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

Answered!
Loi4
Level 2
Nairobi, Kenya

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

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? 

Top Answer
Allison2
Level 10
Traverse City, MI

You're not alone! This is a pretty common complaint amongst hosts. So much so that Airbnb is looking at making changes to the "location" section of the review. Here's what they said in the most recent Host Q&A:

 

"Regarding reviews of your location, we understand that your location isn’t something you can change. But it is something that helps guests decide if it’s the right spot for them to book. Guests are asked to rate how convenient they think the location is, and that’s subjective, since preferences vary. This rating doesn’t say anything about the quality of your hosting or your listing and it does not affect your search ranking, overall experience rating, or eligibility for special programs like Superhost or Plus."

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15 Replies 15
Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

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.