A Superhost Program that Actually Makes Sense, let’s provide a better framework

[Jess78]

What things actually make sense to include in Super Host distinction to make it actually mean something, encourage superior hosting, reward good outcomes, retain good hosts, and boost their morale, without it being nonsensical:

1. Replies to all inquiries and reservations within 3 hours, on average
2. Leaves a review for 95% of guests
3. Meets all guests in person or greets them via phone or text
4. Maintains an overall rating of 4 or above on guest reviews
5. Has hosted at least 50 trips
6. If instant book setting is selected, has cancelled fewer than 5% of bookings due to any reason, but none within 30 days of the trip
7. If instant book setting is not selected, has cancelled fewer than 1% of bookings,  but none within 30 days of the trip
8. Meets all bullets on a list of certain safety criterea (first aid kits, smoke and CO alarms, emergency egress, blood borne pathogen training, emergency management plan, etc)
9. Pass and agree to an acceptable use policy on nondescrimination and diversity

Rewards of Super Host:

1. Preferrential views in searches
2. More trained/experienced customer service support on a special line
3. Accrewal of credits toward travel in smaller monthly increments

[Lizzie]

Hello @Jess78,

Great topic, it fantastic to see your suggestions here and thoughts around how you would like the program to work. Thanks so much for starting this.

I see you mention hosting 50 trips, I often see in the CC comments from long-term hosts asking for the number of trips to be reduced, but you are increasing it. It would be great to hear more of your thoughts around this.

What do others think about this and what you would include? 🙂

[Helen56]

10 trips seems fair - some people stay for a long time.

[Maurice77]

Hosting 50 trips may be ok in populated areas but in places like here where we only cater to tourists from June to early October, it would be pretty hard to get those numbers.  The fact that the reviews are done in early July, there is a slim chance that one would ever get "Superhost" status.  Most of my clients through Airbnb always make it a point to tell us how happy they are to be welcomed personally when they arrive.  They say it sets the scene for them to be able to meet the owners and to be given a tour of the site, ask questions etc. Although this seems to be important to so many clients, Airbnb's requirements for "Superhost" status doesn't seem to reflect that this is even important and are encouraging hosts to supply their guests with lock keys systems where the guest open and close the units themselves, many times never having any contact with the host.  We have hosted a fair number of clients who have told us that they only book with Superhosts.  We have just lost our Superhost status because we had one cancelation.....the first one in almost two years.  This means that I will have to explain to my guests all summer that I lost my "Superhost" status because of one cancelation

....I do not believe that this is fair to us as a host or to our guests.......

[Hector74]

Great list and it hits on all my issues with being a Superhost.  

Thanks for sharing!

[Ange2]

@Jess78   

I see your point but I think it's a bit too generalized for a site that markets  'unique' listings and it really doesn't cover what actually makes a good host, out of 9 criteria there is only one that refers to host engagement  and offering:  "Meets all guests in person or greets them via phone or text".

For example:

- "Has hosted at least 50 trips"  

what about hosts who do longer term stays it would take them years to get to 50 trips, whereas people with one-night option would qualify in as little as 50 nights.

-"If instant book setting is selected, has cancelled fewer than 5% of bookings due to any reason, but none within 30 days of the trip"

I have had to cancel IB because guests have not read the desciption, have pets, have babies and children, can't climb stairs,  want to bring more than 2 people – my max.,  etc.

I do not think a host should be penalized because a guest doesn't read.  Lucky for the guest that  I do cancel and explain why, because they would be more than unhappy if  I did not and they arrived and found it was not as birthed by their  imagination, thus could not stay but had to pay.

"Replies to all inquiries and reservations within 3 hours, on average"

I get many bookings with different time-zones, enough to skew an average.  If someone books at 2am it means I have to reply by 5am. Which means I would have to keep my phone on all night and be woken up at all hours.

[Helen56]

If you have a full time, or even part time job, then 3 hours is not reasonable.  I'm a teacher and never check my phone when I'm teaching!!  I don't even have time at break as I'm preparing for the next class, so 4 -5 hours without checking my phone.  

Also time zones!  They contact me at 9 am their time -could be 2 am here!!

24 hours is reasonable.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

Agree with a lot of the points made by @Ange2

Replying within 3hrs average? - let's think of time zones and people who do not host for a living. 

Hosting 50 trips? Seasonal hosts or those who prefer long(er) stays are at a clear disadvantage which I think is very unfair. And regardless of whether the host is using IB or not, cancelling a reservation because guests did not properly read the description or have clearly stated their intention to break a house rule should not even count as a cancellation. 

[Jess78]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 @Ange2

great ideas! Sometimes I only imagine my own hosting situation and it’s easy to forget there are so many innovative and equally good situations!

i think we can all agree that someone who hosts 10 one nighters should not qualify as a Superhost. Yet, anyway. Perhaps it would need to be more of a # of total nights hosted. 50 might be a good number for that? 10 five night stays. 

‘And yes there must be some demand on the guests that they book after reading the entire description!!! And hosts should be accountable from cancelling for bad reasons, like they can get a higher rate with someone else, or they got a bad feeling for no particular specific account. Airbnb must come up with a way to support both. The word they use for not canceling trips is “dependable”. I think hosts should have a 12 hr window to cancel after any instant booking or something, and after that maybe the penalty restrictions come to fore.

Good point on the 3 hrs suggestion, Jessica. I hadn’t factored in time zones. I think what I was getting at is that the very best of us always reply to guests much much quicker than 24 hrs given. I almost think 24 hrs is too much time to keep someone waiting for a reply. It is fair, yes, and shouldn’t be penalized. My point was that if you have a Superhost designation, it could mean that you communicate within 12 hrs or something much quicker. Again, we can look at averages on this and not absolutes. 

I realize it’s not necessarily statistical metrics that make a host great and reviews will reflect that.But on this platform, we have to use computerized metrics to decide on a standard. The point is that the current metrics don’t seem quite right in pinning down the very best of the best. 

Or, they could just not have it as a category at all, maybe and Just let our reviews speak for themselves. That would solve most of this conversation and keep everyone calmer about ratings!!!

[Kelly149]

Nights hosted does seem like a better point than trips. Bc guests are work every day they are in residence not just at checkin/out

[Mel101]

I second the thing about 4 or higher. Maybe it could be clearer how things like a score for location, for which we have no control, are factored in (or not) to the overall score? I think this would help allay fears. 

Obviously, I'm not a superhost, but I can't support the 3 hour response time. We have had to download apps that put our phones to bed, because my MIL has mid stage dementia with very disrupted sleep patterns, and the only way to stop her calling, e-mailing, fa ebooking and every other possible thing that alerts us is to have llama on all night, thus stopping notifications. So I'm not able to get notifications at night. Plus, Airbnb tends to send those naggy e-mails about how I've got a window to accept this or that at about 5am my time. Obviously, these go out from US servers, but after the first few, I am not that inclined to make an exception for Airbnb notifications. 

I'm also I interested in why no cancellations in the 30 day window? I haven't had a single guest that has booked with 30 day notice inthefirst place,  making compliance with this criterion impossible for me unless I never cancel anything ever.

[Bridlewood0]

I don't agree with #3 at all.  When I'm a guest - I definitely do not want to have to deal in person with the host (I also would never personally stay in a shared space - but that's personal preference).  And as a host - I have self-check in at my unit, and live 1500 miles away, so I'd have to pay my property manager to go meet them.   We give them a phone # if they need to reach us and there's someone available to go over as needed. 

[Deb125]

Everyone here seems to be so one sided.. there are many listings on AIRBNB that are a whole home listing, which means the host doesn't live there.. someone isn't renting just a bedroom, they're renting the entire house or a condo.  That being said, it is important to get to know the traveler, but not be "invasive" which can be accomplished via text or airbnb's email system.  Others also advertize not only on AIRBNB but also on two other sites, one in particular has been a better source for myself and my friends that also own condos here on Maui,  that being said, Airbnb seems to be more of a fill in for us.  50 bookings?  CRAZY, there are 52 weeks in a year, many people book a week to two weeks at a time.  The amount of bookings you get thru AIRBNB doesn't make you any better or worse of a host..   Airbnb's site as an example doesnt have a spot for state & local taxes, so the tax is included in the rates, which makes my rates 15% higher than the onsite rental office, who collects the tax when the guests check in.   I have had guests ask to cancel after they make a booking, I've done that for them,  and have been penalized by AIRBNB for it.. how is that fair? I have also asked guests after they instant book, how many people will be staying.. Sometimes they tell the truth.. the limit in the condo is 6 (hawaii's law for a 2bd home/condo) they tell me 8 people are coming.. then I can't accomodate them, there isn't enough room.. they're violating the laws.. not me, yet if I cancel them I am penalized.  There are lots of factors that are involved in AIRBNB's superhost "carrott" that are not fair for anyone.  Basically answering inquiries, getting good reviews should be the top catagories.. and yes there are the guests out there that want something for nothing.. and will leave a bad review.. those should be discarded by airbnb, because they know who they are.  I've also seen reviews that were glowing, however the person thought one star was the top instead of 5 stars..  I think one of the worst things about AIRBNB is that you can't find your listing nor advertise it by putting it on a business card, so my business cards include my phone number, email address and another sites number. 

[Maurice77]

I totally agree with Deb.  The way the rules are now regarding Superhost status....it doesn't encourage Hosts to go the extra mile.....a cancelled booking and it's gone...it's that simple.

[Fred13]

The one requirement I am a fan of to be Superhost it is more about time, not a minimum # of bookings; in example the minimum of being a host is 6 months or a year. Shows consistentcy. At the existing  minimum of 10, it is plausible to become a Superhost within 2 weeks, with the right timing and short enough stays.