Getting Guests to Read

[Trey10]

I see lots of conversation topics that could be listed as "Guests don't read"

We have too often had guests who just don't read: 
*The room has a shared bathroom with one other person (our housemate), it's stated several times in the description and listed that way. We get dinged on ratings sometimes because the bathroom is shared. 
*The room is 'courtyard level' (meaning one side is half underground, the other side fully above ground). It's described that way specifically, twice. We get dinged on ratings sometimes (one recent one from a superhost, you'd expect they'd read!)
*The room is a private room, listed and priced that way, not an entire space. People (including above superhost) dinged us for that even though it's listed that way, and has 30 professional photos and a description that way. Frankly, for a private room, it has it's own kitchenette, hangout area w/ TV, etc. Might as well be an entire house but for the entrance.. but we price it as a single private room. 
*People ding us occasionally on street noise even though we describe it as an urban street TWICE in the description and  in the listing as something to consider. We provide a white-noise machine and earplugs for those more sensitive.  Still, people ding us for street noise (really, if you want an amazing urban location, don't expect woodland silence).

How do you get your guests to read the descriptions and listing so they aren't 'surprised'?

We have a 4.9 rating on that space (4.5 our our house when we are on vacation because we had a nightmare guest who left us 2 star ratings), for a total of 4.8. That's not bad, but we'd like to keep it above that?

[Tracey149]

Have had this happen to me a few times, guest marks down on a amenity that is not only detailed and photographed multiple times but I also state "please ensure the suite layout and amenities are suitable for you..." I have messaged Airbnb Support multiple times with proof of  listing description and photo's to back up my claim that the guest/s complaints are incorrect.

As a Host, I believe if you can provide proof that the guests complaint/s are as a result of them failing to read the listing. Airbnb should intervene and support the Host. i.e. Guest "marked down as fridge small and no stove top" Host " the kitchenette has a mini fridge and does not have a stove top". I asked Airbnb Support "what more can I do to avoid complaints and markdowns??". I am still awaiting an answer to this! 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Tracey149 A helpful feature was that you could add a photo with the description " the kitchenette has a mini fridge and does not have a stove top" which the guest would see on the photos. Not now!

The mobile app fails to display any description and the desktop browser shows the description away from the photo.

Do not be surprised if many more guests raise these issues as the information you are adding to help your guests is being withheld from guests when they browse your listing to book. 

If Airbnb don't publish the descriptions then guests don't get the opportunity to read them. It's bad enough that guests don't even read the descriptions provided in the text of the listing, but worse that the text provided for the photos is just not published.