The "new" host review form for guests to rate hosts

[Timothy19]

I just saw this on a FB hosting group and was shocked at how tedious this process has gotten for guests. I have several comments and questions.

1. Is this standard for ALL guests of ALL properties, or is this just aimed at select guests of select listings in order to verify the listing amenities, etc? This is literally 10 pages of questions (on mobile at least). 10 pages!

2. If this is standard practice now, well, wow. Does ABB expect guests to go through this whole thing every stay? ABB is pushing owners to get reviews get reviews get reviews....and then makes the get review process this cumbersome? I wouldn't be surprised if guests stop leaving reviews.

3. The entire "compares to your expectations" part seems like it will actually make the rating system WORSE than it was before. Guests already had trouble with ABB's interpretation of what 5 stars meant. We had owners pushing for 5* because ABB treated 4* like a bad rating. Now this new system looks even MORE geared to getting low ratings. Imagine you have a listing that just looks stunning....all the amenities in the world....picture perfect. The guest stays there with HIGH expectations and the owner delivers. "About the same as expected". That looks like a 3* rating equivalent. Even "better than expected" would only get this incredible listing a 4* equivalent rating.

----------- I think AirBnB just made their rating system WORSE!

[Rebecca181]

@Letti0 @Lyndsey Cooking for guests also means you are offering 'special services', which means in the United States you have to file a Schedule C, instead of a Schedule E (business) when declaring Airbnb / rental income.

[Sally221]

Oh NO!  Now I will be afoul of the IRS? Double yikes! I do make scones for our guests, I enjoy doing it and it keeps up the skill-set. I certainly don't think it should be an expectation, the true charm of airbnb ought to be the diverse options offered,  right? I am at heart a goody two shoes & I am as scrupulous about food safety as only a retired infant toddler teacher  can be but jeez, I love having guests straggle up the stairs & give a sniff of rapture before sitting down to a lovely light breakfast of scones hot from the oven, fresh fruit and great coffee (or tea), Sally the possible scoff-law

[Dee32]

Sally- " double yikes" 

Hahaha make me just laugh out loud!! Thanks

[Cor3]

Hi All,

As said before, I’ve asked recent guests. Whether they would be willing to inform us about the review process on their side. And so they did!

Furthermore and maybe a bit of a coincidence, I noticed that since today: I can see ‘compliments’ left by previous guests in the App (Not on a PC)!

It looks like it, that the new review process is in place, since about October 2017 already!

Although we also did notice a sudden decrease in the amount of reviews left, since May 2018.

And I have to send review reminders to previous guests, more often since then.

The recent guests also send me App screenshots from their mobile phone. The whole process is divided in sections/steps (I will share the App screenshots below).

These screenshots are partially in Dutch, but since the majority of you is a Level 10 Community Member and/or a Superhost. So, I suppose this will not be a problem as all of you did most likely obediently attend your Dutch lessons in Primary School 🙂

Step 1: Star-Rating for Overall Experience (On a scale of 1 to 5 stars).

Step 2: Compliments (7 choices, which act like a checkbox; This step can be skipped).

Step 3: Under-/Over-Delivery (Comparison to expectations, 5-radiobutton choice. What will Airbnb be doing with this information?)

Step 4: Star-Rating for the other 6 sub-categories (On a scale of 1 to 5 stars).

Step 5: Basic amenity checklist/confirmation (Maybe the other amenity confirmation options are available below, but at least not visible in the screenshots, I have).

Step 6: Private message to the host (This step can be skipped).

Step 7: Public review

And that’s it!

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

Step 6:

Step 7:

 And that is about it.

[Elly0]

@ Cor, thanks for this!
Your step 1 shows what was left out of the original post's screenshots, showing the much more sane plain star rating for our most important "Overall", where other posts wrongly guessed the crazy making - comparison to expectations - made the "Overall" result. Whew, what a relief!

[Cor3]

Hi @Elly0,

Yes, Indeed.

But what is Airbnb going to do with the information gathered, from Step 3?

Will they start telling you – in due time, you will have to work on your listing, because you are rated: “Much better than expected” over and over again?

[Susan1028]

😆

[Dee32]

@Elly0

Its step # 3 that's going to lower your overall score. His has only 3 questions the one I saw here in US has 5 questions. Equals  1-5 star rating depending on the answer given. That's how I understand it to be. Here's how it looks:
This is what I saw today. I've heard this translates into a 1-5 stars that's factored into your overall score. To get 5 stars you will have to get a much better than expected! That means if this is true 3 star's would be "About the same as I expected" Scary! Can someone else confirm if this equals 1-5 stars? Since there are several versions rolled out.

[Elly0]

At one point (that I have not been able to find), Airbnb clarified that only the single Overall star rating in the review form is what counts to make the Overall stat. I hope this will get clarified again in the upcoming Host Q & A.

[Rebecca181]

@Cor3 As has been mentioned, guests often do not even read our listings beyond the initial summary, if that. So now Airbnb expects guests to go through a review system that appears to be striving to replicate the expansive proportions of Tolstoy's 'War and Peace'? If it weren't so semi-tragic I would find this whole thing terribly amusing. But now, I gotta run - Need to install that elevator and find a place for an oven/range in my small but serviceable kitchenette!!!

[Cor3]

Hi @Rebecca,

On the other side. I had a guest lately reviewing me. And it took this guest less than 4 minutes to review me. I.e.: There was a 4 minute interval, between me receiving the request to review the guest. And me receiving the message, that we were reviewed by this guest.

Oh, and yes, you better run to get your kitchenette, like it should be!

[Rebecca181]

@Cor0, just saw this, no notification that you tagged me, and I cannot tag you here. Yet another Community Center mystery, never to be solved...

[Cor3]

Hi @Rebecca181,

Sometimes, when I can’t tag someone. I just copy the link to this person (in the hope it will work the same). But it suppose it was just a little ‘techie’ from me, to think it may work the same way.

So that could explain, why you weren’t notified. So I will stop that practice.

It seems you can only tag someone, out of a list of max 5 persons or so.

It's been like this for a while already.

[Syl11]

@Rebecca0  I love Tolstoys 'War and Peace'.

 When people ask me questions already well explain in my listing, i ask them again to please read my listing very carefully prior to booking. Usually they don't book after. Because they finally read it. I don't need hassles and I don't want them to be uncomfortable either. 

My constant requests are "coming with their car", even if I don't have private parking spaces.

I don't have that magic wand to create a private parking space......its inner city where space is sacred. Most apartments have zero parking. One can't have it all.....!

I am a guest as well as a host..........I! I don't mind quality control.

[Rebecca181]

@Syl11, just saw this, was never notified of your tag. Only way I can see people's responses to my comments is to go back and read the entire thread - Which I rarely have time to do. Oh well.