[June 11th] The Host Talk - Reviews

[Liv]

Hey everyone,

Hopefully you’ll be happy to hear that the time for our second Host Talk has come! 🕺✨

@Vinícius0  and @Merrydith0, two Host Advisory Board members, will be joining the conversation with fellow Hosts who are interested in sharing their experience and coming up with insights and suggestions for how to navigate the review process.

The meet-up will take place on Friday June 11th, 11AM (BST).

Timezones:

Friday June 11th, 5:00 AM (Kansas City / Pensacola, Florida)

Friday June 11th, 6:00 AM (New York / Toronto)

Friday June 11th, 12:00 PM  (Spain)

Friday June 11th, 7:00 PM (Seoul)

Friday June 11th, 7:30 PM (Darwin)

Friday June 11th, 8:00 PM (Melbourne) 

EVENT NOW OVER

Not sure how to use Zoom? Check out this CC guide. 

Want to know more about The Host Talk? Have a read here.

Have you got any reviews related questions you would like to ask fellow Hosts? Let us know below so we can pick a few suggestions to get our conversation started.

I really hope you can join us, I look forward to seeing you there 🤓

Thanks, 

Liv

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Liv @Merrydith0 @Vinicius0 Please could you explain why there is a discussion on 'how to navigate the review process' rather than a grown up discussion on what needs to change with respect to revenge reviews.

Also while I am asking - When is the process to feedback Hosts issues to the Host Advisory Board going live. At the rate this is (not) progressing we will have a whole new HAB in place before it even starts!

[Liv]

Hey @Mike-And-Jane0, thanks for asking!

The Host Talk is a meet-up for members to talk about Hosting related subjects amongst each other. If that's something you're interested in discussing with fellow Hosts, I'm more than happy to give you the space to do that. Are you joining us next Friday? 

As for the HAB feedback process, @Stephanie has been working to be able to update you on that soon 😊

[Liv]

Hey @Mike-And-Jane0,

Hope you're good 😊

It took a while, but I'm finally able to update you on what has been decided in regards to the HAB feedback process.

Please have a read here. I hope this answers your question.

Thanks,

Liv

[Susan990]

I second your perfect response and well articulated contribution to this entire Review problem~ which would all go away tomorrow if ABB would just simply copy/paste the VRBO Review system. It works perfectly and professionally and has stood the test of time.

[Michelle53]

@Liv   You may want to change the dates under "timezones" in the body of the message. 

[Liv]

Hi @Michelle53,

Fixed it! Thanks for that 🙂

Hopefully we’ll see you there.

[Michelle53]

@Liv  Thanks for the invite, but 5am is a bit early for me, even as an early riser. Also, I can't be doing zoom calls from my home office while guests are sleeping 😉

[Liv]

@Michelle53 fair enough 😂

Hopefully we'll see you next time then!

[Christine615]

I will try hard to be up that early. I appreciate that you share the burden by mixing it up, so I'll do my part (I think). See you soon.

[Liv]

Thanks, @Christine615. That's sweet 💕

Hopefully we'll see you there, but if not, we'll catch up next time!

Is there anything in particular you'd like to discuss in regards to reviews?

[Christine615]

Hey @Liv 

Thanks for asking. Here's a couple of thoughts I'm sure other hosts will bring up too:

1. Make ratings an average of the subcategories. I'm increasing seeing (and hearing) that hosts get as 5 in every category but a 4 overall.

2. Airbnb promised to remove outlier reviews and those that are retaliatory - that still isn't happening.

 Example: Most recently a host on another forum posted screenshots of a 1-star review that is clearly out of whack with the many other 5-star reviews in close proximity (wild claims about urine filled public hallways, etc. in a new condo building everyone else seemed to love). CS took it down, but then the guest complained and CS put it back up again and told the host the decision was final. And on a thread on this board there is a guest who appears to be "ill" whose incoherent rant includes her complaints about a host that aren't born out by his previous guests.

3. More incentives to remind guests to leave reviews - especially new guests. There are still too many who don't bother to do it, especially new guests to the platform. Perhaps the review service is too cumbersome?

4. To protect hosts, I would love to see a system where we track patterns of reviews. I'm convinced that some of the investor hosts have gamed the system in the same way Amazon got caught - people able to pretend to book, then rate and are reimbursed for their expenses. I'm convinced a host I tried to book has fake reviews after the sudden appearance of an unverified "property manager" coming in to negotiate off-the-platform service fees.

Just some thoughts. Keep or toss

[Liv]

Thanks a lot for those suggestions, @Christine615! I appreciate it 😊

Hopefully we'll see you tomorrow 🤞

[Colleen107]

Hi, 

I’m in completely agreement regarding these suggestions. I’m starting to see guests - especially new guests - give 5 stars in every category but leave a 4 star overall review. It’s very frustrating and seems unfair to the host. It makes me question whether I should accept new guests at all if they have no context in the Airbnb community  in which to provide an accurate review. I can imagine them staying at  their next few places and thinking “Gee, now that we’ve seen other Airbnb’s we probably should’ve given our first Airbnb a better review.” Retroactive reflection and guests’ learning curves don't help me one bit. 
Thanks! 

[Liv]

 @Pascale144 @Omar202  @Mary996  @Alexandra316 @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Paul1255 @Kitty-and-Creek0 @John5097 @Kemi9 @Lawrene0 @Anna1403 @Laurelle3 @Veronica-Of-Excel-Proper0 @Wende2 @Debra300 @Angela1056 @Samantha-and-Bruce0 @Michelle2475 @Valerie27  @Jessica-and-Henry0 @Cathie19, @Clara116, @Ann72, @Roberta2, @Marissa107, @Debra300, @Yuan100, @Marj2, @Bez8, @Robin4, @Inna22,  @Melodie-And-John0

Hopefully you can make it 😊