SuperGuest - suggestions?

[Michael-and-Dru0]

Airbnb is beginning the process of creating a category of "SuperGuests."  I'm elated by this move by the company.  For years we have wanted airbnb to have a category for guests which allows hosts to verify a bit more about them and vet their history.  As not only hosts, but regular guests on the platform, we are super excited about this!

Here are some initial ideas we have about ways to earn "SuperGuest" status:

1.  Follow all rules of the host

2. Leave the apartment very clean

3. Strip all beds and put towels on the floor of the bathroom

4. Clean the dishes in the kitchen or place in the dishwasher and start the cycle

5. Only allow guests 2 cancellations less that 48 hours in advance of the reservation

6. Communication:  This is key.  

[Michael-and-Dru0]

I love the idea of an "easy to host" category!

[Kim87]

My favorite guests are those who read full description and know exactly what i offer.

I agree it's hard to evaluate. I personally mention at the very end of my listing description that i offer extra goodies to those who read it all and let me know they did, but it doesn't happen often. I also use formulas like « let me know if you have questions you didn't find an answer for on the listing description » to encourage them reading and adress any subject before their stay.

Of course this goes along with hosts being honest with the pros and cons of the place they're renting. Sometime i feel like my listing description is too long but i cannot resign to cut corners, i want my guests to know all that i do and what i can't do for them.

That's my recipe for perfectly happy guests and i hope the superguests category will include something like « reading full description » or being super clear with questions/communications before and during stay.

Apart from one 3 star rating for value from a woman who clearly didn't know the rates of my area, every 4 stars ratings or recrimination i got was for something that is clearly mentionned on my listing description... so yeah, that's my 2 cents.

[Michael-and-Dru0]

@Kim87 It would be so helpful if there was a way to gaurantee guests actually read the entire listing description and the rules.  I had a guest recently leave a 3 star rating for value (it's a one bedroom apartment for $65/night)!  You can't even find a hotel room for that price in the area.  It begs the question, what does airbnb mean by "value"?  Is it the price of the listing?  Is it the "value" the space has to you as a guest while staying there?  Is it the "value" of the sleep you get?  Is the "value" of the art in the listing?  Is it the "value" of the towels and sheets?  Unfortunately, airbnb doesn't give guests any direction on what they mean by this word; they don't give guests any direction on how to write reviews.

[Marco458]

Hei guys and girls, is it true that super guest category will be activated soon????

Please someone answer me! I dont find any article about this online. Thanks 🙂 ciao

[Shaun69]

The whole idea of the superguest is something I strongly approve off. Here are a few bullet points I would suggest need to be considered:

1. Guest should be verified and a photo provided.(mandatory)

2. Guest should have a minimum of 3 reviews and no thumbs down.(mandatory)

3. Guest should have no cx unless for a confirmed valid reason.

4. Host could maybe offer a small discount (5% possibly) to induce guests to join the programme.

5. Host could provide small extras to a superguest to induce guests to join the programme.

6. Now for the difficult suggestion, superguests should have the right to IB across the platform regardless. I know a number of hosts will be horrified by that suggestion but just think about it for a minute and consider the extra vetting a superguest has had to endure.

Just a few ideas. Best Wishes Shaun

[Daniele-Y-Fabricio0]

I feel enthusiastic about this idea of implementing a Super Guest program!

We've been hosting on Airbnb for almost seven years and as Airbnb became more popular, the quality of guests has been decaying over time. This means Guests are generally more demanding, less polite, less respectful, less apreciative and less easy going. With some of them being a serious pain more and more often...

The main reason lays in the fact that Guests don't generally care about reputation (or not as much as Hosts at least) because getting a bad review only means they can use another account...

A Super Guest program based on the reviews score would certainly encourage guests to be nicer, politer and more respectful. The exact same way reputation does with Hosts.

Perhaps offering Super Guests some sorts of benefits (like discounted Airbnb fees) would be a good enough incentive for them to be more responsible of their behaviour and actitude.

If Airbnb is still a community of people based on trust, w believe that the trust should be reciprocal and the treatment be symmetrical.

[Ellen33]

Do we really need this? Why should airbnb create this before focussing on more important stuf.

For example: when you sign up for airbnb go trough a tutorial

Profile pic

Some info about who you are

Possibility to have the app as well as desktop version

Airbnb is not hotel....so no 24 h reception

Be polite when trying to book. Not writing....i will come at x o clock.

Duh.

Give them info on payment, adress that you receive once booked.

Give info on review system....

Do that first....then we can talk about super guest things.

Also dont allow revenge reviews from people who never stayed. 

@ gregory

[Cor3]

I’ve noted the announcement of the Superguest idea, back in February.

And I was having a bit mixed feelings about this.

In favor:

• You at least know these guests will have met certain qualification criteria in the past.
• Most certainly first-time users, will not qualify (as they don’t have history yet).
• Maybe they want to hang on to this status (Same as for Superhost). So they will try to adhere to the qualification criteria, during future visits. So a host will have a low maintenance guest.

Against:

• I’m almost convinced it will be relatively easy to achieve.
• Hey Mr. Host, I’m a superguest! What is that worth to you in the sense of a discount?
• Will they really take some pride in the earned badge?

[Lizzie]

Great to hear your for and against here @Cor3. 🙂 

To focus in on one of your against points 'almost convinced it will be relatively easy to achieve'. Would you be happy if in this respect it would be similar to achieving the Superhost badge?

[Cor3]

Hi @Lizzie,

Whatever qualifications will apply to any badge. There will always be discussions around it. As the base for the numbers is already subjective.

I’ve seen comments by guests, that it seems almost all hosts are Superhosts (So in their perception, it does not mean that much). I’ve seen other comments by hosts, that the current qualification rules around Superhost are too difficult to achieve and/or to maintain. So who is right?

For by far the majority of all Superhosts. It will take just that 1 bad host-guest encounter, to have that badge ripped of your chest for at least a year. Even on this community I have witnessed very quickly escalated ‘discussions’ in various threads. Which in the end even had to be closed by you. In order to stop the ever escalating quarrel. Exactly the same can happen quickly in a host-guest encounter (but then the threshold to enter a possible discussion is even lower). My experience: Most guests are a walk in the park on a shiny day (but keep an eye on where you go). And a few are like tip-toeing.

In order to make a proper assessment of the qualification criteria, one would require proper insight in the associated data. Airbnb has all that data. But they are setting on top of it, like a hen on a full basket with eggs 😞

So my best guess is, that it should be something similar to the Superhost qualification rules.

1 very important thing to look at, will be the difference between the average host-rating (So rated by guests) and the average guest-rating (So rated by hosts). I would not be surprised when the average guest-rating is actually higher than the average host-rating. A lot of hosts give guests a relative high star rating, out of fear of retaliation (I know that mutual reviews are only up for display, once both reviews have been submitted). As you may be aware, there are various other ways to hurt people. By using different internet functionality. It is even been heard of, where guests were successful in having a bad review on them. To be taken down by Airbnb. As that guest was successful in convincing an Airbnb CSR that the review was not in line with Airbnb policies for instance.

So I’m quite curious what Airbnb will come up with, later this year. When the qualifications for Superguest are made public. I hope it will at least be a bit better than the rules around the famous 48-hour grace period (I had my first Free of Charge Cancellation within the first 14 days of May, How odd is that).

I would definitely like to see: Guest did not cancel any reservation at any stage of the reservation for at least a year. Maybe: Not even under extenuating circumstances (I know, it may sound somewhat rude. But again there are guests that a very good at fabricating these extenuating circumstances). Once they do: Goodbye to the badge for at least 1 year!

I could only advice you, when Clara and her team have made their mind up on the supposed qualification criteria. They will first publish their proposal on the Community. So everybody has a chance to have a say on it. And after reviewing the various comments. They can come up with a final verdict.

Again: You just can’t please everybody, all of the time!

My 2-cents 🙂

[Bee-and-Rog0]

I totally agree with this SuperGuest suggestion!

I'd have very similar categories to Host:

1) Accuracy and quality of Guest information

2) Check-in (within reasonable(?) limits of when they said they would)

3) Tidyness

4) Following house rules

5) Communication

With the amount that Air charge guests then they should offer a bonus for SuperGuest status, just like Superhost.

Something that is not connected with this topic but is bugging me with our latest booking - Air, I was sure, introduced something that would require guests to advise of all the people who would be staying. Just having info on the person booking isn't enough! This is our home! Any thoughts?

[Szabo1]

How about not paying extra for one more guest? (in the case of superguests)

I had trouble with this before, and I just don't see the reason why 2 guests need to pay so much more extra.

I mean, I would be fine with having stuff for only one guest, and the consumption won't be that much higher.

If I have good reviews, that would mean if a friend wants to crash at the place where I'm staying, I will make sure I don't just bring anybody ther, and being careful about it.

This is something that would definitely make me try to become a superguest

[Ange2]

Why not make it simple and transparent and just add another category: "superguest",  this way hosts can  choose from 1-5 stars in that category. It's all perception and opinion anyway.

Guests can be 5-stars in the three categories hosts are allowed to rate on: cleanliness, communication, follow rules, and still be entitled, needy and difficult—there are only so many rules one can write to cover courtesy, commonsense and awareness.  Sure there is the thumbs up/thumbs down but that is all or nothing and few guests are so extreme, most fall in the 2-4 rating.

[Yulianna0]

I had some guests that really deserve to be nominated “superguest”. They were very good with communication before and during their stay. They read description, house rules and were totally respectful about it. Obviously, no problems with leaving place clean. And on top of that being very polite and friendly. 

And if Airbnb can suggest small discount on service fees for superguest, people will see the reason to get this badge. 

[Cor3]

---

Hi @Yulianna0,

And if Airbnb can suggest small discount on service fees for superguest, people will see the reason to get this badge. 

---

Ouch! I Doubt it, whether Airbnb had this in mind? When they announced Superguest on February 22, 2018 😄