the very first question asked of the guest in the review is...

[Lawrene0]

Hello, fellow hosts!

Last week I was a guest for three nights. Not keen on travel right now, but I had to for work. 

It was interesting to see, though, what guests are asked these days.

So, first of all, the stay went very well. The host sent daily messages asking whether everything was okay, and I replied as soon as I could every day that, yes, everything was fine. Lots of thanking each other on both sides. The usual. 🙂

I opened the review link at the end of the stay. The first question was,

"Did you feel unsafe during this stay? We would like to know what happened."

Good lord. Shouldn't I have notified someone immediately if I had felt unsafe? Why would I leave it to the review? Do they want me to be that sort of guest? 

Anyway, the second question was all about whether the host was misleading or I had any issues.

Screenshots of both are below. I took them because I was appalled that the accent is on the negative. "Unsafe", "misleading" -- what's that all about? 

In my own case, I am waiting for a review from my own guest a week ago, a local who thought I should have notified her that she might hear rumbles of thunder in the distance during her stay. Oh goody. Now she can report that she felt unsafe because she didn't think to check her weather app.

I feel like this is a trap. I feel like there are enough traps with the reviews that we don't need another one. 

The rest of the questions were about whether the amenities were provided, etc., but I have seen those before. It was just the first two questions that were different from last time I was a guest. Just to be clear, this was not the "survey" at the end. This was the start of the review, before the stars, before the written portion.  Here are the screenshots:

[Robin4]

@Ute42 

Ute, I did indeed lift a part of your 'Guantanamo' post because I felt it was appropriate for this thread. I hope you don't mind. That was a great post of yours and went a long way towards demystifying the way the Airbnb rating system works.

It appears though that there will always be that odd one in the community who will point out to both you and I that we are indeed wrong!

For the past two years I have tried to rationalize to myself why there are certain contributors who wish to tear down rather than offer encouragement. Maybe it is just simply in their make-up, who knows, and in the past I have chosen to ignore these comments and get on with what I do.

On this occasion, with the consent of the community moderators, I feel I need to make some sort of response!

*

@Alon1 

I am pleased to see that you are doing the right thing and stepping back from hosting in these troubling Coronavirus times, and into the foreseeable future. You did say you did not require a response to your comments from either Ute or I but, you specifically tagged us in your post so, obviously that comment was somewhat 'tongue in cheek' on your part! 

There is no point in going into the Airbnb rating system with you again, and I didn't specifically invite you into a debate on it this time around. I have found your opinions to be somewhat unhelpful in the past so, there is  only one thing that I felt was worth making a comment on this time around!

As of a few minutes ago this was Airbnb's interpretation of my Superhost requirements.......

This is taken from my 'Performance' page and tends to correlate with both Ute's and my posts!

You state your ratings over your various listings are........ 4.47, 4.51, 4.59, 4.65, 4.71.

My listing rating is 4.93! I welcome advice on how I can be a better host but, I feel reasonable  sure there is nothing I can learn from a host who's rankings are considerably inferior to mine. 

If I am looking for anything Alon, it is how I can improve what I do, not dumb it down.....ok!

Cheers.......Rob

[Alon1]

@Robin4 

Of course your figures are better than mine, and always have been. Nor am I trying to tell you how to host. I couldn't give a **bleep**.

It's not the issue.

The issue is that you place credence in Ute's theorem which is patently false.

According to Ute's "4.6 = Delisted" Thus I shouldn't have been able to host for many years,

and you and Ute can't explain it. I've repeatedly challenged you to explain it, but you don't.

When the rating system changed c. 2016, I was c. 4.5, so how on earth could I still have been hosting? It took 3-4 years to climb to 4.6, 4.7 and 4.8 for annual 'SH' categories.

The reason Ute propagates and believes in her theorum is because she has only ever hosted a handful of times on Airbnb. So she's all theory but no practise/ experience of the figures.

The reason you don't understand how someone like me could have survived so long, because you have only ever been a SuperHost. You have no experience of low figures.

You get mortified at the idea of even getting a 4 star rating, and go mental at the idea of getting a 3 star.

Still, you can't explain how someone like me could have survived. You never-ever address that issue. 

But its very simple. It's all about averages over a period of time. 

[Alon1]

@Robin4 

ps..re  'I am pleased to see that you are doing the right thing and stepping back from hosting in these troubling Coronavirus times, and into the foreseeable future.'

Indeed, as a live-in host, with only one bathroom and one toilet,and kitchen, I value my life far more than hosting. 

[Helen350]

I am shocked  @Robin4,  at you being so harsh with @Alon1 ! 

- I think Alon makes many valid points, and the jury's out with me!

His listings look gorgeous, and he is a home share host in the spirit of the original! I would rather stay with him, in his lived in place, with character, than in some generic holiday home or cookie-cutter apartment! He has some wonderful reviews, but of course a place like his won't suit everyone (better suited to the Premier Inn!), and of course he has more outliers than you; it's the nature of authentic homeshares!  

[Michelle53]

@Ute42

This calculation is the thing that makes me so crazy !

I currently have an overall 4.76 rating over 4 years, with 184 reviews. That's a 95% rating, and I'm pretty happy with it, as, to me, although there have been my newbie errors in judgement, glitches and grumpy guests along the way, seems to demonstrate an overall level of satisfaction. 

I am not a superhost, at the moment, and have not been for the last 4 cycles, due to one guest who was grumpy after it rained 4 out of 5 days of her stay (unfortunately, my permission slip to the weather gods must have gone missing that week) and lack of a "toaster" in my not-a-kitchen.

In my entire hosting career, I've only ever cancelled once - silly me, newbie error. I have a 100% response rating. 

I am back at 4.8 for this current cycle, coming up Oct 1st, based on existing parameters, and in spite of a Covid shutdown, and assuming no calamities occur between now and the end of September. Having already successfully navigated a possible tornado, two-day power outage and neighborhood tree destruction this cycle, perhaps the bot will be kind and put the little badge back. 

We'll see if the official "stamp of approval" comes.  I seem to recall one time being in a similar situation, and not getting the badge back, and being told that the website "rounds up the rating" to 4.8, but actually I only got 4.78 or 4.79, so it didn't come back. Or some such drivel. 

Best,

Michelle

Overall rating

4.8 󰀄

4.8 󰀄

Cancellation rate

0.00%

<1.00%

Response rate

100%

90%

Stays hosted

10 completed stays in the past year

23 stays

10 stays

[Kenneth12]

@Robin4 :  keep using that kind of language,  and you'll probably get threatening letters from the likes of @Quincy .  @Quincy  has never heard of George Carlin.  

[Ann72]

@Kenneth12   Actually it's you who'd be more likely to be booted for "content that is off-topic, doesn’t ask a question, or doesn’t offer knowledge in response to a question as part of a larger discussion."  Pretty much an exact description of what you just posted.

[Kenneth12]

@Ann72 :

Thank you for your expressing your "opinion,"  which is,  after all,  quite equally subject to the same objection.  

Exactly how much does this "community forum,"  given that Airbnb is now bleeding money in the middle of a pandemic,  spend on so-called "community managers?"  

How does this forum,  which reaches only a very small percentage of users,   contribute to ABB's bottom line -- and recoup the expense,   if it does?  Do we have metrics that demonstate that the expense is worth it,  as we head towards the cliff of bankruptcy?

If I had such tenuous position,  I'd be very careful whom I offended,   and what the consequences of my actions towards people far above my pay grade,  might be.

[Susan1188]

Dear @Catherine-Powell , 

I have watched your two videos and absolutely taken to heart what you said.  I even felt stirring of hope, especially when you responded to a host's comments here about Mickey's big ears.

@Catherine-Powell , You stated that the number one most important thing is the EXPERIENCE.  Exceptional hospitality, insider tips about things to do, the feeling and memories, the story of a great holiday when things turned out better than expected and happy surprises made you forget your daily life.

What do you think the guest will take home as an EXPERIENCE, when soon after checking out, they are treated to these leading questions that can only create anxiety and negative feelings?  That can only make them wonder: was I in danger?  Has this place been reported for some issue or problem?  Did other people complain?

These questions will destroy the warm fuzzy holiday feeling, asking them consciously or unconsciously - to find something negative that happened or any small reason they could feed you that the place was not exactly like the listing photos.

I was very shocked to see this and I feel dismayed my lovely guests will have to go through such questions in order to leave me the honest and great feedback they always do.

I also feel dismayed as this is the second time there is a direct discrepancy between what you have said in your videos, and what is happening on the ground (your saying that guests get a refund for travel restrictions was the other point).

I hope your Mickey Mouse ears keep listening Catherine, we are counting on you.

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Susan1188 @Sarah977,

Thanks for your comments on the guest review. I saw the separate conversation on this in the Community Centre and I am looking into it. I hope to be able to share something in one of my next host updates. There are reasons that we need to check in with guests after a stay (to ensure accuracy of the listing for example) so that we can give guidance back to hosts where we think it will help them improve the quality of the stay. However I agree with you that the questions are overly negative in how they are worded and I am looking to address this.

Best, Catherine

[Elisa-And-Ricardo0]

That is horrible it feels like Airbnb is getting worst everyday! 

[Kenneth12]

Personally I think it is great:  time to hold hosts' feet to the fire,  get rid of the underperformers.

So many people around here,   who want to be paid a lot,  for offering less than a hotel.  

European socialism and all that.

[Sarah977]

Airbnb is obsessed with the words "safe" and "unsafe". They need to wipe those words out of their vocabulary. "Did you feel safe?" could be interpreted to mean anything from was the place well-cleaned,  to a guest perceiving the neighborhood as "sketchy" (usually a euphemism for prejudice) to whether the host looked at them in a way that made them feel uneasy, to whether the thought the balcony raining was high enough.

And let's not forget about the message the guest receives if their booking is caught by the "party" algorithm, which tells them that the booking is "unsafe", which totally confuses the guests and makes it sound like there is something wrong with the listing.

[Kenneth12]

I think you really have to be a guest a few hundred times ... yes,  this will get misused,  but it will mostly fall by the wayside.

My host in Paris who entered the apartment and took prescription medicine will probably be culled out.   My hosts in Milan and Naples who wanted money under the table and played games to get it,   the same.   My great hosts,   probably wont face the same.

ABB is systematically incompetent,   but hosts who have a problem with these changes (many of which followed my suggestions) are resisting obvious changes to secure the brand and improve the experience.

And this isn't 2010 or 2015 anymore.    There's a lot of scumminess out there.

[Michelle2137]

im changing my BNB name to hotel California. 

Welcome to the hotel California, such a lovely place.......

I think it would go well with the questionnaire don't you think. I could market it as the horror airbnb you dare to live thru 😂🤣😅🙄

but on a more serious note they already started the questionnaire asking what could your host do better so the new questions don't make me flinch