Are the Standards to be a Superhost too High? And other Thoughts...

[Kevin-s0]

I am a Superhost and have been for a long time now. So this is not coming from a sense of bitterness.

But it is coming (I guess) from a sense of stress at having to maintain this standard.

We just got a 3/5 rating as a bathroom had a spider web in it.  Does Airbnb do anything to educate

guests that a 3/5 rating is basically death?  I think not.  Occasionally we all get a 1/5 and yes now we can

dispute that, but 6 years ago when I started, we could not.  Everyone gets the occasional 1/5 if you host long enough and

that can really hurt your ratings!  And hurt your livelihood!

It is a pandemic and we are doing our best to clean to a very high standard.  It is also rainy season in Japan,

so little critters can find their way into guest houses unfortunately.

Airbnb seems like a very caring company.  In my YouTube videos about it, I emphasize that.

We have navigated through a pandemic, my whole family is still alive (at the moment), but having to contend with

extra things like getting a 3/5 rating for a small spider web seems over the top.

What do others think? Is 4.8 reasonable to be a Superhost? Or should it be lower.

Would 4/5 be more realistic, or 4.5?

Would Brian Chesky score a 4.8 as a CEO.  What would you give him? Is he a Super CEO?

I digress, but I think you can see my point.  It is very difficult to be a 4.8 CEO.  It is also very difficult to

be a 4.8 host.  We are 4.9.  ( I say We, because it really is a team effort).

Mr. Chesky,  I would probably give you a 4/5. Because some of the promises you have made over the years, have not

been kept.  "Guests will be required to have a proper profile picture." and things like that.   Brian, one of my guests

had a paper bag over his head as a profile picture.  I also have read many disturbing posts about Airbnb not keeping its promises

of paying hosts for damages.  "Airbnb fights like hell not to pay." - wrote one poster on a Facebook forum for hosts recently.

Airbnb should bend over backwards to help hosts when the shxx hits the fan.  We are the backbone of your company. And yes it 

is your company now, as you made the ruling that we are independent contractors. I felt that decision was a mistake, but I am

not the CEO.

If you are going to hold Superhosts to such high standards, really you should hold yourself to them as well. Or cut hosts

a bit of slack as we cut slack for Airbnb for not being perfect or not keeping its promises at times.

Curious to hear what other hosts think?  I feel at this forum, many people hold back, so it will be interesting to see how honest

others can be on this platform, even though big brother is watching.

[Sarah977]

  There's plenty of hosts on this forum who don't hold back. I'd be one of them 🙂 

 Horrid customer service and constantly glitchy tech and zero respect for hosts- as the CEO, Chesky would get a 2* rating from me. 

As for Superhost, as far as I'm concerned, they should do away with it. (And I've been a Superhost for years with a 5* rating, so not sour grapes). And they should do away with the star ratings, too. All of that are just behavior modification tactics to keep hosts stressed out and kowtowing to guests' entitlement, poor behavior, and ridiculous complaints like seeing a spider web. Spiders can make huge webs in one day where I live.

@Kevin-s0

[John5097]

@Kevin-s0 

It would be hilarious if Brian Chesky went on to tv show Undercover Billionaire and had to host and operate some random Airbnb. Preferably a whole house were he had to clean up, pets were allowed, had to use customer support, make damage claims, or have them deal with partygoers. Although it would be pretty funny if it was a shared house. Probably wouldn't be too good for the brand image. 

After about 6 months I'm thinking 4.7 over all rating. 🤣

[Colleen253]

@John5097 🤣 Love it, but I'd like to see Chesky have to Airbnb his own house. His first guest should be someone who he just let sign up to the platform 60 seconds prior, and the only guest info he should get is a first name, bogus phone number, and inaccurate location. Just like us.

[Sarah977]

@Colleen253  And of course it should be an Instant Book with no requirements set, because it's so important to make things seamless for guests. And he should totally trust the guest. Because as we know, the platform is built on trust, a place where everyone belongs.

[John5097]

@Colleen253 😂 Oh that would be perfect! Would have to follow all of the recommendations such as discounts, smart pricing, and for good measure no requirement for first message which just happened to me. That place would be rockin! Chesky would have to break up the party himself. I would definitely watch! 🍿

[Colleen253]

@John5097 "Chesky would have to break up the party himself." Yes, and the resultant retaliatory 1 star review would be allowed to stand, of course. And the guest would be refunded everything, and the party damage claim denied, so this stay would end up costing money.

This is fun. We could go on for days.

[John5097]

@Colleen253 

"Yes, and the resultant retaliatory 1 star review would be allowed to stand, of course."

You know it! And whatever other scam they make up. Spy cameras, bed bugs... customer service getting back in a few weeks.. 

Too fun! Would love to see it happen.. would probably be good for the company in the long run.. oh we could go on and on!  

[Kevin-s0]

I thought he claimed that he still hosts?  I could be wrong, but I seem to have read a few interviews where he states that he still hosts.

[Sarah977]

@John5097 @Colleen253 I think that Catherine Powell should also be included in this experiment. I'm sure she has quite a nice house. Probably large enough for a party.

[Colleen253]

@Sarah977 Great idea! I wonder how Catherine Powell feels about dogs on the bed? What color do you suppose the duvets are in her house? 🤔

@John5097 

[Sarah977]

@John5097 @Colleen253  It should also be a last-minute booking, with the guests wanting to show up almost immediately. And there should be a problem with their payment, so that after they've stayed and trashed the place, and been booted out, a message is sent saying, "We're sorry, but we were unable to process this guest's payment. This booking will no longer be supported."

Ms. Powell's duvet covers might be Disney-branded Princesses prints. 🙂

[Wendy1230]

Hi am new to hosting and Airbnb. I think Superhost rating is subjective.  Some people have higher standards than others so the rating will be skewed.  I also think, in my limited experience, that some guests try and find things to "complain" about.  It is almost as if they expect 5 star hotel experience in Airbnb, but pay a third of those fees.  Not sure about USA or Europe, in South Africa, in order to be competitive, one has to offer accommodation for a third of the costs of a hotel.  One guy wanted a garage for his car, which included at no extra cost, as I was new to Airbnb and new no better, yet still said I needed to add extra refuse bags etc. My accommodation specifically says self catering.. Go figure

[Kevin-s0]

I agree with many of your points.  I think the same guests tend to give a 3/5 or less.  Airbnb used to allow you to see what they had rated other hosts, at least you were able to at times 6 years ago. Maybe it was a glitch, but I found that you could see these same guests giving low ratings wherever they went.

[Sarah977]

@Kevin-s0  While I can't see the star ratings guests have left for other hosts, I do sometimes cross-reference written reviews to see how guests have reviewed other hosts, to make sure they aren't serial complainers or complain about things that were a matter of their own inattention to the listing info.