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
Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

Hello @Susan0

I’m not unhinged.

In our Scottish culture it is really very bad form to swindle an older person out of money,( or anyone for that matter and think you are entitled to indulge  in this appalling behaviour) it’s a bit like taking candy from a baby and quite frankly, the lowest of the low.

 

Their entitled nature is quite plain in thinking that’s its perfectly fine and dandy to come up with some excuse to alter a booking at a late date, which I gullibly accepted.....foolish me, not adhering to my strict cancellation policy.

 

Their entitled nature is quite plain to see by thinking its perfectly smart to use my laundry facilities free of charge, despite my listing being quite clear there is a fee involved.

 

Obviously there is a clear clash of cultures here between Scotland and across the pond if anyone other than a Scot, thinks this is an acceptable attitude.

 

You are entitled to have your opinion in thinking I am unhinged just as I am entitled to think that this behaviour is appalling and quite frankly I would be delighted if potential guests decline my accommodation based on my observation of what is entitled behaviour.

We may share a common language but obviously not the same cultures.......

Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

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Victoria567
Level 10
Scotland, United Kingdom

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Colleen47
Level 10
Frisco, CO

Gosh! I’m so glad to see this! Here I was wondering if I was the only one. Hehehe. I have noticed this late summer specifically that reviews went significantly down. I also received my first four star review. I was stunned. Especially because her review used the words perfect and wonderful. What a bummer. Hopefully they’re working on a modification. @Dennis234 

@@Cor in Netherlands

@Fred

@@Mar64y

 

Mary wrote that the review was tiresome and long. Letti published her latest review as follows

Public feedback
We loved this place !! Letti goes above and beyond to make sure everything you need is available felt right at home !! Everything is very organized and clean. We would definitely come back ! I wish I could rate this a 10 instead of a 5
 
My question to Mary is - were there questions or information in the new form guest have to follow which was forcing you to write  exactly some specific sentences in the Public feedback?
 
I have a question to Fred and Cor - as I also noticed that I have to call an airbnb  photographer.
Is our next term as Superhost supposed to be prolonged only after a photographer is taking pictures of the host,s property? If so, then once you get the new pictures you could never get ^^Better than expected...^^ @Sarah977 I was not able  to click on Fred, Cor and Mary - how I can ask them to answer me these questions?
 
Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi @Lilly28,

 

Tagging is only possible for at maximum 5 persons. This is a known issue in the Community Center.

So, don’t worry about it. It has already been reported about dozens of times to Lizzie.

 

And No, The quality of your pictures or the proposal for a photoshoot, is not part of the Superhost qualification. So, don’t worry about it. At present, I have not witnessed any evidence of what Airbnb is doing with the information gathered from the third question in the review process (How did the stay compare to expectations). Other than maybe this automated suggestion for a professional photoshoot (Please remember: There is no real human, behind all of these suggestions). Simply because the Airbnb algorithms do not understand common human emotions.

Obviously, when you receive a 5-star all-over review + the full set of 7 compliments. You can almost count on it, that the guest also ticked: Much better than expected.

The algorithms do not understand, that not only the pictures count with regards to the overall guest expectation/experience. Because how would you picture silence, tranquility, a lot of sunshine or smell of flowers, etc.?

What about: Under-promise, Over-deliver? Or should I make a picture of every single piece of China in the kitchen. Or detailed pictures of all equipment – including the manufacturing details?

Just have a look at some Plus-listing. Just pictures, anything else just seems to have gone in these listings.

 

So, suppose you would have your place photographed by Airbnb. And after that you will still be getting: Much better than expected. What would happen next? Or will Airbnb start to tell you: Please consider to increase your price 😄

@Cor3

 

You are really SUPER - super as a human beign, super as a friend, super as a writer and commentator in the forum! Thanks, it is the third time I recieve good advices and warm-hearted attitude on behalf of you! 

 

I can never be a Plus - hopefully - as they have a requirement bedrooms to be locked with a key, and I have an open design with bedrooms separated with Japanese blinds, ordinary curtains, by the way - hollande make from the 70-ties, and a sliding wooden door. Cor, can I ask you to look at my pictures and give me advice which one to put as a first one? I know they are not good ones, many guests were telling me that the flat is much better than the pictures, but that is what I can do.

 

Is there any way I can see how guests evaluated me with this special question with several aspects? I am only using computer, not an APP. Thanks for your answer!  

@Lilly28   My guests often express surprise when I show them into their bedroom/bath. "Oh, my. This is much nicer than I expected. This is the prettiest Airbnb room I've ever had."

Of course, it's always so heart warming to hear this.

Under promise and over deliver- has been said here many times. If you're getting bookings, obviously guests think your photos are perfectly adequate. 

Cor3
Level 10
Langerak, South Holland, Netherlands

Hi @Lilly28,

 

First of all, you are doing absolutely fine with that many reviews and an overall assessment of 4,9 Stars!

 

The compliments are currently only visible in the App. I suppose sometime later, they will also appear in a Browser on a computer.

And no, currently it is not visible anywhere (as far as I know), what the outcome of this question is: “How did your stay at XXX’s place compare to your expectations”.

That’s why I assume, the message about photography is automatically generated, because of former guests mentioning that it was much better than expected.

 

Obviously, I’m not an expert – on what typical Airbnb’s in your neighborhood look like. And neither would I know, what would be the best picture for you to choose as the first picture.

But when I look at your pictures, they look slightly cluttered (IMHO, I like the "Delfts Blauw" though).

Remember: You are doing pretty well. So, there is most likely no need to do anything at all about your pictures. At least it shouldn’t be a priority. It should only be a priority, when you don’t get bookings. But that does not seem to be the case 🙂

 

And I agree with @Sarah977!

@Lilly28  I know- there are only ever 5 names in the tagging box. I just use the @ symbol and then Type in the name if their name isn't on the list, but if there's 2 Lillys on the forum, the wrong one might get notified.

You don't have to call a photographer- that's just Airbnb nonsense, like telling us to lower our prices. The photo comments "Too blurry, Too dark" will go away if you click on something- I can't remember what, but there is another thread on this.

Joyce189
Level 2
Atlanta, GA

I too have experienced a decline of reviews. 

Anne355
Level 5
Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France

hi, 

same here, almost no reviews. 

And since I am an Instant Booker, I receive many first-time guests, who do not bother to evaluate anything. 

 

Recently an one-night overseas booker, forgot his toothrush, he asked me to send it overseas, I did and it cost me 30% of th booking fee. The guy did not even send a thank you email. And of course never left a comment (well even a one star xould mean at least he cared!! but nothing)

 

So, I decided to ask for previous recommendations from hosts.

 

But, Airbnb (if anyone from Airbnb is reading) WHY CAN WE HOSTS NOT PREVENT BOOKINGS FROM GUESTS THAT HAVE NOT THEMSELVES AT LEAST LEFT A COMMENT? 

 

 

thx,

Anne

@Anne355  That's unbelievable (although of course I believe you) that a guest would actually ask a host to send a forgotten toothbrush overseas. I've sent forgotten items back to guests, but I would never do that if they weren't willing to pay for the postage costs. On both occasions that I sent something back, they were small items, US guests, and I was able to wrap them up, address them and send them back with my next US guests, who were more than willing to drop them in the mail. It was only a couple of bucks for postage, which I covered, because the guests who had left them were great guests, left wonderful reviews, and offered to pay for the postage.

I haven't had any guests since they brought in the new system, as I blocked my calendar for my own travel, and now it is non-tourist season. I'll be interested to see whether guests this season actually leave me reviews (almost all up to now have).

For any hosts here who have been guests and filled this review form in, or guests reading this, I'm curious- are you able to skip over any pages, or do you have to fill out everything in order to proceed to the next page?