Reviewing the guest at the right time

[Marcos760]

Over the past 3 years as a host and co-host on Airbnb, I’ve learned that guest reviews are one of the most important — and also one of the most delicate — parts of hosting.

At first, I used to review guests right after check-out. Today, I do the opposite: I use Airbnb’s review window to my advantage, especially when a guest doesn’t deserve 5 stars due to excessive mess, damage, or missing items.

In the heat of the moment, the mess can seem bigger, the problem can feel worse, and the urge to use harsh words is strong. After a few days, everything becomes clearer: what seemed serious may not be that bad… and the opposite can also happen — what looked fine at first can reveal problems over time.

Taking time before reviewing helps me be fairer, more direct, and more honest, and to choose the right words — even when the rating is low.

And you, fellow hosts: do you review guests right after check-out, or do you prefer to wait a few days and review with a calm mindset?

[Emiel1]

@Marcos760 

I wait until the last moment/reminder to write  review. I useally do not review a guest when guest has not written a review.

I do not comment on a guest review. And i often do not read a review at all. I know it is not a common behaviour, but i consider the review system as obsolete.

[Bhumika]

@Marcos760 , this is such an interesting topic! Have you experienced a situation before when you intended to give a good review to the guest at first, but eventually didn't?

I would also like to invite a few hosts to this topic and would love to hear their approach towards reviews.

Hi @Bob297 @Daniel14755 @Bec3748 @Kwabena9 @Kirti18 @Gregory781 @Supriya29 @Elena4354 @Emmanuel9 , I am really curious to know how you usually handle review. Do you have any preference on reviewing guests as soon as they leave, or prefer to wait for a few days before leaving a review?

[Bob297]

@Bhumika @Marcos760 @Emiel1 

In the 8 years that I’ve been renting out homes, I’ve fortunately never felt the need to write a negative review about a guest.

Perhaps that’s because I keep personal contact with my guests both before and during their stay. This makes me more than just an anonymous host, and it usually creates a respectful and positive atmosphere. My rental periods average 12 days, and during that time a pleasant connection often develops.

The farewell is always personal as well. Either my manager is present, or I take the time to see the guests off myself. That direct interaction makes a big difference for me.

That’s why I usually write my review immediately after they leave. At that moment I have a clear picture of how their stay went, and thanks to the warm interaction, I’ve never really had a reason to leave a negative review.

The next day, I always send my guests a message asking whether they had a good trip home. I also let them know that I’ve left them a positive review. I find that this takes away any uncertainty — especially for guests who don’t travel often.

For me, this combination of personal contact, attention, and quick communication works extremely well.

[Marcos760]

@Bhumika Yes, I've been in situations where I intended to give a good review and then changed my mind. In one case, I discovered that the guest had violated the rule regarding the number of people staying overnight. But I've had other similar cases. Today, as I said, I'm waiting to give a more thorough review.

[Greystone0]

Hi @Marcos760  - for those hosts that may or may not leave a guest review - just wanted to add a note on this subject: guest favorite uses the rate at which a host leaves a guest review as one of the 'metrics'.  I was told by an AIRBNB marketing person (who was giving an online seminar) that it was 80% or higher is the goal, for a host to leave guest reviews. So this is a metric that feeds into this idea. Just fyi, not sure if this is common knowledge and also not sure if this is current as this was awhile back when 'guest favorite' was initially introduced.

Agree that waiting a few days helps provide an overall picture. In our high season we have back-to-back  so this is limited, otherwise there is a gap that allows for such a thing. And agree with the idea that the review system is obsolete, feel the same, it's just so overexposed. Review fatigue is a real thing.

[Bec3748]

Hi @Marcos760 … 

Thanks for sharing this,  I really relate to the idea of perspective improving with a bit of time. 

For me, reviews are about fairness and balance. Guests are on holiday and living their lives, and as far as I’m concerned a bit of mess or wear is part of hosting. I generally only leave a less-than-good review if there’s been clear malicious damage or serious disregard for the space.

Taking emotion out of it helps keep the system useful for everyone, hosts and guests alike.

[Marcos760]

@Bec3748 I agree with everything you said.