How can we get meaningful change where it is required.

[Robin4]

             

For as long as I have been a contributor here the same hosting issues keep coming up month after month.

Revenge reviews: The guest has had a disagreement with a host and extracts revenge in the review process. We have been told that this issue has been addressed by the development team but, nothing has changed, weekly we see posts complaining of revenge reviews.

Bookings for blocked dates: One contributor in July 2017 complained that guests were allowed to book calendar blocked dates and that thread has had a steady stream of similar posts right up until today.

Hosts listing suspended without consultation: Guest lodges a complaint that the host has undisclosed security cameras which can easily be verified as a false statement, but the hosts listing is suspended.

HPS/Aircover not addressing hosts claims as advertised: Each week we see posts from hosts who claim Airbnb's compensation scheme has abandoned them.

Daily we see these same issues, many reviving threads that were started back as far as 2015, yet almost weekly we see changes to the programming that nobody has complained about and no notice of alteration given.

This Community Centre has established to provide the company with user feedback.....can I respectfully suggest that the company take action on aspects of the platform that do pose hosting issues instead of making changes to those aspects that do not!

Cheers........Rob

[Robin129]

@Robin4 I may have written that poorly. I am not required to take emotional support animals of any kind. Our Americans with Disabilities Act states: 

Service animals are defined as dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities. Examples of such work or tasks include guiding people who are blind, alerting people who are deaf, pulling a wheelchair, alerting and protecting a person who is having a seizure, reminding a person with mental illness to take prescribed medications, calming a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) during an anxiety attack, or performing other duties. Service animals are working animals, not pets. The work or task a dog has been trained to provide must be directly related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as service animals under the ADA.

Also, I don't normally take guests with any animal.  Like you, I do state my home is not handicap accessible in the listing description.  This particular time I just decided I would, after she said "service dog." I should have asked the key questions ((1) is the dog a service animal required because of a disability, and (2) what work or task has the dog been trained to perform.) but I didn't.

She either lied or doesn't understand the law regarding service animals. But, it's over. They left by 8:00 this morning and nothing appeared damaged. I will be more on my guard in the future. 

Now to wait for the review. 

https://www.ada.gov/service_animals_2010.htm 

[Suzanne302]

@Robin129 

Just jumping in to say I just looked at your listing and it is super cute! So many "private rooms" seem to be listed without any thought and are just that, an extra room for the homeowner to make money.

As a fellow homeshare host I love seeing other listings that are carefully thought out and unique! It's obvious you put a lot of thought and effort into your listing and the guest experience.

[Robin129]

Thanks @Suzanne302 ! That is an adorable little dog on your listing front page. I haven't been to Wilmington in years. 

I know it sounds cliche' but I really want my guests to feel like they are staying with family, like an aunt or cousin. Someone who will welcome them in, let them sleep, feed them breakfast, and send them on their way with prayers for safe travels.

[Suzanne302]

@Robin129 

Thanks! Surprising to some probably, (but not to me, haha) some guests tell me that dog on my front page was the deciding factor in choosing my listing. And that's exactly why I have him on there. 🙂

[Helen444]

We are very similar in that respect. I provide breakfast free of charge, but guests are not allowed to use the kitchen. We do provide a mini fridge, microwave and pod coffee maker in the main upstairs TV room. I’ll also cook them other meals for a fee, and book a traveling masseuse (LMT) if they want.

[Robin129]

And I told you. I just looked at the review she gave. She gave me 4 stars for accuracy, and 4 for location. 

My listing clearly states the bathroom is downstairs, and the bedrooms are upstairs. I also urge guests to review the listing description upon inquiry or instant booking. 

I have zero control over location. Potential guests see the ABB map, or at least should. I should not be responsible for their failure to review the location prior to booking. 

But, I have no ability to appeal. 

[Robin4]

@Robin129 

Robin all I can say is, don't stress about it, Airbnb are not going to change it, we have been at them for years to put some commonsense into this whole rating thing but, we don't get anywhere, nothing changes.

Rob, at least that guest of yours had a complaint, it might not have been justifiable or something you can do something about but, it was an issue the guest felt they needed to bring up!

Have a look at this one I got a couple of months ago........

Tell me, what on earth can I learn from that? She tells me the stay was very affordable and cosy and then gives me a 3 star for value. Great location but only worth a 4.

Airbnb need to stop this nonsense of anything less than a 5 star being a fail! I can learn absolutely nothing from that review, there is nothing I can improve or alter other than perhaps give it to the guest for no charge, maybe then it would have represented 5 star value.

But Robin, you just have to let it go, it doesn't harm me other than lowering my overall rating a bit. I have had over the years about 26 of these 4 star reviews where the review was great, feedback good, all the categories were 5 but........ the overall was still just a 4.

My overall should be sitting on at least a 4.96 but because of these less than perfect, "perfect" reviews I am on a 4.91.

Just accept it Rob, it's just a part of Airbnb hosting we have to deal with, hopefully guests who do read these reviews will  see how out of kilter they are and realise that it's Airbnb trying to make them look stupid, not something you or I might have done wrong!.

All the best.

Cheers.......Rob

[Robin129]

@Robin4 yes, friend, I know. I have to cough it up and be rid of it. You are correct. I'm not even sure just how much those ratings affect bookings. I've never heard anyone say, "I only stay at 5 star listings." Yet, I know I won't stay at places with frequent bad reviews AND low stars. It just continues to be infuriating when subjective categories like those are used in a calculation. 

Dinging a host for location is the dumbest thing I know. Guests are not forced to choose us. If the location is bad go somewhere else. In today's cyber savvy culture, if you can figure out how to use ABB you can use a street view to look at the surrounding area, if that is what they mean by location. 

I will be over it soon. The guest that followed, and charming young Belgium lad, gave 5 in everything. He was a delight. His first major trip, solo. Making his way to Washington D.C. to fly home, doing some hikes along the way, we had a great chat about international perceptions of the U.S. He said his experience was nothing like what is presented in the news back home. 

My "views" are down 24% over the past month. I have no bookings coming up. Lots of things to take care of around the place to keep me busy.  Take care.

[Robin129]

P.S. @Robin4 I think the guest who gave mostly 4 stars to you is that type of person who never rates people/things the maximum benefit (5 stars, 10/10, etc) because they believe there is always room for improvement in everything. 

Not that it helps our ratings .... Take care.

[Robin4]

@Robin129 

You are right, there is a percentage of guests out there who never give 5 stars. I have had that conversation with them and their line is...."I never give 5 stars, there is no such thing as 5 star, a five is that ultimate that doesn't exist" .

But most of these people are not Airbnb users, their world operates by the normally accepted star rating system where the provider is rewarded for something better than expected and penalised for something less than excepted.

A few years ago via the old Global Development team I put forward this method of review both for hosts and guests. My proposal revolved around the fact that 100% was an ultimately that was theoretically possible but practically not possible. It still adopted the premise that once a guest gave you less than 100% you would never be able to achieve that mark again. But it was fair, If an individual guest gave you a low percentage it would take your average down slightly, but the next guest to give a higher score than your average would bring your overall up again over time.

Here was my  review proposal for both hosts and guest reviews.

This would be the guests review of the host........ 

And this would be the hosts review of the guest........

And here is what a host review would look like as far as the stats are concerned.

And here is what the guests review of the host would look like.......

The averages would be taken from hosts current overall ratings and if a guest gave you a revenge 10% poor review before it could be published they would have to justify that it was not a revenge review and that one low percentage would not make a big difference to your overall percentage. It might take you from 91 to 82 but get another few good reviews and that revenge review would be nullified.  

The whole thing is fair and both hosts and guests can see how each other performed in all the relevant categories. It makes sense.

Of course I never heard any more of it and it never went anywhere!

Cheers........Rob

[Robin129]

That is an awesome design @Robin4  ! It is a shame they didn't accept and adapt it. It is a love/hate relationship with them, for sure. Take care!

[Helen444]

Why is the very end of your post blocked out? I really wanted to finish reading it!

[Robin4]

@Helen444 

Who were you referring to Helen,  me or the other Robin? Now that's a bit confusing!

If you wish to respond to someones post Helen hit 'SHIFT and @'  and contributors to this threads tags will come up in a drop down box. Click the contributor you are responding to and a notification will be sent to that contributor.

To maybe help, if you were responding to @Robin129  post, she always finishes all her posts with that sentence.....a bit kooky you might say!

 But then again, I always finish mine with, Cheers......Rob

Cheers......Rob

[Robin129]

@Helen444 I've noticed that as well. It says: That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those are kooks.

It's just a light hearted comment on the variety of guests I've had. Wonder if I can fix it? Hmm.

[Louise1073]

I agree there needs to be better communication with hosts about listing suspensions. Out of all the issues this one seems to be the worst and highest impact.