Using reviews to improve your hosting routine

Good reviews can tell you what guests love the most about your space and hosting style. And though they’re less fun, negative reviews can help you become an even better Host. From your very first review, you can use reviews to improve your hosting style.

Reviews build trust in the community and help drive your business.

• Don’t forget to read every review—and check out the private feedback guests leave for insider info
• Positive reviews tell potential guests about your hosting style, and you can use them to enhance your listing—for example, if a guest praises your stocked kitchen, you’ll probably want to feature it in photos
• Negative reviews can offer perspectives you might not have considered, and you can use them as inspiration to upgrade your amenities or update your listing description

If you stay in touch with your guests during their trip, you can ask them how their stay is going and if there's anything you can do to make sure they're having a great experience.

• This can help you avoid negative reviews—if guests tell you what could be better in the beginning, you can work to fix it right away
  
• You can use our scheduled messages tool to communicate with guests at key moments, like booking, check-in, and checkout

Superhost Omar of Mexico City suggests all reviews warrant a quick response. “I always take the time to write a reply to every single review, whether they are good or bad,” he says. “Your future potential guests will read them.” Some other tips include:

• Every review can teach you something about your hosting routine
• When you read every review, you can improve your listing and hosting style
• “Constructive reviews should always be taken into account,” Omar says, adding that a guest’s feedback about water temperature prompted him to fix the issue—and the same guest came back eight months later for another stay

Information contained in this article may have changed since publication.