Won't Host Again Button on Reviews

Summer64
Level 7
Lewisville, TX

Won't Host Again Button on Reviews

Does anyone know what happens when you answer with the "won't host again" button? Does it impact your listing, hosting, etc?

Does it impact the guest in any way? 

 

I ask because I hosted a couple that are really nice, just not a good fit for me to host again.

However, I haven't reviewed them yet. 

I would mark 'will not host again' if that takes my listing off their future searches, but I don't want it to negatively impact them as just because they aren't a good fit for me, doesn't mean that they wouldn't be fine with someone else. I also don't want to decline them in the future, as I know that can hurt our listings.

 

Anyone know?

11 Replies 11
Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Summer64 

When you click would not host again, it means that the guest will not be able to instantly book with you. The guest can still try to book and it will come through as a request and then you will decline it or give them another chance (this recently happened to me.) 

 

I am not 100% sure what happens to the guest's profile (behind the scenes.) I am suspicious that it could prevent them from instant booking with others. I don't see Airbnb blocking this "privilege" but I have received a request from someone who should have been able to instant book despite 1 bad review among many good ones. And of course for hosts who don't use instant book, this all really means nothing.  

 

It would be nice if Airbnb could clarify this because as you say I would also hate to tarnish someone's booking future because they simply were not a good fit for me.

Thanks. I don't do instant book anymore (learned that lesson!) so either way it would be a request. OK. I will probably not mark it then. I'm glad I asked! I liked them a lot, it just wasn't working out in my home. They are probably more suited to renting an entire place or something, then just a room in a house. At least a room in my house. 😃

 

 

@Summer64 If you feel that they were good folks, but not suited to sharing a home with others, please do make that evident somehow in your written review, for the benefit of other home share hosts. Some people would be perfect guests in an entire place listing, but just don't fit in a home-share model, either because they aren't really aware how their behavior could be affecting others, like leaving their stuff laying around in communal spaces, or don't have great social skills, or disrespect your time and boundaries, as in a guest who seems to think you have nothing better to do all day than sit and listen to them talk about their personal problems all day.

 

If you really feel that it was just a personality conflict, that they weren't the kind of people who you could easily relate to, had a much different lifestyle than you,

then that would warrant just a straightforward review as to their communication, observance of house rules, cleanliness, etc.

Till-and-Jutta0
Host Advisory Board Alumni
Stuttgart, Germany


@Emilia42  schrieb:

... I am suspicious that it could prevent them from instant booking with others....


As far as I know, that's the fact.

@Emilia42 @Summer64 

Good to know. I also haven't been sure what this does so haven't marked no yet. This would be great if marking no would require them to request booking next time. This does't preclude leaving an accurate review, as host should do that anyway, but I might not want to mark someone down below 3 stars over something that was kind of minor. So if I left an accurate review and also didn't want to mark them down below 3 stars, this is a great option.  For example they may not communicate or respond to messages, which is fine, or leave some grease in the microwave, which I might want to mention but not mark down their stars if everything else was perfect, but I may not want them back, as I set my rates so I can be very selective. 

 

Edit: As other regular CC regulars have mentioned, if a lot of their guest live close by its a much higher chance they will return, so each listing is different. This isn't my first experience with bed and breakfast. Guest can be very vindictive over a minor slight. Would be great if Airbnb could clarify what this option does. As @Anonymous said it could change next year. Host need more options to leave an accurate review without chance  of retaliation.    

@John5097 In March 2020, I had a guest who I did not want back. I left him a not-so-great review: "Extra cleaning was required over the allotted cleaning fee." In January 2021, he tried to book again for another weekend getaway! He couldn't instant book since I had clicked would not book again so his booking reverted to a request. I had to decline him, saying that due to covid I did not have the time or the energy to clean up his extra mess. I was shocked he felt welcomed to book again but it shows how oblivious some guests are to their reviews.   

@Emilia42 Thanks so much for sharing so many useful insights. Charleston is very popular and known for its friendliness, however the rest of South Carolina also consider Charleston as Yankees, as its the only city that wasn't burned in the Civil War, or hoity-toity. It's weird but some cities are like that. Mine also has a lot of repeat guest, of course most are great, but some intentionally leave something messy or weird like using good towels as floor mats. Not many but good chance they will be back and would leave 1 star review in retaliation for having mentioned the microwave was greasy, as they aren't going to tolerate someone from Charleston mentioning they were messy, and don't understand this isn't the 1960s anymore and $25 cleaning fee doesn't cover even basic cleaning. I keep updating listing as best I can, but as we both don't have an opportunity to meet or live with our guest and commuicate in person communicating with messages or text can be more challenging. 

@John5097 You bring up a good point. The #1 reason why I declined this guest for a 2nd stay was not necessarily because of the excess mess but because I was fearful of a retaliatory review. I'm glad I got the option to decline.

@Emilia42 I also have to be mindful of not letting a minor issue become a major one, as it can take me longer to say the right thing without stepping on someone's toes. I'm about to update my listing again, as I have a higher overhead and higher cost of living, property taxes, flood insurance, than most places in the US. Thankfully only minor issues here and there, but would like to address these without guest knowing I'd have the option to decline a future request to book, and still use insta book.  

@Emilia42  I've heard the occasional host say they never even bother to read the reviews guests leave them. 

 

I wonder if some guests don't read their reviews, either.

@Summer64  Airbnb is constantly changing around the way the data it collects is used and displayed, so you never really know what the impact of a thumbs-down or star rating will be months or years from now. It might prevent the guest from Instant-Booking with a host who has the "recommended by other hosts" filter on, it might be displayed with a booking request as something like "2 out of 3 hosts would host again," it might remain merely as a placebo like the "security deposit" that actually does nothing. The guest will still be able to send a request for any listing on the platform, including yours, and your written review will be more helpful to future hosts' decision than whatever you do with thumbs and stars.

 

You can't make your listing selectively invisible to certain people in searches, so if you really wouldn't consider hosting this person again, the best way to convey that message is: use your words. Clearly you have some positive things to say along with the negative, but if you say in some way that the guest was not a great fit for your household I think they'll get the message. In the very unlikely event that they request your listing again anyway, declining will not hurt your listing.