Nervousness when I get a review!

[Nick1866]

Hi all,

Does anyone else feel absolutely petrified when getting the email saying a guest has written a review? The nerves that they may have written a negative review, or not scored you as highly as you'd liked? Or you're picked up on something you don't feel is fair.

I always make a quick sign of the cross before opening anything!

How do people get around this?

Nick

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Ute42  I remember that post about search results, great job

There is a listing in the same street as mine. (very nice host, I know her) Her listing is always on the first page (mines are not) and I think I know why.

She accepts 1-night bookings, pets and kids, can host up to 6 guests, no cleaning fee, downtown location, and free parking and her calendar is open indefinitely. Her rating is 4,87.

My minimum stay is 2 nights, I don't accept kids, I have a cleaning fee and my calendar is open just 6 months in advance. My rating is 4,81. Everything else is the same as hers.

I don't know if a cleaning fee is any factor but the open calendar, min. stay and kids definitely are. Obviously, her listing appears in more searches than mine and it pushes her on the top. Not the rating or SH status (I've lost mine recently due to pausing for a year)

[Ute42]

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@Branka-and-Silvia0

The overwhelmingly dominant factor to get a high placement in search results is the number of clicks onto Your listing in the past 30 days.

What does airbnb want? They want to make as much money as possible and that requires as many bookings as possible to get their service fee. I think we all agree that the listings on top of search results will be the ones that receive the most bookings.

So airbnb has to make a decision as to wich listing to put on top of the searchlist:

• Host A: average rating 4.95* – Superhost – 15 clicks
  
  

• Host B: average rating 4.63* – 650 clicks

Why should they put Superhost A on top if only 15 people have shown an interest in the place?

Of course they'd rather put host B on top. 650 people have show an interest in the place. The likelyhood that one of these 650 people will soon book the place, is 43 times higher than to book the place of Superhost A.

Who cares that host B has an average rating of only 4.63*? Noone cares, that's completely irrelevant.

From an airbnb standpoint, it makes absolutely no sense to put a listing on top of search result just because it has a high rating and the host is a superhost.

[Sarah977]

@Ute42  But what that creates is a vicious circle. The listings high in search rankings will get the most views, which will likely translate to the most bookings. If those listings stay high in search ranking because of that, Airbnb really has no idea if some other listing that they relegate to page 12 would get the same level or higher, of interest and bookings, because that listing never gets prominence.

What Airbnb should do is shuffle the listings on a daily basis, which would be an easy algorithm to set up, so each listing shows up on the first page at some point. In places with tons of listings, that might mean you only end up on page one for a couple days a year, in less populated areas, you might be on page 1 or 2 for a month or two.

It would level the playing field for hosts, and Airbnb could actually see which listings are the top performers. Their current algorothms basically create the top performers and leave them there.

If you just keep sending your star players out on the field, leaving others sitting on the bench forever, you might win some games, but you might win more if you let the benched players, whose performance you haven't given a chance, out on the field.

[Colleen253]

@Ute42 I never heard of Douglas Atkin or his book. Interesting. I would like to read that book. Thanks.

[Sarah977]

@Ute42  This post and your "Just say no" lecture should be required reading for all new hosts, and even some not-new ones.

I have never been high in search, even though I've been Superhost since 2017. Neither Superhost, a solid 5*rating, nor tweaking my listing, to show "activity" moves that ranking. The only time I see it move up is when I get bookings. 

But guess what? I was booked almost solid before I closed my home share to bookings last March due to Covid.

So guests manage to find my listing even if it's on the 6th or 7th page. And to tell you the truth, I'm much more interested in hosting the type of guests who actually take time to drill down to look at all that's available with the filters they've chosen, than the types who don't have the interest or patience to look past the 1st or 2nd page.

[Michelle2137]

lol seriously, and the guests who book your Airbnb when it's 40 minutes away from the place they really wanted to be staying, and it wasn't the 5 star hotel they couldn't afford, then give you a pathetic review because they obviously never read anything in the description of your listing which is in a completely different town and specifies it is away from those tourist areas lol. 

How many people I greet and the first thing they ask is if it's ok to park in the carport and what is the code. My welcoming message is Thanks for booking, you can drive straight into the carport and here is the code. Of course I look at them and question very politely did you get the welcome message and they sheepishly say oh yeh.

Unfortunately the Airbnb algorithm is not something you can trust at all. Airbnb is telling me searches for my area are up 887% yet I have not one booking for the next 6 months, and neither do most other places in my area, even the popular ones. It's always tried to get me to list my price as low as $39 a night (which did go up a bit as I booked more) , who can afford to cover expenses at those rates? And I've found when I'm searching for places to stay it gives me very expensive options, but if i put in prices it comes up with absolutely nothing but shared hostels lol. Like there are no places for between $100-200 a night ??

I think first time users esp,  expect a 5 star hotel for 1/4 of the price, and when it's time to give ratings thats what they are comparing.

I am a little disappointed that we are not offered a travel voucher here in Australia. I only just got offered a discount on cleaning expensive supplies and I've been a superhost since the season I started.

[Debra300]

@Michelle2137,

This topic is for another thread, but people are doing themselves a disservice by selecting search filter for nightly rates, because due to the various fees that hosts can add on, the results will not display all of the listings that fit their total cost budget.  It would be much more useful to have the ability to search by total cost of the stay.  

[Elaine701]

@Ute42 

Hi Ute, 

I've just seen your post here, and 8d like to comment. 

First, while I'm intimately familiar with the "culting of brands" (and fully agree that Airbnb is a good example of that), I'd like to clear up a few of your points as it pertains to my listing. 

First, aspiring to night ratings in our case, isn't because Airbnb has somehow brainwashed me into believing it. It's simply good business, whether Airbnb says so or not. 

If I listened to Airbnb, I'd be charging 1/3 the price, and nowadays, be stuck with far more undesirable guests. The strategy I'm using isn't perfect, but it keeps us booked at rates we shouldn't  be able to get, considering our location. 

Second, your example of search results is a bit flawed. If you simply do a random search for anything in Mallorca, with no dates, no number of persons, you'll get some pretty random results. 

Now, we're struggling to get bookings like a tone else, and we're a bit pricier than others, so we're not fully booked for the summer, but we're pretty well booked into August. We won't show up in most random searches. 

So, I tried it. "Incognito" As you suggested. But I put in dates of 20-27 August (we're available) and 6 adults 2 children. And you're right, we don't show up on page 1 or 2. We show up on page 3 (of 30). Although on another day with a slightly different (relevant) search, we'll show up on page 1 or 2 ... Or 3.. 

Conversely, if you search on VRBO where we have no status or ratings, you'll probably get bored and give up before you find our listing. Really. 

Now, again, I don't care whether it's super host status or star ratings that puts us there, all I know is that it's just good business. And there's plenty of evidence that it makes a difference on Airbnb, VRBO, or "Joe's super duper villas.com".

[Elaine701]

Sorry for the "auto correct" Errors. I think you'll know what I meant. 

[Ute42]

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@Elaine701  

Thank You for Your answer.

You said in the other thread You „consistently show up on page 1 or 2 of any search for "Mallorca"“. Well, I did any search for Mallorca but now You're telling me I have to filter for dates, guests and children. You've changed Your instructions! 😎

Let me clarify what the point is that I'm making

My point is:

• A high average rating or being a Superhost does not move You up in search results

You though state:

• But with our 4.8 - 5.0 average star rating, and plenty of great reviews, we consistently show up on page 1 or 2 of any search for "Mallorca"

You say the exact opposite of what I'm saying.

Based on Your instructions I did another search for Mallorca using the filters You suggest:

20-27 August, 6 adults 2 children

Your place shows up on page 1, but the listing of Your fellowhost Doris shows up on page 10 in search results, despite the fact that both You and Doris are Superhosts and have a 5* average rating.

So the result is:

• Elaine, Superhost, 5* rating, (8 guests, 4 bedrooms, pool, WIFI, Kitchen)  page 1
  

• Doris, Superhost, 5* rating, (8 guests, 4 bedrooms, pool, WIFI, Kitchen)  page 10

Can You pls explain to me how that result comes into being?

Elaine, I have a decent live. I have a dayjob, I rent my place, I have an ok husband and tomorrow I will be getting my convertible out of winterstorage and start driving around in the sunshine. The only real problem in my life is: Noone believes what I'm saying about the sortorder of searchresults.

Cc: @Nick1866 @Elaine701 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Sarah977 @Colleen253 @Anonymous @Emilia42 @Ann72 @Debra300 @Robin4 @Fred13 @Claire167 @J-Renato0

[Elaine701]

@Ute42 

You seem nice, and I'm sure you have a very nice life. Good on you. 

I don't wish to argue whether superhost or star ratings change search results. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. I don't care. 

I do know, with absolute certainty, that maintaining a high standard and receiving good reviews is just good business. It certainly works for us. 

[Sarah977]

@Ute42  I believe you. I can see it with my own listing. Plenty of non-superhosts with lower ratings above me in search.

[Debra300]

@Ute42,

I believe you, and I have personally seen similar results in my own searches.  The reason why a 3* listing appears on the first two pages is because people are curious why it's rated so low, and want to see the pictures and read the reviews.

@J-Renato0,

I personally don't use the Superhost filter, because many hosts have lost that status during the past year while being closed, or due to inappropriate reviews from a newbie or a self-entitled person.  Also, it would screen out new property listings.

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

Ute you have been a wonderful contributor to the CC for the last few years. I understand you came here to improve your English language skills, and over that time have become a master of the language rather than a pupil. However, if I can make a comment regarding this last post of yours.

I do think you miss the point of being a Superhost.

In itself it may, or may not, improve search rankings but it does lead to 'activity' .....which does.

Although search ranking varies from day to day, I just did an incognito search of my area and, without using any filters, of the 213 displayed stay options, I show up at No 2 on page one.

and yes, it is amongst the other superhosts!

But to the point I would like to make to you Ute,

I am going on 77 years of age! I am in that bracket of people who have become (or are becoming) a nuisance to society. Our gainful employment age has been and gone. I walk into a local supermarket and there are guys stacking shelves.....they have a job, I don't have a job!

Ute, it's a psychological thing, we as humans all have a need to feel useful, feel respected, have a bit of pride in what we do. Age does not diminish that desire, in fact to some of us it increases it. We don't want to grow old!

To me Superhost status is not so much about figures and ratings, It's people like you telling me I have done my job well.....it's telling me that I am still useful to society........I am not a nuisance!

And I find that important, worth hanging onto and fighting for.

Cheers.......Rob

[Alexandra199]

Oh I agree so much with this. Its all about personal pride. I would also add that having a good review score does, I think, have an impact on the guests decision to book. As a guest myself I would book a property with less than 4 star reviews. Surely if you’re weighing up two properties, most people would go for the one with the better stars and a superhost running it? Or is that just me?