All About Reviews: A Community Help Guide

Dave-and-Deb0
Level 10
Edmonton, Canada

All About Reviews: A Community Help Guide

-----------------Update June 5th 2017--------------------

An updated version of this Community Guide is now available, click here to view.

 

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One of the most popular topics on the Community Center is reviews.  I have created this Community Help Guide to hopefully answer the most common questions and issues in one place.  If you have any other information you wish to share on the topic of reviews, please share them by responding to this post.  You can find my other Community Help Guides here and if this help you, feel free to give a thumbs up below! 

 

How do reviews work?

Approximately 24 hours after your guests checks out, you and your guest will have an opportunity to review each other on your experience.  Once the reviews are written, the guests review will be published to your profile and your review of the guest will be published to their profile.

 

When can a host or guest leave a review?

Airbnb will send an email approximately 24 hours after the guest checks out which will include a button with “Leave a Review” in it.  You click on this and it will take you to your Airbnb account where you can review your guest.

 

How can I write a review for a guest?

When you get your email or notification, click on the "Leave a Review" button and this will take this to the "review" section of your account.  

 

Here is what the email looks like:

review1.png

 

You can also go to your review section on your account and your review opportunity will be there.  Take a look at the image below where it says "Reviews By You".  There is a "1" beside it showing that I have one review to write.  Click on where it says, "Reviews By You"

 

reviews6.png

 

You will then have an opportunity to write you review for your guest by selecting "Write a Review".

reviews2.png

 

Once you choose "Write a Review", you will be taken to the page below.  Fill in the boxes and choose your star ratings for the guest (1 being poor and 5 being excellent).  The "Describe Your Experience" section is what will be posted publicly on your guest's profile but the private guest feedback only goes to the host.  You can then give a thumbs up or down depending if you would recommend this guest to other hosts (I believe this comes into play with your Instant Book settings).  Once this is all entered and you have checked for errors, you can then click "Submit".

 

reviews5.png

 

After you submit your review, you will be taken to a page to provide private feedback to Airbnb.  Enter feedback if you wish and then click "submit".

 

Reviews7.png

 

You will then get a confirmation page.  Click next and you are done providing your review.

 

Reviews8.png

 

What can I not say or do in a review - Review Guidelines

Your reviews of a guest or a guest’s review of you must fall within Airbnb Review Guidelines:


They don't allow:

  • Reviews that do not represent a user’s personal experience .
  • Reviews unrelated to the actual reservation (ex: political, religious, or social commentary).
  • Content that endorses or promotes illegal or harmful activity or violence, or is profane, vulgar, obscene, defamatory, threatening, or discriminatory.
  • Content that violates another person’s or entity’s rights, including intellectual property rights and privacy rights (ex: publishing another person’s full name, address or other identifying information without permission).
  • Content that is proven to be used as extortion.
  • Content that refers to an Airbnb investigation.

For full details of the review guidelines, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/262/what-are-airbnb-s-review-guidelines

 

How long after I leave a review will it be published?

This depends on whether or not you have already reviewed the guest.  You and your guest have 14 days to leave a review for each other.  Once you and your guest leave a review for each other, the review is posted immediately.  If you leave a review for your guest but they do not reviewed you, your review will automatically be published after the 14 day period expires.  

 

I had a guest who did not seem pleased.  If I do not leave the guest a review, can his/her review show up?

Yes, if the guest provides a review for you, their review will either show up when you post your review or after the 14 day review period ends.

 

How can I get a guest to provide a review?

For some guests, it does not matter what you do, they will not provide a review.  It could be that they are too busy or they are not good with technology.  So besides the guests who will not review you, how do you get the rest of the guests to review you?

 

Well, first of all, Airbnb sends out reminders to the guests to provide a review so hopefully this prods them to review you.

 

The first thing I do is write my review and then I send them a message through the Airbnb messaging system thanking them for their stay.  I then paste in my review for them to read and ask them to take the time to review me.  I also mention the importance of reviews and that usually reviews are the deciding factor when prospective guests book so their review would be greatly appreciated.

 

Here is an example:

Hi Adele,

Hope you enjoyed your stay. I just wrote you a review and would appreciate it if you could write me one as well.

“Here is what I wrote: "Although I did not get a chance to meet Adele, her communication was great.  Adele and her friend were excellent guests who left the suite in impeccable shape.  I would host Adele again and would recommend her in a heartbeat.  I look forward to meeting you on your next trip to Edmonton. “

Thanks again for choosing to stay with us Adele and I hope you are feeling better.

 

The other thing I do is send them a reminder text message about three days before the 14 day deadline.



Can a guest who cancelled leave a review?

A guest who cancels cannot leave a review for you.  For more information, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/368/can-i-leave-a-review-for-a-canceled-reservation

 

Can a guest who never showed leave a review?

Yes and No!  If a guest never shows up and does not cancel their reservation, there is no way of Airbnb knowing if the guest checked in or not.  You can still leave a review for the guest which could be something like, “Name was unable to stay during his scheduled reservation.  Throughout our transaction, he/she had great communication and I look forward to hosting this guest on any future trips”.

 

If a guest leaves you a negative review but never set foot in your listing, you should contact Airbnb to see if you can have the review deleted or modified to only show the guests experience such as communication since they cannot really accurately comment on the other categories.   

 

I have a review but I don’t see my star rating

You need to be reviewed three times before the star ratings will appear on your listing.  For more information, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/13/how-do-reviews-work

 

How can I see what I have received for star ratings under each category?

You can see your overall star ratings by viewing your live listing and scrolling down to your reviews at the bottom of your listing

 

stars.png

 

To get detailed reviews on star ratings for each category, click on the “Stats” section of your account and find the “Ratings by Guests” section.  You can then click on each category to see more detailed stats.  In order to figure out what each guest provides for stars, you will need to check this each time after a review and compare this to the previous time you checked.

 

star ratings.png

 

What can I do if someone leaves a negative review that is untrue?

Airbnb states, “Our community relies on honest, transparent reviews. We will remove or alter a review if we find that it violates our review guidelines.”

 

Become familiar with the review guidelines and if the guest violates any of these, contact Airbnb and see if they will remove the review.  They may remove a part of the review or the entire review.  I believe it is important to keep all communication through the Airbnb messaging system so if I find myself in this situation, I can back it up with messages to or from the guest.  

 

The more information you have to back up the false review, the better chance of having the review deleted or modified.  Also see below on how to respond to a bad review left by a guest.

 

How do I leave a review for a bad guest or respond to a bad review left by a guest?

Please visit Deborah's great article that covers this at the GlobalHosting Forum & Blog: “How to write a review for a bad guest (or respond to review)” .  While your there, take a few minutes and sign up as there is a wealth of information and a go to place for experienced hosts (and it's FREE)

 

What if I made a mistake on a review?

There does not seem to be a firm answer to this but my suggestion is always to contact Airbnb and see if they can edit the review for you.  Some hosts have had success with this while others have not.  It really comes down to what type of editing you need done and which customer service agent handles your phone call.  My advice is to proofread your review three times before submitting it.

 

Can I respond to a review?

Airbnb provides a chance for you to respond to a review that was written about you BUT you only have 14 days to leave the response.  Also note that once you submit your response, it is applied immediately and cannot be edited so ensure you have proofread your response before submitting it.  For more information on responses to reviews, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/367/can-i-reply-to-a-review

 

I respond to all my reviews and usually thank the guest for taking the time to provide a review and I tell them that I look forward to their return.

 

A common thing I see on the Community Center is hosts complaining about receiving a negative review from a guest and they then provide a lengthy response to that review often in an argumentative response.  If hosts are responding to a negative review, I encourage sticking to the facts and make it brief.  Often times the guest leaves quite a good review and by responding to the negatives, they are making the issue bigger than it may be for any future prospective guest to see.  If you are brief and don’t harp on the negative, the review will likely be buried in short time.  Let your great reviews speak for you!

 

One other note, if a guest provides negative private feedback, DO NOT respond to this in your response to a review as this will then make that issue public for prospective guests to see.

 

Can I leave a response to a response?

No!  Once you write your review and a guest responds, that is the end of the discussion.  You cannot respond to a response.   

 

I have people stay with me but not through Airbnb.  Can they provide me a review?

People who have stayed with you outside of Airbnb cannot provide you with a review BUT they can provide you with a reference.  For more information, check out this Help Guide: References

 

Can I transfer reviews from another site to Airbnb?

No but if you have your previous guests email or are friends with them on Facebook, you can have them provide a reference for you.  For more information, check out this Help Guide: References

 

Can I transfer my reviews to another account?

Some people have sold their house or want to transfer their reviews to another account.  Although reviews are about a particular listing, they are not tied to that listing but to your account.  If you sell your house or want someone else to run your listing for you, they would need to create their own account and make a new listing.  If you want someone to run your listing for you but keep your reviews, you would need to give them access to your account which could be very risky.

 

How can I respond to private feedback that a guest provided?

Guests have an opportunity to provide private feedback which will not be displayed in the review.  You cannot respond to this feedback through the review process but you can respond to it using the Airbnb messaging system.

 

If I delete a listing, will I lose my reviews?

You will not lose your reviews if you delete a listing as the reviews are tied to your account.  Airbnb states, “Past reviews of your listing will remain on your public profile—they cannot be removed.”  For more information on deleting your listing, you can check out this Help Guide: Delete A Listing(Deactivate)

 

I have an automated review that says, “The host cancelled this reservation __ days before arrival.  This is an automated posting.”  Why is that there and how can I get it removed?

This automated review is placed on your account because you likely cancelled on a guest and this is one of the penalties for cancelling on a guest.  To see other penalties for cancelling on a guest, visit https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/990/how-do-host-cancellation-penalties-work

 

You can contact Airbnb to see about the possibility of getting the review removed but this is usually for extenuating circumstances

 

Can I edit a review?

Yes and no.  When you write a review, you have 48 hours to edit your review UNLESS the guest has already written a review, a guest writes a review during the 48 hours editing time or the 14 day review period ends.  If you are wanting to edit a review that is already published, you could contact Airbnb and see if they will edit the review you wrote but this seems to be inconsistent.

 

What happens if the hosts or guest misses the 14 day deadline?

After 14 days, all reviews written will be published and you have lost the opportunity to provide a review.

 

What if I do not receive an email or notification to review a guest?

If you do not receive an email or notification to review a guest, contact Airbnb and they can usually fix this issue.  There have been some reports of some people being notified a couple days after checkout.

 

 

If you have any other tips, comments, or suggestions regarding reviews, please respond below and share with others.

 

Dave

 

David

Superhost Ambassador ~ Host Club Community Leader ~ Community Expert ~ Experienced Co-Host

62 Replies 62

@Caroline51

Your home is gorgeous, love your kitchen!

You should write a review of your guest regardless of whether they write one for you or not, especially if they were badly behaved in your home...future hosts should know. You will get an email or prompt on the dashboard showing you when the guest has left a review.

Carol33
Level 1
Austin, TX

I think the answer is probably "no" but I'll ask anyway. My property manager has moved on and I want to retain or transfer or even cut and paste reviews from the listing he was managing for me to the new one I have created. Is there any way to do this?

 

It's a shame that there is not a way to transfer listings between property managers and property owners so that reviews can be retained. 

 

Carol

Hi @Carol33,

 

The answer is "no" Carol.  What you could do though is maybe add some of your best reviews into some part of your listing description and Evelyn (anAirbnb guru) also has a great suggestion to add some parts of reviews to your picture description.

 

Dave

 

David

Superhost Ambassador ~ Host Club Community Leader ~ Community Expert ~ Experienced Co-Host

Hello @Dave-and-Deb0@Lizzie and the rest,

 

There are plenty of Hosts asking about the order of reviews and are expressing dissappointment over the the new method that is used which is bringing up older reviews which might be irrelevant today to one's property.

 

Is there any ongoing single conversation where people are discussing this or is it scattered among different conversations as I see it?

When such a situation arises, what is the best way to provide Airbnb immediate feedback, conduct polls, etc? How to pass on the poll results to Airbnb?

 

Thanks in advance 🙂

Jeet

 

River0
Level 1
Nashville, TN

My guests and I have not received the usual email after 24 hours. They can't review me, and I can't review them. Is the system down? Will the emails be sent retroactively? This is a key part of our plan, and we need the reviews to build our business -- please advise! Thank you

 

Hi @River0,

 

I would say that there may be an issue with the system right now but be patient as the review email will come.  I had a guest check out yesterday but did not get my review email until late this afternoon.  If you do not get it by tomorrow, I would contact Airbnb.

 

Dave

 

David

Superhost Ambassador ~ Host Club Community Leader ~ Community Expert ~ Experienced Co-Host

Marisa21
Level 2
Washington, DC

Hi Dave,

 

 I dont really know how to write (IF I should write!) a review for a guest who has caused some damages (black grease from biycle on white walls and scratches from the bikes themsleves on the walls)

 

the guests have good previous review, we had a private exchange... he said he understood he could bring the bikes in instead of leaving them in the private garden - it was raining with strong wind (he said his bike got damaged, but didnt ask for anything and i didnt see the bike)... I have repainted the dirtied areas but i dont really know what to write in the review... dont want to leave a bad one, but i dont know if i should simply skip this one. We left the conversation in 'friendly terms'.

Any tips?

 

thanks a million!

@Marisa21 Unless you put @Dave-and-Deb0, Dave won't get your message directly.  But to answer your question, my yardstick for reviews is whether I would want this guest back again.  If yes, the guest gets a good review, excellent if warrented.  If no, then I will leave a not so good to bad review depending on the circumstances.  How do you feel about this guest?

Hi @Clare0... thank you! for teaching me, I'm new on airbnb and till now everyguest has been really nice, neat and respectful. 

Thank you for the advise that I'll follow!

Marisa

Hello,

I'm hoping to get some insight from all of you experienced hosts. We received a review of "X" stars from a guest despite literally going above and beyond for them. Carried their luggage (very heavy) upstairs at check in, carried it downstairs at checkout, had a bottle of water and cups waiting for them to drink at night if they so pleased, offered them dinner when they were about to head out (it was late and not an issue for us... They happily accepted), offered them beer thinking they would join us to chat a little (against our house rules they headed upstairs with dinner and beer in hand)... The review that we received does not portray their experience or tell us much, we kinda want to reach out and ask for feedback as we believe it can only help us get better.

Thanks,

Chris
Parth-and-Mana0
Level 1
Calgary, Canada

Awesome article, and very accurate information.  I had a question, Is there a way to highlight our best and most accurate review first? I did receive a tip from air-bnb to do this before but I didnt do and now I can't find how to do it! Just another way to promote our profile!

thanks in advance,

Mana

Hi!

 

Will I be notified when a guest leaves me a review? 

 

Cheers,

Julia

Betty-B--M-0
Level 10
Nairobi, Kenya

Thanks for this guide @Dave-and-Deb0

Just a quick question: is there some sort of feeling about responding to reviews?

I've seen people respond with generic comments such as "thank you, come again," while others have no response at all.

Has anyone got any ideas about this and how it is perceived?

Thank you!

Betty, first thanks for using the community help guide!!! I would suggest starting a new discussion in the hosts forum as I think it's an interesting question.

Andrew - see community help guides for many great FAQ

Can I see private feedback that I have provided to guests?