Post by High Priestess on May 31, 2016 1:51:06 GMT
Christabel shared on Airbnb Products Updates and Improvements
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-172631
Delete bad review
Perhaps some of you noticed that a very low percentage of guests are never happy irrespective how much you do for them - seems a percentage of the population are like that
So every let say 15 very good reviews I'm getting an odd bad review which is really in contrast to the others most of the issues are due to guests not reading the description so then they find things different from what they expected
I was thinking how about airbnb makes something like give us the ability to delete a review let say for every 15 reviews that have a 5 star - I hope airbnb is aware that some guests are intrinsically impossible to cope with and its unfair us the host to be rated by them
20 comments•2 likes
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Drew
Stan & Maggie
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
We encourage you to use the chance to reply to bad reviews. So the future guests can see both sides. E.g. the last review complains about the heat (no a/c) and the mosqitoes if they open the window. You could reply that there are mosquito screens (I hope there are screens) and you supply eletric reppelents for the case there happens to get a mosquito in. Just as an example. As we are hosts AND guests, reviews by others help me make a selection. Just deleting reviews doesn't create a trustworthy system. Better reply than delete.
Reply Like 2 likes
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
Or you could say "Sorry for the heat (although the weather is not our fault), we had an extreme hot week when you came. Usually it's much cooler." Be honest: do your windows have screens? If not, you should setup some. Regards a guest's critics as a free quality consulting.
Reply Like 2 likes
Evelyn
Evelyn9 months ago
Airbnb doesn't delete and will not delete reviews. Unless they're breaking their content rules. We will leave with a non positive review forever. I just had a guest lie on their review. They smoked pot in my home and I review them about it, they knew I was upset about it. So they stated I had entered their space and snooped. A lie.. But airbnb's response was.. that's the guests experience.
Reply Like
Amecus J.
Amecus J.9 months ago
You are spot on about people not reading descriptions. Just respond politely. I had a guest who said she stayed with me on purpose because of the way a handled an idiot guest's scathing review, so it goes both ways. I think it would be useful to have the reviews more like amazon. Most helpful review, how many 5 stars vs 1 star etc. In regards to the bad review. I do get people who give me 1 star and it lowers the average. Five, 5 star reviews, and a single 1 star gives you a 4 star total.
Reply Like 1 like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
A little OT... Till & Jutta, why to have mosquito screens if you have electric repellent?
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
A mosquito screen avoids the toxic repellent. Usually we don't need the repellent - just in case a guest lets the garden door open at night, and complains the next morning about mosquitoes.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
Why you think that reppelent is toxic? We (the whole town) are using them for more than 30 years and nobody had health problems because of that. If you go to the local bar you can still find more than dosen men in their 80's and 90's playing cards... If it is not toxic for us, who are using them for 6 moths, why should be toxic for somebody using it for a week or two? On other hand mosquito net does not keep them from entering apartment if they are on the doors. Just one mosquito can ruin your sleep. With the reppelent you can havee the doors open with no mosquito in the room. We give free repelents, explain how they work, and all guests are happy without hassle with mosquito nets.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
There is also an very interesting fact - most people who are reclutant to use chemichal repellent are from noth Germany and Nederlands. And when I see what most of these people eat - last class meat because it is cheap and fantastic looking plastic vegetables with tons of chemichals on them from supermarkets.
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
It's getting OT indeed.
Reply Like 1 like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
Again on the topic, just annoyed about many complaints in reviews in my part of the world about mosquitos...
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
Our accomodation in Pula had screens, no complaints from our side.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
We never used them in 50 years renting. Just recently learned that I need to explain how to use repellent bit to bit like stuardess in the aeroplane, from then no complaints in reviews. Before that seen everything from people opening the whole week quantity and put them on the table to using a single tablet for a week, despite being provided 7 pcs...
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
The topic was "Delete bad review". I understand that there are people who prefer simple physical screens instead of toxic chemicals, and tell other guests the missing of such an easy thing, specially in countries where mosquitos are anywhere. And IMHO, just to say "nothing happened since 30 years" is like to say "smoking must be harmless, as my neighbour still lives". Wonder why we get no feedback from Christabel as she started this discussion. The longer I'm thinking about it, the less I like any deleting of bad reviews. Airbnb wants happy guests and tries everything to make a perfect experience. A gap between expectation and experience always results in a bad review, and for a great part it's up to the host to give a good accomodation, make a good and true description, and to attract the right hosts. A bad review is definitely the sign that something went wrong. It should be the starter and helper for improvement. And, sometimes it helps to filter out troublemaking guests as well in the course of the booking...
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
In a way you're right about deleting reviews, answering to them is maybe the best solution, but there are still some troublemaking guests who - just wants to make trouble and lower your rating. Had ne such a expirience on Airbnb, but did on some other OTA-s. Regarding screens - on some type of houses they are not easy to install, and there are many guests who are annoyed with extra doors. They are breaking frequently on doors, that needs extra care and work on already busy changeover...
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
But, there is also a intresting psychological thing about a gap between expectation and expirience - saw many complaints about different bugs in the apartments, but never saw a bed review about NOT having bugs in the house on the countryside because there must be some toxic insecticides used. There is no true about Airbnb wants happy guests with perfect expirience. Airbnb wants to make a profit, which is connected with a ballance between a price and perfect expirience. We, hosts, have to be those who wants guests to have a perfect expirience.
Reply Like
Ondra
Ondra9 months ago
It's true about the guests, there are always some "unhappy" ones, some "high maintenance" ones and some "bad ones" who make a mess and donst follow the rules. However you have to realise - all hosts get one of there time to time.. So it's not 'unfair' it's just part of it. You can get a great feedback out of these guests usually! As a host I have almost 300 reviews and none of them was bad. I always act politley and with respect to a guest even when he is 'not a good guests'. We have the responsibility, we cannot expect every guest read description, in my experience less than 50% of guests even read house rules.
Reply Like 1 reply•2 likes
Karyo&Colin
Karyo&Colin9 months ago
The secret to handling a bad review is to respond to it politely and professionally - never get defensive as it looks so bad for future guests . The odd bad one is nothing to worry about if it is lost amongst a sea of good ones
Cyril
Cyril9 months ago
I would vote for the ability to hide one review for every hundred completed stays. I got just one bad review (it still was 5 star I think), but the wording was total lie and my bookings seized for half of the year. There is no way to defend against false accusation and it can happen to anyone.
Reply Like 1 reply
John
John9 months ago
Wouldn't work for host like me - I only get about 5-6 bookings per year from here as i rent by the week only during summer season and use this site to fill in 'leftover' gaps from existing customers. I've only had about maybe 18 Airbnb guests in 3+ yrs of using this site.
Chris & Britt
Chris & Britt9 months ago
I do not have a problem with bad text reviews, because you can reply to them.
But I really would like to see an option to cancel the attached rating. Because there is no way to answer to the rating a guests is giving.
For example we had a guest giving a good review, but giving a low hygiëne score.
This was because according to him we did not properly dust off the Banisters of the Balcony. We tried to explain hem that is was spring and that these were pollen from fir-trees, and that the amount of pollen was so big that there was no way to keep everything pollen free. We even showed him the huge clouds of yellow pollen blowing trough the valley.
But in the review he did not mention this or else we could have openly replied. He only mentioned it as hidden comment direcly to us, because he knew he was being a ........
Reply Like 1 like
Serafina
Serafina9 months ago
I'd be very surprised if most potential guests take at face value a bad review in a bouquet of good ones. Often the bad reviews make the guest look bad rather than the host. I think Airbnb is better off with the current policy of removing only those reviews that violate their standards, as uncomfortable as those harsh reviews can be.
Reply Like 1 like
Kay
Kay6 months ago
I hope Airbnb employees are looking at our (the hosts) comments, especially this one! It is so true! It is truly sad to receive a 4 or 3 star review which then triggers a overall negative impression. We had dozens of positive reviews and then received one saying our little cottage was too small.
I mention over and over in the description of our cottage that it is small, tiny, intimate, perfect for two people and not more, etc! I even have a photo of a floor plan of our little cottage which again stresses the size it is.
It seems very reasonable to be able to toss out a bad review every dozen or so reviews that we receive. AIRBNB PLEASE RESPOND SO WE KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING TO VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS. Thank you.
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-172631
Delete bad review
Perhaps some of you noticed that a very low percentage of guests are never happy irrespective how much you do for them - seems a percentage of the population are like that
So every let say 15 very good reviews I'm getting an odd bad review which is really in contrast to the others most of the issues are due to guests not reading the description so then they find things different from what they expected
I was thinking how about airbnb makes something like give us the ability to delete a review let say for every 15 reviews that have a 5 star - I hope airbnb is aware that some guests are intrinsically impossible to cope with and its unfair us the host to be rated by them
20 comments•2 likes
Follow
Like
Drew
Stan & Maggie
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
We encourage you to use the chance to reply to bad reviews. So the future guests can see both sides. E.g. the last review complains about the heat (no a/c) and the mosqitoes if they open the window. You could reply that there are mosquito screens (I hope there are screens) and you supply eletric reppelents for the case there happens to get a mosquito in. Just as an example. As we are hosts AND guests, reviews by others help me make a selection. Just deleting reviews doesn't create a trustworthy system. Better reply than delete.
Reply Like 2 likes
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
Or you could say "Sorry for the heat (although the weather is not our fault), we had an extreme hot week when you came. Usually it's much cooler." Be honest: do your windows have screens? If not, you should setup some. Regards a guest's critics as a free quality consulting.
Reply Like 2 likes
Evelyn
Evelyn9 months ago
Airbnb doesn't delete and will not delete reviews. Unless they're breaking their content rules. We will leave with a non positive review forever. I just had a guest lie on their review. They smoked pot in my home and I review them about it, they knew I was upset about it. So they stated I had entered their space and snooped. A lie.. But airbnb's response was.. that's the guests experience.
Reply Like
Amecus J.
Amecus J.9 months ago
You are spot on about people not reading descriptions. Just respond politely. I had a guest who said she stayed with me on purpose because of the way a handled an idiot guest's scathing review, so it goes both ways. I think it would be useful to have the reviews more like amazon. Most helpful review, how many 5 stars vs 1 star etc. In regards to the bad review. I do get people who give me 1 star and it lowers the average. Five, 5 star reviews, and a single 1 star gives you a 4 star total.
Reply Like 1 like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
A little OT... Till & Jutta, why to have mosquito screens if you have electric repellent?
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
A mosquito screen avoids the toxic repellent. Usually we don't need the repellent - just in case a guest lets the garden door open at night, and complains the next morning about mosquitoes.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
Why you think that reppelent is toxic? We (the whole town) are using them for more than 30 years and nobody had health problems because of that. If you go to the local bar you can still find more than dosen men in their 80's and 90's playing cards... If it is not toxic for us, who are using them for 6 moths, why should be toxic for somebody using it for a week or two? On other hand mosquito net does not keep them from entering apartment if they are on the doors. Just one mosquito can ruin your sleep. With the reppelent you can havee the doors open with no mosquito in the room. We give free repelents, explain how they work, and all guests are happy without hassle with mosquito nets.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
There is also an very interesting fact - most people who are reclutant to use chemichal repellent are from noth Germany and Nederlands. And when I see what most of these people eat - last class meat because it is cheap and fantastic looking plastic vegetables with tons of chemichals on them from supermarkets.
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
It's getting OT indeed.
Reply Like 1 like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
Again on the topic, just annoyed about many complaints in reviews in my part of the world about mosquitos...
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
Our accomodation in Pula had screens, no complaints from our side.
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
We never used them in 50 years renting. Just recently learned that I need to explain how to use repellent bit to bit like stuardess in the aeroplane, from then no complaints in reviews. Before that seen everything from people opening the whole week quantity and put them on the table to using a single tablet for a week, despite being provided 7 pcs...
Reply Like
Till & Jutta
Till & Jutta9 months ago
The topic was "Delete bad review". I understand that there are people who prefer simple physical screens instead of toxic chemicals, and tell other guests the missing of such an easy thing, specially in countries where mosquitos are anywhere. And IMHO, just to say "nothing happened since 30 years" is like to say "smoking must be harmless, as my neighbour still lives". Wonder why we get no feedback from Christabel as she started this discussion. The longer I'm thinking about it, the less I like any deleting of bad reviews. Airbnb wants happy guests and tries everything to make a perfect experience. A gap between expectation and experience always results in a bad review, and for a great part it's up to the host to give a good accomodation, make a good and true description, and to attract the right hosts. A bad review is definitely the sign that something went wrong. It should be the starter and helper for improvement. And, sometimes it helps to filter out troublemaking guests as well in the course of the booking...
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
In a way you're right about deleting reviews, answering to them is maybe the best solution, but there are still some troublemaking guests who - just wants to make trouble and lower your rating. Had ne such a expirience on Airbnb, but did on some other OTA-s. Regarding screens - on some type of houses they are not easy to install, and there are many guests who are annoyed with extra doors. They are breaking frequently on doors, that needs extra care and work on already busy changeover...
Reply Like
Ivo
Ivo9 months ago
But, there is also a intresting psychological thing about a gap between expectation and expirience - saw many complaints about different bugs in the apartments, but never saw a bed review about NOT having bugs in the house on the countryside because there must be some toxic insecticides used. There is no true about Airbnb wants happy guests with perfect expirience. Airbnb wants to make a profit, which is connected with a ballance between a price and perfect expirience. We, hosts, have to be those who wants guests to have a perfect expirience.
Reply Like
Ondra
Ondra9 months ago
It's true about the guests, there are always some "unhappy" ones, some "high maintenance" ones and some "bad ones" who make a mess and donst follow the rules. However you have to realise - all hosts get one of there time to time.. So it's not 'unfair' it's just part of it. You can get a great feedback out of these guests usually! As a host I have almost 300 reviews and none of them was bad. I always act politley and with respect to a guest even when he is 'not a good guests'. We have the responsibility, we cannot expect every guest read description, in my experience less than 50% of guests even read house rules.
Reply Like 1 reply•2 likes
Karyo&Colin
Karyo&Colin9 months ago
The secret to handling a bad review is to respond to it politely and professionally - never get defensive as it looks so bad for future guests . The odd bad one is nothing to worry about if it is lost amongst a sea of good ones
Cyril
Cyril9 months ago
I would vote for the ability to hide one review for every hundred completed stays. I got just one bad review (it still was 5 star I think), but the wording was total lie and my bookings seized for half of the year. There is no way to defend against false accusation and it can happen to anyone.
Reply Like 1 reply
John
John9 months ago
Wouldn't work for host like me - I only get about 5-6 bookings per year from here as i rent by the week only during summer season and use this site to fill in 'leftover' gaps from existing customers. I've only had about maybe 18 Airbnb guests in 3+ yrs of using this site.
Chris & Britt
Chris & Britt9 months ago
I do not have a problem with bad text reviews, because you can reply to them.
But I really would like to see an option to cancel the attached rating. Because there is no way to answer to the rating a guests is giving.
For example we had a guest giving a good review, but giving a low hygiëne score.
This was because according to him we did not properly dust off the Banisters of the Balcony. We tried to explain hem that is was spring and that these were pollen from fir-trees, and that the amount of pollen was so big that there was no way to keep everything pollen free. We even showed him the huge clouds of yellow pollen blowing trough the valley.
But in the review he did not mention this or else we could have openly replied. He only mentioned it as hidden comment direcly to us, because he knew he was being a ........
Reply Like 1 like
Serafina
Serafina9 months ago
I'd be very surprised if most potential guests take at face value a bad review in a bouquet of good ones. Often the bad reviews make the guest look bad rather than the host. I think Airbnb is better off with the current policy of removing only those reviews that violate their standards, as uncomfortable as those harsh reviews can be.
Reply Like 1 like
Kay
Kay6 months ago
I hope Airbnb employees are looking at our (the hosts) comments, especially this one! It is so true! It is truly sad to receive a 4 or 3 star review which then triggers a overall negative impression. We had dozens of positive reviews and then received one saying our little cottage was too small.
I mention over and over in the description of our cottage that it is small, tiny, intimate, perfect for two people and not more, etc! I even have a photo of a floor plan of our little cottage which again stresses the size it is.
It seems very reasonable to be able to toss out a bad review every dozen or so reviews that we receive. AIRBNB PLEASE RESPOND SO WE KNOW YOU ARE LISTENING TO VERY GOOD SUGGESTIONS/COMMENTS. Thank you.