AirBnB's upcoming Superhost rating system is a nightmare.

Tony-and-Tania0
Level 5
New South Wales, Australia

AirBnB's upcoming Superhost rating system is a nightmare.

What planet do you live on, AirBnB?

 

I've hosted hundreds of guests for years (remembering only 30% of guests leave reviews on my listing), retaIned Superhost ever since receiving it, and break my back ensuring guests have an amazing stay and create fantastic memories when they're here. Why should I suffer at the hands of people that don't read and don't care. People who book, lie about understanding the listing and reading our rules just to get in the door, then leave us bad reviews?  Reviews which show that the guest clearly did not read the listing - thereby breaching AirBnB's own T.O.S, that you then refuse to remove regardless? And this is your practice before the upcoming changes. Are you bloody mad? 

 

You are robbing us of our own self-determination and putting all of the marbles in the hands of fickle, non-accountable, occasionally disgusting and vindictive guests.  Your upcoming rating system is the antithesis of sane. You've been told countless thousands of times by all of us all over the forums here that it is so bad it's borderline, nay, exceeding parody. Look at your forums, look at all of the threads - can you hear us all? do you care? 

 

The upcoming rating system is masochism. It's mental health destruction in its upkeep and retention. You're giving us all blood pressure, anxiety and fear. 

 

This is not how you treat people that uphold a gold standard on your own platform. 

 

Listen to us. 

 

 

 

 

59 Replies 59
Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Ginna1

Your opinion, and you're welcome to it. But how is it "insulting" and "condescending"? A little ott IMO. 

So, I gather you like this coming 4.8 minimum in Julky vs. 4.7; to lessen the situation where 'too-many are getting a trophy'?

Stay-Asheville0
Level 10
Asheville, NC

I'm not particulalry worried about it.  This year I'm finally going to start taking bookings again without airbnb, while still relying on this traffic.  Frankly I think that everyone who's relying solely on Airbnb will eventually become like so many ebay business owners a decade ago.... is it really your business?  It sounds like most hosts I talk to essentially work for Airbnb without realizing it.   What happens when Airbnb removes your listing?  There are many guests who will never use airbnb again as well... 

 

The changes they're making to everything sounds like some person higher up wanted to fix something that wasn't broken and needed no improvement.  It's hard for companies to just let things be.

 

 

Well said! I recently was in a discussion about short term rental ecosystem, and came to a similar conclusion -- hosts need to diversify their listing / marketing platforms. Airbnb has definitely shifted more towards promote & protect the renter side of the marketplace. Many recent policy changes (e.g. cancellation policy) are built to favor guests. The good news is that there are still many alternatives are getting developed, and still gets plenty Venture Capital love. 

What other alternatives are there for Airbnb?

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

 

I think in order to understand what's going on here we should leave the host position for a moment and put ourselfes into the airbnb position.

 

The problem is, airbnb is getting too successful, they must be getting thousands or tenthousands of new listings every month. But they already do have 4 Million listings, homeaway has 1.6 M and booking claims they have the same. So airbnb has more than twice the inventory compared to the combined inventory of their competition.

 

In many areas there already is an oversupply of airbnbs. Hosts complain about „quiet times in Toronto“ and elsewere. To stay in business they have to reduce their prices. The big international Cities are a saturated market for airbnb already, they cannot grow in these markets anymore by adding new listings. Also more and more cityregulations are coming up to restrict airbnb rentals or prohibit them alltogether.

 

So what can airbnb do?

 

1. They can set almost unachievable goals for superhosts and so force their hosts to unbelievable efforts to remain their status. Hosts have to fulfill the most unappropriate demands of some dudes to keep their SH-status. The new requirements to be a Superhost are a review average of 4.8, that's 96% of the maximum possible 100% wich is 5.0 average. They want the best of the best of the very best hosts only to be SHs.

 

2. They can set the minimum requirement of 4.7 average review rating to stay listed. Also almost unachievable, two dudes can kill You.

 

3. They can restrict the number of nights rented out per year. That's what they did in Paris. Maximum of 120 nights rented per year right now. This obviosly does reduce the supply.

 

 

Airbnb has no demand in new hosts and they are not concerned about existing hosts leaving as they have too many already. And only the strongest will survive.

 

How can airbnb increase their business?

 

1. They can allow hotels as hotels will not be affected by Cityregulations. And they do allow hotels now.

 

2. They can allow agencies as these also bring in an inventory that is in general not relatet do city appartement rentals and they do allow agencies now.

 

 

3. They can go for the classic Vacation rental market, listings that are very common on homeaway eg. and they do go for that market now.

 

I myself for example do have such a classic vacation rental, in the industry You call that a beach/mountain/Disney rental. I'm out in the country, no regulations from the city (better village) house sleeps 10, average stay one week and expensive compared to a small room in a flat someplace. I'm renting my place through a couple of platforms and have been pretty much booked out the last years. I don't need airbnb and they know that. I have rejected a couple of booking inquiries and never got a warning from airbnb. I have no single guest review so far but I'm always on top of their search results.

 

We all must try to understand that the focus of airbnb is not to satisfy theirs hosts or superhosts by deleting retaliatory reviews, their focus is how can they handle the oversupply of listings and how can they grow as their traditional city markets are saturated.

 

I can only warn everybody out there who has a city rental to rely on airbnb as a reliable source of income, the rules can change any minute and You are delisted.

 

@Tony-and-Tania0, wrote: „can you hear us all? do you care?“ Well, maybe they don't and they won't.

 

What would You do if You were in the shoes of airbnb?

 

 

@Tony-and-Tania0

 

"They want the best of the best of the very best hosts only to be SHs."

 

fine..not a problem.... I can get a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor for far less hassle ...and have the bookings there....if Airbnb dont want them fine.....their choice..

@Mike340, You are right. I filled my place in the past through all kind of other platforms and was doing well. Late last year I startet with airbnb as it cannot hurt and I thought maybe I will get to know some interesting guests. I liked the "live like a local" idea. Meanwhile I'm getting a little uncomfortable. If airbnb is pushing to hard, maybe this is not the place for me to be.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

@Tony-and-Tania0 There are over 200 comments on a post I did here recently entitled 'Review System Needs To Be Revised'. You will find that all hosts agree with you. So far, 'crickets' from Airbnb...

Pete28
Level 10
Seattle, WA

To add another twist to the knife, I've noticed that each guest review now shows a star rating next to it. Airbnb seems to have gone from a host friendly approach to one in which each bad review - is highlighted.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

Allowing guests to rate hosts without giving guests the information about exactly how the star ratings affect hosts is akin to handing someone a loaded gun who doesn't know how to shoot.

Or educating them on the fact that it should stay on 'safety lock' till intent to use it.

Sean119
Level 10
Blue Hill, ME

@Tony-and-Tania0  Three words to understand and factor in all your business decisions:

 

AIRBNB.  DOESN'T.  CARE.

 

Accepting this, knowing it to be true and immutable (despite Lizzie doing an excellent job assuring hosts otherwise), and realizing it "ok" they don't care will allow you to sleep well.  

 

Happy Hosting!

Too true. I had a long term rental I was thinking of moving over, but no way.

 

Just too many endless random changes, and a single crazy bad review can basically sink you for 6 months. Just had someone give me 3* because they felt there should be more mirrors in the unit. WTF ? Already has one in bedroom, one in bathroom. 

 

But I digress. I'm glad I have only one unit tied up in it.

Evan83
Level 2
Jakarta, Indonesia

I totally agree. This superhost system is just too hard to follow. I am still lucky to be a superhost for almost 2 years now. But phewwww not an easy one for sure. And when people just easily put a lower star for a kidding..... it is seriously unfair. We take this seriously unlike them.

 

I hope Airbnb can have a more justification system for this unfair star review by the guest.

 

Thanks