Review Process as a Guest August 2022

[Huma0]

@Emilia42 has kindly posted screenshots of the review process from the guest's perspective when she's stayed at airbnbs. As I stayed at one last weekend, I thought I would do the same in case it is useful to other hosts. There were a lot of steps, but I think I have them in the correct order.

[Fred13]

It is an encouragement for minutae, at a time in which it feels like the human race is over-concerned with too many silly things.

[Huma0]

@Fred13 

To my mind, what's more worrying is that it might cause guests to second guess their ratings, even if there were no major problems.

Why, for example, after the guest has given the listing/host ratings for check in, cleanliness, communication, location and accuracy, ask them again:

Was the check in process smooth? How was your host? Was the listing clean? Did it have these amenities? How did you feel about the location?

Surely, they've already answered. That's like saying, "But, are you really sure... I mean, was it EXTREMELY clean? Was the host EXTREMELY responsive? Are you sure EVERYTHING was there?"

[Fred13]

Exactly, it is like mining for negatives. Why, besides wanting for drama.

[Beth80]

@Huma0 

Thanks for sharing this. Recently a guest and I were discussing the review process. He mentioned that the location question was based on how safe or convenient a listing was. I said that I thought it was based on the truthfulness of the listing location.  Such as the listing says " on the beach" but in reality is three streets away. Now looking at these screen shots I can understand what he was saying. 

And what a nit picky list of options! I'm kind of amazed anyone gets five stars. 😒

[Huma0]

@Beth80 

Yes, I find the location section problematic. The whole location star rating is problematic, as hosts have been pointing out for years. 

It's not like the host has any control over the location. All that we can do is to describe it accurately, but there is already a star rating for accuracy.

I truly believe that, as long as the location is described accurately, the rest is up to the guest. They are responsible for researching and choosing the location that suits them because it's such a subjective thing.

Most of my guests like my location because of its proximity to a tube station and convenient transport links. Yet, I had one guest who complained that the 0.3 mile walk along a completely flat road was 'strenuous' and very inconvenient. This was an able bodied 22-year-old. Am I now accountable for a guest's lack of fitness? Or laziness?

Not one of the hundreds of guests I've hosted here have ever had any kind of safety issue in my neighbourhood, i.e. nothing bad has happened to them here, even when walking back very late at night. Yet, I had one guest who described it as extremely sketchy and made it sound terrifying because her friends living in another part of London told her it was not safe.

One's perception of a location is heavily influenced by where an individual comes from, what they are used to and their upbringing and prejudices. None of that has anything to do with the listing itself.

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Huma0  Thank you for sharing those details. It appears to me that Airbnb is now trying to do a background check when it comes to amenities. I am sure this also plays a role on the algorithm and ranking in the search list. It looks like the more the number of hosts increases the longer the guest review system.

[Huma0]

@Oomesh-Kumarsingh0 

Yes, I suspect that is the real reason for many of these questions. I hadn't thought about it before, but it wouldn't surprise me if it affects the search results.

[Jenny]

Hi @Huma0 

Thanks for providing this.

It's interesting to see the process that the guest sees.

Jenny

[Huma0]

I just remembered also that a recent guest asked me, while he was filling out the review (he was still here as I agreed to a late check out) if I had a BBQ because that's what he was being asked. I do indeed have a BBQ at the back of the garden, but I've never had a single guest ask for one, so I don't bother showing it to them. Most guests don't even use the garden as I also have a sunny roof terrace, so I imagine they would have no idea there was a BBQ here. This guest certainly didn't and he stayed here for two months!

It's weird which amenities Airbnb seems to check. I would think there were more important things about an Airbnb in London than the BBQ, or more important things about a stay in the hottest part of summer than a heater.

[John5097]

@Huma0 I'm surprised how long the review process is with all the extra questions at the end. Just rating the five or so categories seems long enough. Maybe this is why I'm seeing drop off in guest leaving reviews recently. It goes on forever and you just end up cursing and quitting! 

Also some guest don't want to be bothered with messages during their stay. They prefer to wait a day or so after check out to leave a review to make sure their aren't any extra fees or charges. 

I think the questions about host should be more specific such as did the host provide good communication for check in, etc, and not so vague as most guest just want the accommodation and easy self check in. Younger people especially like the independence the guest guide offers, as they don't have o rely on the host for every little thing. 

[Huma0]

@John5097 

Yes, it is possible that guests start the review process and then just give up, or think, I'll come back and do this another time. We are constantly being asked to feedback on every little thing. It can get annoying. However, lately, my guests do all seem to be leaving reviews, whereas last summer, I had a few who didn't, even though they seemed perfectly happy with their stay, so who knows?

Interesting what you say about the guest guide. I am finding the opposite. When I hosted short term guests, they seemed to find it useful, but for quite a while now, my guests simply won't look it at it. They always ask me for every little piece of information/recommendations and, even though I keep suggesting they look at the guide because then they can see things on a map, they just won't! I don't know why it is. My sister-in-law who is a university lecturer says it's because young people are just bombarded with too much information these days.