Anyone else struggle with this? I’ll end up rating someone highly, and comment on the great communication, that they seemed lovely and left my home clean. Maybe a line about always welcome back, and then feel bad because I get a paragraph-long, effusive review, which makes mine look extra dry and generic. It’s not that I’m not enthusiastic about them, or don’t want to reciprocate… but it seems like there’s just so much less to say. Generally our interactions are pretty limited, and beyond taking care of the place and letting me know when they’re gone, there’s really not much to comment on. But I wish I had more to say. Are your good reviews generally short/fairly identical? Anyone seemed upset about it?
1 Like
Exactly.
Yes.
How would I know?
2 Likes
My situation is different guests stay in my home, so it is easy for me to personalise the review.
I try and pick out something specific that made them stand out as guests and include this in the review.
I also talk about the things other hosts look out for; ie good communications, keeping the place clean etc.
4 Likes
The way I see this, it’s not a dating profile or anything and guest reviews ought to be generic. (Cleanliness, communication, consideration, etc.) Anything that gets too specific regarding personality or even behavior (“they even left a thank-you card and some treats!”) can unnecessarily set up unfair expectations for future hosts. (i.e. where’s my gift?)
5 Likes
I agree that mentioning anything special the guest did for me in the review will create expectations in future hosts. I also write pretty generic reviews because many hosts don’t speak or read English. If they are using translation software subtleties of language will be lost and/or mistranslated.
1 Like
Remember, the Public reviews you write are for us – future hosts – as much or more than they are for the guests. The Private part is where I get personal.
2 Likes
A blind review system puts both sides at a disadvantage but that’s the nature of the beast. There may come a time when you receive a bland or unfavorable review and you submitted a favorable one. It’s often a crap shoot.
Your responses sound fine and you shouldn’t worry about matching your guests’ reviews. They may review a few hosts a year while you have 75 or more reviews to do.
I struggle to come up with things to say because I’m an off-site host. About all I can rate guests on are responsiveness and communication and that’s about it. I have to depend on the housecleaner to report how they treated my possessions and how they left the place. Thank goodness Air doesn’t ding me for giving a 3rd party review.
A rubber stamp would probably serve me well.
What I do when I receive a really complimentary review is to send the guest a personal reply and thank them for their kind words, etc., and that’s when I say they are welcome to return in the future.
I fail miserably at doing non-generic reviews because my contact with guests is upon their request (I’m an off-site host). Where my reviews differ are with the negatives & exceptionally good.
My general review is:______left my unit clean & in good shape. ______ communication was prompt & polite. _______ 's questions were reasonable & appropriate. I would gladly host a return visit by ___.
I mention guest questions because I’ve had guests who overdid the questions & made it clear they had not read the unit description.
If the guest is exceptional, I may say something like: Hosting ________ was a treat. _______ was an exceptionally good guest and was very helpful when I ran into a problem with __________. (then launch into my usual) Ending with: “I highly recommend _________ as a guest”
Negative reviews are fact based and without emotional commentary.
3 Likes
Well, sometimes we get pretty short, “meh” reviews ourselves as hosts. I recently got a review stating something like “ah, nice and affordable place, just that the shower is quite small, but hey, I’m over 6 ft tall”. Compared to that, my generic good review praising guests’ communication prior and during their stay, cleanliness and punctuality looked overly enthusiastic.
Otherwise, there is simply so much more info to share as a guest, that’s why guests’ reviews tend to be more detailed. There are so many particularities with every rental that should be mentioned and could potentially be of use to future guests. With reviews about guests it all pretty much boils down to “all good guests are (pretty much) the same; every bad guest is messed up in his/her own way”.
3 Likes
That’s the point of the reviews being double blind. You are supposed to review the guest, not their review of you. Conversely, the guest is supposed to review the host, not the host’s review of them.
3 Likes
I understand the process so it must be that you did not understand my wording.
I agree it’s best not to mention too many specifics. It works the other way, too. I’ve had guests write a review of me saying “He even gave me a glass of wine when I arrived!” Now every guest will EXPECT a glass of wine when that is not my intention.
2 Likes
In the early days of Air, you young uns, 
, (I know I sound like yer granny) reviews were an afterthought and not a life or death driver of the site like they are now.
They were not double blind. So most of the time people saw what the other wrote and then wrote a great review of you! It wasn’t the big deal it is now!
I didn’t know about the earlier review system – it was before my time (though I’m certainly not a young-un anymore - darn it!).
I hosted for several years before joining up with Air several years ago so I only know the double-blind review…where both guest and host review the other (if they so choose) without knowing in advance what the other has written.
When one doesn’t know what the other one has written, it can be a surprise to get a lengthy favorable (or unfavorable) review when one has written a very brief and neutral review. That is apparently what the OP experienced and she stated she felt a little bad about her review not measuring up to her guest’s and wondered how we all felt or dealt with it.
My response alluded to the fact that it really can’t be helped. One would have to have ESP or planned aforehand what to write with the other reviewer. It’s blind and hit-or-miss and not to worry about it.
So it’s puzzling to me what EllenN’s intent was in telling/lecturing me that the purpose is to review the guest and not the guest’s review. She was (duhh!), preaching to the choir.
I just had a guest who writes a 1-2 sentence review for almost every host. (Best Airbnb ever. The pinnacle of Airbnb. Super Airbnb are some recent ones). But if you give her a negative review she will write a response that will singe your hair. LOL.
3 Likes