The new criteria for Super Host ratings is a cruel thing to do to loyal long time SH!

Ann10
Level 10
New York, NY

The new criteria for Super Host ratings is a cruel thing to do to loyal long time SH!

I will have to focus on the wrong things. Spend more time vetting potential guests. Maybe have to decline more people. My focus will shift to making sure I don't get some crazy who won't give me a bad star rating because I wouldn't run out and get them laundry detergent, come in the middle of the night and work the TV remote even though instuctions are there, or because they didn't read my listing and expected something else. This is really wrong. Richard on youtube said a new era of treating host like people on Airbnb is finally here. No, I think he didn't get the memo on this one. This is crazy. If some Boardline Personality person tells me everything is wonderful and then gives me a 3 for Overall Experience right before the end of the ratings period, how am I supposed to get all the bookings I need to get back up to 4.8?  Please don't do this on top of it! I know a lot of people agree w me. This is no way to thank your loyal hosts. Also, if someone is going to give less that a 5 in any category, they should have to explain why, like we have to explain why we don't want "Smart Pricing" or why we are declining a guest. I can assure you, I will be declining a lot more if you implement this new system. And for Value if they give less than a 5, they should be warned they will never be able to book the property again, even when the price goes down. They should be told to look for cheaper properties. As for Location, same thing and tell them to read the listing.

102 Replies 102
Dean650
Level 1
Guanacaste Province, Costa Rica

I have 12 listings in total and growing by the week. will it be hard for me to be superhost

@Dean650   You can control the stats like response rate, by making sure to answer promptly, what you can't control is the ratings guests leave, which can be fickle. All you can do is try to keep up the ratings by making sure the places are clean, accurately respresented and so on. But even then, guests can leave bad ratings because they got a bee in their bonnet about something.

 

Don't concern yourself much with Superhost status. And don't scurry around trying to please entitled, demanding guests thinking it will lead them to leave a good review. Bad guests leave bad reviews, regardless.

Lin18385
Level 2
Vancouver, Canada

Im done with airbnb. I have 3 listings with them for like 5 years but feel like treated like **bleep**. Also gona sell all of my airbnb stocks. This platform only knows how to make money from you but will do nothing for you. As myself is a real estate professional and I will just run it myself without going through all this bs.

Ann10
Level 10
New York, NY

I had to leave this as a comment. As I was trying to add this to the original post, I got a notice that said the time limit on editing was over. Umm... OK. What is the purpose of that? What if I used a bunch of swear words and I wanted to take them out?

 

A single 4-star rating, you need 4 perfect 5-star ratings to average 4.8

A single 3-star rating, you need 9 perfect 5-star ratings to average 4.8

A single 2-star rating, you need 14 perfect 5-star ratings to average 4.8

A single 1-star rating, you need 19 perfect 5-star ratings to average 4.8

 

This is absurb if you have long term guests. Also, the only reason I don't have 100% positive ratings is because of one person who told me everything was wonderful, told me that in the review and gave me a 3 for overall experience and refused to tell me why. 

Yes, the numbers are crazy!! I think it would be fair if they threw out the lowest rating once per quarter.

Evangeline7
Level 2
California, United States

My first 2 reviews were 3 and then the next 11 were 5 stars. I want to get to 4.8 but I’m at 4.7. How many more 5 star reviews do I need?

Please weigh in on the 'Introducing Superhost Week' thread in the airbnb updates section, it is written by a what is apparently the new Host Success manager at Airbnb, and ignores all our regular complaints to make themselves look good with the new hosts.  You will see all level 1 and 2 postings in there, probably they should hear from the regulars.

Rebecca181
Level 10
Florence, OR

From what I'm reading here in the Community Center, many of us Super Hosts are feeling just like you.

 

Recently I counted all of my stars in every single category ('overall' plus the six sub-categories). Out of 70 reviews in all 7 categories, I had only 14 reviews out of all of the categories in which I did not have a five star review. Several of these less than five star reviews were from the same odd guest who did not read my listing or photo descriptions adequately and he thought my large sunroom was a 'tiny house' and was upset he had to sleep 'in the large cottage'. So he gave me 3's on nearly everything, but never said a word while he was here. So I have a supposed 93% five star rating, even though only 14 categories out of 482 possible categories were less than five stars. This confused me, so I called Airbnb one night to discuss.

 

The Customer Rep I spoke to couldn't figure the math out either, so he put me on hold and went to his manager. He eventually returned and told me this: It seems the only rating that 'counts' is the 'Overall' rating. So I had (at that time when calling Airbnb) 64 five star Overall ratings / reviews, and only 5 that were not 5 star (all five of these were 4 star reviews - even the 'tiny house' guy gave me a 4 star  review overall, strangely. I had no 3 stars or less 'overall' reviews).

 

I did not realize that none of those sub-category reviews count towards our overall average. Also, Airbnb is not using a 'weighted average' to calculate our average, which makes no sense to me. At this point, given that 'declines' are also now counted against us, I am prepared to lose the Super Host status I worked so very hard for all this past year, during which time I sold out the Cottage every month and was likely Airbnb's top producer in my beach vacation rental neighborhood. C'est la vie. I will not have anyone staying on my property that clearly may break my rules or put me and mine at risk. No thanks. And I will still provide just as good an experience to whomever rents our Cottage, with our without my Super Host status, whether these guests are from Airbnb or not. Because it is MY home and MY rental and only I have the right (and ability) to determine who is appropriate for me to share it with, and I provide the best possible experiences to my guests because that is just who I am and how I do things. And so I will never be controlled by these tactics currently being used by the large booking sites that are designed to make owners treat their homes like commercial hotels via setting things up so that we do things their way or lose bookings / revenue and / or (in the case of Airbnb) our Super Host status. Because my property and my home are my sanctuary, and I will never forfeit my right to screen and vet potential guests who seek to stay here. Ever.

Yes, it just takes ONE crazy person to give you a one-star rating and your superhost is OVER. 

Rebecca Please weigh in on the 'Introducing Superhost Week' thread in the airbnb updates section, it is written by a what is apparently the new Host Success manager at Airbnb, and ignores all our regular complaints to make themselves look good with the new hosts.  You will see all level 1 and 2 postings in there, probably they should hear from the regulars.

@Tony134, yes!! I just did, thank you for the tip.  Those that are new to this platform need to know the risks and not just hear the awesome-ness of the rating.  I offer affordability, so I didn't really care about the superhost bollucks.  Once I did a little researching I saw a lot of complaints about it like you all are posting here.  It certainly isn't fair that you would have to lose your rating for a year if you cancel on someone.  I almost ejected a group of 14-year-olds last night because Mom thought it would be cool for them to have a slumber party at my house for 2 days with no chaperones....knowing I don't allow it. Well...if I did that I would get penalized.  Happy Easter, right?!

Ann10
Level 10
New York, NY

I completely agree w you, but what is this about not being able to vet guests? Are they going to have profiles?

Mario136
Level 2
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

You MUST sign that you do not discriminate, that is a fairly new rule.

 

Even according to stringent US discrimination laws, you are allowed to discriminate in sublets of rooms, as I understand.

Jane348
Level 2
Exmouth, United Kingdom

I agree absolutely with you.  I don't like the way that Airbnb is starting to focus more and more on 'plus', 'superior', etc when it should be grounded in its original concept of sharing your home. It's starting to pander to professional organisations with hotel rooms or multiple places to rent. It's hard to search for price now.  Most people I believe look for sharing, basic needs like comfort, wifi, location, price, etc. otherwise they'd look for a hotel wouldn't they.