Should I post the following response to a review?

[Darren402]

Hi All,

A recent guest left a review 14 days after her stay. I know she loved her stay, and probably felt obliged to knock out a review just before the deadline. She gave me a 5 star overall, but left a few 4 stars and a 3 star in the other categories. My ratings are generally great (4.99 overall), but I really want guests to understand the asymmetry between what Airbnb tell them about the meaning of the star-rating system and the standards they apply to hosts. Question: Should I post the following response, or do I risk affecting my listing with Airbnb?

Dear Elisa,

Thank you for taking the time to submit an Airbnb review on my place. I’ve hosted approximately 120 sets of guests, and until now not felt the need to reply to a post, so I hope you can find the time to read the following. Airbnb requires hosts to have a minimum average rating of 4.5 stars, and 4.8 stars for Superhost status. Reasonably, hosts regard a rating of 4 stars as a fail. Airbnb perceive 4 stars to mean work is required to address the situation, or the host may lose their listing and possible livelihood. Airbnb host forums are littered with worries about the “dreaded 4 star rating”. You were kind enough to give me 5 stars overall, but some 4 stars in other categories and even a 3 star rating in “value”. Hosts regard this as a massive negative, and will be upset by it. The price you paid for 2 guests is approximately the same price you would pay in London for a shared dorm in a back-packers hostel. I believe to categorise my listing as falling so far below that standard is unwarranted. In a year of hosting, yours is the only 3 star rating I have received. You rated “check-in” as 4 stars. I have never failed to greet a single guest in person. I’ve always done so warmly, & within 20 seconds of them ringing the door-bell. I have even waited up until 3:30am to personally welcome late arrivals. It really is unfair to mark my check-in as what is essentially a failure. You rated “Accuracy” as 4 stars. Until now, I’ve only ever received 5 stars for “Accuracy.” My photos and description are totally unembellished, and the only comments I have received have been that the room is better than it appears in the listing.

If you were disappointed in any way, I would have hoped that you would have raised any concerns with me, or asked for my help. You stated that there was one street with restaurants and shops. This is true of the street next to the Metro/Tube station. However, If you had taken a left out of my front-door, you will have found another 40 restaurants, bars &shops within a 10 minute walk, and 80 with a 20 minute walk.  Ratings in the gig economy really affect people’s livelihoods. (I believe Uber drivers in the UK risk losing their jobs if they fall below an average rating of 4.5 as well). I’m not asking you to alter anything, or be anything other than totally honest with your ratings. However, 5 stars really simply means good enough to stay in business. In future, please be aware of the rating system and be kind. Thank you so much for reading this.

Many thanks.

Regards,

Darren.

[Helen744]

@Darren402 the lady left you five stars overall , so the answer to that question is a very loud No . Write your above review on a piece of paper and then throw it out . Do not post it. . You need some practice.If you must say anything then say ' Thanks for the stay and I hope you can work out the 'star system for your next stay . All the best'  also try answering some of the good reviews in future because this way you come across as a positive host , and dont just wait until you have a head of steam  about some negatives. It is done and over , we know you are disappointed but the star system will allow this, we have all been there... Onward... H 

[Nur785]

@Darren402 The answer to your question is a big NOOOO 

Overall, the prospective guests will look at the reviews and her review says highly recommend. When you write this response, it will call attention to the individual ratings of value or other etc. You have excellent ratings, no need to make a big case out of. 

I understand the need to explain the system to people who are so mistaken about it, or who live in an alternate reality that they don't understand the value you are offering, but this response would only scare off your future guests. 

Don't do it. 

[Helen3 · Accepted solution]

OMG please don't post this @Darren402 

You got a five star review.

if you want to educate guests around the review system the time to do so is as part of your visitor guide when their stay starts . 

if you generally get great 5 star reviews overall the odd 3 or 4 star in the sub categories won't impinge in your ratings . 

You're only directing guests attention to the review and it would certainly put me off from booking with us if I read it I'm afraid. 

[Robin4]

@Darren402 

Darren other hosts have resoundingly told you how to not respond....and that is by sending that response to Elisa you have detailed above. 

If I read that response of yours to a guest's 5 star review, you would immediately go on my black list. You will be seen as a prickly pedantic host and one that is (at the very least)  difficult to get on with and please. That response would be the kiss of death on your business, and as a Superhost I can't logically comprehend why you would think that is a good response. 

As @Helen3  says, the way to go about this is to make it prominent as a guide in your house rules/information folder as we do here.

This is how I get my point across......

When guests read that some of them are genuinely shocked that by giving what they thought was constructive comment they were actually penalising the host. They cannot comprehend that Airbnb operates a double standard review system!

Darren, unfortunately the CC does not support editable options so I cannot include an editable word document of that file but I will post a generic PNG file of it here, just save the picture and open it as a 'Paint' file or other editing option and insert your own details. I am sure that will serve you far better then giving the guest a verbal hiding for doing nothing more than offering you a 5 star review.

Wow, this the beauty of the CC........we learn every day, don't we!!!!

Cheers.......Rob

[Darren402]

Thank you all so much for your responses. Your sage advice has undoubtedly saved me from a costly moment of madness. I am deeply in your debt, and appreciate you taking the time to respond. I've ordered a fridge magnet for my listing which is the same as the ratings table in Robin4's guest book. (Hopefully, a more subtle way of nudging guests towards an appreciation of the true nature of the ratings system).

Many thanks again,

Darren.

[Helen3]

I'm a homeshare host and personally don't  include my personal interpretation of what the Airbnb ratings mean in my visitor guide . @Darren402 

I don't like to guilt trip my guests into thinking if they give me what by most people is a decent review ie 4.7 they will put my business on Airbnb at risk of being closed down. It's not true and I don't like to emotionally blackmail guests .

I do provide a summary about how their review system works in my visitors guide . And sometimes mention in passing how the review system works if it comes up in conversation. 

[Gwen386]

@Darren402 First, thank you for asking other hosts if you should do this, and second, I hope and pray you follow the advice because it is good and sound advice.

Each and every guest rates a STR based on their own personal experience. And I hope you view an overall 5* as excellent and a one-off 3* or 4* as a question to whether there’s anything you can do to improve an individual category. If you know that you’ve done everything you can, and it is not a retaliatory review, you should feel okay. Again, remember, overall, it’s 5*

[Fred13]

@Darren402  Very cool you detoured from posting that post, since it will in probability be taken negatively, but having said that it is a good idea to do try to educate your guests, especially about the very tricky star system.

   A short, concise explanation in the "Other Things to Note' section may be a good place to try that attempt.

   I wish Airbnb changed its individual star system by sticking to only a collective one (i.e. Overall Rating). Coupled with maintaining a Superhost status may suffice.