Guest reviews: they are asked to list what amenities you offered. What is the point???

[Karina-Каринa0]

I have had less and less reviews from the guests this summer. I was a bit puzzled, but as I travelled as an Airbnb guest myself, I understood why. In the review I was asked if there was a washing machine, a coffee maker, hair dryer.... I got mad at having to click through all these things, and I am an active host and thus more motivated than most!!!

If Airbnb wants to check whether the host really provided these things, they could send in the gendarmerie! A guest feels annoyed at having to verify that a dozen different services were provided. "What am I, a surveyor?" was my thought. I almost stopped filling the review to the end, but then did it because the host was sweet and I wanted to give her good points.

Basically, if some item was promised, not provided and important to the guest, it comes up in the review. No need to make the guest go through a checklist.

Is there a way we hosts could influence this questionnaire? It is unfair to exept the guest to fill in lengthy questionnaires about the availability of shampoo or tea. That is the job of Airbnb. If Airbnb makes it so cumbersome to make a simple review, they should not be surprised that less reviews get written.

[Armando-and-Emily0]

Hi Susan, are you sure about this? Under each of my pasts guests details, there are components which the guest rates up to 5 stars. Location and Value are both listed. If the rating isn’t high enough, it affects the overall rating which needs to be 4.8 or higher (amungst other prerequisites) to become a super host.

[Susan151]

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@Armando-and-Emily0 wrote:

Hi Susan, are you sure about this? Under each of my pasts guests details, there are components which the guest rates up to 5 stars. 

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Yes. I am 100% sure. The Overall star rating is NOT an average of the other categories. It is a separate rating made by the guest as part of their review. Just as you select a different star rating for guests– communication, observence of house rules, cleanliness, the guest is asked to rate Overall, Accuracy, Check-in, Cleanliness, Communcation, Location and Value.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Armando0 &Emily

Location has nothing to do with your overall rating.

Location is subjective, what is one person’s tranquil peaceful setting is another persons nowhere’s ville.

[Jim-and-Marcia0]

Location can indeed impact a guest's perception of the property and lead them to give a four star overall. Several times we've had guests who gave us five stars in every category except location and then give us an overall score of four stars. So unfortunate, especially since the guest choses the location when they book. I like what Armando & Emily suggest for improving the type of questions asked of guests.

[Roberta150]

  My listing has also been penalized for location by some guests for being 1.5 hours from the Grand Canyon though staying right next to the GC means paying a lot more and making reservations anywhere from six to twelve months in advance. The location of my home is great in my town due to many reasons. It's frustrating that some guests are so egocentric that when they fill out the rating categories they are thinking only about themselves and how the stay wasn't perfect for them, yet they chose the location and the listing!

  I've also detected a recent tendency of guests not reading my listing, House Rules, etc. prior to booking, and being surprised and unhappy with some rules when they get here - which are posted in the entryway besides being in my listing. They only look only at the photos and price before booking, and seem to think all Airbnb listings are the same and just like a hotel (come and go when you want  throughout the day, have the entire place to themselves, etc.)

  A few guests have been shocked when I came out of my master bedroom in the morning to say hello and get my coffee (the door is not obvious.) Then gave me a less than five-star review for overall because THEY didn't realize I live here - because THEY didn't read my listing before booking! Guess what, getting an entire place costs more. Two groups left a night early because I was living in my own home and they didn't realize they wouldn't be alone here.

  Airbnb used to advertise that guests could experience a location like a local. Now it's all about luxury. The photos they use are of amazing, huge, expensive homes/apartments in exotic cities that are filled with expensive furnishings and decor obviously professionally staged, with infinity pools and spectacular views. Unless you happen to own one of those places, the rest of our listings looks plain and sub-par even if hosts have gone over-and-above to decorate, clean, and give great amenities (within reason.) How can the now over 5 million listings all be super luxury places?

  I can't wait for my last six bookings to be over and then I'm out of Airbnb hosting. If I ever host again in my new home (am selling this one and moving by the sea) I'll do it independently with my own website and one of the booking apps now available. And only if guests have a separate space away from my living area. My past guests have ruined my home for me because I've had too many toxic people here and bad memories. I used to love it and now hate it.

  No more Airbnb for me - I absolutely hate the unfair review rating system, that many guests are not reading the listing/rules/etc., they expect their idea of perfection and high-end luxury yet aren't paying even close to enough for that, the Airbnb search program deciding where my listing will show up (or not), and Airbnb almost always siding with the guest with any disputes. It's better to fully own your business than to partner with a company such as Airbnb.

[Basil14]

Your analysis makes a lot of sense. As Canadiens, you would be well qualified to support the origination of a booking service with the support of venture capital. Could we become a Province of Canada?

[Carola61]

Yes, I agree with you!

[John1080]

The new review process for guests is outrageous from what I understand. I haven't been a guest since the new process was initiated, but have a few trips coming up next week and am interested to see for myself the details. 

[Victoria567]

Hi @ John

The new review process for guests is very simple and not at all outrageous.....honestly.

I just used it myself yesterday, and it took me 2 minutes in total, so it leaves me scratching my head why guests are not leaving reviews ?

Very easy it starts off with how many stars would you rate your stay?

Then it goes to a list of 6 answers ranging from, whether it was much better than expected to much worse than expected.

The guest just ticks the answer they feel applies to them.

Then there are 6 icons with short descriptions for the guest to tick,such as sparkling clean, thoughtful touches, amenities, good local tips, location and so on, for guest to Tick.

Then it takes you to two short pages of descriptors just like the tripadvisor site asking whether there was a kitchen, if plates, glassware and cutlery supplied, salt and pepper supplied

etc....guest ticks the boxes of answers of Yes, no, unsure to each descriptor.

Then it asks guest about basic amenities in bedroom with descriptor of 1 towel, 1 pillow, bed linen, soap which guest ticks as being available or not.

Finally it invites the guest to pen their review.

I think the reason that guests are not leaving  reviews is not because it’s difficult....it’s easy peasy, unless they are ill educated illiterates.

It is the march of the entitled guest....who thinks they’ve paid for accommodation so why the hell do they need to be bothered to write a review into the bargain.!

[Steve143]

Hello @Victoria567,

There's irony here 🙂

Your description mentioning how short each step of the process is has resulted in the response with the highest word count of all.

Each step is simple but there are 5 of them not including typing the review itself. Is it made clear at the start how many steps there are and whether or not any can be skipped?

Guests seem not to understand why they're being asked to tick so many boxes and write a review too.

I've found that entitled guests are very likely to leave a review. They're all worked up and are thrilled to fill out reviews that give them more options and categories. They don't want to miss out on the opportunity to add more tails to the whip that they can beat the host with.

Steve.

[Victoria567]

Hi @Steve143

How on earth can mentioning how short each step is,nresult in the highest word count of all?

You are only ticking some boxes, not writing War and Peace!

Do you really need to know how many steps there are in this easy peasy review process that takes 2 minutes?

the longest  part, may be the writing of the guest review.

It can be as long as short as you like.

Ranging from “Great place as described, lovely hosts”... to the more detailed reviews I tend to pen.

I am not entitled as a guest, if I get great service then Im more likely to happy and as  matter of courtesy to my host I will leave a review......it’s not entitled, it’s polite!

[Steve143]

Hello @Victoria567,

I just meant that your response, in which you emphasised how short each step was and summarised each one, managed to end up being longer than all the previous responses to Karina's original question 🙂

Steve.

[Victoria567]

Hi@Steve

It was the only way to describe the process without sending a screen shot😉

[John1080]

@Victoria567, that is good to hear. I will see next week when I am traveling.  However, many others on both this thread and others have complained extensively about the new process and many of us have seen a drop off in our reviews as of late. 

[Karina-Каринa0]

Victoria, you are right. It is not awfully difficult or time-consuming. On the other hand, I do think that people nowadays have rather short attention spans. Everything should be a couple of clicks away...

I have noted a clear trend towards less reviews. Good heavens, last year every guest left a review! Now I am happy if half of them do. So something definitely has changed.

There might be another explanation: I have gotten increasing amounts of Asians: Korea, Japan and China account for an increasing part of the guests I host. Could it be that Asians - with all their politeness and fear of losing face - are more reluctant to give a review? Critisizing the host might feel they make the host lose face, so they just swallow up and leave no review?

Dunno. But there is a big change compared to the way things were last year.