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.

[Susan151]

@DanielAndMiche1 Install AirREVIEW in your Chrome browser. Then open the potential guests' profile in Chrome, and you wil be able to see their review of host history.

[Huma0]

@Sammy35 @Chris1537 @Susan151 

Has anyon else noticed issues with AirReview lately? Mine is up to date and showing as 'working' but, I find that it only loads the reviews the guest has left some of the time (and yes, I am sure the guest left reviews because you can see them if you click on the hosts' profiles) and often just loads some of them and freezes while loading the rest.I have tried refreshing the page, but that only works some of the time.

[Colleen253]

@Huma0  Air review stopped working for me a while ago. I have the same message, telling me 'it's working' but it won't load properly. I've tried re installing it but that does nothing to fix the problem. Too bad, because it was a very useful tool. (btw, it's also available in Firefox but doesn't work for me there either).

[Huma0]

@Colleen253 

Thanks so much. Okay, I won't bother reinstalling then. It is a shame as it was useful and fast. I wonder if there is an alternative that anyone knows about?

[Sammy35]

@Huma0  just knew about this.  activated it right away.  seems to be working fine and consistently.  it wouldn't matter though, i got back and look before accepting every time anyways even if its years.  i've seen things i absolutely deflect with a space won't meet your needs response due to XYZ but feel free to come back should needs situation change or if you need any help with neighborhoods or nearby referrals LMK happy to oblige.  those people almost always go away 

[Huma0]

@Sammy35 

Yes, definitely better to deflect those types of guests. I had one who sent me a lovely message but had written one appalling review of a host and several other negative ones. When reading the hosts' listings and other reviews, it was clear that everything she complained about was nonsensical. 

For example, she insisted that the listing had a 'private beach' and was very upset to find other people on the wide expanse of beach that the property was located on. The listing itself stated that the property had a private entrance from the beach, NOT that it included a private beach, and clearly showed views from the property of a popular, busy beach full of people. I don't know in what world that woman thought she would get a private beach at that price in high season on the Almafi coast. It would have cost at the very least 10 times the price.

Many of her other comments in that review and in several others were equally as absurd. Several of the things she complained about were definitely relevant to (and mentioned on) my listing. She complained about hearing traffic noise whilst staying in central Naples. She complained about no elevator in any listing with stairs, even when this was clearly specified. My listing is on a busy road and has a lot of stairs. Still, she got so ANGRY and rude when I politely told her I didn't think my listing was a good fit for her. Thank goodness I did not accept her booking. Her reviews were excellent, but the reviews she left for others were truly damning.

[Chris1537]

If you don’t want to use Airreview then look at the guests reviews and click on the host that left that review. This will take you to the hosts profile and you can look for the review that the guest left. 

[Chris1537]

Airreview is also available for Firefox.

[Lorie7]

Thank you all for this information!  Due to today's email I tried to require a photo to book but the directions they gave didn't work on my mobile or my laptop.  Ugh - another negative for hosts.

[Huma0]

@Chris1537

I totally agree. See my post here: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/A-Narrow-Escape/m-p/881786#M217165.

Had I not taken the time to check this guest's reviews of other hosts, I am sure I would have had a less than positive review and probably a bit of a nightmare hosting the guest in the first place. It was time consuming, but since then I have been using the AirReview extension.

The only problem with that, or with looking in general at the guest's profile, is you can only see the reviews a guest has left for  a host if that host also left a review for them. I suppose there's no way to search for other reviews a guest might have left?

[Sammy35]

@Huma0  look on both ends every time.  guest reviews from hosts, host reviews from guests.  i have avoided so many doozies, never ever let anyone undermind you're trust in your own vetting.   it will never let you down!! promise

[Joanne345]

Reality is you will not make everyone happy.  Leave it at that.  Don't modify the system for people to start manipulating it to their benefit.  If you can't take a bad review then you shouldn't be here.  Most people have enough common sense to read a revew and realize that person is just a negative nilly.  

[Chris1537]

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@Joanne345 wrote:

Reality is you will not make everyone happy.  Leave it at that.  Don't modify the system for people to start manipulating it to their benefit.  If you can't take a bad review then you shouldn't be here.  Most people have enough common sense to read a revew and realize that person is just a negative nilly.  

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I can handle a bad review Joanne, if it's deserved. I won't accept a review full of lies and spite.

If you can't understand the difference, then you shouldn't comment here.

[Sammy35]

@Joanne345  that's sounds positively ridiculous.  we're sorry you gave input

[Angela714]

"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."

No! Don't have it removed, because then you also remove the only way a future host can access that guest's bad review of you (and your response to it). Neither Airreview will show it then. Most hosts only briefly look at the guest's review when it's the standard 5-star review most of us routinely give, but many do read the guest's reviews of other hosts (and the hosts' responses). And the access door to all that more relevant information is your review on your guest's profile.