Air BnB ignoring it's own review policies is hurting Superhosts As National Magazine About to Do Article

[David9694]

Last week we had a national magazine come here to do a photo spread on our unique property and high ratings. Major good publicity for Air BnB. Now we have serious second thoughts about promoting the platform. We have multiple air bnb rentals but the new automated review complaint system or the dedicated review team-whatever is doing this-is destroying good air bnb's. We pride ourselves with superhost status for ALL properties for 3 years and hundreds of perfect 5 star reviews. But recent experience with trying to have A TERRIBLE review harmful to air bnb as well as us is making us take a SERIOUS look elsewhere. We had a guest who made sexual advances to a young staffer from the moment she checked in. Constant text messages all night asking for more hangers,  how to turn on a simple wall switch, umbrella, anything to get the staffer into her cabin. She invited him to go for a swim but he refused. The next day as he was opening the pool she approached him again. When he rejected her passes she made homophobic remarks. She told me that if I did not refund her stay she would post a bad review. I refused. Upset by my young staffer refusing to have sex with her and my refusal to refund her stay she contacted air bnb saying no hot water, the pool was closed, the staff was trying to pick her up, etc. to get a refund for her stay. We contacted air bnb immediately as the guest had 1 feedback and was new ( we have HUNDREDS of 5 star reviews). Multiple guests share the hot tub and pool on this property which has several units and positive reviews from those guests as well as the guests who stayed in her cabin immediately before and after this person confirmed her complaints were lies. Further, while she was still here, I provided air bnb with 5 video clips of our guest interaction including her using the pool late at night as well as her coming up to staff the next day as they were opening the pool and her hitting on him AGAIN. We also provided air bnb all the messages she sent all night trying to get the staffer to her cabin for ridiculous things.  Air Bnb Staff investigated, reviewed the evidence, acknowledged she threatened a bad review unless refunded and made racist remarks. They that if she left a retaliatory review it would be removed after. Here's THE ACTUAL TEXT FROM AIR BnB staff:

Airbnb Support 1:23 PM

Hi David, Thank you for reporting the issues created by the Guest. I acknowledge that Guest Peyton made homophobic remarks and threats to leave a bad review unless refunded. If you see a bad review from the Guest, please reach out with this case ID A49697110 as reference, we'll help you remove it if found retaliatory.

Guest left a review filled with all the lies and adding that staff was looking into her window and trying to get her phone number as she is trying to scare other guests from this property. It is the ONLY 1 star review with guests staying just before and after ALL RATING 5 STARS---REVIEW IS OBVIOUS RETALIATION TO AN ISSUE AIR BNB WAS AWARE OF AND OBVIOUS VIOLATION OF AIR BNB REVIEW POLICY BUT THEY ARE LEAVING IT UP ANYWAY EVEN WITH THE AIR BNB STAFF TEXTING THEY WOULD REMOVE! And from a NEW air bnb guest who has 1 review. We have been superhosts for 3 years with ZERO accusations like this and SHE was the one who made the advances as evidenced in the messages she sent  and the video I provided.  SO we submitted for review removal and WE WERE DENIED INSPITE OF VIDEO AND HER MESSAGES AS IRON CLAD EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE REMOVAL. Even the text directly from air bnb staff who reviewed the materials at the time she was here and sent a text that a retaliatory review would be removed.  THIS GUEST HAS ONE REVIEW AN IS AN OBVIOUS LIABILITY TO HOSTS and AIR BnB is allowing her to stay on the platform?

Vijay, a senior customer care manager was I spoke with following the refusal to remove the review which clearly violated air bnb's own policies was ZERO help. He just read the typical form response and had no interest. I have one more chance by appealing the decision on the review that was incorrect and did not review the clear evidence provided or their own guidelines, or even their own staff's message that it would be removed so it's pretty obvious that will also be a waste of time. Air bnb you make PLENTY of money, hire competent staff and start to value your hosts. This is THEIR investment and YOURS as well. 

[Lorina14]

@David9694 

It makes me sad to see guests who lie or threaten bad reviews because they didn’t get a request they wanted even if it was unreasonable (and in your case completely unprofessional and not allowed under the terms and conditions of the platform). 

I would try other Airbnb CS reps to see if you have a different outcome. Meanwhile maybe @Rebecca @Elisa @Quincy (community managers who moderate the boards but not directly Airbnb support) could assist in sending your case to the right team for action? 

[David9694]

Thank you Lorina, I deeply appreciate your concern and suggestions and would welcome any help from moderators to get this up the air bnb chain! I literally was just chosen by this magazine who came last week to take photos about unique highly rated Air BnB's and now I may not even stay with the platform when the article comes out in a few weeks. CS reps at Air BnB simply say there is now a special team that handles bad reviews and they have no authority--even the CS Supervisor said this. I hope this will serve as a warning to all hosts to demand the platform make changes NOW to hosts review complaints to be actually screened and not just rubber stamp any and all guest reviews. If not many of us will end up going elsewhere with underserved severely damaged business reputations, those who actually care about the quality of service provided to guests. Unbelievable to me one team reviewed all the evidence we provided-videos-her actual messages-her reviews/our reviews-stated they found she violated their policy in their return message to us and that if she left a review it would be removed---then another team clearly looked at none of that and said her review was fine and left it up ! If we have poof of all of that , 5 star hundreds of ratings Superhost of 3 years VS a one stay new guests and they take her side with NO evidence and going against their OWN AIR BNB CS documents, what chance does ANY HOST EVER HAVE GOING FORWARD TO HAVE ANY REVIEW REMOVED THAT IS DESIGNED TO DESTROY THEIR BUSINESS ?

[Lorina14]

@David9694 

I had no idea that the regular CS agents have no power on reviews as it is a new team to investigate it. Let me loop in a few hosts and see what they have to say, @Joan2709 @Joelle43 @Robin4 @Helen3 are you aware of this new team to investigate bad reviews? Do you have any suggestions for David? (There is probably a team just for bad reviews because they are getting so many recently from guests who get false claims from hosts and hosts who get no support after years of being on the platform.) Maybe the team has always been there but no real mention of it in the community boards. 

[Joan2709]

@Lorina14 @David9694 

Yup...this is yet another new policy that Hosts were not informed about. Airbnb is using AI to review these disputes and Hosts are told they only have 2 opportunities to request removal. 

That said, I have seen some Hosts report they were able to finally get the review removed after continually contacting Airbnb even after the 2 denials. Not sure how that works?

Apparently you have to think(and write) like the AI would in order to craft a request that the computer bot can understand. It's a mess. Some Hosts are having to resort to filing an Arbitration claim against Airbnb to get the review finally investigated by a HUMAN and eventually removed.

Granted, some negative reviews are deserved and should not be removed, but many I am hearing about with this new policy are clearly in violation of Airbnb policies, but are not being removed.

[David9694]

You are really great to make such an effort to help !  It’s  really something that should be of major concern to every host as more guests share ways in public social media sites to get free stays by gaming this review system .  And cs lied to me and said ai plays no role but there is no way a person reviews this in a few hours and I even crated it by stating the exact air bnb regulation followed by the violation and proof . Definitely a bot response , not a human . 

[Joelle43]

Hello @Lorina14 and @David9694 

This two strike attempt at getting guests reviews removed is handled by AI now which explains why hosts are receiving such a quick response to their first and second appeal.

 I did some digging on the internet on the subject recently and came across two videos on the subject on You Tube made by Sean Rakidzich which proved to be a real eye opener.  Not sure if I'm allowed to post the video here but DM me if you can't find the links.  His explanation on how to approach your appeal is really interesting as basically we have to leave all emotion out of our appeal, just state facts, as we are dealing with a computer who is incapable of empathising with our plight.  We have to think/reason  like a computer to hope to get anywhere.

So I'm afraid there is no special "team"  dealing with these unfair reviews which explains why so few get removed as hosts still think that they are being heard by a human!  Scary right?

[Lorina14]

@Joelle43 
So the “team” is an AI that automates rejections based on key words? I’ve heard about companies using AI for job postings so if you don’t include key terms you get filtered out. That’s really sad that they have taken the human empathy aspect out of customer service especially regarding something like complaints. They could in turn take this as an opportunity to earn life long customers who are pleased with how they listened and resolved the issues. Instead they opted for efficiency which has sacrificed the culture of what many thought Airbnb has been.

[Joan2709]

@Lorina14 

I'm all for running an efficient business, as long as there is a final HUMAN BEING that reviews cases at the end if the 2nd appeal is denied.

[Lorina14]

@Joan2709 

I think my disagreement is with no auditing of the AI as an AI only learns from the programming and monitoring. Otherwise the algorithm may go awry. Systems put in place to help efficiency is fine so long you are monitoring the accuracy, efficiency, productivity, and customer/employee satisfaction with the process. Even though we have email filters you still need to check your spam folders. Same with Airbnb if you are implementing a process one needs to continue to monitor the implementation and not just have the AI make the determination with no oversight.

Who knows how long it may take for a person to analyze the AI and if there is a person at all reviewing or auditing the cases. And are they going to take it at face value? Or will they actually go through all the emails and data analyzed to determine if the conclusion was fair and accurate. It is a new process and it is learning. You need to make sure when a new system is placed that there is a check and balance to  analyze if it is doing a good job or is making mistakes and how to improve it. 

Also data doesn’t necessarily  provide a compassionate human response. AI could be trained for this but it’s still learning. I remember a colleague of mine saying that in hospitals they were relying on computer programs for diagnosing illnesses and she disagreed because it could make the providers lazy and it could miss the zebras. While the programs were helpful, her colleagues were relying on it too much and missing some key elements in asking the right questions to find the possible causes. Data is only as good as the questions we ask but nothing can replace the compassion, empathy and exchange with a human being. 

[David9694]

I was at a VERY high level AI meeting last November. The TOP people in AI including the patent holder for conversational AI. Names everyone would know. 6 of us total (My other business is Public Relations/Media/Major Events. My air bnb and primary residence is 3 blocks from the second most famous residence in the world in Palm Beach where we met. Can't disclose a lot but it was a serious meeting about many areas and public perception going forward. AI will replace everyone you now speak with in customer service, those reading off scripted sheets, and many MANY other jobs in virtually ALL career fields--many white collar. If you saw the AI BOT/Personality ready to roll out your jaw would drop. WAY WAY beyone Chat GPT---A two way conversation like a realy person with multilayered questions and follow-ups. Retiring semi-truck drivers and paying them severance was brought up by someone with the initials JB and I thought it was a few years away. Found out they just started it with driverless semi's driving routes between Houston and Dallas. But each of you is correct in stating that humans must REVIEW AI work, especially when issues are reported. This is NOT happening now at Air BnB so ONE OR TWO FAKE BAD REVIEWS from one or two guests who wanted a free stay or just was an unhappy person will END YOUR ENTIRE BUSINESS HERE. It's WAY to risky to make major investment of time, money and work. There are MANY bad players who are and will take advantage of your property. It's only a matter of time till every owner gets one and they leave a fake review. Hosts MUST demand change NOW.  

[Lorina14]

@David9694 

Wow, that is quite interesting that they are doing driverless semis already. I know there is the shift to AI for saving time, money, labor and being more efficient and productive too. It’s amazing how far it has come and yes by the time the public hears about what is going on, what is really possible has been happening behind the scenes with people high up and in the know.

If you could bring our concerns to the AI owner it would be appreciated. I know I watched a good older series called person of interest about a good versus bad AI. Very interesting concepts presented. Sometimes it may shed light on how much tech can and cannot do (and it probably can do a lot more than we know).  I watched a video that suggested a potential scenario of slaughter bots for drones that could target humans for the military and a renowned scientist said although it is hypothetical, this technology is available now and needs to be advanced carefully due to the potential to fall in the wrong hands or with the wrong intentions. It all depends on the oversight and intentions of the inventors and the people/organizations funding the projects.

[David9694]

Actually he is the patent holder for conversational ai. Patented it 5 years ago in his late 20's. I assure you, national security was a major discussion as was increasing GDP by 5 to 10 times by dominating the AI industry. 

[Joelle43]

@David9694 😱 - OMG David you have just expressed my worst fears and my growing concern with Airbnb right now

[David9694]

We are all about to witness the greatest impact to the human race ever. Far beyond the renaissance and age of mechanization.  Good and bad. And it's here, it's only the implementation and transition that will happen over the next couple of years. I sound like a sci-fi movie because, quite frankly, their depictions are now a reality. Look at what just happened to me. My business being regulated by a bot with zero human review or oversite. A bot determining my right to run a business and deciding on my reputation. We must speak IT'S language, not ours, to try and please or satisfy it's criteria. Pretty scary.