Why does my listing have a Low 'Location' Rating !?!?

[Loi4]

Here's somethig that makes me want to scream: 

The location of my listing is clearly described on the listing description. A guest chooses my listing out of all the others, has a good stay, and then gives me a low 'location' rating, with feedback that the house is 'away from town/central business district'. Now, this is information which is CLEARLY stated on the listing! If they wanted a location that is close to town, then why did they choose my place???!!! The distance between my place and the CBD is clearly given on the listing, and location of my house is clearly and easily visible on Google Maps, so this guest chose my place with all this information - and then they come and give me a lower rating - after they chose it!!!! Arrrggghhhh! 

And then, another comment that made me want to punch a wall, was that the house was 'difficult to find'... When what had really happened is that the guest agreed to be dropped by someone who does not know the area and isn't familiar with Google Maps. Now, my place is along a major highway, very clearly labelled on the map, the road is clearly labelled with a big sign post, and the main gate is clearly labelled in plain English. I gave detailed directions, including identifiable landmarks - a huge petrol station that is literally opposite the gate, to the guest via text.

And yet her driver (not a real taxi driver but a pastor who decided he must chaperone the visitors since they would be giving a talk a his church) called me about 5 times asking for directions, he would not understand basic directions like 'to the right' and 'opposite the petrol station', and in the end I literally had to go out to the main road and get them, because the were right there but they could not see the gate right in front of them! 

And then, the feedback for my low location rating was that the house is 'difficult to find' - OMG - on a main highway!?!! You agreed to be chaperoned by an idiot is what happened! 

Sigh! 

What can Airbnb do about this? Especially because when a guest books, they have already chosen the location that they prefer so they should not then turn around and say the location was inadequate because it was far from ABC or D. If they needed to be near a certain place, then why didn't they book a place that was closer? Why give a low rating based on such a thing when you had the chance to not book the place? 

[Elaine701]

We're pretty clear that we're rural, it's a, feature, actually. We're clear that you shouldn't book it without a car, be a use with a car, everything is only minutes away. Without... you're going to be doing a LOT of walking. Possibly in the rain. But a few show up with out a car. And complain, and give us lower "location" ratings. 

Others may show up with a car, but complain that it's not located on some tourist strip on the beach. Erm, that's not what we are. Read the description. Look for a place in the middle of a beachy tourist strip if that's what you want. You won't get that here. But we take a hit on location anyway 🥺

But thankfully, most actually read the description. Those are the guests we want; the ones who book it because it's exactly what they want. And they often leave ecstatic comments about the location. 

[Amanda3196]

We have the same issue, we get the lowest rating for our location when they know what they’re choosing… it’s very frustrating 

[Joan2709]

@Amanda3196 

What issue do guests have with your location?

[Amanda3196]

Nothing to do and run down housing estate. It’s 10 minutes from the city so there’s lots to do in the city but not in the housing estate.. 

[Joan2709]

@Amanda3196 

You could try to head off the low location rating by adding to your after booking message to guests. You might try:

"Thank you for choosing to stay with us! We're excited to host you and want to share a few details to ensure our property is the right fit for your stay. 

Our home is located in a quiet residential neighborhood, about a 10-minute drive from the vibrant city center. To make the most of your visit and easily access local attractions, we highly recommend having a vehicle. 

We take great pride in maintaining our property to a high standard for your comfort. Please note that while we focus on providing a well-kept and welcoming space, some neighboring properties may not reflect the same level of upkeep.

If you have any questions or need recommendations, feel free to reach out—we're here to help!"

[Amanda3196]

 thank you, that hopefully will help. we do have a message we send, regarding other things about the room and what to expect we just didn’t want it to be too long but we will try adding that and and see if it helps! Thank you again. 

[Joan2709]

@Amanda3196 

You can shorten the message so it's not so long for sure. I would recommend you add this first in the message though. Again, guests have a short attention span...😊 You want them to read this first in the message, so if it's not a good fit, they can cancel the stay.