NEW REVIEW PROCESS ( Resulting in fewer reviews from Guests )

Dennis234
Level 5
Saskatoon, Canada

NEW REVIEW PROCESS ( Resulting in fewer reviews from Guests )

I have been a host through Airbnb for two years now and as a *Superhost* have received a 5 star rating from the majority of my guests who stay for a day or a month. I have had people stay from all over the world and we cater to our guests with plenty of little extras to make their stay more comfortable. Breakfast, protein bars, chocolate and longer bookings, a bottle of wine. Recently due to the new review process which takes longer to complete I have had no reviews from many of my guests recently.  I questioned a few guests and they indicate it was the length of the review questions and they quit before the end of the survey.

 

Last week I travelled to Eastern Canada and booked myself into an Airbnb for the week. The accomidation was excellent and when I left I actually experienced the new review process with many new questions about my stay. Now I realize the length it takes to complete the review and kept thinking as i was answering the questions, how long was this going to take? No wonder reviews have gone down and time consuming in this day and age when most people are extremly busy with their lives.  Even thou it was a simple process no one has the time to click all the features to a question asked.

 

Has anyone else experiened the same trend and what did/can you do about it? I assume this will hurt our *Superhost status* if this trend continues that we have worked so hard for as hosts.

87 Replies 87

@Sarah977 I believe there’s a ton of truth in what you just wrote. I hope the powers that be can see thru the core issues and bring it back to something user friendly and appealing to average folks. 

Robin4
Level 10
Mount Barker, Australia

@Sarah

Sarah, that is an excellent explanation, and by far the best perception I have ever seen put to programming rationale!

You are absolutely correct! Programmers, in general come from a computer gaming background, they are loners and gravitated to gaming as a way to insulate themselves from contact with others, as a child...I know I have a granddaughter on the Autism spectrum and we are seeing it with her....at the age of 4 she was absolutely brilliant going anywhere she wanted on a computer tablet, she could buy anything she liked on the internet. She is now into gaming....she does not mix well or play with other children, she has no empathy!

 

She is your classic future computer data writer!

 

Airbnb needs the services of an advisory board to analyse what cause and effect current programming decisions are having on it's business.

 

The problem is the industry is not run by users any more, it's run by programmers.....and programmers are not empathetic...simple as that.

Good on you Sarah....great observation.

 

Cheers......Rob

@Robin4   Airbnb's definitely needs an advisory board and they need to have experienced hosts, guests, as well as psychologists on it. Any psychologist could have told them that it was going to irritate hosts no end to suddenly one day find all their photos with negative pronouncements on them. 

"We have recently changed the format in which your photos appear on the site, therefore some of your photos may no longer appear as clear or bright as before. Please review the suggestions attached to your photos to optimize their appearance" would have been 100 times better, informative and respectful than "Too blurry" "Too dark" , out of nowhere.

And any host, guest, or psychologist could have told them that a 10 page review form was going to seriously impact the number of reviews guests leave.

Having socially challenged people come up with the policies and features of a platform that is based on human interaction is ludicrous, and obviously going to be fraught with problems, and irate hosts and guests.

@Sarah0, I applaud your very concise autopsy on the reasons that drive Airbnb’s irritating habit of offering unwelcome help to increase business. I am a retired business man with fifty successful years of operating in the retail/servicing areas. In that time I have learned a thing or two. I certainly know what influences a client/guest, and it isn’t always a low price. I also have learned how to cost my operations, and to receive regular exhortations to drop , my already very competitive price, even lower,  to “increase” my bookings, does not go down well with me. I have established what it actually costs me to host my guests, taking into account utilities, laundry, breakfast items along with cleaning and bathroom items. Unless  I get at least a three day booking I will operate at a loss. Every single group that have stayed in my place have given it five * and still I get these silly “tips” about lowering prices and changing my proven effective photos. Get a life Airbnb, or some real people to advise.

@Sarah @Robin 

You guys make a really good point! Even if there is no  Asperger's syndrome in play..... most programmers do tend to be loners and introverts. They like puzzles and endlessly picking at a problem to solve it and then to perfect it. Henry thinks sudoku is FUN and RELAXING.

 

@Jessica-and-Henry0  I think Sudoku is relaxing and fun , too. As well as the NY Times Sunday crossword. I'm not a loner, nor introverted, although I do spend a lot of time alone, working and gardening.

That 10 page review form-  I bet the programmers who came up with that would actually really enjoy filling that out, and can't imagine why everyone wouldn't.

@Sarah977

I guess I'm really not a numbers person...... but I like crosswords. Sudoku...... to some extent I get the fun part....... not relaxing since I have to look at numbers (yuck~) even if it is only between 1 and 12 🙂

 

I'm an interpreter..... I enjoy listening to people and also talking all day 🙂 something Henry has trouble imagining LOL!

 

 

@Jessica-and-Henry0  But the numbers in Sudoku have nothing to do with math, you get that, right? They could be letters, names of colors, etc.

Try transcribing one of Henry's unfilled out Sudokus substituting A,B;C;D etc for the numbers and see if you like it better.

Ruth175
Level 3
Antarctica

Perfect, now instead of providing accommodation service, hosts will have to work their asses down as circus clowns to be much better than expected. My listing info represents reality, so if someone has unrealistic expectations it should be not my headache. Especially I adore, non-reader’s expectation to rent entire place even if explicitly and numerous times stated the opposite. I am definitely not a f****** mind reader and expectation manager.

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Guests still get to rate you on Overall Experience (First question in the review).

Unfortunately it is not clear, what Airbnb is going to do with the information gathered from the third question in the review (How did your stay compare to your expectations).

I’ve noticed lately, there is another “To do” on my listing: Attract more guests with professional photography. See image below.

Our photos are fine, and most of them are done by a privately paid professional photographer.

So I can only imagine, that this remark is on my listing. Because a lot of our recent guests marked us as: Much better than expected. I’ve got no other explanation for this “To do” remark.

The funny thing (Since we recently were rewarded again with the 1 year of Superhost status). A 1-year Superhost can now either choose between a $100 travel voucher or a free photo shoot. But when you opt for the free photo shoot. One will find, it is not entirely free at all! You have to ask for a quote. And when the quote is over a certain amount, then you have to pay extra 😞

 

 To doTo do

 

Gary77
Level 2
Glasgow, United Kingdom

Hi. I’m noticing a few people haven’t left reviews lately. I didn’t realise there was a more detailed form to fill out. I also find it frustrating that I’m not getting reviews, when I’m leaving them good ones. This means they get their feedback profile increased, while I get nothing! I’m almost at the point now of waiting till I’m notified that feedback has been left,before I leave any. 

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

I agree with you Gary and I have reduced the number of reviews I leave for guests.

But someone on the forum posted that you lose your Superhost status if you as the host don’t post more than a certain percentage of guest reviews.

The other thing Ive noticed us that for the first time ever, Ive had 2 feedback comments on location rating my location as 3 stars, despite overlooking fabulous countryside right on the Whisky Trail.

I cannot read the feedback as a host or comment on it and I think this is massively unfair to me as a host.

Ive been listed for 2 years now and seriously thinking of jacking it in next year as I’ve noticed the standard of guests has declined with many guests thinking my family home is a hotel and treating it as such.

Not on really.

 

@Victoria567  No, hosts are rated on the number of reviews that guests leave for them, not the number of reviews a host leaves.

Ana7
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

I've also travelled via Airbnb recently and yes, it does take some time to write and submit a review 😕

My review percentage has fallen from 100% to 92% quite fast, I suppose it must be because of the new system. 

Ana7
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

Regarding the Airbnb staff who are writing the programmes - I think they should first host themselves for a month or two, and only then be allowed to set up a review system!