Hosts, have you noticed a decrease in the number of guests leaving reviews?

[Stephanie365]

For the first 9 months of hosting, every one of my guests have left reviews. But now, 3 of my last 6 guests have not left reviews even though their communication indicated they were satisfied.  Anyone else experiencing such a trend?

[Lawrene0]

Yes, and I have a theory about it, @Stephanie365. Want to hear it? Oh good. 

Because I am also a guest, I see the review process from the guest side. It has become a monster. Last month I had to tick yes or no beside each essential (bed sheets, pillows, towels, soap, toilet paper) to say whether or not each was provided. I had to say what I thought the neighbourhood was good for: late nights, eating out, etc. I had to say whether the listing was far better than I expected, better than I expected, about what I expected, worse than I expected. It wasn't until four or five (I think) screens in that it got down to the stars. Then there is the private review and you are not sure it is private because it comes first, and then finally there is the public review and you think you have already said it all, but now you have to say it again. It takes time and fortitude to get to the end. I suspect many chuck it halfway through.

[Emiel1]

@Lawrene0 ,

Thank you for sharing this, i did not know the review from a guest was so complicated.

[Batul0]

@Lawrene0

Thanks so much for the insight! Would you mind sharing screenshots of the review process with us? I'm going to create a tutorial for my guests based on this as Airbnb is most certainly not going to educate guests.  It's going to come down to us, hosts, to do this.

If you'd be willing to post screenshots, I'll create a small tutorial/template that I'll happily share here to help out other hosts! 🙂

Thanks,

Batul

[Lawrene0]

Do you think this is the answer, @Batul0? I am asking, because I find things change very quickly. Witness the tutorials in this forum - many are out of date because of sudden sweeping changes. The screenshots will make no sense next month. Also, at present, the review system from the guest side is so onerous that a tutorial will make the whole thing even more time-consuming. I would be very put off, as a guest, by a host's "tutorial" instructing me how to review. Most guests, myself included, just need a place to stay, and have lives to lead and things to do whether it is work or vacation. 

I don't mention reviews to my guests. If they bring it up, then sure, but I want their stay to be about a good experience, and not host anxiety. No matter how I feel, myself, about company policy, I'm leaving guests to have a nice getaway. Knowing how hard they are about to be drilled for data, they need it. 🙂

I am happy to share screenshots (next time I am a guest is in a week or so) so that hosts understand why guests might leave no reviews, or what is going on with "sparkling clean". But I recommend against a tutorial.  

[Batul0]

@Lawrene0 

Thanks so much for your response, you bring a far more experienced viewpoint than me (I'm a relatively new host!) and raise excellent points.

I guess, my intent is to help guests in case they have questions about this review process and to your point, a tutorial might be a major put-off.  I definitely don't want to add to the work that guests need to do especially before this marathon review process.

I'd still love to get an idea of what the guests see, just in case they have questions so perhaps screenshots would be helpful? I know they'll probably be outdated soon but for the interim, if you wouldn't mind sharing them in a week or so (whenever you're able to!), I would really appreciate it! 🙂

[Bridlewood0]

I noticed that too - and couldn't figure out why... I bet Lawrene has hit the nail on the head. Had 7 stays in June and only 2 reviews.  This could become a problem since you need at least 50% reviews to maintain superhost... 

[Paul154]

I agree with Laurence.

Fatigue.

Guests are happy to say yes or no - ONCE. 

But it becomes a chore after that.

Our guests are IT sophisticated. They smell a bad deal when asked to give information for free.

People know these large companies are using these surveys as a profit center. 

These reviews spy into guests' lives and is a cheap way for Airbnb to spy on hosts's lives - for profit!

[Ange2]

Data collection, it's a goldmine.

[Robin4]

@Stephanie365

Hi Stephanie, yes, have to agree with the other comments. Because I live on the property I do get to have interaction with the guest that does not mean problem solving...we just get to talk!

At some point in a guest/host relationship the conversation will get around to how Airbnb works and many of my guests who are experienced tell me they do not get involved with reviews any more! When I ask them why, the universal answer is...."it's just not worth it, I don't want to start a Spanish Inquisition, I just want to say the stay was nice...that's all, but Airbnb do not give me that option so, if you have a guest book I will write a nice comment in that for you but I don't want to get involved with a review"!

This is starting to turn into a serious issue. I wouldn't mind if the responsibility for a guest not leaving a review impacted on the guest....but it doesn't, it impacts on the host and, for the life of me, I can't see how this is fair.

But @Stephanie365 @Paul154 @Lawrene0, the thing I comfort myself with is, Airbnb are totally paraniod about numbers and statistics and it is just a matter of time before someone who has something to do with this side of the platform puts two and two together and decides that the current review paranoia is  misguided and is actually creating harm between guest and host and Airbnb itself......and maybe at that point some commonsense may come into the the review system, where we can all be honest without fear or favour!

Cheers......Rob

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Stephanie365 I have also had a few similar cases like you where some guests who appear to be happy and satisfied but did not leave any review.I guess some people simply forgot and are too lazy to write a review.I have also met a few guests who do not leave reviews for some personal reasons.What i would advice you to do is to always ask your guests to leave you a review before they checkout and also remind them after a few days to make sure they leave you a review.Happy hosting!!!

[Letti0]

I agree with @Lawrene0 I helped a guest do a review recently and the process was like never ending. All these new questions and requirements. Doing it from a cellphone is really difficult now. I usually review my guests first and so far have received one back from everyone, but with the longer extended review process now I can see people just saying forget it half way through. Also I think for many of you with a hundred or more reviews guest may not see it as important to leave one since you have so many already. 

[Stephanie365]

So, this is a new review process that AirBNB has implemented recently?  I'm glad it wasn't my imagination. I was beginning to take it personally since 2 of these guests had left nice reviews for other places they've stayed but not for me. The third was a first time AirBNBer so I figured they didn't bother. 

I can certainly understand not wanting to do an involved review.  I will do simple reviews or surveys, but when I'm sent reviews or surveys that take more than 30 seconds, I quit, too. 

[Letti0]

@Stephanie365  They started it at the ending of May or begining of June even prior to the July 1st date for required linens, shampoo, toilet paper, etc. even started asking if every one of these items were available at rental. Kinda like big brother spying on you was my impression. Then there was the section that asked for the rentals best items like amenities, sparkling clean, about 9 to chose from I believe this is where most of the highlights listed on your listing comes from as they rolled out the new review system with the new Highlight thing on your listing like the last 9 guests said this place was Sparkling Clean. The next section if I recall right was where the 100% of the recent guests say Great Check-in experience come from there were another 3 or so questions in this section too. Then the section about location, neighborhood and things to do. Then another about rating the listing better than expected, as expected, etc before you finally got the old three areas of Stars, Private and Public message.  What a PITA... 

[Stephanie365]

I really hate it when cubicle dwellers with no concept of reality come up with these stupid ideas.