Super Guest idea

[Adam326]

Super Hosts need to get above 80% five star reviews (among other criteria) to achieve Super Host.

What about we have a Super Guest concept too?

If a guest averages above 80% five star reviews they are a Super Guest and they get access to instant booking. If they are not a Super Guest, then they can't use instant booking but rather have to request a booking.

This would take away some of the risk of having Instant Booking turned on because you know only good quality guests can use it.

It would also make guests try a lot harder to be tidier and better guests. 

[Matthew285]

@Adam326, that sounds like an excellent idea.

[Gillian19]

@Adam326 Hi Adam, personally I think Air should just drop the whole "Super" thing.

1. Guests don't understand it so it has little meaning outside of the host circle

2. It encourages host to solicit good reviews and reviews from repeat visitors which is non-sensical

3. It prevents hosts from dealing appropriately with bad guests as they are too scared they will lose/not get their superhost status.

I am not a Superhost and probably never will be. I leave the whole review process up to my guests. I get great comments, but often not 5* as many people will rarely leave 5* if left to their own devices. In the real world, 5* is perfect in every way and how many properties/stays honestly can be marked in that way?

Most guests don't mean to be untidy or not so good a guest - it's just how they are. I don't think they would really care about how Airbnb hosts rate them or change their behaviours. They are not children.

[Adam326]

I recently received the privilege of being upgraded to Superhost in the cycle just gone. So it feels good to be rewarded for the hard work I've put in, but can understand it would be frustrating for hosts who try just as hard and miss out. Especially when Superhost listings get listed at the top of searches.

But I think there should be an incentive for guests to try harder, which is why the Super Guest idea could have merit.

Airbnb suggest that having instant booking turned on helps increase your search juice, but the trade off is you can get poorly rated guests checking in (which has happened to us multiple times and led to damaged property). I think if your rating is below x% and you lose the ability to instant book that it would surely give guests more incentive to be a better guest. Maybe add in other privileges too. 

[Huma0]

@Adam326 

RE your first point, I also thought that being a Superhost helps push you up the search results, but apparently that is a myth frequently quoted on these forums. Perhaps that used to be the case and that is why so many hosts believe it.

One of the moderators posted a Q&A about how the rankings work in the searches and it was clarified that being a Superhost does not automatically list you any higher.

Where there is an advantage is that if you are getting the kind of reviews/ratings that make you a Superhost, those factors may help to push you higher up, but there are many other factors to consider and yes, Instant Booking it seems will give you much more of a boost than Superhost.

The only obvious advantage is that guests can search for Superhosts only. I am convinced, however, that very few use this filter as none of my guests have the faintest clue what a Superhost is. 

[Kelly149]

This has been proposed regularly & in many forms. ABB does not appear at all interested. 

[Lee202]

I think the idea of rating the guests is fantastic! We as hosts all try our very best to assure a clean and comfortable accomodation for our guests-afterall, if we have made the move to enter into the world of hosting we were well aware of the requirements. 

I find it horrible that we can't rate our guests too! I have had many dirty, non respectfull and downright rude people stay with us from Airbnb, and when I tried to speak with customer serive about it I got nowhere. Another thing I think Airbnb should consider is partial payments for the guests- for example a 30% depositu upon booking and the remaining prior to arrival like HomeAway and Vrbo do. 

I lost just recently a prospective client for a 3 wk rental who couldn't pay up the entire amount at once, being a family man with all that entails. 

[Marzena4]

Yes, @Kelly149, unfortunately. Imho such an option like superguest achieved in a similar way to superhost should be considered when giving guests the right to instant book. Would open the eyes of many.

[Kelly149]

yes @Marzena4 I personally like the idea (actually I'd settle for IB guests having a full complete profile!!) I just don't think that ABB will at all go for it. For reasons that they've stated before and the ones that they didn't but sound alot like what @Jessica-and-Henry0 said.

Also, @Adam326 if you really wanted traction on this idea it should be posted in Host Voice. We're all just talking to ourselves here

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Adam326

Guest fees are about x3 more than host fees and ABB doesn't care about the quality of guests - only that more and more people look at ABB as an alternative to hotels so they can make money off guest fees. Any limitations to guests that make it harder for them to book is not good news for ABB so of course they are not going to do anything. At ABB, only hosts have the responsibility for ensuring accurate descriptions and maintaining hosting standards. And also, ABB has the final say in all decisions if there are any disputes. It's not fair but these are the rules if you want to host thru ABB. 

[Adam326]

Reasonable point Jessica & Henry. I'd not thought of that, it makes sense why they wouldn't want to do it.

[Christine1]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 bad guests are like bad hosts, both equal bad business.

In their drive to match the booking processes, some legitimate concerns affecting the quality of some interactions has arisen.

Being proactive as a host is critical to safety and successful guesthousing. Particularly as Airbnb continues to move into providing extra products and services for guests and hosts.

Best regards. Christine 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Christine1

My observations are.... bad guests are bad business for hosts. Bad hosts are bad business for ABB and affect ABB's reputation. Guests are the ones paying money. Airbnb recieves money from guests, and they have to issue payouts to hosts (minus host fees). So it is natural for ABB to try and get as much money from guests as possible and pay out as little as possible to hosts. 

[Christine1]

@Jessica-and-Henry0 without both parties the current business model doesn't work. 

Right from the outset building good relationships with hosts has been a priority.  That is well demonstrated and backed with proactive and ongoing training hints to hosts and guests, as well as no upfront charges or annual fees only a modest commission on earnings. That's a very good deal for hosts.

The founders have a passion for homesharing and everything I had heard from them supports this. Even the fee structure supports this. Airbnb business will only work with responsible choices by both  parties. I believe they understand this. 

Sincere regards Christine 

[Innkeep0]

I completely agree with @Jessica & Henry

You could not have said this any better. I try to stress that Airbnb only exists because of the guests community, not the host. If guest needed to be super guest to stay at the top listings, they probably wouldn't be interested in staying and will just use another platform.

Yes we provide them with accommodations, but initially they are the ones that start the transaction by paying Airbnb for a service. Building good relationships with guests are the main priority, without them there is no us, that's why their issues are resolved instantly. If they didn't need us, we wouldn't exist

Although Airbnb will prevent a payout from being released to one host, most times the guest never actually received a refund, however airbnb will book them at a similar listing (which allows them to still keep their profits, give your payout to another host, and at the end of the day the customer is always happy)

What is funny here is that on multiple occasions when guests are unhappy (But I as a host have done nothing wrong), Airbnb will put on their sad voice and beg me to make and exception and change my policy "because that's the right thing to do in the Airbnb Community".

hmm.. I can't remember a time where they changed their policy for me.

Policies are set to be enforced, Host policies are a bandaid.