Superhost stats: Is anyone else seeing something weird?

[Huma0]

Hello, after maintaining Superhost status for years, I lost it at the last assessment due to one 3* review (I host long term stays, so every rating really counts). Oh well, never mind...

Since then, all my guests have left 5* and I saw on my dashboard that my rating for the current assessment period (October 21 to September 22) was back up to the 4.8* requirement for Superhost and I was hopeful that I could maintain or increase this going forward.

However, yesterday I noticed my dashboard is now saying the rating is 4.6* for the same period. I haven't received any new reviews in the meantime, nor have any been removed, and anyway, the numbers don't add up. The total for guests who reviewed in that period, including the 3* review, comes to 4.769, so I should have 4.7* at least (or would it round up to 4.8*?). Why is it showing only 4.6*?

[Huma0]

@Sybe 

Thank you! 

I did get another message from the rep, and she has now accepted that my calculations are correct and that I should currently have a 4.8* rating. However, at the same time, she is telling me everything is now displaying correctly, when it's not. The Superhost page is still saying I'm on 4.7* and missing the requirements.

[Huma0]

So, I am still going round in circles with this one. I'm tempted to simply give up in frustration, but as it could well mean the difference between Superhost or not, I'm persisting. 

The Airbnb Ambassador got back to me with a long list of actions to take (clearing cookies, cache, disabling add ons, and a whole bunch of other stuff) before checking my stats again. Nothing changed. The Superhost stat had already gone up from 4.6 to 4.7, yet that's not accurate as it should be 4.8, which I relayed back to him/her.

For some reason, I was then passed back to the first rep who couldn't comprehend anything I was saying. Why??!! I specifically asked to be assigned someone else because she did not understand my issue. Again, she is being totally clueless.

She is saying that the statistic is correct based on my reviews since January. I don't know how many times I have to tell her that I am not talking about the period from January but the Superhost assessment period which begins 1st October 2021. I have told her this over and over and over again. I have sent her screenshots. She just tells me it's correct and sends me links to irrelevant help articles.

Firstly, the Airbnb rep should know what the Superhost assessment period is and when it starts and finishes. I shouldn't have to explain it to her but I have, many times. I say October, she replies regarding January. I say October again, she replies RE January and on and on...

One of my guests came home just as I had received the last idiotic response. She asked me if I was okay. I must have had a pained look on my face! I explained it to her and she got it immediately. She said, "Yeah, that's really simple. The assessment is done every quarter, but is based on the last four quarters, right?"

Why is that an Airbnb 'employee' (yeah, I know they are outsourced) cannot grasp this basic concept?

[Huma0]

Oh, and a bit of coordination at Airbnb might be helpful. I asked the CS ambassador to let me know when the problem is resolved. He/she responded that they do not get informed by the team dealing with it when it is resolved. I suspect they do not get informed about current glitches either, so no wonder it's so frustrating. 

The first rep should have been able to simply tell me, "Yes, this is a current glitch that our technical department is working on," and that she is forwarding my details to them, rather than the back and forth RE 2+2=3.

How are you supposed to get reasonable customer service when the front line reps know nothing about anything?

[Huma0]

So, I've now been told by the rep to check back on my stats in a week's time as it will take them a while.

I received another 5* review yesterday, which has not been reflected in the stats either, so clearly the glitch isn't fixed.

[Huma0]

I finally got a response from 'the colleague', which basically didn't give me any details but said that the engineers were working to fix it and it shouldn't take long.

So, as I suspected, it sounds like a technical glitch and at least maybe someone less clueless is looking into it now...

[Mary419]

Of ALL the glitches this is the hardest to comprehend. Every single error is blamed on a glitch from missing payouts to automatic cancelations that neither the host nor guest wanted. This is the one basic calculation of the ratings all locked into their own system where cannot even begin to imagine what would be the cause of such a glitch. 

[Huma0]

@Mary419 

Yes, it does seem so bizarre. I don't remember ever noticing it before, but I just always assumed that the stats were correct, so who knows. It was the fact that it suddenly changed from 4.8* to 4.6* for no apparent reason that alerted me.

I've just now received another support message asking me to check my stats 'after a while'. At the moment, it's still showing the incorrect figure, so I guess I will check it again later. No explanation has been given for what happened and the BOT is asking me to close the case.

[Jenny266]

That is very frustrating!   I have had a similar situation with one cancellation due to us having Covid. They wanted to ding me for it, but I did finally get it resolved.  I hope you can get yours corrected. If I wasn't earning so much to pay my taxes I would certainly quit.  Good luck. 

[Huma0]

@Jenny266 

Thank you!

To be honest, it isn't the end of the world. I was disappointed to lose Superhost status after having it consistently for years, but hey ho, maybe it doesn't mean that much anyway.

What is annoying me is that this is clearly some sort of technical glitch, which should be easy enough to resolve, but the rep keeps denying the figures and telling me that I do not understand.

Maybe it is me who is being stupid, but my last screenshot clearly displays that my calculations are correct.

What is sooo frustrating is that the CS rep cannot seem to grasp really basic information. Thankfully, it is not such an important issue, but what if it was? I can see why so many hosts who post here are tearing their hair out having to deal with this kind of nonsense when they have an urgent or critical situation!

[Jenny266]

The $100 super host reward is not adequate to even book a one night stay at most anyplace!  They need to adjust the reward.  We work hard jumping thru hoops to please our guests, some of which are never pleasable!  Sometimes I get marked down for my location - duh! Why did you choose my rental ?  Can't they look at a map?!  There is not a hotel room around me  available in the summer and I am less expensive!  

[Huma0]

@Jenny266 

I don't really see the travel award as a big incentive. Hosting is a lot of work and I'm certainly not doing it for $100 a year in the form of a voucher! For a short time, Airbnb introduced a free photo session as an alternative to the travel coupon, which was far more of an incentive from my perspective, but when I tried to claim it, I was denied. They told me it was only for new hosts. If it was only for new hosts, why was it a Superhost reward then? You have to maintain Superhost for a year to get the reward... Soon after, they seemed to scrap that idea. 

Anyway, my complaint here is that the Airbnb system seems to have miscalculated my stats and the CS rep I assigned keeps telling me that 2+2=3. It doesn't matter how many times I explain to her that 2+2=4, she just keeps coming back with some patronising answer as if I'm the one being a dimwit and telling me that 2+2 = 3.

Now I know that a lot of CS reps are outsourced, barely trained staff, but we are not talking rocket science here. 

[Huma0]

If I look on the overall quality page and enter the dates for the current assessment, i.e. from 1st October to now, it looks correct and the same as my calculations, i.e. 4.77*. Yet, my Superhost statistics for the same period are still showing at 4.6*.

[Fred13]

At least the 4.91 & 4.97 will not discourage anyone from booking, especially considering one has over 100 reviews. I am beginning to think 4.9 'X' is good enough for most.

[Huma0]

@Fred13 

Yes, I think the listing stats are the most important. However, my other listing currently only has 4.84* at the moment due to a 3* review a few months ago (also the reason I lost Superhost at the last assessment). It's actually my nicest room, but has always attracted the fussier guests!

However now I am starting to doubt all the stats seeing as neither the Airbnb system, nor the rep I spoke to, can do basic maths. 

[Huma0]

Next response from CS was this:

"I will try to explain to you by another way.

In July 2022, there was a review of your superhost performance. The period from the day the assessment was taken from previous 365 days.
It means that the estimates were taken for the period: from July 1, 2021 - to July 1, 2022.

I can count it for you and after you can check it.
HMPHHZBN82 5
HMSWWH8NZE 3
HM835BMDMM 4
HMCTAJ8B9N 5
HMYQ8AKDXJ 5
HM5WJT32BC 5
HMQMXYFPZQ 5
HMCSBFDFJT 5
HMQWXR9HPJ 5
HMJWB5K2JZ 5
HMZHKQXNMR 5

Amount 51. Quantity 11.
Overall rating is 4.6 (4.64)

Can you tell me please, do you understand now? Any questions left?

I added an "equal" sign to make it easier to see.

HMPHHZBN82 ═ 5
HMSWWH8NZE ═ 3
HM835BMDMM ═ 4
HMCTAJ8B9N ═ 5
HMYQ8AKDXJ ═ 5
HM5WJT32BC ═ 5
HMQMXYFPZQ ═ 5
HMCSBFDFJT ═ 5
HMQWXR9HPJ ═ 5
HMJWB5K2JZ ═ 5
HMZHKQXNMR ═ 5"

Okay. Sigh. 

1.) I have explained now several times I am talking about the current assessment period, i.e the one from 1st October 2021 to 30th September 2022, not the previous one that ended 30th June. In fact, that was the very last thing I messaged to the rep to double check she had understood this.

2.) The ratings she has just sent me are not the same as her screenshot before. Neither these, nor the screenshot include the correct ratings for either this assessment period nor the last. She isn't using the correct dates for either.

3.) She adds in an = sign assuming I am unable to read numbers. Yet, her calculations are off, or is it just me? The maths in this message is incorrect.

Anyway, I explained it to her again and said that if she still didn't understand, please could she escalate it to someone more senior. She said a colleague would be in touch...

Oh dear. Why did I even start this? 

[Huma0]

Pardon my French, but FFS. Why even bother? Here is the response I just got from CS:

"Beginning at the 1 April 2022 assessment, and at future assessments, Hosts need to meet all 4 criteria to earn Superhost status.

The 4 criteria are:
Maintaining a 4.8 overall rating
Maintaining a 90% response rate or higher
Hosting 10 stays in the past year (or 100 nights over at least 3 bookings)
Maintaining a cancellation rate of less than 1%

When you become a Superhost, you’re rewarded with a special badge on your profile and listing.
Superhost assessments take place 4 times a year – in January, April, July and October – and each assessment evaluates your performance during the previous 365 days.

More details in this article:
"The latest updates to Superhost assessments"
www.airbnb.co.uk/resources/hosting-homes/a/the-latest-updates-to-superhost-assessments-257

That's why you have overall rating - 4.6

Huma, was it useful information for you? Do you have any more questions?"

What the heck have the other criteria got to do with the 4.6* rating? Anyway, I have 100% response rate, 0% cancellation rate, and way above the minimum number of stays/number of nights requirement. 

How does that answer my question of why several 5 star reviews that fall into the assessment period are not being factored into the total?

I do wonder if being a Superhost is worth any of the hassle. I mean, guests see my 4.91* or 4.97* or whatever on the listings (as @Fred13 pointed out) so I guess who cares if Airbnb can't manage to do simple maths and gives me some random overall rating...

[Fred13]

You are now showing 4.91 & 4.97 respectively.

[Huma0]

@Fred13 

Yes, that's for the individual listings. 

I'm talking about the Superhost stats for the current assessment period (1st October 2021 to 30th September 2022). My rating mysteriously dropped from 4.8* to 4.6* but no new reviews came in, nor were any removed.

I contacted CS about it and got a response very quickly with a screenshot of my ratings that totalled 4.6*. However, that screenshot omitted several 5* reviews within the assessment period. I pointed this out to the rep, but she hasn't responded yet. Hopefully, she's looking into it... 

Or, am I totally missing something? Has the assessment period changed from the previous 365 days to the current calendar year, because her screenshot showed the latter and that's what she's saying the 4.6* is based on?

[Huma0]

Has anyone else noticed this happening on their dashboard? Any suggestions for why the rating may have gone down?