Concerned about the new host measurement "reservation percentage accepted" with a goal of 88%

[Paul594]

I noticed a new host measurement that tracks the percentage of reservations you accept and the goal is set at 88%  Currently my rating is 66%.  My concern is I NEVER turn down a reservation request unless the guest has specifically asked to break one of our house rules.  As a rough guees 70% of the requests I decline are for children.  Our listing says not suitable for children or infants and I have it spelled out in the details as well.  20% are for extended long terms stays of more than 8 days.  I also clearly have this listed that we do not rent out the unit long term.  10% are for people requesting to use the property for a party, and again we clearly say no parties.

I have three points I guess:

1: Airbnb is supposed to have guests agree to house rules before they can book.  Why do they still send these requests through to me instead of blocking the guest from making the request?

2.  In such an instance the decline really should not count against my acceptance percentage.

3.  Finally does anyone have any tips on how to stop these requests?  I've tried being specific and detailed in my listing over and over again but 1/3 of the requests I get still start with" "Hi I see you have some rules and I want to break them."

[Giselle1]

I've noticed that too - I refuse very few reservations - generally it's only if someone doesn't have a profile photo, or, like you, they want things that go against the house rules. I'm below the 88% too - only just below, but I'm still not sure why it's that low given how few requests I refuse. 

[Patrick395]

Same here, with the exception that I have a rating of 86%, yet I have never declined any requests, how can this be..I have been using Airbnb for 2 years, and never refused a reservation request. My ratings are now flagged to say that I need to work on my listing..!! Like to know what else I can do..!!

[Dianna2]

Because if you don’t hit accept, your rating goes down. I have not declined one request yet, just didn’t hit accept and am down 83% Some inquiries turned to “not possible” and my percentage is still going down.

[Robin4]

@Paul594

What I would love to know Paul is, who do they consult with before they put these stupid edicts into place? Certainly not with any of their bread and butter!

We are finding an issue with the review system Paul. Airbnb have pi*sed around with to the point where guests do not want to be involved with it any more. A guest may enjoy his stay and wish to rate it accordingly but, as soon as he marks the host less than a 5 somewhere or other, Airbnb wants to know....what went wrong, what does the host need to fix! The guest thinks, "nothing, it was ok, didn't send me into the stratosphere but it was ok, I don't want to mention a fault and get to annoy a good host.....I am out of it, not worth it!"

And Paul I have been told that by 10 guests this year, they would prefer no to be involved in a review!

We hosts are penalised because our property was where a guest could afford it but, not where he wanted it....ok, how is that the hosts fault?? How does that host get to fix that problem, decline the request and get stung in this stats.....brilliant, that really solves a problem from everyones perspective doesn't it.....SShheeeee!

We hosts get penalised if we do not respond to a guest request within 24 hours! We can issue pre-approval after pre-approval and never hear another da*n thing from the guest...they never get penalised.

Paul, I am seriously begining to dislike that fact that my hosting is not to be trusted by Airbnb!

My guests love my style, in the last year I have hosted over 100 guests who have left here feeling I did myself and Airbnb credit. Why is that not good enough, I am a Superhost, why do I need to improve on what I am doing or be continually warned about what I should be doing......and why do my guests get continually asked what I did wrong.

The problem is Paul...... the people who write these programs are not hosts, they have a brief to grow the business and that is what they are paid to do.

We have to, as a group, really start to get our act together and let the company know in no uncertain terms that a lot of these program are written with the best of intent but the end result does not have a baring on that intent....They need to start talking to us hosts, and actually listen to what we say, not just mouth off a few silly plattitudes!

Cheers.....Rob 

[Michael99]

Rob,

I am in line with much of what you state here. I hate those notes from Airbnb that say you need to improve just because a guest was not totally satisfied or bothered to read more about the place they booked. 

Being penalized for not accepting 88% is frustrating. I book and rent with several properties a few 100 guest a year. I am sure I contribute to their bottom line in a small way. But the guest I turn away have not read the rules and do not meet minimum age but try to book anyway. 

Guess I am not cut out to be a Superhost based on Airbnb's "one-size fits all" guidelines. 

[Ange2]

@Paul594  

 I point the guest to the description and rules : no pets, no children, max. two people and ask them to cancel their request to book so I do not have to decline.

If it's an inquiry I just send a message re: unsuitability: no pets, no children, max. two people – for an inquiry a message alone suffices.

[Michael99]

I do the same - (unsuitable)  and is why my ratings for Acceptance is below 88% on some properties - some above, some are below. Frustrating that guest are not held to reading and agreeing to the house rules before inquiring or instant booking. Now facing loosing my superhost rating in July.

[Paul594]

Ange - I'm going to try this and see how it works.  I think that my current settings and airbnb settings mean that even if someone sends a request the dates are open.  I'm curious how many people you end up having to decline anyway because they do not cancel their request?

[Dianna2]

If you just send a message back and don’t accept the inquiry, your percentage goes down. I have not declined one bquiry, just answered and have 83% now! It is insane. If you don’t accept, it’s like  as if you hit declined

[Sam326]

This is an outrageous metric and I am surprised Airbnb has not gotten more pushback on this. I have instant book turned on and require the user to have at least one positive previous review, with no negative reviews.

So by definition, my incoming reservation requests are from users with either no reviews, or those with a negative review — both circumstances that I would normally decline the booking. So if I am understanding this correctly, from this pool of people, I am now expected to accept 88% of these people that I really would never normally accept? 

[Michael99]

That seems to be the case.

I was surprised that there has not been more talk on this standard as well. Airbnb is using a "one-size fits all" approach for their metrics. 

We are being forced to sell-off our committment to booking to those who meet the minimum requiements we set to rent our properties by accepting bookings from anybody that inquires. 

[Dianna2]

I agree w you it is absolutely outrageous! I have guests that don’t read my listing and ask if I have cats, and after I answer, they say sorry I am highly allergic and even wo hitting decline, my percentage goes down! I have not declined one guest and my percentage is at 83.

[Rebecca528]

I have the same problem as well. Airbnb's new on-size-fits-all approach stinks. (I don't like their new host UI either!) Honestly, no one should be penalized for a declined reservation due to wanting to break house rules, sketchy requests, etc. 

Used to love Airbnb but now thinking of switching to VRBO or elsewhere.

Rebecca

[Ivy44]

I’m at that point too. I’m pretty sure it’s my property. I decide, not software algorithms!