New Extensive Review Process

[Lisa367]

I am a superhost on Airbnb and recently rented an apartment as a guest.  Has anyone else noticed the new very extensive review process that Airbnb has implimented?  As a host, it's really frustrating because this is where people get the most passive aggressive.  As a host, you're already scrutinized over everything, but to really allow the guests to dig deep into each individual aspect of their stay (ie:  "smells" and "sounds", REALLY??) is really problematic.  For example, our last guest left a private review that there was a "nauseating smell of burnt meat" on the "cleanliness/smells" star.  First of all, we didn't cook at all while this guest was in our house, she must have smelled one of the neighbors cooking, and second of all, we're in Sicily, so there are definitely going to be food smells coming in from all angles at certain times a day.  This feedback really bothered me because it was unnecessary and obviously had nothing to do with us since it wasn't even coming from our house.  I would've preferred these guests just keep these types of thoughts to themselves and enter it in the private feedback to me, rather than giving them the option of selecting specific things to complain about.  As a host who has new guests almost every 2 days, the last thing I need to hear is random complaining from guests about very little things.  Obviously as a superhost, I do my best to make sure their stay is 100% comfortable.  My feelings are also important and I don't need to hear every two days something really small and meaningless that I can't control (like food smells in Italy).  Reading passive aggressive feedback actually makes me really upset and I'm getting to the point where I really just don't want to bother hosting anymore.  I'd prefer going back to the basic rating system.  It's faster for the guest to leave reviews and much less harsh on the host.

[Crustt0]

If that is to hard, just open your system to   take booking 12 months in advance and block every date after 3 months, problem solved

[Andrea590]

@Crustt0

It's not quite that easy when the calendar opens up steadily on the 3 month setting.

I've had it numerous times that I manually blocked certain days I didn't want to or couldn't host, The 3-month setting overrode it every time, no matter whether I had first blocked it manually and then chose the setting.  Or chose the setting and then went in and blocked the days manually again.

The setting overrides any manually set blockages every time. Thankfully I don't have IB on, so was still able to catch the problem,by declining inquiries/requests. Not so great.

If you don't keep an eye on the end day that just opened and that each and every day, you can end up with days you want  - and tried to block - opening up anyway like @Robin4 said. I've gone over the settings and calendar points again and again, but not gotten anywhere in this, so the solution must be buried so far down that we can't find it?

[Crustt0]

@Andrea590Then just open it up for twelve months and if say you wanted  to take bookings from today for up to 3 months in advance but no more, you would block from the start of May and at the end of the week you would unblock the first week in May and so on, it's overiding the system and creating your own, I know it's a hassle but it's better than going out and getting a real job :-)) When I was younger they had cars that were geared manually, true. And people did things for themselves and they didn't have to waste so much time asking people on forums how to work a computer progam made to save them time or rip out their hair in frustration because it didn't make their life any easier.

[Andrea9]

@Crustt0

Well, your method is akin to opening up for 3 months and checking daily, but doing it weekly brings it down to once a week.

Still very counter-productive programming (not your's, ABB's, but that's no surprise).

I, in fact LOVE driving manual gear cars! Nothing beats driving on curvy mountain roads, using the full potential of motor and gear choice, or ever wonder why race cars aren't fully automatic !?! and its' totally addictive!! Maybe that's also why it's being abandoned.... pple just can't handle it.

[Robin4]

@Andrea9

When I went through my midlife crisis I had a Porsche 911 Targa 'sporto' The gearbox was a hybrid....... although it had gears it did not have a clutch on the floor, the clutch was electric and engaged when you touched the gear lever. You could get massively quick changes because it was instantaneous. It was a fad in the eighties that never kept going. One of the side effects from this gearbox, it used to be good for 115Kph in first gear before it hit the engine rev limiter, and for people who had never been in the car before (You know the layout in a 911, you sit a long way back from the dash) and didn't know what was coming,  I would put a twenty dollar note on the dash and say to them..."If you can reach forward and grab that note inside of 110Ks it's yours".....nobody ever did!!!

Sadly that was the last car I had with gears....apart from a Landrover Discovery, but that was an absolute dog of a car....i don't count that!!!

Cheers.....Rob

[Robin4]

@Crustt0

Ok lets get back to basics here. Today is the 02/02/2017 and your booking calendar is open for three months because you do not wish to automatically take bookings beyond that point. We are not saying that the universe will end on 02/05/2017, just saying that you have set 3 months from todays date as the period where you will accept bookings. Tomorrow, that booking window will advance by one day. The calendar will go on infenitum but will not accept a booking outside of that rolling three month limitation....Are we ok on this, cool??

You have a family reunion with celebrations that will go on for a couple of days and you have offered your listing to your brother in law for 5 days from the 24th June, so you 'manually' block the days 24 to 28th June....there they are, the're in grey, not available!!!

The days go by and when that 3 month booking window catches up with the 24th June it automatically removes the block on that date and when it gets to the 25th it does the same, it removes that block that you set in place for that day as well.

@Crustt0, I know this because more than half of my year is spent hosting in other directions....not with Airbnb! I host with the International Education Service and on another hosting platform and I all the time have to be on top of dates that I have blocked because, the Airbnb system will remove those blocks if I state a particular booking window period. As I said the only way around this is to set your Airbnb booking window to 'All Future Dates' and you can then block future dates with confidence that the Airbnb system will not remove those blocks that you put in place.

Cheers.....Rob

[Lilly14]

We had guests recently give extensive private feedback, negatively scrutinising everything about our accomodation. We have gone out of way to be helpful and meet every possible need, even when they disregarded many of our rules/listing. I feel we need to repsond to their complaints to let Air Bnb and future guests know we are doing our absolute best to provide an exceptional and transparent experience. However it's hard when your guests are expecting what seems like hotel standards...

Our response to their private feedback:

We appreciate '....'s' public feedback, and also wish to address her private feedback for our future guests.

Accuracy:
Wifi -the wifi password is in the front of the visitors message book
Noise - The apartment is in a quiet bush setting, but is under the hosts' home. Some foot traffic (kids) can be heard. Neighbourhood kids play in our yard sometimes.
Size - Description says one bedroom apartment, 50 sq.m. That is exactly what it is.
Description - The host is a journalist, and feels that the description is accurate.
Photos - The host is also a pro photographer. Everything in the photos is in the apartment.
Amenities - Not sure what they felt was missing, we list everything the apartment offers, and even add some "surprise" extras.

Cleanliness:
Floors & carpets - It's a lived-in space. The carpets aren't pristine but perfectly clean (professionally steam-cleaned just 4 weeks ago)
Towels & Linen - Hmmm, not sure. Only been an Airbnb for 4 weeks, everything was bought new. Cleaning is done by hosts.
Shower - scrubbed and glass cleaned after every guest.
Dust - Vacuumed after every guest. We have a gravel driveway and are in the middle of extensive bush. Some airborne dust is inevitable.
Odours - Was previously rental property. Deodorising cleaners used. Perhaps their scent was disagreeable?
Bugs - There are virtually no flies in our region, so we don't have fly screens. Some bugs might be around, being summer and a bush location.
Bathroom & Kitchen. Hosts clean for at least 2-3 hours after every guest, and it's a small place!

Check-in:
Directions - Fairly straightforward to get here, even more so with a GPS...
Entering then home - We walked the guests to the door.
Late Host - Guest was originally going to arrive at 3pm. Lilly waited until 5 when she hadn't arrived, so Lilly contacted her. Said she'd be there at 6.30. Lilly had to go out (arranged her day around 3pm arrival) and was back by 6.15.

Communication:
Check-in arrangements - Guests arrived numbering 3, but booking was for one. Listing says 1 queen bed in bedroom and sofa-bed in lounge. Guests requested extra bed with no prior notice.
Host unreachable - Lilly answered all contact within an hour, and once within 2 hours while she was working. We don't have a receptionist.

[Robin4]

@Lilly14

Sorry Lilly but that is just terrible!! Your response is a classic example of how to 'shoot yourself in the foot'!! All a great tirade like that is going to do is make you look like a picky, vindictive host and the sort that guests would not want to be involved with. You will find that a massive 'he said/she said' response like that will do you far more harm than good. I can't see the review you are talking about so maybe the guest has complained and had it removed!!

A/. You never, but never, bring private feedback out into the public arena! The guest has had a perspective about you that they felt they would like to privately comment on. They didn't want to mention these things publically and crucify you to the guest community...they actually thought they may be helping you! And what did you do....you stabbed them in the back! Good heavens...

And as you have chosen to respond publically to private comment, a prospective guest (who can't see private comments) will look at the review and look at your response and go ...."What the hell is this host on about"!!

B/. Never get into a slogging match with a guest because you will always loose! The guest is mentioning things that they noted...you are defending them, which in itself is an admission of guilt......that these things do in some way exist!

C/. Some guests will make your blood boil with their downright unreasonable attitude and expectation. Lilly, turn the other cheek!! It is just one review, and it will soon slip down off the first review page and into history. The only thing that will keep on attracting prospective guests back to it is your response. 

You should never go further than saying...."We value the review system and feedback, and I have found this guests private feedback informative and will take the points mentioned on side. Some things in hosting are however beyond the control of the host, like....'the weather wasn't warm enough during our stay', but, rest assured we always do our utmost to make every guests stay as enjoyable as possible. I wish the guest all the best in future, and if they should choose to stay with us again, maybe we could snag that 5 star experience next time" 

Lilly, this makes you look like a gracious host....the sort we would all want to stay with. You have great reviews, you can do it. Just learn to turn the other cheek at times....It takes a strong person with a lot of character to do that...

But that's what we all strive to be, 'strong people with lots of character'!

I have a current post on how to handle hard guests and it may be of interest to you. Possibly you can learn a bit from it.

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Hosts/How-to-handle-those-difficult-reviews/m-p/312260#U312260

Cheers.....Rob

[Dunny0]

Robin, you're a real gentleman, a pro.

I ran off at the mouth once, and it is there to haunt us foreve.

Just wrote too much.

[Robin4]

@Dunny0

I don't want to appear to be blowing my bags but, if you get a chance, read my reviews, or even some of them!

I am not in a heavy tourist area but I had 10 Airbnb hostings in January which is possibly a bit busier than I want to be. But the common theme when all these guests booked was, they made mention of my reviews and that is what brought them to us.

From booking to review, you have to understand how to handle people....It can be hard like many here on the forum post, or it can be wonderful like we have had. This is not Shangri la.....it's just a converted garage in the country back blocks of this state, but we have hit on a formula here that people want, we are hosts, and that hosting starts from the time they send a booking request.

As I have said elsewhere I can be a bit verbose, but I am just trying to get accross to others what works!

Cheers.....Rob

[Dunny0]

Thank you sincerely Rob. I am going to find your garage and read

your reviews that work. I try to be humble, my wife lets me know when I'm out of line...

Appreciate your comments, posting, advice.

Duncan

[Pip6]

Hi Lisa

You're obviously a great host or you wouldn't be a superhost.

Hopefully you haven't had any more of those silly comments from guests.

I'm in Australia and I am not aware of these questions being put to guests when they are reviewing their stay (and me!).

I wonder if perhaps Airbnb has stopped this now?

Also, I noticed from your post and other hosts replies that you each have a level written under your names.

Is there some sort of ranking system for host's apart from the superhost status?

If anyone knows more on that I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers

Pip (Palm Cove, Queensland)

[Gregory11]

Hi Lisa - thankyou for your feedback.

Re the Raking system - I am unsure how it works Airbnb just add it on automatically - maybe number of listings or times that host comments on the forum , years joined Airbnb ect ?

Re detailed Reviews - I am unsure about that too other than what other hosts are complaining about - as I never use Airbnb as a guest myself I can not check it for myself - but it sounds like a recent change that a lot of Hosts are complaining about so it must be real enough.  I personally also list with Flipkey/Tripadvisor as there is no dis - adavantages but rather only adventages have 2 websites working for you 🙂

Airbnb resently removed the guests PROPERTY TYPE search option too - which is pissing off lots of guests whom are now made to look throught pages of listing for apartment when for example they are looking for a house/ villa. Which another example of Airbnb trying to hard to help everyone about everything and actually changing things for the worst.

[Robin4]

@Pip6

Hi there Pip. What this level thing means is, some of us need to 'get a life'!! It refers to the number of posts that contributors to the forum have been involved in and how those posts have been received. 

Everyone starts at a level 1 and as they contribute to the community their level rises until after a predetermined number plus the quantity of likes they become a Level 10. In some instances this may be after 80-90 posts, in @Lisa367 case she has hit the jackpot with this one. Although she has only had 30 posts she has already become a level 10.

But basically, it has absolutely nothing to do with knowledge (as is apparent by my ranking!!) it is purely a measure of a hosts contributions plus their acceptance.

And the 'Top Contributors' rankings at the head of each page are based on the number of 'likes' or 'thumbs up' a contributor has had over the previous set number of days or weeks. As older posts drop off newer ones come along and once again Lisa has risen top one of the top contributors with this single post. As this thread begins to decline, so will Lisa's ranking if she does not come up with another popular thread! Nothing is ever as simple as that but Pip...that's basically what it means!

There you go....yeah, I really do need to 'get a life'!!

Cheers.....Rob

[Pip6]

Sorry Robin, it looks like it took me this long to see your message:)!

I just logged in, by following a thread in the latest Airbnb Superhost news and found there were 3 'notifications' for me. lol.

Just as well you weren't a guest!

Anyway, thanks for the info Robin and I hope all's great in Mount Barker!

Cheers Pip