STAR RATINGS for Cancellations and No-Shows - Hosts Expected to Lie? Or Just Make Something UP?

Paris46
Level 2
Clearlake, CA

STAR RATINGS for Cancellations and No-Shows - Hosts Expected to Lie? Or Just Make Something UP?

Recently had a Cancellation who never showed up to Check-In. It was a taxing process of attempting to work with this guest through extensive modifications and dysfunctional communications. Now that she's trashed my otherwise beautiful profile, I was given an opportunity to REVIEW the experience> However, I'm being forced to fill in STEP ONE of the RATINGS game before being able to write a review. How am I supposed to select 1 - 5 STARS in the RATINGS when I have not experienced these aspects of CLEANLINESS, OBSERVANCE OF HOUSE RULES and COMMUNICATION, because she NEVER CHECKED IN?

The natural inclination is to just make something up, or to lie as payback, however, I'm seeking a more ethical and truthful solution. The RATINGS and REVIEW SYSTEM has a major flaw, and every day, many of us feel the pain. Why are HOSTS and GUESTS expected to play this RATINGS game when it has NO INTEGRITY and is NOT based on actual experience or truth?

Someone...please...???

 

23 Replies 23

I had to cancel someone day of just last wknd bc of some very odd company showing up To my house who was not the registered guest, and by company I mean 7 car loads of just random looking folk. Not that I was discriminating against them or anything, but it was the sheer fact none of them new one another. So I was like ugh yeah that’s gonna be a hard pass on this group activity. Airbnb actually gave her the money back bc I cancelled, yet I told them why. Still in talks as we speak for them to rethink that action as to maybe they got it backwards. Nevertheless I got a notification saying this guest has reviewed your listing about her stay, write her one so they can be published. And I’m like wtf, that’s a def no. So for now they’re heading in right path as they didn’t allow hers to be public on my profile, might’ve just deleted it all together. But it literally still said to give this woman a review lol since I’m too nice and believe it shouldn’t ever be one sided I declined to give one and deleted the notification for it and anything else pertaining to.  So My profile is still nicely 5 stared without any crazy people messing that up. 

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Jeffrey319  DO write a review! Hosts need to be warned about this sort of behaviour! As @Mike-And-Helen0  said, the guest's review will show on YOUR profile 14 days after checkout day - or as soon as you do yours. You CAN rate communication on the pre-trip messaging; was it honest, cordial, accurate, informative etc..... And write a paragraph about what happened.... YES, it's silly that we are forced to star  rate the 'Not applicables' Personally I give 5* for cleanliness & house rules for NICE people who communicated well & cancelled for a good reason, i.e. people I'd welcome back...... & of course they DID  leave it clean if they did not stay. If I had to turn away bad guests then I'd give them a low star rating - but I hate lying.

 

Many of us have raised this issue with Airbnb, but no change yet! (In the past you COULD leave the stars blank - in those days, I used to rate communication & leave cleanliness & house rules blank - much more sensible.)

@Jeffrey319 Please leave a review in order to warn future hosts. Are you sure your guests review won't get posted? They usually always are, when the review period is over. You will end up with a bad review on your profile and your guest with a blank and fresh profile ready to book with a new host (a new host who didn't get warned) :-/.

 

Thanks for relaying your insights. You can tell from the title of discussion that I can't write a review without filling in the Ratings. So, are you saying...lie, or make something up? in order to write the review?

I refused to fill in the stars as some suggested, and was therefore denied the review.

I'm attempting to bring it to the attention of the system, and that requires feedback and voices being spoken louder than mine alone. Perhaps you can send an email to the VP of Community Support, aisling.hassell@airbnb.com, and/or Brian Chesky, Co-founder and Head of Community, brian@airbnb.com.  

 

As you've pointed out, this has been going on for some time. And now I need help over it. This so-called guest who never checked in has reported me for false violations I have not been given the chance to defend, and my listings are now blocked from future reservations until that's resolved. What a mess...unnecessary had someone cleared it up when it was pointed out long ago. Thanks for any help and understanding. Paris

Thanks for sharing...glad to hear you were able to get personal relief and that review was not posted. Not all of us are so fortunate. The extensive efforts to defend myself from abuses of a flawed system have resulted in my removing my listings and calling for change. Perhaps you can take action and address the bigger issue I'm raising regarding the ongoing policy of forcing Star Ratings in Categories that have not been experienced and end up taxing hosts. That brand of conflict and using the ratings star system to resolve it has become detrimental to my peaceful home and peace of mind. Ethically, in the sense of right and wrong, why should we be forced to lie? why should we have to be running to Help & Support and depending on the omnipotent decisions of support staff, when something so basic is so intrinsically messed up?

@Jeffrey319 I just realized that you probably think that because the review is not published, that it is because airbnb didn't allowed it to be published and that is why it is not showing. But that is not the case! A review won't get published before both parts (host/guest) leaves one OR when the review period is over 14 days after check-out. Since you haven't left a review the guest' review hasn't showed up on your listing. But it will for sure when the review period is over. Just so you are aware. 

Mike-And-Helen0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Jeffrey319 are the 14 days up?

You might get a nasty surprise if you suddenly see their review after 14 days and you've lost the chance to do your own.

You got that right...but it wasn't a surprise. So-called "guests" who never check in and do not get their money back because of a moderate cancellation policy are fed the bone by the system of being able to rate a so-called "host" on things they never experienced. They are encouraged and allowed to lie by having to complete a ratings questionnaire involving stars in 6 categories. These reviews are not taken down in violation of the content policy even though they are not based on truth or actual experience, but more seemingly a rather vindictive and vengeful punching of the ONE STAR. In an obvious effort to protect the system, members of the community like you and me are also encouraged and allowed to lie by being forced to rate with stars in categories for which we would have no experience, in order to get to the next level of the review process. Even though this travesty has been allowed to flourish for however long, there seems to be no recourse but to vent here.

Even though I was assured by ABB Support that this review would not affect my hard-earned Superhost status, the ONE-Star rating has indeed dropped me out of qualification for that badge. Wow! The power of the STARS!

To address your suggestions...As I attempted to write a review for this person, I refused to answer the STAR RATINGS because I could not say if the so-called guest was clean, etc. I was not able to leave a review for that so-called guest because of my decision to not lie.

After extensive efforts to get help and clarification about the lack of integrity in the "system," and mostly getting automated runaround, I pulled my listings and requested to be removed from the system. I was told that when a certain number of feedback responses called for upgrades in the review process, I'd be informed if and when changes were made, I'd get an email.

Perhaps you and others could point out the ethical dilemma and call for amendment to the system. thanks and peace...

Rowena29
Level 10
Australia

@Paris46 

How do you KNOW they've trashed your profile?

Have they alreayd left a review? If so you can't see unless 14 days have elapsed, in which case you've left it too late to write one of your own?

Please take a closer look and please read responses. If you can, I'm asking you to participate in the call for amending a flawed system in which so-called "guests" who never appear or check-in, are encouraged to falsify their reviews of the experiences by having to fill in STARS in categories they never experienced.

 

In the process of attempting to complete a review for this NO-SHOW, I refused to lie and falsify and fill in the STARS for things I did not experience. I was not allowed to leave them blank. Therefore, I was not allowed to post a review.

 

I spent many many hours attempting to get clarification from Support, and have been told it would take a certain amount of feedback for that to happen. Please help if you can. In the meantime, I've pulled my listings and am taking a stand of refusing to participate in a bogus review system. Thanks.

Yes, they left a 1-star review that lowered my ratings from Superhost status to well below. It would take about 10, perfect 5-star reviews to recover. Meanwhile, I refused to "fake it" and fill in the STAR RATINGS for Cleanliness and categories I never experienced, and was therefore denied the Review.

I've contacted support and they say they need sufficient quantity of feedback to change the Star Rating System. If you and others could please contact support and point this out, it would be a helpful use of your knowledge and dedication. Thanks very much.

Aisling Hassell is VP of Community Support   aisling.hassell@airbnb.com

Brian Chesky is Head of Community and Co-Founder   brian@airbnb.com

 

 

Kelly149
Level 10
Austin, TX

@Paris46 sounds like it'd be quite easy to review this guest

 

you've called their communication dysfunctional, ok, 1*, 2*,3*,4*... you pick

 

they made modifications, they no showed. That's not exactly "breaking" a rule, but it is kind of breaking the agreement, so 1*, 2*, 3*, 4*

 

They never dirtied the place so, Yea! 5* for cleanliness.

 

Would you host again? No seems reasonable

 

And you have a few thoughts to share in the text portion "not a reservation we were happy to have and not a guest we would recommend to others"

 

It's not a great system, but it's what we have.

 

Btw, a CS rep recently told me that the only guest reviews that ABB considers to be poor are 1*, in their book everything else is a passing grade.

 

@Jeffrey319 I wouldn't bet the farm on that guest review not appearing. That group certainly sounds deserving of a 1*, Not Recommended review. I'd do it now if I were you.

So...in other words...Make something up.

I wouldn't know if this person was clean because they cancelled and I did not experience them as a guest.

I can't leave that blank, to complete a review, and it wouldn't be fair or honest to answer the question regarding whether or not this person honored house rules because they never set foot in the house.

When I or you fall into a passive acceptance of unacceptable standards we are told there's nothing to do about, i and you become complicit in a dishonest system. I said "no" to that and asked the community for a solution, and alternative, perhaps reform of a bad system...whatever you call it. Taking action would mean providing enough feedback to Support and Superiors and the System to have your voice heard above the noises of corporate and other influences.

I respectfully ask that you apply your energy, wisdom and experience toward a solution and direct it to Aisling Hassel VP of Community Support aisling.hassell@airbnb.com

and/or Brian Chesky C0-Founder and Head of Community brian@airbnb.com

 

Please tell them the Star Ratings System is flawed and needs amendment. Thanks and best of luck with your airbeds.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Jeffrey319  You can be quite sure that unless the guest has written something in thir review that contravenes Airbnb's very short list of review non-nos (which doesn't seem to include lies or the fact that the guest never even stayed)  it will  appear when the 14 days are at an end, complete with tanking your star rating, if that's what they decide to do. And you'll end up spending an inordinate amount of time, to no avail, railing at Airbnb to remove it.