The reviews system is being updated

[Jenny]

Hosting connects you to strangers from around the world that you’d likely never cross paths with if you weren’t a Host on Airbnb. Reviews are an essential part and natural conclusion to each stay – whether a Host rates a guest or a guest rates the experience they had during their stay, reviews are displayed publicly for everyone to see. With that being said, sometimes reviews left by guests may feel unfair. You’ve told us that you’re frustrated with the current reviews system, so we’re updating the way reviews work as a result of your requests.

Feel more comfortable hosting guests without worrying about the possibility of receiving a retaliatory review or not having enough info about potential guests with the following upgrades:

• Learn how you can dispute retaliatory reviews under our updated reviews policy.
• Flag reviews from guests who commit a serious policy violation or violate your house rules.
• Read specific details left about guests by other Hosts—and leave these details when any guest stays with you. 

Early next year, we’re also introducing a chatbot to make it easier for you to initiate a review dispute—without having to contact Community Support.

The same process applies to the reviews guests leave for you. Guests will still choose one to five stars for their overall stay. They can now also add a star rating—and specify what went well or could have gone better—in several categories. Only your overall star rating is factored into Superhost criteria, so your star ratings and feedback in specific categories won’t impact your Superhost status. 

Read more about it on the Resource Center.

[Jenny]

Hi @Kristi5 

We're collecting any feedback provided by CC members and passing along to the relevant teams to have a look at.

Feedback is updated every day, so @Bubba-Lee0's thoughts will already have been collected and added to our list.

Wherever possible we'll feed back if we get a reply from the Product team.

Jenny

[Gillian166]

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@Kristi5 wrote:

Are you listening to us???

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@Kristi5  they would have beta testing with actual working hosts if they wanted to hear from us. 

Instead they roll out new features, we complain, and the poor mods have to deal with it.  

[Gillian166]

@Bubba-Lee0  yes, agree with all that but i still get 4* for check in..... *sigh* we have self check-in! some people get lost because they didn't read the instructions, even though I tell them TWO times to have the app installed on their phone and to use the How to Get Inside function, which has step by step photos. Still i get people calling me from the other end of the road, even though we have a number on the farm and TWO farm logo signs.  So because they decided to go it on their own, and they really don't have the smarts for that, I get dinged in the review.

and Location.... yes I feel you. They want to be on a farm and enjoy the solitude, and see stars without city lights, but will also complain the gas station is 12 mins drive.... and ABB has the audacity to write "tell the host how they could do better" !!! we can't move the location. 🤦🏼

[Wende2]

@Bubba-Lee0..I too am very rural, Maryland's eastern shore.  Fields as far as the eye can see, lucky for me I'm just 5 mins from the main attractions for this area, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and The Harriet Tubman museum.  Although depending on when you're here, you may be in a line of traffic, going 20 mph behind a huge tractor, some people won't pass if there's a solid line, wonder what stars I'll get for convenient. 

Altho since the "summer release" I've only had 20 bookings since June, I can't compete with OMG! or spectacular pools as advertised in the latest 2 commercials I've seen the past few days. 

[Bubba-Lee0]

@Sybe  Do you and @Bhumika use the same generic script to respond to queries?  Is it a plug-and-play form letter? You use the identical phrases and formatting... And punctuation.   

Hi @Lori2666 ! Thanks for sharing your concerns. I understand it's a bit daunting to see changes to something like reviews that already have a huge impact on Hosts.

The extra things guests can choose - like "lots to do" or "pristine kitchen" - are just like it says, optional extras. You'll still receive an overall rating, which is what counts towards your Superhost status as well. Guests won't be rating you on these extras, but can select them if any of them stand out. 

We're passing on all feedback so thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Hi @Kristi5 ! Thanks for sharing your concerns. I understand your worry about the recent review changes , especially when you feel what already existed was good enough.

About this update in particular, the extra things guests can choose - like "pristine'' - are just like it says, optional extras. You'll still receive an overall rating, which is what counts. In case of retaliatory reviews, you can always request re-review, in case the remarks are removed, the ratings will also be removed. Hence, it will not impact you negatively. Guests won't be rating you on these extras, but can select them if any of them stand out. 

I hope this curbs your concern. Again, Thank you for the feedback!"

[Bhumika]

Hello, @Bubba-Lee0 

Haha, such an inquisitive outlook!!! 😆 I wanted to let you know that I am particularly new to the community center (You can know more about me here.) Having said this, I am still learning on how to relay information more effectively and correctly. 

I wanted to make sure that I am giving correct info and keeping a track of each query being replied. So I may have referenced to Sybe's msg to be factually correct. There is no scripting here, just me trying to make sure, that as a newbie, I am still giving a correct response😉. Apologies, if this came out the wrong way.

But must say, you sure have an eye for details!!😁 

Thanks for understanding,

Bhumika

[Huma0]

@Sybe the point that @Lori2666 and others are making is that, if you introduce these 'optional extras' to guests, it is going to make them stop and think about it during the review process and it WILL colour the review and ratings, including the overall rating, for some of those guests.

Sure, some might be sensible enough to ignore the extra questions that are irrelevant, but others won't.

And what, exactly, is the point of it? Guests can already give a 1-5* rating for cleanliness. Why do they need to specify the listing was 'pristine'? WHY ON EARTH are guests being asked to feedback on how flexible the check in was? I thought that Airbnb was supposed to be helping us by getting guests to RESPECT the house rules, including check in time, not encouraging them to think we could have been more 'flexible' about it.

You've said that it's helpful feedback for hosts, but is it? How is it helpful? The host already knows if there is 'lots to do' in their location or if the surroundings are beautiful, and, if there isn't/they are not, what exactly is the host supposed to do about it? 

[Susan990]

I have not received any notice of the updated review system being discussed. Where in the platform is this information published?

[Bhumika]

Hello @Susan990 ,

Here is the update that was released in November that everyone is discussing in this thread:  Updated Review System.

We're happy to announce the Month of Celebration!

Can’t find what you’re searching for? start a conversation

[Kristi5]

Really really hate the "updated" review section. I'm not sure WHY airbnb chooses to constantly try to update something that is actually working quite well.

I agree with the wording; I can't even get "pristine" in a 5 star hotel but to ask guests if their stay in someone's home was "pristine" is asking for trouble and stars will go down from this.

I think (as a guest and a host) if the room is very clean, no hairs in the tub or bed and the bathroom doesn't look like a crime scene .... if I see a tiny dust bunny that was missed, I'm not gonna dock those hosts for that. It doesn't make sense and there is no reason to dock them for that.

airbnb is asking for something that is really hard to achieve within the bounds of someone's living space; especially if someone is renting a room in their own home. I have an apartment so it's completely separate from any family space but to expect a host who is renting a room to have it pristine is ridiculous. 

K

[Bhumika]

Hi @Kristi5 ! Thanks for sharing your concerns. I understand your worry about the recent review changes , especially when you feel what already existed was good enough.

About this update in particular, the extra things guests can choose - like "pristine'' - are just like it says, optional extras. You'll still receive an overall rating, which is what counts. In case of retaliatory reviews, you can always request re-review, in case the remarks are removed, the ratings will also be removed. Hence, it will not impact you negatively. Guests won't be rating you on these extras, but can select them if any of them stand out. 

I hope this curbs your concern. Again, Thank you for the feedback!

Bhumika

Can't find what you're looking for? Click here to start a conversation!

[Robbie54]

@Bhumika @Jenny if I've read the new update correctly retaliatory reviews can be removed upon request if a guest "commit a serious policy violation".  What if a retaliatory review is done in a manner that on its surface seem a reasonable review but is in fact retaliatory? For example give 3 stars for cleanliness but the place is spotless, or gives 2 or 3 stars for value but the property or room is very reasonable for the price? I could go on, my point is there are a myriad of ways for guests who have an unreasonable issue with a host to give them a low score and there's nothing Airbnb can do about it, because it's the guests "opinion" on their stay. 

Another problem is proving a guest has committed a serious policy violation. In some instances it can be difficult to do so where it ends up as their word against yours. 

Then we have the constant issue of customer services. They are poorly trained staff who don't know their own rules. Even with these changes try getting a retaliatory review removed, virtually impossible according to some recent posts.

And why a "serious" policy violation, why not just a policy violation? In my opinion if a guest has committed a policy violation then they should be exempt from giving a review. 

[Bhumika]

Hello @Robbie54 

I have noted your concern and shared this feedback with team, we are trying to elaborate more on this feedback. Will get back to you once it is addressed. Thanks for bearing with us.

Bhumika

Can't find what you're looking for? Click here to start a conversation!

[Robbie54]

I'll be honest @Bhumika ,Airbnb have, as they always do, over complicate things, they continue to make it worse than before, then more issues arise.

First off, start training your staff properly. Secondly, listen to hosts when they have a guest issue. It's a host's livelihood we're dealing with here, most guests wouldn't care if they get a bad review as they can easily change their profile, hosts cannot. 

I'll be honest again, I'm only with Airbnb because they're relatively cheap compared to other platforms, if you were the same cost as everyone else I'd be with another platform because of your dire customer services and review system. 

[Bubba-Lee0]

I think you're missing the point @Bhumika . By putting in key words such as "pristine" and "sparkling clean" out there in a guest's face, you are setting an unrealistic and unachievable standard of expectations for guests.  We are home owners sharing our homes. Homes that are lived in and not hermetically sealed. They are not "pristine". 

Guests will feel that if they can't check all these "bonus" areas that less than 5* isn't deserved.

I had the pleasure of staying in a very high end hotel in White Sulphur Springs, WV. Room rates start at $350/night up to $500+ per night for a room that is 150 square ft (10 x 15) with a double bed. I felt the rooms were very clean and the presentation was 5*. But they weren't perfect.  I have experienced more than a few AirBNB guests who would have given this room a 4* for cleanliness. This is a professionally managed top drawer Boutique hotel and guests expect me to be better than them!  Google "Greenbrier Hotel West Virginia".

We are simply home owners and both AirBNB and our guests are being pushed to expect *perfection* from us.. 

We already have professional scammer guests demanding refunds of cleaning fees because they find an errant cobweb that a spider erected in the 3 hours between cleaning and the time the guest checked in. Now you are prompting guests that normally are tolerant of the stray dust mote, or the water spot on the faucet to rethink "what is clean"? There are literally guests who look for a missed speck of dust that in no way affects their stay and would not be seen by anyone who didn't actively search for it and they exploit the "anything less than 5* is failure" standard that AirBNB has set to get discounts and refunds. Failing that, they leave less than 5* reviews, being careful not to violate the Extortion Policy, for hosts who won't be extorted into refunding cleaning fees or 25% off their stay.

A friend of mine who is a host had a guest go through her 100 year old house and turn over every rug and mat until she found a tiny bit of dirt. Within 30 minutes of checking in, my friend received 4 photos of "dirt". A tiny bit under a rug. A bit of lint from the duster that snagged on the bottom of a piece of furniture. And a photo of the banister area of the stairs showing a tiny paint chip the size of a pin head.  Clearly unrealistic. And the punishment was a 4* review.

Y'all need to stop pushing for perfection from hosts. And stop training guests to suck.