Viewing reviews of potential guests

Alastair0
Level 9
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Viewing reviews of potential guests

I know there was another thread but cant find it so want to give feedback on not being able to view potential guests reviews anymore.

When we as hosts get an enquiry or booking request we need to be able to see how previous hosts had found the experience of hosting them. "Flora is recommended by 4 hosts." isnt enough information.  We for example may recommend a guest but put other details in the review that may give other hosts a heads up to some issues or for the host to remind the guest to read the details before booking.

 

What is the point of reading about a guest after the fact rather than before a possible issue arrises .

Hosting for 12 years Superhost for most of that time and have grown each year.
15 Replies 15
Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Alastair0

of course, there is no point and I wouldn't be surprised if Airbnb quit with rating guests altogether and only keep the host's ratings.

Airbnb become just another international multimillion money making machine

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

@Alastair0, maybe the guest just doesn't have any reviews. How do you know that the reviews are hidden?

Ava30
Level 10
Eureka, CA

@Alastair0, like @Branka-and-Silvia0 and @Emilia42 previously stated, there is a chance that even though a guest is has 4 host reccomendations, it doesn't necessarily mean they have reviews. Those hosts may have just hit the thumbs up button, possibly even the stars as well but didn't actually write a review. It does seem unlikely that 4 hosts didn't write one out, but who knows? It could be a glitch as well. You can always inquire via the Host Help messaging platform. That seems to be where I get the most results when I have questions. 

Susan151
Level 10
Somerville, MA

@Alastair0. When receiving an inquiry, I can not see the photo, but I can see their profile and all of their reviews. I haven't received a booking request since the new implementation, so can't speak to that.

Alastair0
Level 9
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Thanks all for the replies.

I cant recheck as we now have the booking and can now see her reviews.  I will check again when we get a new enquiry, but in the past we just click on their profile or review and we can read. Watch this space I will try again soon

Al

Hosting for 12 years Superhost for most of that time and have grown each year.
Alastair0
Level 9
Chiang Mai, Thailand

Hi  I promised an update. It appears that you can no longer see the photo, as you all must have now noticed, or the details of who wants to book until after the booking has gone through.

I went to an airbnb meeting and many hosts raised the same concerns that I have.

It appears that this has been done as a host rejected a black persons booking and it was widely seen in the media and airbnb has taken steps to ensure that it doesnt happen again.. This seems to me to be overkill as we have all signed up to be non discriminatory. The rules are already in place and hosts who are prejudice should be removed. But it now calls into question who can turnup at your home, do they have bad reviews. Even when a guest has 10 reviews and recomended by 5 what about the other 5 reviews?

Al

Hosting for 12 years Superhost for most of that time and have grown each year.

I just received a request to book my property.  When I went to look for reviews all I see is:

 

Hi, I'm Alex

joined in 2015

 

Report this profile

 

Can someone block their profile?

 

 

@Alastair0 

Even when a guest has 10 reviews and recomended by 5 what about the other 5 reviews?

 

Should this situation occur and the host is unhappy with the reviews of the guest, can the host cancel without penalty? I recall that some in-home hosts have reported that they have cancelled reservations with guests  they were unhappy with after seeing guest reviews based on safety & security. I expect this to be the same for remote hosts too?

Susie5
Level 10
Boston, MA

One thing I find especially useful is to see what reviews the potential GUESTS have left for other hosts.  You can download an app called AirReview and when you click on the guest's profile, AirReview will put their reviews under those they received from hosts.  Sometimes there is valuable info there!  You can at least get an idea of the tenor of the reviews they have left in the past - it doesn't give their star ratings, however... 

Peter1521
Level 1
Minneapolis, MN

AIRBNB DO YOU READ THESE POSTS?  IF SO, THIS POLICY HAS GOT TO CHANGE.  I UNDERSTAND MASKING THE PHOTOS TO PROTECT THE IDENTIY AND RACE OF OUR CLIENTS - BUT YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO MASK THEIR REVIEWS!!!!!!  OTHERWISE HOW DO I KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THE RENTER HAS THROWN PARTIES, OR VIOLATED THE RULES OF PEVIOUS HOSTS!!!!!! THIS POLICY HAS GOT TO CHANGE

Cathryn27
Level 3
Kelseyville, CA

@Susie5 thank you for the suggestion!

JJ48
Level 10
Providence, RI

AirReview is a Chrome extension that I recommend - loads the guest's previous reviews for you.  It's free too - at least it was when I got it.  

How do I find this extension? I looked in play store but it didn't exist there.

Just Google Air Review. It isn't an app, it's a extension. (being a non-techie, I couldn't tell you if, how, or why those are different, but I think they are).  @Jeanne-{And-Ralph}0 

 

But you don't need Air Review to read a guest's reviews, just click on the circle with the letter or profile silhouette and that will take you to their profile/review page.