Guests Review Response!

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

Guests Review Response!

Hey I have just noticed something, the guest can leave a review response! I just looked at a review of my most recent guests stay, and on her page is a review response of me! Is this a public response or am I the only one that can see it?

I have never seen this before on my guests reviews, or anyone elses, and was a bit shocked to see it....It was great from my perspective but I can see a few hosts maybe getting a bit upset if they know the guest is going to publically have the last say!!

Cheers.....Rob

26 Replies 26
Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

@Robin4 , oh, another new thing, eh? So yes, I looked, and the response from your guest under your review on her page is public. 

I don't see how it could possibly upset any host : on our listings page, as hosts we can have "the last word" by responding to a review. So now the same option is available to guests, to have a say under a review on their page. It just seems fair to equalize it. No reason to get upset about this change.

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Annette33

Hi there Annette,

What I was refering to, we see quite often where the guest has given a reasonable review of the host, and the host in their review has complained about the guest, broke house rules, stayed after due departure, you know, you have seen it plenty of times. Now previously in that scenario that was just too bad for the guest, they had their say and that was it. The host had the ability to respond to the guest through a public response, but the guest did not have that same ability.

Now apparently they do, and in the above situation where the host has given a less than flattering review of the guest, the guest can now come back and say what a 'bleep' the host had been. Can you see what I mean?

You are right, it is fair, and for myself I think it's great, I am not 'upset' by it in the slightest....I was just a bit taken back to see it and I wondered how long this 'little' alteration had gone un-noticed by me!

Annette, what I have just mentioned is never going to happen to you, you are simply too good to let that happen....and it is not going to happen to me! But I can see where this (in some situations) is just going extend the 'he said/she said' retaliation through the review system that we see a lot of here on the forum.

Cheers......Rob

 

@Robin4 , you know, I understood all that immediately, it is rather simple, actually.

But you said you were shocked and you anticipated that in the future  this will cause a raucus among some hosts.  That negative anticipation is precicely what may get some hosts now all riled up  - while I prefer to simply point out that it only levels the playing field now , as it is a feature hosts already had enjoyed for quite some time.

Overall, there is already enough hostility and negative anticipation from hosts towards guests, mostly based on hosts' fears about the incoming review. I am just interested in not stoking that fear any further, certainly not with feautures that are actually fair.

This has been in practice for a while.  We had a less than stellar guest and she responded to our review.  This was last summer.  Not sure when that feature kicks in because we just traveled and we were not offered the opportunity to write a response about our host review of us that I can recall.  

@Alice-and-Jeff0

I am just amazed I haven't seen it before Alice, and that more guests don't make use of it. I think it's a really good thing and I have always felt it a bit unfair that a guests involvement should stop with the review.

Every day teaches me something.

Enjoy that lovely weather you must now be getting in North Carolina....it's turned bloody cold here, 10c yesterday ughh!

Cheers.....Rob 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

..

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Helen350 

Yes Helen you are right but if you look at the date of that post of mine, it was back in May 2017 when I was new to the platform and a full on greenhorn!! 

I have been aware since May 2017 that public responses are available to both host and guest reviews, a feature which very few guests use!

 

Comments do tend to hang around here on the CC but sometimes Helen, it is probably prudent to check on the date a post was made before responding to it. Hindsight is a great teacher!

 

Cheers......Rob

Crustt0
Level 5
Apollo Bay, Australia

The guest has always had the right of reply and so they should. Not all hosts are completely honest with their reveiws just like guests aren't. Goes to show, being level 10 does not nessesarily mean you all the answers, lol.  

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Crustt0

Having been here for the best part of 3 years now with 2,300 posts and having seen, I could not begin to guess how many profiles and review pages this is the first time I have seen it! Maybe it has been around for some time, I have never come across it before.

And you are right, a level 10 doesn't mean you know everything.....nobody does....it just means I need to get a life!

Cheers.....Rob 

@Robin4 I never noticed or seen it before too, you are not the only one who is surprised.

I am certain that hosts now will be even less willing to write a negative review of their guests even if they are really a nightmare . Considering that in a year of hosting I have seen just 3 negative reviews of my guests ( but hundreds of bad reviews for hosts) i am not sure if this is a good idea although it seems right on the first sight.

First because for hosts reviews are business and for guests it's just fun, they have nothing to lose.

Second, average guest will book a place few times a year while host will have new guests every few days, the whole year so hosts have no desire, time or energy for she said-he said discussions . 

Third , bc guest can always delete his profile and start a new one and for host it is a loss if he does it.

I just want to say - we are not in equal position. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

@Branka-and-Silvia0

Branka, you do raise some really good points there!

Contrary to what some may think I am not saying, or perceiving, this business of a guest review response to be a negative thing, in fact I think it brings more balance into the review system. All I was saying, I have never seen a guests public response to a host review before, and when I did see it, it gave me a bit of a surprise....a pleasant surprise.

 

At certain times it has been pointed out to me that I am all the time negative towards Airbnb and hosts, and nothing could be further from the truth! I have lost count of the posts where I have stated that I have had nothing but a first class run with Airbnb. I have had the most wonderful array of guests, and Airbnb has been an outstanding part of my life. Hell, I even started a thread on how success with Airbnb had helped me to purchase another piece of property which I also intend to list on Airbnb....this is not negative....but I don't bury my head in the sand either! If I read of an injustice I will make comment on it as we all have the right to do. Sometimes it will be complimentary, sometimes it won't....but it will be done without bias!

Branka I have always loved your posts, you do bring a much wanted balance into the forum, and your comments above are no exception. I personally do think the topic of this discussion brings an equality into the review system........ you may not, but good on you for saying so, and your reasons are valid!

Cheers.....Rob

J-Renato0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hello @Robin4

It is not new. It has been a long time guest has the last word on their profiles.

However, it is pretty difficult to see some guest reply.

Monika64
Level 10
New York, NY

Hi @Robin4 🙂

 

I also saw it a few times before but to answer your question why you probably have not seen it and why more of the guests don't use this option: they just don't care :-))) Not as much as hosts anyway! Why would they even be concerned about bad reviews? If ever they just create a new ABB profile and move on. For us it is not possible. So there. People who travel a lot maybe a bit more concerned about their good ABB guests profile but "someday" users don't care if they get a bad review. If they have not cared about taking care of someone's home or keep the house rules why would they be bothered by a bad review, right?

 

 

I have to agree with that  @Monika64  Airbnb's reviews are a two edge sword.

It seems to be the carrot on the stick and the principle of the whole matter.

I just stay friendly and ask them to please read about the listing and to communicate with the host.

Just saying..........

 

The good guest who hasn't the time to review are the most disappointing.