How does this happen?

[Laura2592]

We have instant book. As new hosts Airbnb Customer Service informed us that we couldn't be superhosts without it and would not get bookings (wrong on all counts). So we turned it on and have had it since only turning it off during our state lockdown. I like that you can see the overall ratings of guests with IB for exactly the situation I am about to share. 

We have a reservation with a 4 overall rating and 3/3.5 stars in two categories from two hosts which are the only reviews. The written feedback is glowing. There is no indication whatsoever as to why these guests were marked down in two categories. There is no feedback from this guest on either host profile that might indicate any conflict. So I wonder what the issue might be.  It could be one host of the two that pulled the score down.

So are the hosts in this case just trying to send a "secret message" with the star rating and trying to preserve their own score by not saying anything that wasn't super positive? Not everyone can even see these ratings so why is this even an option? Would you contact the hosts that left ratings to find out what the deal is?

[Linda108]

Hosts could be sending a message and contacting them might be worth it.  What were the categories that were downgraded?  I know I have decided that a guest is a good guest but could improve in certain areas, so I gave a positive review and private messaged them about something to improve.

[Alexandra316]

@Laura2592I've dealt with this exact scenario, and I did contact the other host. They said something like "Amazing guest!" on the review, but had given them low stars in all categories. When I spoke with them, they said that the guest had left significantly late and had left the space in a terrible mess, but they were afraid to say anything about it in the public review because the guest's family was local. They were a newer host, so I explained that not everyone can see the stars and that it's still important to give an honest written review, etc. I would definitely investigate further. 

[Emilia42]

I am curious @Laura2592 . I think you should contact the hosts and then report back!

[Ann72]

@Laura2592  I have Instant Book, too, with the "recos from other hosts" checked.  Last year I got a request to book and couldn't figure out why the guy hadn't just booked.  I was out in the car and accepted only to find he had a low star rating.  So I wrote to him and told him that because of his rating, my housekeeper would need to check the house every day he was there, and if wasn't comfortable with that, he could cancel with no penalty.  He told me that would not work for him but asked me to reconsider, claiming his rating was tanked by one unreasonable host.  I looked into it a little more and did indeed feel the one bad review was unreasonable.  He ended up staying and was fine - not great, he broke the coffee maker and claimed it wasn't him, but he did pay for it.

So I think it's good to go straight to the guest and say that you've read the reviews and are concerned, and ask him to share his thoughts on them, maybe even get on the phone with him.  It puts him on notice that you take such things seriously and he might mind his p's and q's a little better.  No guarantees, of course!

[Huma0]

I have very occasionally tried to contact the host to find out what the problem is, but didn't find they replied very often. So now, I try to make a judgement call, if the guest has lots of great reviews and one outlier, or even one great review and one bad one, I check the reviews the host has both received and given. In some circumstances, it was clear that the host was the one who was slightly unhinged, often leaving similar bad reviews for multiple guests (all of whom had good reviews from other hosts).

One shouldn't have to do so much homework, but there are bad hosts as well as bad guests. A host could be stellar in many ways but then extremely intolerant about very tiny things. It's not often that clear cut.

In general though, I do what @Ann72 does and ask the guest directly. I tell them they have low star ratings (usually they have no idea about that) or mention that one of their reviews wasn't that great and ask them what happned. Usually there is an explanation and you can take it or leave it.

A recent guest had loads of glowing reviews and one really bad one. A couple of days after he arrived I asked him about it and he explained exactly what had happened. I kind of get why the host wasn't totally happy, but it does seem like they over reacted somewhat. Anyway, this guest turned out to be fine and I did not have problems with him like the critical host complained about.

It's tricky really as the review process allows for far too much personal judgement and what is okay for one host might not be for another.

[Sarah977]

@Laura2592  I think a lot of hosts who use IB have no idea that hosts who don't use IB have no access to guest star ratings, or they simply don't care.

I find it inexcusable to leave a glowing or even just good written review for guests who the host gives low star ratings to and wouldn't want back. In the case of being afraid to leave a negative written review in situations where a host is concerned about retaliation from a local, or even that the host hates having to say anything negative, there's no need to make the guests sound good- there are code phrases which let other hosts know that the guests sucked, without being specific or the guest suspecting anything.

"Guests stayed 3 days" is one that comes to mind. 

[Kath9]

@Laura2592, gawd, sometimes I feel like hosts are their own worst enemies. It infuriates me when they don't review honestly! It's basically saying that they don't give a stuff about other hosts. Completely inexcusable. I would contact the host, not only to find out about the guest but to try and get them to understand how they are affecting other hosts.

[Kelly149]

@Laura2592 I'd go with all of the above... ask the hosts (if they're even still on platform) and I'd ask/tell the guest that their track record currently isn't so great and see what they say. After I had those 2 data points I'd decide where to go from there.

FYI, CS has told me that a guest has to have CONSISTENT 1* reviews to lose the "recommended by other hosts" booking ability, so take that for what you will.

and PS I'm certainly guilty of being generic in words & realistic in stars, but in that case it wouldn't say "super guest", it would say "2 night IB for 3 guests" or "came to visit family"

Good luck!

[Huma0]

@Kelly149 

Really? That surprises me because it was my understanding that if a host gives the guest 3 stars or below, the guest wouldn't be able to instant book, or is that just that they wouldn't be able to rebook with you if you gave them 3 stars or less? I wonder if there is a help article somewhere here that explains it...

If that rep is right, then what is the point in even ticking that requirement? If someone has a 2 star rating, how on earth can Airbnb call that 'recommended' by other hosts.

Perhaps the star ratings are irrelevant in this respect and it's only whether you give a thumbs up or down (I think this has now changed to something like, would you host this guest again/or not?). I thought that if a guest had one thumbs down, they would not be able to IB with me, and it would be logical that any host giving a guest 2 stars would also give them a thumbs down, but maybe I have misunderstood something. 

[Kelly149]

@Huma0 who knows! ABB is purposely very vague with these things and that rep sounded knowledgeable but he could have been just as misguided as the others. and anyway, they're always changing things around, wonder why they think it's better to be unclear...

working with ABB is often the very definition of trying to hit a moving target.

[Debra300]

@Kelly149 

The star rating is separate from the question asking if a host would recommend the guest?  So, I am going to speculate that if a host didn't bother to answer the question or said yes, then the guest would be able to use IB even if they have a low star rating.

I can understand if a host were to give a guest a 3 start rating, and then yes to hosting the guest again, because they see the question as Airbnb asking them if they'd host the guest and not whether the guest would be recommended to other hosts.  A host may think that they'd host the guest again, because they now know how to communicate with the guest and better manager expectations for both themselves and the guests.

[Jennie71]

Would a guest see their star rating? I had someone with a severe mental illness stay with me recently. It was a nightmare. They had no concept of personal hygiene and piled all this electronic equipment into the room, creating quite the fire hazard. They were nocturnal and would cook in the middle of the night, leaving their dishes for me to clean up in the morning.  It was their first booking, so no reviews. They have now moved into an apartment locally and I am too frightened to give them a bad review as if they go off their meds, I don't want to become the focus of any obsessive thoughts they may develop. So, in answer to the query above, sometimes one's personal safety has to come first. I'm going to try and warn Airbnb about this person, but I am certain that they will ask me to make a public review and I am not going to do that. In future, I am also not going to accept anyone who doesn't have reviews. 

[Huma0]

@Jennie71 

No, the guests don't see the star ratings (they only see the written review you leave and the private feedback if you choose to send any). In fact, no star rating appears on their profile and the only time a host can see the stars is AFTER a guest instant books with them. Any guest I have mentioned the ratings to had no idea they even existed.

Of course, Airbnb might change this in the future as they do often change things without warning.

[Sarah977]

@Jennie71  No, guests can't see the star ratings you give. And as far as the written review, there are some code phrases you can use that will look innocuous to the guests, but that make it obvious to other hosts that there was nothing good to say about the guests. You can just write "Guests stayed one week." Nothing more. That won't trigger anything as far as retaliation from the guest, but warns other hosts.

Hosts who don't use instant book can't see guest star ratings at all. So the written part of the review is important to do, so all other hosts have something to go on. Obviously no other host wants to get stuck with these folks, so please do review.