Top Tips for Asking Airbnb Guests for Reviews

If you are an Airbnb host, you can have a good property listing, but it may be hard for you to gain credibility and potential guests without reviews. Airbnb is a company that has successfully made a disruption in how hospitality and tourism operate and reviews certainly influence the decision guests make to book your listing. You may promise a 5-star experience, but if there is no mention of a guest who got to experience your property, it may be hard for someone looking for a place to stay to book your Airbnb.

All online transactions are built on trust, and Airbnb is not an exception to this. For this reason, the reviews left by guests build trust for both hosts and future guests. The advantages that a host gets, aside from the chance to be categorized as a Superhost, include gaining credibility and getting more traffic to their listing, which may boost the rank of the listing, boosting its visibility and booking potential. When the host receives more demand, they also benefit from more business and increase their Airbnb income.

So, how can you successfully get your guests to leave you a review once they’ve left your property satisfied with the experience they’ve had? We’ll share some tips on how you can get your guests to leave Airbnb reviews.

How to Ask Airbnb Guests for Reviews

Airbnb reviews are a significant feature on the platform, and they may affect your occupancy rates. If you are new to hosting, getting reviews from your guests may be a challenge. Don’t be shy to ask for something that can make you a successful host. Here are some ways in which you can get Airbnb guests to review your property.

Review Your Guests

Airbnb will prompt both guest and host to leave a review upon check-out. Neither will see the other’s review until both have left one, or at the end of 14 days prior to check-out. Leaving reviews for each other can benefit you both by increasing each other’s credibility on the platform for future stays and bookings. Keep the review as truthful as can be, relevant, and without any bias. It should also not violate the Airbnb content policy.

When determining what you will say about your guest’s stay, be sure to remember that everyone is different and has different ways of communicating and living in a rental during their stay. If your house rules are adhered to, but the guest isn’t chatty, or it’s a little messier than your last guest, that doesn’t necessarily warrant less than 5 stars for your guest on communication and cleanliness. Consider the entire interaction as a whole, and if the guest’s stay added value to your business, review them accordingly.

If the guest disregarded your house rules and left an expensive mess, other hosts will appreciate your honest review of your guest. You also have the option when leaving your review to let Airbnb know that you would not consider hosting that guest again if you choose.

Check-In Experience

To make a good first impression with your guests at check-in time, you can take the opportunity to welcome them and request that they review their stay at the end of their visit. You can promise to offer an exceptional experience and that you will be ready to attend to their requests. You can state that you look forward to receiving a review if they are satisfied with their stay, adding that, while it only takes a few minutes to complete a review, it makes a big difference for you and your future guests. Make sure to thank them in advance for doing so.

Use a Welcome Packet

A welcome packet or “house manual” may be part of the welcome package that hosts prepare for guests. It is usually a little booklet that provides useful tips on the local area and activities, the Wi-Fi password, and lists the house rules. If you use a welcome packet, it is the perfect place to encourage guests to review your Airbnb. You may even include quick instructions on how to post a review for guests that may not know how. If you don’t feel you have the technical or design skills to create a welcome packet, don’t fret! There are automated services and inexpensive, downloadable printables available from creators on Etsy and other platforms that can help you out.

Visual Reminders

If you want to remind your guests during their stay, you can have visual reminders in strategic places on the property. Flyers or stickers with a message such as “Having a great stay? Don’t forget to leave a review!” can be a friendly reminder to your guests. Use technology and get creative. Make it easy for them by having a framed QR code that can be scanned and take the guests straight to your Airbnb listing’s page. This will make it easier for them to leave a review for you.

Ask Guests for Reviews Directly During Their Stay

If you have created a rapport with the guests and have a good communication flow, you can request that they leave a review. You can say something like: “We are aiming for a 5-star experience; we’d love to get your feedback when it’s time to review.” However, do not pester guests too much and do not come off too needy for a review.

If any issue occurs, be sure to be swift in resolving it. After doing so, you can ask the guests if they need further assistance and assure them that their comfort during their stay is a priority. If you’ve resolved their issues easily, you could take the opportunity to thank them for reaching out for assistance, and if they feel well attended to, would they consider sharing that in their review.

Check-Out Review Request

As a timely way of asking for a review, you can include your request as part of the check-out process. The review is likely to be more detailed when the experience is still fresh in the guests’ minds. Request to have them leave a review when convenient and in a timely manner. As you thank the guest for choosing your place to stay, you can also wish them safe travels and ask for a review one last time. If a guest still has not reviewed your property, you may choose to send a follow-up communication via text or email prior to the expiration of the review window of 14 days after check-out.

Conclusion

Getting guests to write a review can seem like a difficult hurdle. In a perfect Airbnb world, all guests would have a wonderful stay and leave glowing reviews. When you provide regular reminders and create a good rapport with your guests, you can gain reviews more easily. However, don’t forget that stellar reviews start with creating and providing an amazing Airbnb experience for your guests.