a 1*.

Why would one guest have so much weight versus the other 19 other guests who are happy to give 5*? Not Cool At All!

[Belinda55]

"Your new Superhost rewards have arrived" says the email, but what do I find  - Airbnb invent yet another way to screw hosts. Are all those $100 rewards getting too expensive?

Airbnb - please read all the outraged response to this change, the comments are absolutely correct. Airbnb are so keen to tell us how responsive they are, but then make changes that are absolutely unecessary except to conform to an enigmatic corporate agenda. They value Superhosts? I don't think so.

[Julia640]

Yes Airbnb, I agree with the other frustrated Airbnb Hosts here. I have been a Superhost for over 2 years- and it's not easy to uphold already.

The problem here is that if you get ONE bad review because you have a person who doesn't understand your hard work and kindness - I mean, you have ONE person who is slightly mean spirited (and I'm sorry to say, but they are out there), you may not be a Superhost anymore. 

As Superhosts, we 'bend over backwards' to keep our guests happy. However, when it falls on deaf ears, and one person expects something different (like the Hilton Hotel - because people do) you will eventually give up and not care and be "disappointed and frustrated" as Ute above says. And this is the problem Airbnb - whilst WE all know it's not about 5 star HOTEL service, but a community friendly homely service, the occasional guest doesn't - and they expect a CONCIERGE etc.

I'm sorry to hear that it will now be 4.8. I do often get 4.8 - but sometimes it's 4.7 - and I change NOTHING for this. 

Airbnb - please reconsider. This is harsh, and may change the "feel good" community we have here.

[Paul_Sarah0]

I agree with most of the comments above that suggest this new "review system" is a very poor move by Air BnB and is not in the spirit of consensus or collaboration.

It would seem that by growing so fast an element of brashness and over engineering is seeping into the philosopy of the management.

I do hope that Air BnB take heed of these comments from valued Hosts before they wreck their beautiful machine.

regards

[Antonio170]

.

[Colleen47]

This does seem like a more intuitive change. Also it seems to decrease the pool of superhosts. If there are less superhosts it becomes easier to stand out. Not everyone should meet superhost status, otherwise it's not super, it's ordinary and expected. Although it make it more difficult to reach, I think long term it will be beneficial to those who continue to excel above competition. Let's see what happens @Airbnb

[Vaddi-GM0]

It is unfortunate to state that why the airbnb has not evolved equally counter ratings for the guests who never respond to write a review on reminders by host along with airbnb alerts to them. It has been my experience that despite giving the very best possible things and service for a meagre and value for money tariff, a stupid guest has the audacity to point at a trivial and miniscule thing which he was not expected to have it from us. The House Rules and Description of Space, no matter how well you write or how vividly you describe, they miserably fail to read and throw back the blame on hosts writing malicious reviews and poor ratings. Often, it makes the host feel ending up as a fool in the process of undue appeasement of guests not knowing for sure whether their so called reviews catapult the host to a superhost level. Again the saga of struggle for retaining the superhost badge is better untold here. There should be counter ratings for the errand guests and also the choice to write as many replies by the host. In these cases the ratings of the host should not be downgraded. Nevertheless, I am vexed up with this rat race and do not really bother if I have guests from airbnb or not as we have other options including self sourcing strictly as per my terms. Unless the airbnb takes stock of this, the whole idea may bomb.

[David126]

Just a thought but what AirBnB are doing is not that different from the othe Gig economy players, Uber, Deliveroo etc etc.

[Rebecca181]

@Matthew0- That is certainly a novel and interesting take on the entire matter. However, unless and until Airbnb creates a 6 Star rating system, then the 'problem' is in fact what Ute and others have already pointed out in their comments on this thread. The new system will be unreasonably punitive and damaging to hosts, and for no good reason that any of us can see - But perhaps for reasons that make sense to Airbnb that we are not privy to just yet.

I disagree with you that this is all about income and money. Rather, it appears to be about fairness. The fact is, Airbnb does at times allow what is obviously a malicious / retaliatory review to stand, even if it destroys a host's reputation and business (including demoting them from their Super Host status). Until this is looked at and addressed in a competent manner by Airbnb, than we hosts really have no option but to protest these changes. Because under the old system, a hard-working, dedicated host would likely survive an undeserved, unfair, unwarranted malicious one, two, or three star review. Under this new system, they likely will not. And while there is no gaurantee of fair and just treatment when participating in any professional or personal partnership or relationship, one can hope that systems that are designed to rate and score performances of key players (in this case, those of us hosting with Airbnb) is not unfair to the point of being  irrationally and senseleslly destructive. 

I guess we will see what people have to say about it once they are rated under this new system. We will all know pretty quick how it is working - not only for hosts, but for Airbnb Corporate. If they want to do a mass culling of hosts / super hosts, it will probably work out very well. For them.

[Philip212]

It seems to me that AirBnb want to reduce the number of Superhosts. The new criteria make it more difficult if you have just a single bad review. This is hardly fair. Why?