Reviews

Reviews

Over the past 6 years of hosting I mentioned a pattern and would love to hear your opinion on it.

My long airbnb hosting journey showed me, that the majority of the guests who use airbnb for the first time, are very angry people and demanding.

Most of them have no feeling for the value of things. I asked myself why? And I finally came to a personal conclusion that this problem is a lack of experience with using airbnb. Out of my observation I see that the first time users lack on empathy and have an imagination about how they want you and your home to be.  There is a lack of tolerance and acceptance. I feel like the guest needs time to understand the concept of airbnb and accept indifferences and learn to value the nice opportunities. Till now I never declined on guests, who don't have reviews, who never used airbnb before, but today I think, I am scared of people who come off, as they would know it better, how you need to be. 

 

I would love to open a petition  to restrict new guests, who have no experience in airbnb to be able to give hosts reviews for the first 5 bookings at different places. Because I am tired to give people chances and be demolished by they lack of understanding and their aggressive entitlement. I feel like a guests who wants to profit from this community and the value must gain/ learn certain understanding and feeling before they get weaponized with reviews. I do think I am an experienced host, but I am more and more scared to host guests who never attended any airbnb places before, because I do not want to risk my value to someone who lacks respect towards all my work and my personal experience. Hosting is more as just giving your guest a place to stay. I am very accurate in what I sell people here, I do get upset about people who cannot read listing description and house rules and dictate and judge me how my personal space and my persona needs to be. I am definitely tired of people who do not have understanding for values and effort. I also think it's wrong to give reviews on the first place you ever used in your life through airbnb, if you as a guest have no comparison at all.  

 

 

101 Replies 101
Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

I'm delighted to see the spirit of the original Airbnb is alive at yours @Elisabeth40 !

 

I sympathize completely with your views re guests who have wrong expectations because they don't READ, or because the wrongly view Airbnb as a cheap hotel, & have not bothered to familiarize themselves with the 'ordinary room in someone's home' ethos. - Which still exists at yours & mine!

 

Personally I've been lucky, and only had two rude reviews from  disgruntled guests who didn't understand what they were booking, nor the Airbnb concept. Most newbies gave 5*, with the odd lower rating explained by newbies not understanding what ratings mean.

 

I actually disagree with guests not being allowed to rate for the first 5 stays. If that were the case I would have very few reviews to promote my listings, as I host many first timers, and most guests have fewer than 5 reviews/stays behind them.

 

Some hosts solve your problem by educating guests on reviews. - By subtly bringing the conversation round to reviews, so you can encourage them that reviews are not meant to compare to a 5 star hotel, but rather to the listing description written by the host. - So a stay that was as expected from photos & description = 5 stars. Some hosts put a little notice in the room, explaining. Some hosts explain how/why 4* is failure in Airbnbland.You have to be careful that you word your talk/notice/page in house manual  in a way that does not antagonize the guest; not make them feel bullied or pressured into a top review. That could be counterproductive!

 

I was going to advise you to be very clear in your listing descriptions about anything a guest might find fault with.... But I looked at your listings, and you have done that already! - I guess you could try & put the same information more briefly? Use bullet points?

 

I'm rather glad to see there are still hosts who list their sofas! I've seen too many posts criticising similar! You can list anything you like, so long as the description is clear! - But the guest has to read it!

Actually, the guests who decide to book the couch are easygoing. For some reason I get even better reviews from them as for my room listing. The most unpleasant first bookers are the private room, not the couch guests. And needly to say, the room even doesn't brings in the actual rental costs, it's going below the actual rental market, this is why I started renting out the couch on top of it. This is why it upsets me deeply that people are unhappy and don't understand the value.

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

Yes, I spotted that @Elisabeth40 !

 

I guess it's down to expectations. Guests who book your sofa in a communal space KNOW that's what they are getting, and are none too precious, and don't expect 5 star hotel for the price of a sofa in a common space. But those in the proper bedroom were maybe wrongly expecting something more like a hotel! And maybe don't like the presence of the chap on the sofa, who they have to walk past in order to get to the bathroom!

 

There was a time when my biggest &  best room had the lowest review score. "Expectations!" said a fellow host down the road, who had 40+ 5* reviews for her garden shed! (A very nice shed!)

 

To paraphrase a hysterically funny & long disclaimer a British Host wrote, You could write "This is my private home, not a Best Western.  It's  lived in, & furnished to my tastes, with x,y & z. If you want Best Western, then book a Best Western!"

I love the British host's response! Good thing to add to any place that is rented out to strangers, friends or family.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Helen350 


@Helen350 wrote:

 

 

There was a time when my biggest &  best room had the lowest review score. "Expectations!" said a fellow host down the road, who had 40+ 5* reviews for her garden shed! (A very nice shed!)

 

 


My best room has always been the one with the lowest ratings, especially for location, which is weird as all three rooms are in the same house! The only difference is the 'best' room faces gardens, whereas the other two face a busy road.

 

This baffled me for a while, but I eventually realised it was all to do with expectations. I've often had guests mention that particular room as 'fit for a princess'. Seems it attracts a lot of wannabe princes and princesses too!

Actually, the guests who decide to book the couch are easygoing. For some reason I get even better reviews from them as for my room listing. The most unpleasant first bookers are the private room, not the couch guests. And needly to say, the room even doesn't brings in the actual rental costs, it's going below the actual rental market, this is why I started renting out the couch on top of it. This is why it upsets me deeply that people are unhappy and don't understand the value.

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Elisabeth40 

 

Wow!  I have a month of bookings before I shut down for winter.  Most of my bookings are new guests, recent immigrants to Canada.   EVERY one of my guests have been courteous, compliant, pleasant and appreciative of their opportunity to learn and investigate our area.

 

I am of the belief that every person/guest/host needs an opportunity to learn and grow and as hosts we need to all stand by this value.  But that's just my opinion.

@M199 

my posting is not about immigrants, sorry I am an immigrant myself. It's about people understanding that all places are different. it's about people reading the house rules and the listing description. please asking friendly not to take this into the wrong direction.

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Elisabeth40  - I think you have misunderstood @M199 's response. I certainly did not read it as making any negative remarks  about immigrants at all! - She was just saying that her guests tend to be people who've just joined Airbnb, presumably cos they've arrived in a new country and need a place to stay whilst they get sorted permanently. She could have said ' They're mainly from British Columbia!' 

And anyway, she said they were all great guests! 

anyone can be a first time user of airbnb. not just immigrant. I myself immigrated twice in my life. Immigration has nothing to do with this 

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@M199 I am confused as to when winter starts in Canada. Surely a month of bookings will get you to spring won't it?

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Elisabeth40 

 

Sorry you took my descriptions incorrectly.  I have absolutely no issues with immigrants, locals, tourists, First Nations or any other persons.  My point was from my experiences as a host.

@M199 

 

 

I know you love people, because otherwise if we hosts wouldn't love people, we wouldn't first of all open our private homes to people at all. I believe if someone is not capable to love others, there is no way to be a host. I understand you, I just don't want it to be "political" here. It's not about who stays, it's about how to make it more user friendly for both: hosts and guests. 

here is my current experience, which is happening as we speak and another one, a week ago. A guest books for one person, I ask the guest if she read the listing description and the house rules, the guests says YES, but now I have 2 guests, instead of one. they bring people to my home, if I remind my guest friendly that they booked for one person, they get sometimes rude, that reflects in the review, it's like they are revenging me. And for some reason guests who use airbnb for the first time, misuse reviews as a revenge.  

 

What is your suggestion to me now, how do I escape now a bad review, if I have a not extendable couch, a couch for one person, but 2 people want to sleep on it. HOW?!?!? If I ask one of them to leave, that will be a bad review. I know it already.

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

@Elisabeth40 

 

Have you ever seen the movie "Roadhouse".  There is a very enlightening scene where the cooler/bouncer at the bar coaches the junior crew about how to deal with customers, basically  "Be Nice!"

That's my rule.   You may want to rethink/re-evaluate your listing to target a better clientele.

 

I know it's tough, but stand your ground.