***REVIEW BOMBER***

[Anne1055]

Hi Hosts,
I have a new idea to share -- but first,

Well believe it or not, AIR developers have added all reviews to show on BOTH  PROFILES!!
Yay!!
This means that all those mean Guests that thought they could get away with review bombing a place will now be revealed.
Well, sort of...

The STAR  RATINGS have not been shared on both profiles, and that's really more what us as HOSTS need to see when considering if someone is a review bomber.

But what is a review bomber?

It's someone who does not say ONE WORD about their disappointment with something, but then leaves lowered star ratings so that we SUPERHOSTS can get knocked down and down, then they are a Review Bomber!

I am hereby asking that ALL HOSTS begin to reply to the review from these types of guests with 
***REVIEW BOMBER*** in the reply, followed by an optional summary to what the situation was about.

That way, we hosts can better decide if we want to host these people or not, and we will not feel so sideswiped by these types.

Again, education is needed. Most Guests still think that Airbnb is just a cheap hotel, and will leave a review like they are deciding if a place is 5-star or 3 star based on finishes. We as hosts owe it to ourselves to make sure Guests know that the star rating is based on value for the dollar spent and not whether the location is ideal or the shower stall has glass doors and tile!

In the meantime, let's all keep asking the Airbnb developers to add our REPLIES to the Guest profile, 
AND
ask them to include the STAR RATINGS on BOTH PROFILES too!

Only when everything is TRANSPARENT can we expect the Guest to be civilized and more truthful about reviews, and stop bombing us out of nowhere!!

Only when our reply to their bad review is seen by other Hosts, will be know if the person really was a good Guest, or whether they were a piece of work just waiting to blow up in our face!

Please remember Hosts, if a Guest doesn't bring up an issue, but then review bombs you, put this at the top of your reply to their review along with star rating details for what they gave you.

*** REVIEW  BOMBER ***

Happy Hosting!

[Ann489]

@John1574    I'm, sorry but your approach  comes across as pretty aggressive.   What "consequences" do you think there are for the guest?  It seems to me that what you are trying to do is, scare your guests into giving you a good review.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@John1574 what are the consequences for the guest?

[John1574]

-

What @Anne1055  suggested and what you @Mike-And-Helen0 just implemented.

 You identified them using an ostensible pejorative, "review bomber" that warns other hosts to beware of these guests if they book them.  That's how I understand the "review bomber" concept.  I hope I am correct. I I hope I'm not misunderstanding anything in this thread.  Being labeled a "review bomber" is a consequence, is it not?

I go a little bit further:  at the end of every review, I write,  "we respond to every review so see our listing page for further info."  

That directs potential hosts, who want more info on this potential guest, to view my listing page where they can see my response to their review. 

Simply tagging someone as a review bomber in your response to their review does not help future hosts if you don't direct potential hosts to that designation. 

 The way I describe (in my primer) this phenomenon of a guest leaving a laudatory written review and then dinging you on Stars is this:  "when guests write a glowing review and then ding you on Stars, it's as if they are being nice to your face but bad-mouthing you behind your back."

We don't like that type of behavior from our friends or associates and we shouldn't   accept it from our guests.

-

[Mike-And-Helen0]

I guess for us it would be self defeating to reply since what future guests see is just the words not the stars. @John1574 

[John1574]

-

@Mike-And-Helen0 

 I'm not sure what you mean.  Potential hosts will see whatever you write in your response to their review.  But you must be able to direct potential hosts to that response: that's the technique I developed. 

I give almost universaly five star reviews to my guests.  I've given only one bad review, my first guest, who deserved it.

 My goal is to address the issue of the few guests leaving glowing written reviews but then dinging you in a petty manner on Stars.  This may amount to 10% or fewer of my guests.

 Since I leave almost universally five star reviews, I needed a way to let guests and potential hosts know that there will be more information on my listing page.  In my primer, I inform guests that I will respond to their review on my listing page.

 In my response on my listing page, I address whatever category they dinged me a star on, so that future hosts will know with whom they are dealing. Any potential, future host who follows through on my review will know exactly with whom they are dealing.

If you're tired and grumpy, sleep on it, think about it, you will come up with a similar technique if you want to.  Believe me, it works. 

-

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@John1574  I see what you mean about future hosts.

[John1574]

-

@Mike-And-Helen0 

I just blocked the last guests who left on Saturday morning.  I feel so good!

In my review of them I wrote:  "I will not host them again. I wish their previous hosts had been more candid in their reviews.  We respond to every review so see our listing page for more info."

I gave them two stars in everything,  checked that I would not host them again, and then blocked them.

Airbnb buried my response to them on page 7 of my reviews. Lol   Good AI.

My response to them was even more scathing.

My responses to guest's reviews serve a dual purpose:  They are also a communiqué to potential guests who may be thinking of pulling the same thing.

 Bad guests, to be frank, absolutely disgust me.

-

[Susan151]

---

@John1574 wrote:

-

@Mike-And-Helen0 

Airbnb buried my response to them on page 7 of my reviews. Lol   Good AI.

-

---

It is the first review on your profile page however.

[John1574]

 No, @Susan151 Susan, it is not, on my browser on my listing it is still on page 7 of my reviews.

 Not that it makes any difference, it probably appears on different pages with different browsers.   Or something.

 But thanks for the heads up and being on the ball.

[Emilia42]

Airbnb did not bury the review. It appears toward the back of the reviews since the guest is front a different country. All reviews from the same country and language of your own appear first. 

[John1574]

-

@Emilia42 

Thanks, Emillia.

 I thought they buried it on page 7 because it was my most recent review and I thought it would be number one. And that is where another contributor, Susan, saw it,  though it might depend on where you look. Your explanation may be valid.  I find many anomalies on the Airbnb site.  Thanks for contributing your input. Much appreciated. 

[Helen350]

@John1574  - @Susan151 is correct, When you click on the host's profile photo to bring up the PROFILE page, the all reviews are in date order, most recent first. (Different from listing order.)

[John1574]

-

@Helen350  @Emilia42   @Susan 

When I search my listing, the review in question (the guests from China who stunk up my place by burning oil in the wok, I considerately I left for them, and who sneaked in extra guests thus cheating me out of my legitimate earnings)  is now buried on page eight. I'll tell you why, when you search, you see a different order:

When I search the first three reviews are from Mark, Aimee and Drita and the review in question is buried on page eight (8).

When I search my listing, I log out and search as if I were a client looking to book. I find my listing and note where it comes up in the search order (usually very high up) and then I scroll down to my reviews:

I just did that and the first three reviews are from Drita, Mark and Aimee in some order, and the review from China (they warned other potential guests that "The landlord is very careful.") is now on page eight (8).

Like I tried to explain to you before, it depends on how you search. Even apps and browsers make a difference, but the main difference, I believe, is that you are accessing my profile, while I am accessing my listing to see where it lies in the search order, and I want to see what a potential guest sees.

That is why it comes up as review number one, for you, but comes up buried on page eight (8) when I search as a potential guest. Why search any other way?

But I want to thank you ladies for being so diligent in analyzing my review order and looking out for me.  Thank you.

-

[Emilia42]

It looks like you put a lot of thought into this but I will still refer to the explanation below.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1885/why-arent-my-reviews-shown-in-order

[John1574]

-

@Emilia42

Not much effort; for me it's easy.

I'm sure no one wants to be missing the point. The topic is about what order the reviews are in when I search.  The review in question is buried on page eight (8) now: that is indisputable -- where it now appears on my profile page, I don't know, but it is insignificant to potential guests.

Thanks for the link, but it's beside the point. I'm concerned where a review appears on my listing when potential guests search.

I wish they were in chronological order consistently across the platform. You can consult AirBnB on that. I'm just describing my experience and why it's different than people who are accessing my profile instead of my listing.

I only search as a potential guest because I want to see what guests see:  potential guests will find the review in question on page eight (8) while the first three reviews are Aimee, Mark and Drita.

I never look at my profile because I have no reason to do that. I access my reviews three ways:  Progress, Listing Preview , and through a search engine for my location.

But thanks for your compliment and for the link explaining listing order: very interesting.

-