New Guest Review extra prompts (noise, entering home, bugs, dust, floors + carpets...)

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

New Guest Review extra prompts (noise, entering home, bugs, dust, floors + carpets...)

There have been many threads on the new and detailled prompts guests have been getting for their review process.

So for all those who haven't taken an Airbnb trip themselves lately like me, there were a lot of question remarks as to how this looks from a guest perspective.

 

A colleague host of mine screen saved this when submitting his review as guest and shared:

 

First of all, these prompts appear ONLY if the guest chooses a rating less than 5 stars. Seeing it from that point I actually find the prompts a good thing, because it might make somebody re-think and then choose a 5-star rating after all.

 

And secondly, if they did have an issue, they wouldn't choose a 5 anyway.

 

So the only thing that's aggravating is that the host now sees what bothered the guest (unless guest is being dishonest of course).

 

 

 

So there you have it, this is what it looks like (until there's another unannounced change to this in the future...):

 

 

 

PromptsReviews.png

15 Replies 15
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

@Andrea9  thank you for sharing this.  I personally find all information helpful.  The guest perspective helps me tweak my private room.  Even the hosts' perspectives shared on this site can get me thinking.  Remember the discussion about toilet paper rolls - partial versus full rolls?  I would never have thought about it, but now I do...who knew! 

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

@Linda108 - LOL, don't mention the TP conversation!! That one just took right off and burned a hole in sonic dimension!

 

And like you I try to learn from all critique. At least get something out of the burn of feeling put down...

 

I couldn't edit the post anymore. Had wanted to add to it that even if it's exasperating to hear some kind of 'issue' about one's floor or carpet, it could still be something to think about pro-actively, even if you don't want to replace it. ("Did you know that this carpet has been passed down from my favorite aunt and been lovingly cleaned and been on antique's life support for quite a number of years? )

MicheleandLouw0
Level 10
Maun, Botswana

Thank you very much for sharing this with us! I am wonering about the bugs...Africa is a bug paradise. Especially with a large garden like mine. They are everywhere! I hope that this will not urge guests to complain more than the would have on the old system.

Good point. I remember living in tropical Townville and Cairns in Australia. Insects are apart of life and cannot be avoided.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Thanks @Andrea9, this is really helpful. I'm glad to know that guests are not prompted in this way if they already decided to leave a five star review.

 

You mention that they might change their minds about leaving four stars when they see the prompts. Does that mean they can go back and change their four to five stars?

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Incidentally, I had guests recently who left the room and especially the linens very smelly, but of course we can't rate them on odours!

 

I wouldn't have anyway (problems with arrival would be another matter), but it's a shame it's not a two-way process, not that it matters as other hosts don't benefit from seeing our star ratings for guests as it is...

Andrea9
Level 10
Amsterdam, Netherlands

@Huma0

 

"...that they might change their minds about leaving four stars when they see the prompts. Does that mean they can go back and change their four to five stars?"

 

Being able to change the star rate is only possible if they haven't submitted  the review yet. 

Or if they were the first to submit and then go back to amend it within the 2-day edit window BEFORE the host submits in the meantime. (Obviously I'm assuming that guests get the same chance to edit their review until 48 hrs later as long as the other party hasn't made a review and both go public.)

The big question is probably - does the guest even know that...

 

 

And well, we could use the same principle as guests and just type into their private feedback "Odours", but no, we're too professional to do that! But joking about it certainly aleviates the tension!!

Regarding the star rating not being visible on the guests's profiles -

when I joined Airbnb forums, and this was mainly before CC there was a brilliant suggestion which I wouldn't apply to most guests, and actually never have: stating it in the text.

However it's moth-balled in my review toolbox in case I deem it the best way to handle a guest review!: 

'Guest was lovely and friendly. Communication 4 stars, Cleanliness 4 stars, Followed House Rules 5 stars...'

 

 

 

Genius @Andrea9!  I am going to borrow your idea of providing star ratings in the text if necessary.  Thank you

Gail8
Level 3
Cape Town, South Africa

Excellent idea - hope you dont mind me using it. 🙂 

 

Maria-Lurdes0
Level 10
Union City, NJ

Hey @Andrea9  thanks so much for this detail.   I'm going on a trip next week so in about 10 days I'll have the opportunity to see all of this myself.   It's so helpful to have the info, since we know we're not getting it from the site....

 

I did recently notice more private feedback which I assumed was coming as a result of various prompts, now we know!

Lawrene0
Level 10
Florence, Canada

This is great to know, @Andrea9! I have been a guest quite often recently, but, since I am also a host, I always default to 5 stars for the place if it is as advertised. Everything has been as advertised, so even as a guest I didn't know that less than 5 opened up specifics. 

I was worried to see that the overall stars said "good" for 3 and "great" for 4, but now that I know an explanation will be necessary, it is fine. Will stop worrying. 

I like this improvement very much. Many thanks for sharing!

Jennifer178
Level 10
Philadelphia, PA

Fantastic work once again @Andrea9 with showing this to us.  I asked my niece to do this for me with her 4 stays she recently did on a 2 week trip to Cuba and she forgot.  Never ask a teenager to do an adults work.  I agree that it might make someone think twice who might want to give a 4 star review because they are not sure everything deserves 5 stars.  But when forced with specific choices that might not truly reflect the reasons for their 4 star rating, just click 5 for all.  Most people just want to move on and not be bothered.

 

A friend told me after her last trip abroad that she felt nitpicky with all the specifics and kind of felt bad so she left all 5 stars when one or 2 things  were really 4 stars in her mind.  She uses Airbnb a lot and has no desire to fill out a questionaire everytime she travels. 

 

This might turn out to be a good thing.  If we just keep being thoughtful and aware hosts and maintain our standards, it might not be a dagger to the heart.  Of course, there will be guests out there who get excited at the thought of really detailing things or could just be nasty.  Those people will get there say with every key stroke no matter what Airbnb asks them or does not ask them.

 

Lastly, LOVE the idea of putting star ratings into the body of the review for guests.  I have never had to write a really critical review but now I have a great tool.

 

Thanks and have a lovely evening one and all,

Jennifer

Jayne8
Level 2
Hereford, United Kingdom

I have realised that guests are now getting message prompts for reviews while they are still with us, and sometimes while we are having breakfast. It happened this morning and both of us thought it was intrusive and inappropriate. We think it should be after the departure time.

Terry79
Level 3
Minneapolis, MN

Wow! Andrea this was so helpful for me to understand the few ‘less-than-five’ star ratings I’ve received. I couldn’t get why one guest rated me 3-stars on accuracy until I saw the category options she had to choose from. She must have taken off one-star for each of the items she thought inaccurate: “Wifi” and “House Size”.

 

While my listing states ‘Wifi available’ it was not specified as Hi-Speed and this disappointed her, as she could not stream movies (being in the North Woods of Wisconsin High-Speed Wifi would be very costly for us). So per her suggestion I have called out our Wifi as basic and not suitable for streaming. However her demerit for house size confused me as our listing shows 5 bedrooms that can accommodate 16+ people and she felt the house was larger than described…not quite certain what she expected based on photos and description…but so it goes.

 

Thanks for the insights and recommendation for the star-rated review of guests.

 

Terry