Honest reviews please...

[Annette33]

A lot seems to be going on at Airbnb these days, revamping their image, making rules for us hosts tighter and tighter, while making booking for guests easier,  such as indicating  - all cleverly hidden under the politically correct umbrella to be against discrimination -  that instant booking will the the way of all future bookings, just like a commercial hotel or motel booking! 

Lots of us hosts are getting disgruntled about the idea of having less and less control over our own listing but only getting tighter rules by Airbnb to comply with. I am one of them.

These changes will  possibly be implemented very soon, but here is where we as hosts have leverage, at least right now:

1.) We need to be more honest in our reviews of guests! I have seen it many times now that hosts complain about guests in the community forum here, but when I go to their page and backtrack the situation, I find that they leave very nice reviews for the guests they just complained about!  I always look over the reviews on potential future guests, but what good are those reviews if you can't trust them - and sure enough - 98% of reviews are all in the "this guest was  wonderful" category!

This fake and artificially high approval number of guests would actually be a great validation for Airbnb to rely on, should they really push for IB :  like, all our Airbnb guests are wonderful, so as hosts, as proven by your own reviewes,  you really don't have a problem to accept anybody, so IB is the best solution for everybody!

2.) I think the reluctancy to honestly evaluate a guest stems from either inexperience or fear about their own reviews from guests, fueled by not understanding how the process works or not wanting to offend anybody... it plays right into the hands of Airbnb to keep us docile and compliant, cause we fear we'll get punished if we don't get that 4.9 average and behave exactly as we are supposed to.

But really, what if we were showing our boundaries and not worry so much about not being perfect by Airbnb standards?

 So what if some disgruntled guest might give us a "bad" review?  What would really change? Not much! The whole review ladder would just be more honest - and actually give guests better feedback! 

It's all in the numbers: If I read one bad review among a lot of great reviews, I dismiss it as coming from a disgruntled weirdo, but a lot of them , and I know to avoid the place. It all works itself out, so maybe there are a few hosts on Airbnb that have sub par lodging or don't have the personality to be a good host, but the majority of us is offering great value and great hospitality at low pricing!

Makes you really wonder why actually Airbnb is pushing this totally fake system of reviews -and we all comply!!

Lets not forget: Airbnb needs all of us to host, otherwise they is no Airbnb, so we do have some leverage!

[D3]

@Annette33 Hi there - so pleased you have put up this post.  I was in limbo whether to write a review or not, my guest had bad odour- did not observe my house rules - the room was left untidy with lots of broken biscuits and other pieces of rubbish on the floor despite a waste bin being left if full view for the guests to use.  She used the kitchen and left coffee all over the kitchen floor and worktops - kitchen towel was available but she left a mess for me to clean.

She slamed all doors and kitchen cupboards early in the morning (7am) - ran up and down the stairs without any consideration for others.

I am now considering whether to keep the 'instant booking' on in order to gain some control over who actually books my property.

No cleaning fee is currently being charged but I may review that in the near future. 

Host should be encouraged to leave honest reviews - good bad or ugly!

[Laura932]

I agree! Airbnb already has a safety mechanism against retalitory reviews. One can't see the other until they both are done!

[Laura932]

I really would love to start a movement of leaving honest reviews . I rely on reviews when booking guests.  I just had a small family of 3 with 2 good reviews stay for 2 nights and you would have thought it was a family of 10 for a month. I know that guests get their feelings hurt but, #sorrynotsorry 

[Annette33]

@Laura932 , yay!! I wanna give your  post 10 thumbs up. totally agree with you !

[Laura932]

I've been doing it. They look neutral . Nothing mean, but I think an owner would recongnize. Ex, " Judy and her family stayed at our beach house for 10 days". That's it lol I know they lived it so I want to unlock their review but also I want to out something out there to owners in the future to let them know that these people have used Airbnb and this is the review . With no reviews, we all assume they are new , right ? 

[Laura932]

Update: I allowed Instant booking for guests with positive reviews. Allegedly, this was a family of 4 for 5 nights, enjoying spring break, parents and kids. At checkout, Mom sent me a text that they left $20 for "pool floats that popped and a few broken glasses". My caretaker's summary: 

Yesterday, stopped by to check on house and switch out laundry. As mentioned before, I found the front three windows left open. A lot of laundry. There were about four loads after the two they started. At first glance it may seem like house was left alright…. Through out house, floors were filled with sticky stains=a double mop job. Wet toilet paper pieces on furniture…ummm what? These are not folks to clean after for a same day turn over and nor would I recommend. They left the house in alright condition, but it seemed like hard–use on the house. These folk like to pull out blankets/sheets. The locked closet with clean back-up linens really helps when it comes to turn arounds and clean bedding.

I threw out the underwear they left, filthy.

Trash bin filled to the rim. Side note: Under the kitchen sink, I put about 5/6 trash bags out front in box to easily grab. And a roll a bit hidden in back for back up…all gone! 

I put the $20 in the tin in the closet. Cups/floats/noodles

Items missing (mentioned earlier)

Master shower rug

Kalidescope

King fitted sheet is a goner (ripped)

[Lilly28]

I think Anette in Prescott,

that instead of complaining here one to the other something must be done, must be changed!

I think there are TWO points - first, with bad guests, second - with fussy guests, who are leaving unfair reviews for us, the hosts. The RULES must be changed, and I rather want to here your suggestions about  changing the rules.

In a hotel when you are breaking s/th you have to pay for it. NO, this is not so for hosts, it might be paid, but not for sure. I had a guest who has stolen a piece worth around 100 euro, and I could not replace it, it was a limited series, melted my induction, left enormous quantity of hair - short and long everywere, left me bad review after departure with THE ADVICE to remove ALL carpets because they are full with SPIDERS!!! Did not pay me a penny, of course.

Second guest - stayed for 2 days, ate food for a family for a week, made reservation at 4 p.m. for 6 p.m. the same day, used my garage which I give only to guests staying longer than 5 days - told me everything was SUPER like a 5-star hotel - and gave me bad review with the ADVICE to put more pans, because he has found only one Creuset which waited so much! And it was lie, I had some more pans. But he complained from the more expensive item - and why did he wanted to cook  when he has eaten all the food left for my guests I exepected that week...

After receiving their reviews with ADVICES boldly seen by everybody I angrily replyied. But I was adviced by hosts with experience here in the forum that I should not have done it! WHY!? My dignity was badly hurted, and I should remain silent??

So I think - THE RULES MUST BE CHANGED IN SOME WAY! First, guests not leaving reviews must be punished in some way, taking away some of their previous stars, second - hosts should have the right to make their reviews AFTER they read the review left from their guests.

If not - we are going to be humans without dignity - himans who for pennies are smashing our dignity!

AirBnB is not stopping teaching us how to respect others, special programs for that and so on - but please, we, the hosts are also deserving respect!! I think much more than the guests.  

[Lilly28]

@Annette33

Please, give me your opinion about changing rules as I oped in my previous message. I already received some answers - hosts agree that guests not leaving reviews must be punished in some way - but they suggest different kind of punishment - not to be allowed IB.

[Sarah977]

@Lilly28   You asked why you were advised by other hosts that you should not have replied to your guest's objectionable review angrily. Yes, when someone falsely accuses us, criticizes us when we have worked hard to make sure they would be comfortable, etc, it can make us angry. Actually, I think anger is often an emotion that just covers up other emotions, but it comes out as anger. We may actually be feeling disappointed, demoralized, or hurt but instead of acknowleding that to ourselves or others, it just comes out as anger.

Hosting is basically a job- one we have chosen for any of several reasons- financial, enjoying meeting travelers from all over, maybe we just love creating beautiful spaces and want to share them and feel good when our guests comment appreciatively on what we have done. So we need to do our job professionally, from making a welcoming, comfortable space for our guests and being responsive to them, all the way through to the review process. 

Imagine someone working as a receptionist at a hotel, or a medical office. They are, no doubt, going to sometimes encounter a rude or demanding customer or client, sometimes an outright crazy one. Would it be okay for the receptionist to yell at them, to answer them rudely, to use obscenities in their dealings with them? No, they have to remain professional and deal with the offending person as best as they can, hopefully defusing the scene.

Our homes are personal, our hosting is personal, and we tend to take bad or difficult guests personally. It's a hard balance with behaving professionally, a real challenge.

Obviously a guest who disrespects your home, breaks things, steals, is going to make you upset. And then when they leave a bad review on top of it, the issue is compounded. It's best to wait a few days, if you still have the time re airbnb's window for reviews and responses, to calm down about their stay or review, and try to make your responses impersonal and factual. This is not a person you ever need see or deal with again. They are out of your life, but by allowing their review to seriously upset us, we are also allowing them to remain in our life.

The purpose of a review is to warn other hosts of a bad guest or recommend a great one, not to retaliate. It isn't a platform for us to vent our anger or frustrations and actually makes the host look bad to strangers who don't know us personally. Try to find some other outlet for that anger- write about it in a journal, vent to an understanding friend, go for a fast walk or a swim. A bad guest is not worth getting ourselves in a lather about- we just need to move on.

[Sandra126]

@Lilly28, I disagree, I don't want to punish guests! I am thrilled that they come at all, if they choose not to review (some don't) then fine, that's their business. Everything should be as smooth, as good, as easy as humanly possible for the guests in order for them to enjoy the experience, from the search to the booking to the stay. Forget/don't want to review? No problem, the next guest will. They do get reminders, if they still choose not to, you want them to get threats? No! For them, it is not that important.

[Lilly28]

@Sarah977,

I agree with most you have said, Sarah!

I have been a physician, and beleive me I have most then ten times until now just taken it unpersonally.

But for these two cases I just imagened someone came to me and asked me - How doctor the operation went? Oh, excellent, he is saying, absolut, but you see, he has a temperature and the wound is only bleeding and I think some little infection is going on... Only this time the doctor is not me - but the guest. I take it as a problem of psychology - in these cases they abused me, they wanted me to look as nuts - and not to respond means - the fool asks much, but he is more fool who grants it.  Sometimes honest reviews just cannot be written with polite words. Because they will not be honest then.