Customer Satisfaction

[Philip299]

I’ve used Airbnb almost 50 times in the last several years.

Recently I posted a review of one of my stays, giving a 4 out of 5 stars. When I followed up with customer support they could not show me where my review posted that score. I was told that it all goes into the total score and that I should be satisfied with that.

i am not as that is the same thing as when I go vote on an electronic machine with no paper trail. I have no way of knowing if my review actually influenced the score.

i also would like to see how many reviews each person has made. When I read a review of a place by a user, it would be very beneficial to know whether the poster has made one other review or 30. Thus would add more weight to their review. Otherwise when you check out Airbnb pressures you to make a review and I think most people just take the easy way out.

[Eva170]

Am I understanding correctly that you used Airbnb as a guest and you want to see the host's overall score lowered due to your review? You can see how many total reviews the listing has. Or are you saying your review should count more than other guests' because you have stayed in 50 Airbnbs?

[Philip299]

I used Airbnb as a guest and would like to know that my vote counted. There is no way to know what affect my review had as I have not been able to verify what my score was.

In addition, I would find it useful to know how many times someone has posted a review. For example, some people complain about a place, but it is the only time they opine. Others will write reviews about many places, and in those reviews there are many they like and one or two they don’t. I like to know that so I can form my own opinion about whose review I want to pay attention to. I’m more likely to take the latter example more seriously than the former.

[Mark116]

@Philip299 Oh believe me, your review counted.  If you gave your host a 4/5 overall you may even have succeeded in ruining his business.  I'm not sure what kind of 'effect' you want to see  here, but please, rest assured, that all stars are factored into the host ratings, and 4/5 will always, always hurt the host.

[Sarah977]

@Philip299  Rest assured your review was counted. This forum is full of distraught hosts wondering why a guest just gave them a 3* review. Air bnb penalizes hosts for bad ratings.

I'm not sure, as a guest, what you have access to on the site- but maybe you can cross-reference-If you're looking at a place and want to see what other kind of reviews a guest has left, try clicking on the guest's profile photo, that should take you to their profile with all the reviews they have received from other hosts, then click on those hosts' photos to see how the guest rated them. Bit of a slog, and like I said, not sure if it's visible that way to guests.

It's also useful, if you're wondering how seriously to take other guest's reviews, to see how all their previous hosts rated them. You will often see that a complaining guest was actually a bad guest- all their previous hosts said they were difficult, or slobs, or acted entitled or refused to respect the house rules.

[Philip299]

I’m just starting to get the feeling that most of the reviews are no longer worth it. I do cross reference a lot, I do my work to examine where I am going, within the confines of what is available. 

Airbnb does pressure a user via email to send reviews and I think people default too easily on what is simple to do. 

I was in the restaurant business for 25 years so I take comments seriously and would like to think that others do to, but I no longer have the faith I had when I first started to use Airbnb when it started. It seems as if it has been so successful that there is no real control to the methodology used and I’m not sure I believe what I read too much anymore. Too many great places which deserve 5 stars are being put into a system where everyone (almost) has excellent ratings.

[Philip299]

I tried to see anything about the people who have reviewed, but am unable. Probably just a tool for the hosts to use.

You can see how frustrating this now is. I have no information other than what is posted, with no

comfort level at all about how real these reviews are. I would love to know more. 

If I go on something like tripadvisor, I can see how many reviews a person has made, actually see more of their reviews, and make some kind of judgement as to how valid their reviews are. I’m afraid I’m losing my faith in this site. Shame, I have used it a lot over the last five years. I guess buyer beware still remains the best caveat.

[Sarah977]

@Philip299  I can definitely see where it would be beneficial for guests to see what star ratings were given for various things. 

[Alex-and-Vaughan0]

> Air bnb penalizes hosts for bad ratings.

Airbnb penalizes hosts for *ratings less than 5 stars*.

[Beth80]

@Philip299

As a host that also uses Airbnb as a guest I was curious about your question. I don't know why you aren't being able to see your review. Although it only appears after the host has also done their review or 14 days. Your next question about multiple reviews by the same guest. Each guest gets to review their stay, that stay, one time. If they stay again then they are asked to review that new stay. So like on my listing I get people who stay for two days, go on a week long hike then stay again. They make two reservations and get to review each reservation separately. You as a potential guest can see each and every review on my listing. But as a guest you can not see the reviews that a previous guest has made at other stays. Airbnbs review at of star is not very good and anything less than 5* is considered Bad and we are quickly penalized. 

[Philip299]

I’m fascinated by the responses I have seen from hosts. 

To be clear, I can see what I have written and not any of the scores I have given. There are many different categories, so if I give a 5 in communication and 4 for location and 4 for a bit better than expected (I have high expectations or I don’t book), and a 4 overall, I am happy. I’m disappointed that Airbnb penalizes you if you don’t get a 5 star. Not everything is excellent and perhaps there should be a system with a larger degree of grades. Maybe a 100 point system, so that a score of 80 and 98 are seen as differently. Instead of having given a 4 to one of the places i gave, I would have given an 88 or 90, not a 100.

Also, I think it would be useful to know how many times a particular guest has used and reviewed a place. Not everyone does and some feel just the need to get Airbnb to stop sending emails, so they answer whatever is easier. 

[Sandra856]

@Philip299 There is so much more to airbnb and the rating system than most guests might think there is. For instance many of us hate the rating system. If we receive anything below 5 star ratings we are penalized hard. Any host needs to have at least 4,7 to stay a host and 4,8 to stay a superhost. So when you give 4 star ratings you will hurt that host. If any host could see that you give less than 5 star ratings in your reviews my guess is that it would be really difficult and  hard for you to find a place to book. 

[Sandra856]

@Philip299 also if a guest chooses not to leave a review the host is penalized. Even if the host left the guest a review. 

[Sandra856]

@Philip299 BTW a 5 star rating doesn't mean = excellent. It just means that everything was as described in the listing. Luckily most of my guests know that. I offer a small budget priced room. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/sethporges/2016/06/29/the-one-issue-with-airbnb-reviews-that-causes-hos...

Airbnb changed the rating system Summer 2018 to be even harsher than before (he mention in the article that we had to have at least 80% 5 star ratings now it is different. 4,7 to host and 4,8 and up to become a superhost. So you can see any 4 star rating will drag down a host).

[Philip299]

Sandra,

Thanks for the link to the Forbes article. Never knew. Should be required reading for all users. Also read from someone that no review is penalized as well.

So are all guests as clueless as I am to how the rating system works? It goes to the heart of what I have been saying, BEFORE I found out from hosts how ridiculous this is to them.

What to do, go back to hotels? I like being in a home or apartment (location in actual living areas of towns makes them a big plus for me) but if this becomes a hassle or I think I’m being duped by the system, that may be what happens.