Compliments to the host

[Airbnb]

There’s nothing like getting a “job well done!” when you’ve worked hard. And so many of you do go the extra mile to create magical stays for your guests. Our team that works on reviews knows how much positive feedback matters. So during one team brainstorm, they came up with this idea: What if we gave guests a way to quickly and easily specify what was so great about their stay with a host? We could identify the most common themes that guests love about their top-rated trips and list them out for guests to choose from. Fast forward to today and their idea is coming to life. Here are the top seven themes that emerged:

Now when a guest gives their trip an overall rating of 4-5 stars, they’re automatically prompted to give a little more detail about what made it memorable. Guests can choose as many of the seven compliments as they like, and (as always) they can elaborate on their experience in their own words in public or private feedback. So the next time you wow your guests, here’s what they’ll see:

And we’ve added a special “Compliments” section to your review summary when you’re viewing it from the Airbnb app on your mobile phone—so you’re sure to see what they appreciated about your space and your hosting style. The team is adding the final touches to this feature on the web, so soon you’ll see the Compliments section when you’re on your computer as well.

There’s more soon to come. We’re working on ways to make these compliments show up in guest searches so that they can see what makes your hospitality shine. It’s another way to help set guest expectations and reach your hosting goals. Whether you already have a few compliments, or you’re looking forward to that first one, we’re cheering you on.

[Melissa655]

Sadly the harder we try there is always someone who is never satisfied. I had a woman suggest that I buy a Britta for the shower....."I didnt realize she was drinking water in the shower" lol!

Unbelieveable>>>

[Colleen-And-Don0]

What kills me is a guest who rates each of 6 categories a full score of 5  so a total of 30/6 for the overall rating and then offers 4. Why hasn't Air explained this is NOT a random exercise? If a guest offers 4 as a total, they need to have indicated less than 5 in a category to indicate a lapse somewhere. If not, then learn some basic math. For owners to treat ratings seriously, first Air needs to provide a guest instruction guide on how scoring categories adds up to a total connected to those category ratings. 

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[Albert153]

Colleen And Don I agree 100%! Out of 9 overall 4 Star Ratings we have received, 7 of these guests gave us 5 Stars on all 6 categories. How is it that a guest can rate you 5 Stars on all 6 categories and give you an overall score of 4? The Airbnb rating system should automatically give every host 5 Stars overall if a guest rates them as 5 Stars on all 6 categories!

[Dot8]

I also agree 100%. The rating system is badly skewed after one atypical review. This has happened to me several times now and usually in cases where I have gone above and beyond to accommodate demanding guests. They have marked their stay as a five in all categories, written a good review, told me they’d like to stay again but then leave a four star rating overall. I contacted one couple afterwards to ask why and they told me they were thinking of it like a hotel and my house was lacking what they would have assumed a five star hotel would have (lthings like a gym or swimming pool). My house is a small Victorian terraced property in the Lake District of the UK!  Please change this Airbnb. 

[Julia-and-Jay0]

We agree. I believe that 80% of Airbnb properties are hosts’ actual homes.  (Not entire apartments etc.) But we often wonder if Airbnb truly explains the concept of Airbnb-homes to guests and would-be guests. Even quite pleasant guests – and seemingly quite intelligent people – seem to have an idea that (as they have stayed in hotels and know the routines there) Airbnbs should in some way compare with hotels. And this, despite the fact that there isn’t a spa or a gym or in-house massage (sorry, I just invented that last one) mentioned in the description.

Surely this is the task of Airbnb, to ‘sell the concept’ to would-be guests. And that concept is not just that hosts can give you things that hotels don’t (local advice etc) but also to ensure that home-hosts are NOT expected to provide things that hotels DO provide. (eg  daily room service in the form of picking up towels that have been left on the bathroom floor and so on.)

[Francisco483]

I had a guest that gave me an amazing review and five stars on all 6 categories,  but my overall score rating was only 1 star, because my gueast made a mistake. Later she sent me a text telling me how sorry she was and how can she fixe it. I contact aribnb so many times even my guest contacted airbnb and explained to them that it was an error that she made. I am so frustrated because the only answer that I got from Airbnb is there is nothing that they can do about it. I dont think is fare and they should have a better rating system and more help and support for their hosts, specially because we are working too hard. 

[Dawn115]

I had a guest give me 5 stars in all categories but a 1 star overall - I rang Airbnb to say this didn't look right, they contacted the guest and it turns out she had pressed the wrong key!  The only thing they could do was remove the whole rating and ask her to do it again, which she hasn't, but if I hadn't checked then that would have continued to bring my score down for ages, so I don't understand either why there is a separate overall rating and not an average.as obviously mistakes can be made, and as others have said it sometimes doesn't make any sense.

[Helen699]

Yes, Colleen, I concur wholeheartedly!

I had a 5 star rating. One guest stayed; she marked me as a 5 in all of the individual categories, yet gave me an overall 4 star rating. My rating has now reduced to 4.8 as a direct result. Gutted. 

This entire thread needs to be taken on board by Airbnb and addressed sooner rather than later. The Hosts have a voice; without them, Airbnb would cease to exist. 

[Huma0]

@Colleen And Don (sorry, can't seem to tag you) and @Albert @Dot5, Dawn, Andy and others that have commented on guests giving them 5 stars in every category but 4 stars or less overall...

Are you sure those guests gave you 5 stars in each category? More likely they didn't rate the subcategories at all, only the overall star rating. The reason I'm saying this is because, when a guest doesn't rate the subcategories, they will all show up as 5 stars under their review regardless (but won't count as 5 stars in your statistics - they don't count at all). This is obviously misleading, but it's just a glitch in the way Airbnb displays the ratings when guests don't leave them.

See my thread here for a fuller explanation: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/The-General-Confusion-About-Star-Ratings/td-p/866168

[Caitlin12]

I agree if they give 5 starts on everything how is the total 4.

[Dean144]

I very much agree with Ian and others here, that the evaluation system on AirBNB is flawed and skewed toward allowing guests to lodge frivolous complaints that damage our reputation as hosts even though these complaints have little or no merit. For example, I had a guest complain that I had too many bottles of shampoo out that she considered clutter saying - "Though well-meaning to offer options, best to choose less bottles of shampoo" - and gave me 3 out of 5 stars when that had nothing to do with the room I offered being clean. Her room was spotless and clean, and this abuse of the star evaluation system has to get fixed ASAP!

[Gary324]

All or most guests make a comment after leaving and reading them is always interesting. At times there are suggestions made that could be taken as critisisms and others that are in fact a criticism. Getting feedback critical or not is always nice. I prefer feedback more than not getting any. I can remember a critical guest who was unhappy about 'stuff'. I must admit I resented  her comments as I had welcomed her etc. as usual. After getting over my 'unhappiness', I evaluated her points. It was two different perspectives about spider webs, hers and mine. I believe spider webs in a house can and will catch mosquitoes and flies that enter by devious methods. Her position was that the house had not been 'cleaned' because of the spider webs evident when one takes the time to look to find them. "There were dust bunnies under the bed" is what she wrote which can only be seen while on ones knees and in the 'finding fault' mode. I have however used her comments to ensure there are no dust bunnies and no spiderwebs. Now if my guests get bitten by mosquitoes or have flies that keep them awake at night, I know who to blame and so do my guests. I have placed her phone number on the wall in that very room with a clear explanation! And that is why I am a Super Host! I share the knowledge I have.....

[AllSeasons0]

This feedback is very relevant, we recently had an incident where Eddie booked a unit for 1 person and this booking was confirme with Airbnb and on line confirming that we only have one unit and have only booked for 1 person.  The Rate being that for one single with breakfast.

2 guests arrive on the booking day and request the keys for the house, No Eddie, the guest advises he is looking for 12 single rooms.  They may be 12 guests or they may bring partners as well that they may meet in the city when they go out for the evening.

We provide a hard copy of the communications, show the Airbnb contact number on our cell phone and ask where is Eddie as he is the guest that is supposed to check in.  We were very polite and offerred the guests some juice and were advised that the guests had travellled from another province, whilst the registration of all the vehicles were local.  The booking was cancelled and no deposit was received and since it was on the day the megre payment would less the R50 bed and breakfast in a 4 star B&B. 

Mr Eddie then posted on line that we have made an overbooking and that is the reason we could not honour our booking.....this was posted without any concern that there was no truth in the post at all.....

[Kimberly290]

I so agree!  It is so very hard to keep Super Host status when people give you a low rating for something that they never even tell you about!  We had a guest rave to us about our place and then slam us about the walk to the beach because their 10 year old did not like to walk for 15 minutes or take a 5 minute bike ride on the bikes we provide!!!!!    Also got a low rate on our location by one guest when every other guest has raved about it!   Dont people look on the map before booking!  It just seems so unfair!

[Anne-and-Siggi0]

With regards to guests complaining about location, I get this all the time. I even had a guest say to me "You're not where Google Maps says you are!!" I felt like saying "Sorry mate, I moved the house just to annoy you! lol. What I did reply was "Well as I don't work for Google, you need to take that up with them!" It is a bit better since we can put the exact location of our property now but you still get the odd numpty!