Goodbye to Superhost before I even get it? Declined one booking - Got this message

[Tif1]

So This week for the first time I declined a booking  Don't have instant book, and to be honest there was something that I just didn't like about the proposed guest, he had no reviews, was a bit brusk in the opening email, and asked if he could have a later check out. I said no because I didnt want to take the booking and declined Thought that was the end of that. He then wanted to book again and i declined that, and didn't think about it. So it seems that declining a booking does affect you!! I don't understand the target above. I have had 12 bookings, all accepted, a few enquiries that I answered within the time, which didn't become bookings,   and this is the first one I have declined so how the hell did i get 86% Anyone any ideas?

I guess that also means that despite reaching target for the superhost requirements I will not get that because if this.  It is so frustrating all these rules.  We should be able to decline a booking that we aren't comfortable with surely. So essentially I am not allowed to decline bookings, at ALL?  I seriously don't know if I can be bothered with this anymore. I really don't understand where 86% comes from. Can anyone explain it to me?

I thought you could decline bookings and not be penalised, or is there now something new that  I am not aware of . Any input greatly received, because I really don't know if I want to continue with this with all the rules that are so stacked against hosts, and in favour of guests on this platform.

[Gillian19]

@Tif1 Where does it say it will affect your ability to become a super host?  It's not one of the criteria 

[Gillian19]

@Tif1The message above is just one of Airbnbs ways of treating hosts like pre schoolers.

[Tif1]

@Gillian19see the topic Losing your superhost status for not following through on reservation request hosting   A guy posted there about this

[Gillian19]

@Tif1 Doesn't mean it's true though!

[Sarah977]

@Gillian19  Acceptance rate is definitely something we're graded on.

@Tif1 12 accepted requests out of 14 (that guest sent a booking request twice, which you turned down twice) is indeed 86%.

And if you just declined this in January, you have time before the next assessment period to have that % go up with more requests and no declines.

Whenever you feel you need to Decline a Booking Request (as opposed to an Inquiry, which it seems you're aware you can simply reply to), you should contact Airbnb to let them know why you need to decline it and make sure there's no penalties to you for doing so. If I were you, I'd contact Airbnb to point out that the same guy sent another request after you'd already turned down the first one. They claim they can't change %s, but it's worth a try.

[Paul154]

Two issues

1. You haven't gotten SuperHost Status. 

    Obession with the Superhost status can make a person crazy. It can also make you lose your goal of                Making Money efficiently and easily. I have never had SuperHost status and can match any

    superhost's profit. I also sleep at night without worry.

2. You don't have IB and you are declining reservations.

     You have an apartment. Why are you declining reservations and $$? You are not sharing a room in your         house.

      Unless there is egregious proof (bad or no reviews, disrepect or lying during the reservation process) you are passing up $$

[Gillian19]

@Tif1@Paul154 I'm with Paul on this. So many hosts obsess over becoming and staying a superhost that they fall over themselves to accommodate every guests whim and bad behaviour. I get enough bookings and I'm not a superhost either (and probably never will be). 

But as I said before, decline rate has nothing to do with it.

The following are the requirements tobecome a SuperHost:

1. Hosted at least 10 trips
2. Maintained a 90% response rate or higher
3. Received a 5-star review at least 80% of the time you’ve been reviewed, as long as at least half of the guests who stayed with you left a review
4. Completed each of your confirmed reservations without cancelling

[Zoe169]

Actually  

Superhost requirements

• Completed at least 10 trips OR successfully completed 3 reservations that total at least 100 nights
• Maintained a 90% response rate or higher
• Maintained a 1% percent cancellation rate (1 cancellation per 100 reservations) or lower, with exceptions made for those that fall under our 
• Maintain a 4.8 overall rating

[Gina32]

I'm with @Paul and  on this too. Don't worry about being a super host. take the bookings and make the money - that's what everyone else is doing. 

I'm never going to make it to super host either because I have lots of listings (variations on my properties) and Air bnb keep telling me I have work to do on three lisitngs  ha ha...then they say "Guests expect a consistent level of quality, no matter where they stay.....what a joke My listings are all cleaned by the same people and managed by me personally.

My comment to Aribnb is "Hosts expect consistancy in guests" ...but that's not going to happen is it.

Guests attitudes are going to change from day to day. So what is ideal for one is not going to please another.

The whole "super host" rating is flawed. I actually exceed the criteria in several categories.

What you’re doing wellIf you meet all the Superhost criteria, you’ll earn or keep your Superhost status during the next assessment.

 

 

Response rate

100%

90%

 

Cancellations

0/yr

0/yr

 

Stays hosted

10 stays in the past year

42 stays

10 stays

- or -

100 nights over at least 3 stays

148 nights and 42 stays

100 nights and 3 stays

 

Trips reviewed

78%

50%

 

 

And this is my rating just for one room.

What you’re doing well

Requirement

You

Target

 

 

Overall rating

4.9 󰀄

4.7 󰀄

 

Response rate

100%

90%

 

Cancellations

0/yr

0/yr

 

Accepted reservations

100%

88%

 

So I should be a Super Host for this room and several others aparently, but the system says no you're not super.

I manage two properties, I have 10 listings  over those properties, I do my best to greet each incoming guest, provide extras for them and run around making sure their stay is perfect.  But I'm still not Super.

 

And one more gripe I'm not sure I want to be a super host. I had a message from one this week asking for a room, she was making special requests whilst ensuring I knew she was a "Super Host" . She ended up deciding not come come this far that night and didn't book. I wished her well and asked where did she find to stay. She was so super she did not even have the manners to reply.

@Gillian19

[Sarah977]

@Gina32 I agree that no one should be losing any sleep over not making Superhost, or losing it for one reason or another. To be honest, when I first listed, a little over 2 years ago, a friend who was already hosting showed me how to navigate the site, advised me what settings I might want to use, etc. and I just started hosting. I was never even aware of Superhost until one day I got that "Congratulations!" message. Then I had to scout around to find out what it even was good for, which isn't actually much, but I know there are some guests who've told me they do try to book with Superhosts. 

As far as that snotty Superhost who tried to book with you, there's nothing about being a Superhost that ensures you're a nice or respectful person. Or that you're not. I have a neighbor who hosts and she gets great reviews for the most part, but she's the nastiest neighbor I've ever had. She's only nice to people when she perceives them to be of some use to her, like guests who are paying her to stay. Then she puts on this act like she's the greatest host in the world. I can hear her gushing and fake laughing all the time when her guests show up. Meanwhile she's managed to alienate all her neighbors with her "princess" attitude.

[Sandra126]

I try to accept as many as I possibly can, even when unsuitable. As in your guy: I would ACCEPT but say ''no, you need to stick to the standard checkout. I can do 30 mins later but no more than that. If this is not acceptable to you, perhaps find another listing which is more suitable to your needs. ''

I get a great may requests which are impossible (too many guests, toddlers, etc) and if I can, I accept  with the BUT. Normally this works, but my last one became furious and threatened to report me to Air which is upsetting considering she was the one making requests outside the boundaries I have set out. However, I still think this is best as I cannot keep declining or my listing would suffer.

Every decline slips you down in the ranking as well!

But don't worry about Superhost, no point worrying. You get it or you don't, just do the best you can.

[Denise80]

 @Sandra126 @Paul154 @Sarah977 @Gillian19, what would happen if  @Tif1 (or anyone in same sort of situation) simply blocked out one night in the middle of the dates. Would the prospective guest get a message that the dates are unavailable? Or maybe this is not possible on Air? The dates could simply then be unblocked a day or two later to open up the calendar.

[Sandra126]

As an aside, I have two listings: the whole house, and an extra garden room (which can only be booked if you have booked the house first). I have nowadays 100% acceptance for the house, and 17% for the garden room. I was about to be de-listed on the garden room based on the low acceptance rate, so I just block the calendar out now as a permanent thing and increase the amount as required on the house listing. So yes, you will definitely suffer from declines. My garden room was last in the listings (didn't worry me, in fact it was good so less people try to book) which would have been a result of declining. But I didn't want delisting. And if you wonder at which percentile you get delisted, I think it will happen at a slight step down from my 17%.

[Emiel1]

@Denise80,

If whole period is not available (because of 1 day blocked) , guest can not book it anyway.

If guest is not welcome anyway in future, block the guest for making bookings via  "report"-link on the profile.

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/2020/

Best regards,

Emiel