New Review Flow for Guests

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

I know many of you have already noticed that Airbnb launched a new review flow, simplifying the process for guests to send more detailed feedback to hosts. There are already a few threads talking about this here in the CC and so I am really pleased to provide an overview of this product change for you.

We believe that detailed guest feedback is invaluable—whether it’s a rave review that encourages you to keep providing standout hospitality or a gentle reminder on how you can improve next time.

If a guest gives you less than five stars in any one category (cleanliness, accuracy and amenities, check-in, or communication), they can now choose from different focus areas in each category to help you know exactly why, and what to improve for the next time around.

To see what this process looks like, take a look at this Airbnb Blog article.

I hope this information will give you more insights around the new review flow. What do you think? Have any of your used the new review flow yet? Also, feel free to share any questions you might have on this.

Thanks,

Lizzie

[Robin4]

@Lizzie

Yeah Lizzie that confirms the sketchy information we have been able to piece together up to now and, as a lone host, I don't support it for a couple of reasons.

1/. Guests do not understand that 5 stars is the default Airbnb rating criteria. Anything less is seen as a failure and this system looks for problems where problems do not exist: ie that century old Persian rug with it's certificate of authenticity results in a downgrading to a 4 or even a 3 star cleanliness rating because of it's old and shabby appearance. Should the host hot-foot it down to Ikea and replace this treasure with a suitable piece of 5 star shag pile nonsense in order to avoid being relegated and told there is room for improvement?

2/. Hosts do not have the same opportunity to rate guests, so the whole equation is one sided.

What was the main issue with the guests cleanliness: Smell, smoking, untidy habits, noise, abuse of supplied equipment.

What was the main issue with the guests communication: Response, observance of house rules, contact.

These things are as relevant to the host as Airbnb seems to feel the guest comments are. If guests knew they would be rated on the same criteria as that used for hosts many of them would take more care, and be more responsible and responsive guests.

Thank you for posting this Lizzie it does give us a bit more insight into the review process but in reality will do nothing to make us better hosts. All it will do is bring up issues that will make us more mistrusting of guests in general.

As I said, I don't speak for the community, just as a lone host.

Cheers.....Rob

[Jo27]

I agree with Robin, Robert, and Nancy.  The host is rated on 7 items and the guest 3.  I have always been generous with my guest reviews.  The guests I never want to see again, I don't review for my personal safety.  They stay in my home with me, they know my habits, and they can copy a key.  There are a lot of vindicative people out there.  We as hosts can't see how many stars a guest has either.  I know by not leaving a review or being too generous is not fair for the future hosts of these guests.  Also, I have not see any feedback on my increase in 4 star reviews.  I was rated a 4 in cleanliness.  That's unheard of out of 83 reviews in less than a year.  Yet, I'm left to wonder why.

Airbnb is valuing guests over hosts.  We have the most to lose letting total strangers into our homes.  I'm demanded by Airbnb to answer the guest if I decline an inquiry or request (which should have been sent as an inquiry, but the guest fails to read my requirements for sending a request which blocks my calendar for 24 hours.  I'm then further reprimanded by Airbnb by making the guest wait).  I always send a reason out of courtesy, but Airbnb does not require guests to do this.  I had 2 guests cancel on me this month after I had to twist myself into a pretezl to get information out of them.  I had to reschedule plans I made because of them.  They never gave me the courtesy of an explanation.  They did respond after I had to contact them, and their response was practically like I bothered them.  Why didn't Airbnb make them answer me when they cancelled?  I bring Airbnb more money than those once or twice in a lifetime guests.  I was so angry, I blocked 3 days.  It punished me more than Airbnb, but how would Airbnb feel if hosts decided to boycott them? 

So no Robin, you are not alone out there.  More of us need to speak up and demand equalilty.  They demand it from us to host anybody of any enthicity or race or whatever.  Anyone can see by my reviews that I do.  Trust me Airbnb, when you have a culture in your home that treats you like a servant, I have to ask myself if Airbnb values align with mine.  I'm sure running this business is a hard job, but so is mine.  I'm not a billionaire.  This year my rates have gone way down due to competition.  What I do notice in my area is the turnover of hosts.  Once someone doesn't have a schedule of their own for less than $5 an hour, how much of an incentive is it?  If you ask me why do I keep doing it, it's because I have limited options.  While I'm grateful for the income, I do feel undervalued.

[Robin4]

@Jo27

The problem is Jo, we have seen so many changes to the platform before, we have made a song and dance about it and nothing has happened! So, the reaction is, what's the point, why get upset about it, it's a done deal so get on with it.

I would love to think the idea of a forum like this would be that us, the ones who are at the 'coal face' of the industry, could affect the decision making which impacts upon us. Obviously everyone has a different barrow they would like to push but, general themes do come through on the forum! But instead of supporting each other, we all march to the beat of our own drum, and SO many different ideas or comments get 'sallied' back and forth that any constructive ideas disappear in sea of negativity.

My own personal feeling is that we as a community should push to have the star rating (in it's present form) done away with and use a percentage base as the criteria for rating a host and a property (and a guest). That way, one bad or ilogical review will have a minimal impact on the hosts record without penalising the host through no reasonable cause. One low percentage rating of a guest on the hosts part would alert other hosts and one low percentage rating by a guest would draw attention to a hosts failing or a guests difficulty, once again alerting other hosts. Rather than leave a star alonside their review, the guest would leave a percent, and so would the host on the guest.

I did a post to this effect some time ago, and guess what, it got one response and one like and promptly disappeared into obscurity.

Jo, we may want change but nobody wants to get on the bandwagon and drive it or support it so....don't hold your breath waiting for things to get better, they won't....but thanks for your support!

Cheers......Rob

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

I left out something critical.  I have a 4 star rating or something like that for cleanliness and that is only the most insane and rediculous thing in the world.  I am the Queen of Clean, ran a Shelter home for kids, worked with kitchen serving thousands of meals a day that Had to be totally sanitary, and more that you can not imagine.  My house and yard are clean, totally clean, if its not clean it gets thrown away no matter what it is .  I have work away and help x workers living in with me to do cleaning and I always work with them to ensure my standards are kept, and I get a 4 star rating for clean ?  Insane.   I just shook my head and laughed but nothing I can do about it.  Do away with this 5 star thing , we are not a Hilton or Intercontneantal Hotel. 

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

A couple things you said are ringing a loud bell for me - we have the most to risk by allowing total strangers into our homes unless we have separate living areas.   Before I accept any guest I vet and qualify that person intensely  - better safe than sorry - so far so good until now.   I have No smoking throughout my host profile still I now have a Japanese man here who is a compulsive chain smoker.  He did not tell me until he arrived .  He Says he only smokes outside in the garden or away from the house but the room reeks of cicagette smoke, I am afraid its permeanting the walls, closet, mattress, even his clothes smell / reek of smoking.  He is sloppy horrible when using the ktichen, has been repremanded about making such a mess ,not cleaning it up then.  Still, he is a nice man so do I put him out ?  No, of cousre not but same time, we have to be after him.  Worst thing he sleeps all day and is up and prowling about the house most of the night.  We have dogs, posted clearly, and they bark every time he walks around from his room down back and forth to the kithcen.  Of course we can't wait for him to leave but do I give him a bad review ?  To what gain ?  Someone else may not mind his stuff at all and love to host him.   We the hosts need to vet the requests and be selective on accpetance not the other way around.  We do have the most to lose in every way.  

[M34]

I think we hosted that same man or someone very similar.  Very bad experience for us having someone roaming the house while we slept.  Scary! 

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

Was your night nocturanl guy from Japan ?  Our little dogs bark their loudest any time anybody Anybody gets up at night, moves around , evern to use the bathroom so I am always awakened by that - good as far as I am concenred.  The guests always know that as soon as they open the door to their bedroom that the dogs bark and I Am Up also and About to Check .  Love my Dogs.  

[Alan_Carol0]

We only let our guests use their room and bathroom and that is it. All common areas are out of bounds. 

We've put in a kettle and tea/coffee in the room which. Has been commented on as a nice touch. May keep people out of your common areas? 

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

We also allowed guests to use the kitchen but we put a mini fridge in the airbnb bedroom, still , the guests assume that they have rented the entire house, patio, all common areas, and its not unreasonable for them to assume that unless told clearly.   Hotels & hostiles provide common areas as a matter of course and those guests have access to the entire place.   Most people assume that its the same in private homes unless told other wise.  

[David126]

What hotel allows kitchen access?

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

I am very new to Airbnb and have hosted only a few guests but this 5 star system just givers the guests an invatiation to complaint about the hosts accomodatons and we all know that even a vacation during poor weather ususally results in low ratings  also for hotels, hostiles, time shares,  it has to inclucde Airbnb also.  If An Airbnb guest really expects to get a 5 star accomodation, they need to go to the Hilton or Intecontenantal Hotel.  I think this 5 star thing is unfair and ridiculous for Airbnb.  As for my own rating , I have no idea what it is but then I don't support myself with this income either do I depend on it so I don't really care .   I have to turn down most requests because they just are not right for me.  

[Gina-And-Jose-0]

Rob,  you also speak for me as a host.  Thanks . 

[Ingrid55]

I totally agree with @Robin4.  We hosted some guests recently who marked us down for Accuracy, BUT (and it's a big but...) they obviously did not read the description at all.  They were first time AirBNB users and thought they were booking our entire home instead of the Private Room we have listed.  In the past 18 months, we've never had anyone believing they were booking our entire home, much less for the cost of $65 per night.  Their comments in relation to the 4 star rating on Accuracy were that there was "no TV in the room" and "separate shower" which just is a crazy comment given that we clearly list out the fact that there is no TV, and whilst the room has its own private ensuite and washbasin, the shower is part of our second bathroom.  

Just annoyed me so much, and I really felt like unlisting my space.  We knock ourselves out to ensure our guests have a great stay with us - we provide a yummy breakfast (often I'll go out and get fresh pastries).  Our guests are free to come and go as they please, and they are also free to use all the amenities our large family home provides - including high speed internet / wifi to stream movies in the privacy of their room.  

I would love to be able to comment about these guests for future hosts so that they know they have a problem reading the description and expect a 5 star resort experience at a budget cost!  

Ingrid

[Regina38]

 I have a 3 story house built in 1890, The frst floor apartment has a rattan couch that sits low to the ground. One lady booked it for 2 weeks while her bathroom was being renovated because her other bath was in the basement and she can't do a lot of steps. There is a porch wit steps clearly posted in pictures several times. You can see the furniture is low. It also does not say handcap accessible. SHe asked if it was I said no. She had an adult autistic child, I said no problem I understand that as I have a cousin who is. She asked if she could see the apartment ahead of time I said yes and allowed her to come see it with her son. He was charming and nice. She assure me it would work for her. I said please let me know now if anything will not work and you can cancel with no penalty. She said no she loved it. Her review was 3 stars and started out Even though this is a first floor apartment it is not handicap accesible....She should have given me 6 stars for everything I did for her. I went over and sat with her son when he missed his van to work until someone came to get him. She complained that I did not have Kleenex and had to get them herself(I don't supply because they end up in the toilet and can clog it. I give more TP and less paper towels so they dont use paper towels and flush them) SHe wrote me a private note that I She was cold and the bed was too low and she couldnt sit anywhere and get up on her own on and on...in the feedback she said I did not have Kitchen towels and pot holders. They were right in . he drawer with the flashlight and firstaid kit accross from the sink. I showed her them when she came to preview and when she checked in. I hoe I never run into her again.

Then I had a lady who 's daughter is my neighbor she stayed in the same unit 3 times complane to me that the couch cushions were uncomfrtable so I got new ones. I did not relie she gave me 3 or 4 stars until Airbnb let us see that for a fleeting moment. She had just checked out so I cantacted her and asked her wh and could she not review me if she couldnt give me a 5 star rating. Opps she has already done it and gave me 3 stars becase of the couch. No thank you for upgrading. I told her if he was not going to give me a good rating that she could not come back. Why would you want to stay somewhere that you rate 3 stars  multiple times. I expained that she was threatening my business. She wants to come in may. And now AIrbnb t.o

ok away our ability to see guests stars they gave again She also commented that the another neighbor was going to start hosting(I am going to run for him as cohost hahah) I let her know that I would be co hosting and maybe she should.

Another lady gave me 3 stars because SHe could hear people in the building-(twice, stayed with me 4 times once in each unit and then again in the first floor) I told her the same thing. She then finally found an apartment up the street that I know you can hear the people in, You cant please everyone or explain some people. We should be able to see guests star ratings they gave other hosts as hosts because if I saw a 3 star rating with a glowing review I would decline them and hope they never get to book on airbnb again.

These tree women had airbnb messaging me saying I needed to up my hospitality why dont they tellgusts they need to stop whining nd making things up.

I think they should get rid of the star rating it is too much like a hotel rating and it confuses people. They should just ask was listing accurate, was host?guest interaction adequate? was it neat and tidy? ect. The smell thing is ridiculous. I grew up the mushroom capital of the world and a lot of times you could smell manure. My dad and ex both grew mushroomsas did a lot of my family and friends families. When someone said ew whats thats smell we said thats the smell of money honey!

Maybe we should have a forum to come up with a better system for rating and then present it to Aibnb.