Host being rated for "Respects house rules"

Answered!

Host being rated for "Respects house rules"

I'm a host and I was was given an overall rating from a stay of 4 stars.  On closer examination, the guest had left me 5 stars in all categories.  I called airbnb customer service and asked why my stars were 4 and not 5 and they replied with, "because your guest left the stars blank in the category "respects house rules.""

I asked for their policy on "Respects house rules" as it applies to a host and neither the agents or supervisors could give me anything on it.  They're just telling me to accept it.  I asked other hosts around me if they're rated in that category and their responses have been "no."

One supervisor thought it was a glitch, but the tech team threw it back and said it wasn't.  He said guests do not rate hosts for respecting their own house rules.  They're refusing to make the correction for their error.  Meanwhile, I'm being excluded from searches because of their error.  Airbnb is punishing their hosts and telling them to accept what is being given to them even though they ALL acknowledged it as being wrong.

 

1 Best Answer

102 Replies 102
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Breighana0 

 

The screenshots you posted clearly show that the guest rated you 5* in each category but 4* overall. As I mentioned before, this is not that unusual. You will find many other posts here on the CC where hosts are asking about this and nowhere in the responses will you find anything to do with 'following house rules' being a category, let alone one that affects the overall rating if left blank.

 

The overall star rating is not a sum of the individual category ratings. It is a separate rating given by the guest (as you can see from the link I posted to the thread where you can see the review process in full). So, in theory, a guest can leave you 1* in all categories and still give you 5* overall, or vice versa. Of course, that would be unusual, and a reason to question whether the guest really intended to leave those ratings, but 5* in each category and 4* overall is not at all unusual. 

 

Anyway, as I mentioned last night, I contacted CS to ask about your dilemma. The rep had never heard of such a thing and just sent me the link to the Airbnb article that explains how guests can rate hosts, including the categories (which I also posted in this thread). She then forwarded the query to an ambassador, who replied this morning, confirming that the star ratings are as everyone here is telling you (not what some misguided/confused rep/s told you):

 

Screenshot 2022-09-29 at 12.35.57.png

 

Those are the ratings that guest can leave, i.e.

 

1. Overall star rating

2. Individual categories: cleanliness, accuracy, check in, communication, location, value

3. Amenities: not a star rating, but the guest is asked to confirm whether certain amenities were there or not 

 

Again you can see the whole process in the thread I created recently about it, but I will post the screenshots again here just to make it crystal clear.

 

So, it doesn't matter what some reps told you about a non-existent category. No one at CS is going to fix the problem, because the problem doesn't exist, so they can't. Unfortunately, the fact is that the guest simply left you 4* overall, as your screenshot shows.

It's "Respects house rules," not "following house rules," so that is probably why she couldn't find it was from bad information given on your part.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Screenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.15.29.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.15.53.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.16.20.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.18.24.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.26.29.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.27.03.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.27.31.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.28.10.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.28.30.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.29.34.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.29.55.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.30.49.pngScreenshot 2022-08-24 at 22.31.08.png

You're telling me what I already know.  I know it's not supposed to be a category, but it is (glitch or not) and it affected my rating.  They've already established that the guest did not rate me 4 overall, she gave 5, yet it reflects 4 INCORRECTLY.  This is where the failure in understanding is happening.  9 agents confirming it being "respects house rules" affecting it compared to your 1.  Also funny how only "level 10's" are responding to this and doing everything they can to make airbnb not look bad even though it's an admitted mistake on their end isn't convincing either.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Breighana0 

 

The levels reflect how active someone is here on the forum and it really doesn't take much to reach level 10. Anyway, if you read the other threads we have posted on, you will see that none of us are shy in criticising Airbnb. In fact, I have recently created two threads about glitches in Airbnb's system and how useless CS was at addressing these, i.e. the reps had no clue what was gong on.

 

So, for you to accuse us of "doing everything they can to make airbnb not look bad" is just silly. Throwing accusations around just because people are not agreeing with you simply proves that you are not being rational about this.

 

The response I posted above was from the second, not first, rep I asked this question. I could ask a third, fourth, fifth time and on and on, but what is the point? I know I am going to get the same response. You were the one who suggested we contact CS to ask (convinced they were going to tell us that this non-existent category exists), so I did. 

 

Please explain to me how, if that category does not appear within the review process (as I have shown and others have confirmed), a guest can rate it or choose not to? 

 

If you want a simple answer, why don't you just ask the guest if they left you 4* or 5* overall? I don't know why you are making this so complicated for yourself.

 

Anyway, I'm also going to leave this discussion now. I was trying to help, but you refuse to listen to reason. I really don't think you are going to get anywhere with this with CS (who have already given you the answer that we are all giving you) but if you want to continue to chase it, well it's your time you're wasting.

 

 

This isn't rocket science.

I'll simplify.  I was rated 5 stars in every category INCLUDING "overall."

Airbnb has confirmed this to be true and accurate, thus my rating should be 5 stars.

However, airbnb has found the issue to be a "ghost" category called "respects house rules" as the lone cause the "overall" rating was affected and taken down to 4 stars.  The guest left 5 stars, airbnb changed it to 4 stars.  It's very simple, and should be a simple fix since this category should not even exist for hosts to be rated on by guests.

Whether or not you comprehend that is on your end not mine.

20220929_093530.jpg

Whether or not you realize it, whether or not you see it or the guest sees it or doesn't, this is written into airbnb software code for EVERYONE.  If you have a stay from a quest that rated you 5 stars in every category but you have 4 stars for "overall" you may have been a victim of the "respects house rules" category code which airbnb said they've gotten numerous calls on now...maybe because they read this thread?  They are now addressing the issue and it is now in the hands of upper management.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Breighana0 

 

I said I wouldn't respond anymore to this thread, but seeing as you have asked...

 

Firstly, this screenshot that CS sent you looks weird. Why is the background black? The screens on Airbnb, during the review process or otherwise, always have white backgrounds. So, is what they are showing you some sort of internal view that only they can see?

 

Anyway, I have sent this screenshot to the CS rep who was responding to me about this issue. Let's see what they say...

 

However, one of the points I was trying to make earlier is that you cannot necessarily trust what CS reps tell you. I have been given misinformation by them numerous times, as have many other hosts who have posted on this forum. This article might help to explain just how poorly trained and equipped a lot of them are: https://www.propublica.org/article/meet-the-customer-service-reps-for-disney-and-airbnb-who-have-to-...

 

Not so long ago, I had to get in touch with CS because my Superhost stats did not add up. The rep I spoke to repeatedly told me that the stats DID add up and that I was misunderstanding. Eventually, I gave up on her and the illogical nonsense she was feeding me and asked to be transferred to someone else who then confirmed that my calculations were actually right and that Airbnb had got it wrong. 

 

Perhaps what you have been told is true. Perhaps it is not. The point is, don't believe something just because it's what you want to be believe. Perhaps the guest did actually leave you 4* overall. It's possible. Why not just ask them?

**[Private conversation removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

 It is an internal message.  Are you actually implying that I altered the image?   You just came on this thread, as did others, not to help me but to accuse me, bash the airbnb customer service and say they're lying, tell me what I'm saying isn't true and that the category does not exist.  I have attached and proven everything in question, and yet there's people still who just still can't admit that there's actually a problem here.  This isn't a community help forum, it's a high horse page.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Breighana0 

 

No, I never inferred that you altered the image. I asked if CS told you this was some sort of internal thing only they could see as it looks nothing like what we see from the user end. You are being very defensive.

 

Sure, I have nothing better to do with my time than come on here to persecute you... If you have some time on your hands, have a look at all the responses I've posted that people have marked as the most useful answer because they felt I helped them. The reason I spend time on this is because I received so much helpful advice and insight from more experienced hosts when I first started hosting... and I still do. 

 

As I and others told you before, we were stepping out of this thread because you won't listen to any advice and just insult anyone who tries to help, but then you complained that we had all stopped responding.

 

If all you're going to do is continue to throw accusations at us as if anyone who doesn't validate you is some kind of troll, then again, I'm bowing out of this discussion.

Don't go quiet on me guys now 👍

@Breighana0 happy not to go quiet. I just don't see the issue. We have had a few 4 star reviews for overall even though all the other ratings are 5 stars equally we have had a 5 star overall when the other ratings were 4 stars.

Have you actually asked the guest if they left you a 4 star review in the overall category?

Take that 4 star overall review that has all other categories rated 5 stars and ask airbnb what that reasoning for a 4 star rating is and report back.

@Breighana0If no one answers you anymore, it is because you have been very rude to everyone. They patiently explained to you that this rating category does not exist for hosts, if it has happened, it can only be a bug, but only the assistance can tell you that. Given the low level of assistance, you will need to be very patient, but please stop torturing other hosts. End of the story.

20220929_093530.jpg

 I'm a host and here's the category.