Superhost question and concern

[Lisa391]

Hi Everyone,

I was not give back my superhost status this last review.  I seem to trust that Airbnb does things - and I do not check them out.  I didn't account for human error. I finally was able to prove that one of the reviews was indeed inaccurate and it was removed.   When they didn't give it back to me this last review period I decided to look further into it.

I calculated the different areas in my progress I have exactly a 4.8 total.  I've recalculated this to double check.  I called an ask about it, he said he didn't have a calculator and put me on hold while he calculates it.  Then he came back on to say his computer was too slow and had to open a case for a supervisor. That was many days ago.  

They are acting like I never made the call. They are not following up with it. 

I'm a bit concerned at this point since for the most part, I've had so much success with the customer service people.  

What to do when they will not look at the discrepancy. 

[Sandra856]

Hi @Lisa391 🙂

I just took a look at your listing and it seems that your "Over All" rating is not a full 5 star. I think that if you have 4,8 it should show a full 5 star "Over All". 

You don't have to calculate anything as it is only the "Over All" category that counts. It is a category on its own (the guests rates separately) and not a result of all the smaller categories summed up as many think it is. 

Go to your dashboard press *Progress* then *Opportunities* then press the *Superhost Box* and you will see the criteria and your personal stats.

It looks like this : 

 

[Suzanne302]

@Lisa391

What @Sandra856 said is correct. Your overall score is what guests scored you overall, not an average of the other categories.

I'd be less concerned about Superhost and more concerned that in many of your reviews you respond very negatively to what must have been private feedback, because the public reviews are good. Your responses to the reviews are very off-putting and that would raise a flag for me as a guest.

[Sandra856]

@Lisa391 When you reply to a guest review on your profile the guest doesn't get a notification that you replied. It is only for the upcoming guests to read. Just so you know 🙂

[Lisa391]

yes, this is about my rating, not anything to do with guests reviews.   This is about the calculations they did - that are incorrect.  My rating is 4.8 not 4.7 Thanks

[Lisa391]

Good that you looked. 😕 Thanks

[Lisa391]

Please just disregard this post. I  can't delete it.  Apparently, I was given inaccurate information from customer service.  Seems as though it didn't get communicated that way. Actually, I didn't ask for be reprimanded or corrected or critiqued.   Thanks

[Sandra856]

Hi @Lisa391 🙂 It wasn't my intention to 'correct' you in any way. I just thought I would mention the reply thing because I would like to know myself if I didn't knew.

Best, Sandra 

[Lisa391]

I've just about had it with Airbnb customer service and realized today how they totally give me terrible information that has created an issue.   This has been ongoing.  Now to find out that they could have just given me the correct information - instead, they just are not replying.  

I just needed to know and have it explained properly.  That's all

So for me, if I have all 5 stars then I should be a 5.0 rating not 4.8 that makes no logical sense. Again, given the wrong info, based on what you are saying.

I'm also upset that I had to pay and try really hard to get an HVAC person to my house ( due to Aib bnb's rules) to prove I have no furnace in my room - not even connected to one.... no vents etc. Because of a guests review.  She made it up!  There was no loud furnace. 

It's really hard to tell what someone might know or not know and based on the response here- there was assumptions made. I seek to be curious first and give advice later.... that's just me..

Saying you'd be more concerned with ................... kind of came of that way.  I was just needing help understanding. 

Having so-called negative comments  ( which isn't what I ask for here but since it was brought up) is relative.... and anyone can see them as positive or negative.  I didn't intend on them to be negative. They just are what they are.   Isn't it the mind of the person that reads them? Example right here in this thread.  You didn't mean it that way, and that is the way it came across to me.

Isn't it possible it was read to be negative ( on my comments ) and not actually negative?

Thanks and have a blessed day

[Sandra856]

Hi @Lisa391,

I'm not quite sure what you are saying in your message but I have earlier contacted customer service myself and the guy I communicated with didn't had a clue what he was talking about. I had to explain everything to him. 

This community is for host mostly. I have learned a lot from more experienced hosts in here. You can read a lot about how the rating system works or ask if you got any questions. It is my experience that the hosts in here are nice but also speak their opinion. I like that.

I hope everything will work out for you. All the best, Sandra 

[Lisa391]

@ Sandra 

What I'm saying is they read my responses as negative.  I read their responses as negative. They said that wasn't their intention. Simple psychology.... my job.  😕    We sometimes see things as negative when they are not.  ie: their view of my responses.  My view of their response.  Now I'm dropping it and seeing what she was meaning.

I did not know because I was told differently that the guests do not see my responses.  Now I see it clearly! 

Side note:  I'm grateful for help!!! I am!   

I see now that yes, it is sometimes better to not call customer service... however how to deal with an international company that has a really bad customer -host - help.  I'm seeing it is more guest oriented.  I'm seeing training with Airbnb for customer service employees to be really bad. 

Ok so on this subject. I just was told by customer service....rep..... that I have a 4.7 b/c my response rate is 0% that is so crazy.  I have had 100% response rate...forever.... so what the heck is going on here?  They can't give me a real reason for the 4.7 and making up inaccurate excuses.  If the system is a certain way, then they can explain it.  They are not. They are just being very evasive and dodging it. If they were a reputable company they'd have an accurate reason.  I'm really questioning staying on.  This is just crazy stuff.  Like a really bad business. 

My location is on the listing with google maps.... how can it be inaccurate?  My bed is a standard full size bed, how can it be too small?  So how do I respond if not in the comment? 

 I have had some guests that just like to complain.... and make up things to complain about.  My bad luck. 

Thanks so much for the responses.  I appreciate it.   

[Sarah977]

@Lisa391   The 4.7 is not based on the response rate, altho airbnb will take away your Superhost if you have a lower than required response rate. The fact that it shows zero when you say it was 100% sounds like an tech glitch and it's outrageous that they're not looking into that. I've taken to taking screen shots of my Superhost ratings page from time to time in case something like this happens- then you can show them- I had a 100% response rating last week and suddenly it's 0%? Impossible.

But the 4.7 is ONLY the overall star rating that guests give you. Not an average of all the separate ratings. Nothing else, only the Overall rating, which is separate from the others. So some guest must have given a 3* or 4* overall rating  that brought your % down.

[Lisa391]

It is outrageous and it happened.  This type thing has happened before!  If I covered myself with everything with screenshots, I'd be getting not much done.... SAD but true! 

I just didn't think Aribnb was that horrible to sabotage my response rate.  This is why I'm questioning things with them.  

Airbnb is an international company.  I'm just overwhelmingly shocked that this is happening. ALL that had to be done was " Thanks for your question, I'm happy to explain to you how our system rates".................. and then me saying ... Thank you, have a good day...

The crap that is stirred up is time-consuming and stressful.

I'm focusing on my VRBO and doing ads in papers for my room..... 

I pay for my license every year to be able to do Airbnb..... and now this mess with customer service.  Sad, really sad!

How do I dispute the response rate?  I mean all they have to do is look in my messages and see I respond.  What they He....L ?   Sorry just vented there...

Thanks!

Lisa

[Sarah977]

@Lisa391  When another host on this forum offers suggestions for what you might do differently, as they see that something like your review responses will hurt you, they are doing this to help you- as we all try to help each other. Please try not to see it as criticism or negative- other hosts will point out something that they think you should be aware of, because we want to help your business be successful.

You should listen to what @Suzanne302 said- it's not good to mention things in the your response to a guest review that the guest didn't mention in their public review- if they send you private feedback saying the mattress was uncomfortable, for instance, but they don't say anything about that in their public review, if you mention it in your response, it just calls attention to something that no one else would know about.  

I'm getting the idea that you don't understand the 4.8%- that is ONLY for the Overall star rating- it has nothing to do with the other star ratings we are given for Cleanliness, Accuracy, Communication. Those are separate ratings and don't count to the 4.8%

[Lisa391]

I had to practically beg to have my response rate returned to 98% - when it was 100%... after it was changed to zero for no reason.  They finally explained the 4.7 and that is a huge mess. It took one sentence for them and 10 e-mails back and forth.    So now my listing isn't viewable.?  I had a friend try and look up my listing to help me with photos and it isn't showing up.  

I've been hosting for more than 3 years and it seems as though the Airbnb customer service has just gotten so bad.    I wonder  ( nothing against other countries ) if they understand English enough to understand situations.  Perhaps they can speak it - but really complexities can be harder with it not being a fluent language for the person in customer service.  

I have a business counselor that is going to look into why Airbnb seems to be altering my %'s and such.   There doesn't seem to be a way to go to the top when you have major issues.  

If I hadn't been a host for a number of years - since I have- I have the experience to back me up.  I've consistently shown great hosting skills and record keeping. 

Does anyone know how to file a complaint with Corporate?  Thanks!