Private Host to Host feedback

[Karen1921]

Hiya,

I've been a superhost for over 4 years now, and occasionally I find myself in a situation where I want to leave more honest feedback, but don't feel confident in doing so.

I understand the importance of other hosts reading honest feedback and have made the suggestion to AirBnB that they should find a way for us to read private feedback on a potential guest if there is anything negative they don't want the guest to see. It should be quite easy for them to create an algorithm to flag host-to-host feedback on a particular person?

Only 2 weeks ago I had a perfectly friendly chap stay for a week but he left my front door unlocked 5 times, the window open 3 times, spilt tea down the wall (and didn't tell me) and other annoying things yet he had only 5 star reviews from previous hosts!

The most concerning factor for me was that I cooked him a few meals during his stay, and he was the one that suggested I charged him slightly more for them and wrote it down. Then when he left, I sent the request and he denied he'd offered that amount but said he'd pay up if I didn't give him a bad review. When I said I wouldn't mention the tea stain, he said he'd rather not get a review at all if it wasn't going to be good.

So, why am I worried and making this suggestion...? Because guests know where we live (and he was local - between 2 rental houses) and we don't know where they live, so IMO they have an advantage when wanting to be honest in their feedback.

Does anyone else out there share my POV and would anyone else recommend this to AirBnB?

Thanks 

Karen

[Marg11]

My reviews are written as though I was reading and assessing whether a guest could stay so it's warts & all. Mess, dishonesty, lack of understanding security and bargaining are not on and your report could have been used as a reference for a long term rental so the agent and owners need to know. Why were you cooking him meals?

Yes, honest reports risk the guest withdrawing their review and I have had that where our house rules were not understood or ignored. 

[Kia272]

@Karen1921 the whole point of the review system is for the reviews to be honest. If people review honestly, then there's no information to be gained from hosts communicating privately with each other. I'm not entirely sure what you're suggesting here, but AirBnB will NEVER do it.

Just review honestly, and encourage other hosts to do so as well. 

[Karen1921]

Thanks. My point is that if I left completely honest feedback, I wouldn't have felt safe knowing he knew where I lived. He blackmailed me to not leave him bad feedback if I wanted him to settle his bill for his meals.

[John5097]

@Karen1921 

Until about two years ago guest couldn't see the individual ratings host left them, only host could see them, but guest didn't like this secret file on them, as they didn't have an opportunity to evaluate the accuracy. Host would also leave good review or try and use some kind of code words, there is a few topics on this, while the average host would read it as a great review. Even "Very nice guest!" was some kind of code among the host here for a poor guest. 

If host aren't clear either and just mark them down for something like a 4 in cleanliness and still leave a glowing review, that could mean the guest left a few bread crumbs under the table, so I generally accept those anyway. 

Retaliation from guest should be considered. Pretty much anything they don't like, such as following a simple booking requirements, they can come after you and try and have your listing suspended, and customer support will likely just side with the guest as its the safest option for them. 

I don't think some tea on the wall is really that bad, it sounds like an accident, but could lower the cleaning cleanliness rating a bit, if the guest wasn't clean enough overall. I just go by if it cost me anything to replace something.  

Charging extra for meals you cook should be more clear.

Overall I think it's best to communicate with guest. If I left a guest less than perfect review, I would make a few suggestions, while thanking them for staying. But it really depends on the issue. If something like stained sheets I can get clean, I'm not going to risk retaliation from guest.

 

[Karen1921]

Thanks for the detailed reply. I almost always get great feedback and 99% of my guests are great too. But there's just a few occasions where I didn't feel safe to do do. This particular guest blackmailed me to not leave him bad feedback if I wanted him to settle his bill for his meals... so it was less the tea stain (and frankly leaving my front door unlocked 5 times during a 10 day stay - once with the key on the outside is more serious) and more the collective issues.

Meals was made very clear. I wrote down a suggestion of the meal and then cost. He said it wasn't enough, took the pen and wrote a higher price on it. It was left in the kitchen for the entirety of his stay.

Anyway, it was just an idea as there seems a lot more protection for guests than hosts - especially live-in hosts.

[John5097]

@Karen1921 

The advice you will get here is always the same, take one for the team. 

You can communicate with guest. I once had a mother daughter stay. They partied till 6 am outside with some guy they met at the nightclub. It was low key like they were just talking and no music outside, but it happened to also be the first night my new neighbors were sleeping at their house thats 30 feet from their guest apartment. When I woke up at 5:30 am I heard them scream when the sprinklers activated as they are on a timer. 

Anyway I just didn't leave a review. What they did would have been fine at a different Airbnb. The mom was also a host with all 5 star reviews and over 50 five star reviews as guest. She said they loved the place and planned to come back. I sent a message after the time to review was over. They did leave a glowing 5 star review. I thanked them for staying, glad they had a great time, but was very clear they broke two of my house rules, they had a rando over, and I have quite hours outside after 11pm. And that next time they are in town not to stay at my place again, that one in the city would be a better fit. The guest was actually very apologetic and no more issues. 

You see unhinged host all the time here, and both host and guest leave each other one star reviews. 

I've also been very direct if a guest is breaking house rules and message them. Same thing. What they were doing would have been fine somewhere else, like fishing, so I'm not going to leave a bad review. Just asked them not to stay again but very nice and thanked them for staying. Another checked in at 4am and activated the car alarm, once again I messaged them, please don't do that again, no response, no more problems, we didn't leave each other reviews. 


ETA: I'm a little confused about the meal price. I have done food prep with a long term renter. We would prep together for the rest of the week, divide the food into equal parts, I have a ton of containers, and put them each fridge. I usually did the grocery shopping, always kept the receipt and itemized the exact cost of the food, then deducted it from her rent. She was actually a chef so it worked out pretty well, as she wanted to explore other cooking and diets with higher nutritional value. We are still friends and still have each other over for meals and hang out with friends and family.  

[John5097]

@Karen1921 

I'm just pointing out that other more experienced host are also very good at giving no indication that they plan to leave less than ideal review. The host still has the guest think they are getting perfect review. It's not dishonest. Its just always best to phrase any kind of communication with guest about an issue in an extremely constructive and flattering way, thanking them so much for staying, how much you enjoy hosting guest, then mention the issue. Also thank them after checking out for staying. After all they are paying you. 

A big part of hosting is learning how to improve for the next time an issue crops up. This can be done by making improvements, communication, updating listing and house rules, and communication prior to guest checking in. 

In short generally host try and blindside guest with less than ideal review and still keep it very positive and constructive. It's best to not mention or indicate that host plans to leave a less than ideal review while negotiating for the cost of meal.

I would think guest would pay in advance for a meal and it be separate from the listing.

For example as a guest I stayed at a cabin. When I got there it was really hot and this was after a long drive. I couldn't figure out how to operate the remote as I had never used a ductless AC before and there were no instructions. I'm very savvy with this kind of stuff. So I messaged host that it was hot and I couldn't figure out how to turn on the AC.

She reasoned that is was freezing cold when the cleaned the place and came rushing over, agreed that it was really hot, and showed me where the instructions were in a drawer. She said he last guest had left it all the way down and was freezing. 

Then I messaged again because the bed spread was so thin, like a sheet, and the listing said there were extra blankets. So she came back again with blankets. It does get cold at night there, like down into the 50s and this was paper thin walls and windows. But this time she was really put out. I messaged back to thank her but she ignored me. 

Overall it was less than ideal. I followed check out instructions to strip the bed, and there were hairs on the mattress protector and I was just creeped out. 

After check out I got a message from her that she planned to leave 5 star review, but 100% didn't trust her. I messaged back that I would prefer not leaving reviews this time. I wasn't going to leave a dishonest review and think her own guest should review her, not another host. 

But if she had left me a review I would have left an honest review. I was really conflicted about this and was just sick of thinking about it. 

So you don't always have to leave a review. It's really your choice. Sometimes it best, in my opinion, to learn and keep making improvements. 

[Helen3]

I would always leave an honest review @Karen1921 

This guest behaved appallingly and put your home at risk . 

Wouldn't you have wanted to be warned of a guest like this.

it's always best to get money up front for any additional services you provide like meals. 

[Karen1921]

Yes absolutely, but I guess my point is that I didn't feel safe doing so as I wasn't 100% sure there wouldn't be some kind of nasty follow-up. The fact he is relatively local, made me more weary. I found it strange all previous reviews were good, but then it looked like his girlfriend had stayed too, so could have kept him inline!