How to check guests before they visit...

[Chris1537]

Most of us use the review system to review guests before they visit, but this review system doesn't give us insight into one of the most important factors that we expect from our guests. A factor that can affect us hosts long after the guests leave. This factor is," what sort of a review will this person leave".

We all expect that our guests will write honest and fair reviews and in most cases they do.

Unfortunately there are people out there that cannot be pleased and no matter what we do as hosts, these people will give you a negative review. These people slip through Airbnb's review system unnoticed because hosts dont know until after they have written their reviews.

Unfortunately, we cannot rely on Airbnb to remove these reviews as they have failed so may hosts in this regard.

Here is what we can do however.
Don't simply look at guests reviews. Make sure you look at the reviews they have left for hosts for past visits as well. If they appear to always write negative reviews that are responded to by the hosts, DO NOT approve their booking. They are likely to cause you grief and lower your ratings.

If you do find that you host someone like this, and you have written them a 5 star review, have your review of them removed. You can't change it but you can have it removed. If the review no longer accurately reflects your experience of the person, Airbnb will have to remove it.

For the hosts, that check prospective guests as I have suggested above, they will see your TRUE review in your response to their review.

[Donna240]

If I were British I'd tell you your idea was "brilliant", but as an American I can only say, Chris ,"you are one smart cookie!"

[Kath9 · Accepted solution]

@Chris1537@Donna240, Chrome browser has an extension called AirReview. If you download it, you can automatically see the reviews your potential guests have left other hosts without having to individually trawl through them. As Chris has said, the reviews guests leave hosts are often more telling than the reviews hosts have left for them!

[Michael2356]

I mostly use the Airbnb app on my iPhone 📱 to do everything on Airbnb, this chrome extension won’t be very helpful for me, but thanks for the tip. 

[Helen3]

Being on your mobile doesn't stop you going onto the guests profile and checking reviews they have left for other hosts 🙂

[Donna240]

thanks for the tip @Clara116 and @kath, but the website tells me that many of the guests I have already had reviews from, have "left no review" for me. I have to wonder how reliable this is.

[Todd170]

Haven't been able to find AirReview on the extensions page on Google Chrome. Do you have any further guidance you could share?

[Chris1537]

Just google “chrome airreview”

[Valerie192]

Hi @Chris1537 @Kath - Is your AirReview still working? I have tried on two separate laptops and it seems to have stopped working. I even tried removing the extension and adding it back in. I have really liked this trick and am at a loss as to why it's not working anymore.

[Angela714]

I use the Airreview, but I often still "individually trawl" through the prospective guest's host-reviews, since Airreview unfortunately does not show the hosts' responses to the guest's reviews. You sometimes stumble upon a response to a great review that reveals a guest that leaves great reviews, but poor ratings. And you absolutely want to avoid those.

[Dove0]

Does AirReview still work for you? It stopped working for me on Chrome this month. Review do not load at all even though the extension says that it is working.

[Chris1537]

Thanks Kath, I will certainly be installing this extension!

[Clara116]

@Kath9@Chris1537@Donna240 Kath has it absolutely correct. Google Chrome is the preferred app for Airbnb hosting and I use it on my laptop...............I also use my phone  mostly for notifications and request to book............I don't do IB........but for reviews and checking and everything else my laptop is the choice.

I recommend this as the best investment you can have as it will save you loads of time. AirReview is a life saver............you see it is all right there and What the guests says about Hosts is very telling and you can get the personality of the guests by reading those. Some will surprise you for sure! Its a free download and automatically downloads as you search.    happy hosting, Clara

[Chris1537]

I've just comeacross staysavr.com. Has anyone had any experience with this website. It claims the following.

"StaySavr is a collection of tools for allowing guests to get in direct contact with owners before they book.

It is created by and owned by vacation rental owners in order to allow rental arrangements that are fair and honest to both parties, without interference from giant corporations."

It appears to only work with Homeaway so if you are listed on Homeaway, guests can find you via the website but can access your contact details to book directly.

[DanielAndMiche1]

Could someone explain how I check the reviews a potential guest has written for other hosts?  I have never come across this in my wandering the site.

thanks