Post by celeste on Oct 24, 2015 22:40:24 GMT
After guest who refused to read listing gave us 3 star rating, I wrote to Airbnb.
I probably shouldn't have used the word shit. But I was upset. I can't believe he told me 38 pictures isn't enough, lol! One of the things most our reviews say is how extremely accurate our listing is, so it was discouraging that he was not hearing me tell him that this guest did not review the listing before staying.
I even contacted Airbnb about a week before this guest arrived to make sure our listing was working! -only because this guest was acting so clueless, and I even told Airbnb at that point, that I was contacting them because of this particular guest confusing me as if our listing was glitching or something.
But they assured me it was fine -- so it was just that the guest totally did not read it or look at the pictures. So they say upload more pictures and add even more description to our Airbnb novel. Right. Oooookay then.
Then William H never wrote back.
I probably shouldn't have used the word shit. But I was upset. I can't believe he told me 38 pictures isn't enough, lol! One of the things most our reviews say is how extremely accurate our listing is, so it was discouraging that he was not hearing me tell him that this guest did not review the listing before staying.
I even contacted Airbnb about a week before this guest arrived to make sure our listing was working! -only because this guest was acting so clueless, and I even told Airbnb at that point, that I was contacting them because of this particular guest confusing me as if our listing was glitching or something.
But they assured me it was fine -- so it was just that the guest totally did not read it or look at the pictures. So they say upload more pictures and add even more description to our Airbnb novel. Right. Oooookay then.
I don't think it's fair we have to shoulder poor ratings from guests who refused to read the description or look at all the pictures, even after specifically telling them to do so. This guest this past weekend called herself "a pain in the ass" before even arriving -and she was- she did not read the listing, or look at the pictures, even though we asked her to - then she reviewed us poorly for things fully described in the listing and said that we don't have a picture of the outside -when in reality, we have several.
How is this ok or fair? The quality of guests is going down as Airbnb becomes bigger, and it's really not fair for these uneducated pain-in-the-ass guests to screw up the ratings of hard working bend-over-backwards hosts with extremely accurate listings, just because they refuse to read them.
Airbnb needs to better educate guests on what Airbnb is, and we should be able to dispute unfair reviews.
How is this ok or fair? The quality of guests is going down as Airbnb becomes bigger, and it's really not fair for these uneducated pain-in-the-ass guests to screw up the ratings of hard working bend-over-backwards hosts with extremely accurate listings, just because they refuse to read them.
Airbnb needs to better educate guests on what Airbnb is, and we should be able to dispute unfair reviews.
Hello Celeste & Esiris,
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience regarding this review with our team. We understand that this review may have come as a surprise, and we sincerely empathize with your concerns. We want our community to have as full an understanding of each host's listings as possible, and take the matter of reviews very seriously.
Airbnb values free speech and we do not remove, censor, or edit reviews. We only consider exceptions in the event of extraordinary cases, where the content doesn't reflect our Review Guidelines: www.airbnb.com/help/policies/content#review_guidelines
We've carefully gone over this review. Though the part where your guest referred to the accommodation as a 'trailer' is disheartening, a study of the listing's photos show only one picture of the outside of the studio (13/38), which is somewhat blurry. There are several partial shots of the patio, but it is understandable from the guest's perspective why they would have expected an accommodation closer to a small ranch-type dwelling, rather than a modular. Modular spaces are a more recent phenomenon and not in the common vernacular for the majority of travelers, so while you and I understand what this means, not everyone would and might need additional clarification. Similarly, they do not dispute that you mention ants in the listing description, only that they were not fond of them and may have been a greater downside than they expected.
This review is an honest account of your guest's experience, and it doesn't violate the guidelines. Therefore, the review must stand as is. Rest assured that the Airbnb community takes all comments into consideration. We feel confident that the other reviews will provide a clearer picture than this one alone.
We would recommend adding some photos to the listing to make it very clear what the guest will see on arrival. You've provided great detail of the living spaces and the environment, but it's difficult to determine what to expect when walking around the corner and seeing the accommodation. The more information your guests have, the more informed they will be.
Moving forward, maintain the honestly, hospitality, and integrity that you have demonstrated in becoming a Superhost, and we're sure you'll receive glowing reviews reflective of your contributions to our community.
Best regards,
William H
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience regarding this review with our team. We understand that this review may have come as a surprise, and we sincerely empathize with your concerns. We want our community to have as full an understanding of each host's listings as possible, and take the matter of reviews very seriously.
Airbnb values free speech and we do not remove, censor, or edit reviews. We only consider exceptions in the event of extraordinary cases, where the content doesn't reflect our Review Guidelines: www.airbnb.com/help/policies/content#review_guidelines
We've carefully gone over this review. Though the part where your guest referred to the accommodation as a 'trailer' is disheartening, a study of the listing's photos show only one picture of the outside of the studio (13/38), which is somewhat blurry. There are several partial shots of the patio, but it is understandable from the guest's perspective why they would have expected an accommodation closer to a small ranch-type dwelling, rather than a modular. Modular spaces are a more recent phenomenon and not in the common vernacular for the majority of travelers, so while you and I understand what this means, not everyone would and might need additional clarification. Similarly, they do not dispute that you mention ants in the listing description, only that they were not fond of them and may have been a greater downside than they expected.
This review is an honest account of your guest's experience, and it doesn't violate the guidelines. Therefore, the review must stand as is. Rest assured that the Airbnb community takes all comments into consideration. We feel confident that the other reviews will provide a clearer picture than this one alone.
We would recommend adding some photos to the listing to make it very clear what the guest will see on arrival. You've provided great detail of the living spaces and the environment, but it's difficult to determine what to expect when walking around the corner and seeing the accommodation. The more information your guests have, the more informed they will be.
Moving forward, maintain the honestly, hospitality, and integrity that you have demonstrated in becoming a Superhost, and we're sure you'll receive glowing reviews reflective of your contributions to our community.
Best regards,
William H
Yes, I knew that was going to be the answer with Airbnb's current policy, which is not fair to hosts, with Airbnb growing bigger and not educating guests about ACTUALLY READING THE LISTING of each UNIQUE place to make sure it's suitable for them.
There are several outside pictures- 5/38, 13/38, 20/38, the description is more than clear, and many people are pleasantly surprised that it's even better than expected. This Stephanie person DID NOT read the listing, which she made known in her correspondence - so I even told her 5 days before -when she still could have canceled- to review the details so there wouldn't be surprises, but she didn't. Then she rates us poorly because she did not review the listing as asked.
To have people like this slip by, then rate us so poorly makes us feel like shit and crushes our moral. If guests are not better educated on selecting suitable locations, on the fact that it's not a hotel, on guest etiquette and on star ratings and we keep getting more people like this who are allowed to ignore listing details then crush our ratings and morals, we'll probably go back to just using our studio full time instead of working so hard to share it with people like that.
Just saying. It's not right. It's not right at all.
If guests are allowed to be ignorant and do this to great hosts, then the star rating system shouldn't be pushed as very important to maintain.
The current system is not working.
There are several outside pictures- 5/38, 13/38, 20/38, the description is more than clear, and many people are pleasantly surprised that it's even better than expected. This Stephanie person DID NOT read the listing, which she made known in her correspondence - so I even told her 5 days before -when she still could have canceled- to review the details so there wouldn't be surprises, but she didn't. Then she rates us poorly because she did not review the listing as asked.
To have people like this slip by, then rate us so poorly makes us feel like shit and crushes our moral. If guests are not better educated on selecting suitable locations, on the fact that it's not a hotel, on guest etiquette and on star ratings and we keep getting more people like this who are allowed to ignore listing details then crush our ratings and morals, we'll probably go back to just using our studio full time instead of working so hard to share it with people like that.
Just saying. It's not right. It's not right at all.
If guests are allowed to be ignorant and do this to great hosts, then the star rating system shouldn't be pushed as very important to maintain.
The current system is not working.
Hello Celeste & Esiris,
The nature of being a host is one of meeting a great deal of people, each one with a unique mindset that might not always mesh with yours. There isn't a host with Airbnb who has not had a bad experience with a guest, so you're not alone in this feeling of frustration. You're a Superhost, and our community looks to you to offer the best standards, experiences, and hospitality.
If a guest provides feedback where they claim their experience wasn't what they believed it was be, your first reaction must always be to look at things from their perspective and try to understand, firstly, how they came to have their poor experience, and secondly, what you can possibly do to ensure these same issues do not occur again. You response must be professional, civil, and sympathetic, because you are a host and hospitality is the business we operate in.
I would recommend taking additional photos of the listing to show the exterior from many angles, so your guests have no illusions what to expect. You can also request professional photography from Airbnb as a free service here: www.airbnb.com/info/photography
You should also make sure your description is clear about the kind of space it is, as "modified modular" is a more modern term that's not in the common vernacular.
Screen your guests more carefully and make sure they have read the listing and know what to expect. We do our best to educate our guests, and we do our best to make everything clear, but we cannot vet every single guest on every single reservation request they make - hosts are expected to use their own discretion when deciding who to invite into their home. You can deny the requests to book of any guest without any need to give us a reason, so if you feel a guest isn't someone who would appreciate your unique offer, decline them without hesitation. You are a Superhost, highly demanded in our community, and you are sure to find the guests who suit you.
You have 41 5-star reviews out of 45 reviews. That is a fantastic trend, and if you continue to adapt and provide great experiences, then you have nothing to worry about. Consider the points of advice I've offered you above, and take heart in the memorable experiences you've provided so many people already.
The nature of being a host is one of meeting a great deal of people, each one with a unique mindset that might not always mesh with yours. There isn't a host with Airbnb who has not had a bad experience with a guest, so you're not alone in this feeling of frustration. You're a Superhost, and our community looks to you to offer the best standards, experiences, and hospitality.
If a guest provides feedback where they claim their experience wasn't what they believed it was be, your first reaction must always be to look at things from their perspective and try to understand, firstly, how they came to have their poor experience, and secondly, what you can possibly do to ensure these same issues do not occur again. You response must be professional, civil, and sympathetic, because you are a host and hospitality is the business we operate in.
I would recommend taking additional photos of the listing to show the exterior from many angles, so your guests have no illusions what to expect. You can also request professional photography from Airbnb as a free service here: www.airbnb.com/info/photography
You should also make sure your description is clear about the kind of space it is, as "modified modular" is a more modern term that's not in the common vernacular.
Screen your guests more carefully and make sure they have read the listing and know what to expect. We do our best to educate our guests, and we do our best to make everything clear, but we cannot vet every single guest on every single reservation request they make - hosts are expected to use their own discretion when deciding who to invite into their home. You can deny the requests to book of any guest without any need to give us a reason, so if you feel a guest isn't someone who would appreciate your unique offer, decline them without hesitation. You are a Superhost, highly demanded in our community, and you are sure to find the guests who suit you.
You have 41 5-star reviews out of 45 reviews. That is a fantastic trend, and if you continue to adapt and provide great experiences, then you have nothing to worry about. Consider the points of advice I've offered you above, and take heart in the memorable experiences you've provided so many people already.
I am not aware of the term modular being a modern term. Sears Robuck sold over 500,000 modulars between 1910-1940. I've heard the term my whole life, you'd have to live under a rock to not know the word modular. I'm not calling our place "a trailer" to pander to a few ignorant people who can't look at pictures or read the description, which also clearly says words like "humble, dyi work in progress, rustic, unit, country, hillbilly", and on and on and on. I can upload hundreds more pics, but if a guest refuses to actually look at them, that will do nothing to help situations like this.
I am active in host groups, and many hosts are disgruntled about the review/rating process. It's completely weird and unfair to let us star rate guests -which does nothing. Why can we not see guests star ratings, but so much pressure is put on hosts to bend over backwards for good star ratings?
If it's about "honest" reviews rather than fair reviews, please edit my review of Stephanie. It should read: Stephanie was a self described pain in the ass before she even arrived.. She refused to read the listing, even after being asked to do so, stressing us out, taking up our time explaining things to her she should have read in the description. She made it sound like she would be waiting around for 4:00 check in, wanting to check in early as possible, so we hurried to prepare it for her, then waited for a 1/2 hour as she arrived late without ANY update of her delay. They left a carpet of hair on the bathroom rug and used an excessive amount of towels. She & her friend were nice, but we would not have them back again.
Is that really what Airbnb wants? I should start slamming guests with 3 star ratings and bitter reviews because they are not the epitome of my fantasy of a perfect guest? Or should I be cordial and give them a nice review if they weren't horrible? Why do we have to bear her poor star rating because she refused to go over the listing and/or is ignorant about modular units v/s "a trailer"? That's ridiculous.
I really hope Airbnb gets a better system going. This is just not right.
I am active in host groups, and many hosts are disgruntled about the review/rating process. It's completely weird and unfair to let us star rate guests -which does nothing. Why can we not see guests star ratings, but so much pressure is put on hosts to bend over backwards for good star ratings?
If it's about "honest" reviews rather than fair reviews, please edit my review of Stephanie. It should read: Stephanie was a self described pain in the ass before she even arrived.. She refused to read the listing, even after being asked to do so, stressing us out, taking up our time explaining things to her she should have read in the description. She made it sound like she would be waiting around for 4:00 check in, wanting to check in early as possible, so we hurried to prepare it for her, then waited for a 1/2 hour as she arrived late without ANY update of her delay. They left a carpet of hair on the bathroom rug and used an excessive amount of towels. She & her friend were nice, but we would not have them back again.
Is that really what Airbnb wants? I should start slamming guests with 3 star ratings and bitter reviews because they are not the epitome of my fantasy of a perfect guest? Or should I be cordial and give them a nice review if they weren't horrible? Why do we have to bear her poor star rating because she refused to go over the listing and/or is ignorant about modular units v/s "a trailer"? That's ridiculous.
I really hope Airbnb gets a better system going. This is just not right.
Then William H never wrote back.
