how do you get back to 5 stars?

[Daryll-And-Nikki0]

Hi everyone.

We have had 5 star ratings for everything until one guest ruined my sofa and a few other things and when I asked for compensation he then left us a 2 star rating - even though before that he had said he had had a wonderful time.

So its taken my rating from 5 stars to 4.9 (45 five star ratings, one two star rating)

How do I ever get back to 5 star overall rating?

Ps the guest didn't pay for the damages and Airbnb refused to remove his rating.

[John5097]

@Tim2635 

I think it is possible. From the math I did you can get one four star review per hundred five star reviews and it would be rounded up to 5 star. 

I'm trying to remember the math. 

100 x 5 = 500 

1 x 4 = 4

504/101 = 4.99099

Not sure if 100 is the exact breaking point to round up but close. So for 3 4 star reviews of 100 five star reviews would require about 300 additional five star reviews to round it up to 5*. 

400 x 5 = 2000 

3 x 4 = 12

2012/403 = 4.9925

The first spread sheet above uses two 2* reviews and I think the OP had only one 2* which would cut 579 5* in half to round back up to 5*. 

So I would say very unrealistic to maintain 5* reviews. 

A host could get first 150 5* then for no reason or a change in the booking settings that caused miscommunication get 3 4* reviews. 

[Ergun2]

airbnb should decide a breakpoint for hosts! Rating should be calculated based on last 50 or 100 reviews. Orherwise reaching 5 rating is not realistic

[Julie5805]

That logic only works for a short time. There is no way to control the behavior of guests who enjoy leaving 4 stars. I had one guest tell me they never leave 5 stars because there is always room for error in their stays, and there are a lot of them out there who feel this way. I feel like the system sets us up to fail.

[Ginger120]

My favorite is the ** who gave me 4⭐️ for value! 
With your huge family and you stayed in my FULLY furnished place and you dare to lower my rating bc you’re cheap? You agreed to the price which is lower then most places around here and on top tell me everything is wonderful! 5 ⭐️ on everything but value? Then stay at a hotel and see your cost more than double.

vent over

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[Julie5805]

I have had those types of ratings as well. I feel your frustration. I don't like the whole rating system at all and think it should be removed. There are too many people out there like most Americans, that absolutely love the power they have over someone doing well. Basic humans love to tear people down. We see it on social media platforms every day.

[Julie5805]

Yup, that is not fair at all. Is there anything we can do as hosts?

[Fred13]

I wonder how many listing have a 5* rating if they have more than 100+ reviews. I would think after that threshold a 5* rating is not to even to be expected.

P.S. I see now that after 1.5 years after the OP's post they are now at 77 reviews and a 4.93 rating, the law of averages more than taken place. I bet they no longer care about a 5* rating. 

[Tim2635]

I think there should be an easier way of getting back to 5 star

[Michael6116]

I've just arrived in the same boat. My first 8 consecutive reviews were 5*, but I've just had a 3* review (didn't like the mattress and declined my offer of a mattress topper). Thanks to the maths from @Mike-And-Jane0, I've worked out I'll need 191 consecutive 5* reviews to regain the overall 5* star rating. If it had been a 4* rating rather than a 3* rating, it'd be 91 consecutive 5* reviews.

Perhaps more worryingly, the one bad review has suddenly taken me below the 4.8 average Superhost threshold which I looked set to achieve by month end.

Definitely sounds like Airbnb need to modernise their average calculation. In the Olympics, for example, they use the "truncated mean" to make the score robust to a single outlier judge - that sounds like a good solution here (although they should scale the number truncated as the totals scale).

[Ergun2]

How will you reach 5 star again technically in terms of Math? I still could not get that. If you have 1 for rating and even though you have 1000 5 star reviews you will not be able to reach 5.00 rating. You can get max 4.9999 rating. There should be a breakpoint. I mean forexample airbnb should calculate rating based on last 100 ratings or 200 whatever. Otherwise no way to reach 5.00 rating again if you get even only 1 rating

[Karen3433]

Yup

[Julie5805]

I absolutely agree with what you are saying. I have had way more 5-star ratings over the five years I have been BnBing. It is very discouraging to know I will never get back to a 5-star rating. I always reach Super Host status but shouldn't our rating reflect our status? 

[Phil3732]

There are many who would disagree with my opinion though, for all involved I think review systems could be seasonal or annual.  The host carries all the risk and burden.  While the host may mitigate every risk in advance to avoid a negative impact - any appliance or ac/heat system may decide to give in an any time.  There can be utility and network disruptions, traffic patterns can change.  Guests use the rating system pry the host for discounts, refunds, extras and forgiveness for damage and any excuse or will do.   Airbnb won't adjust without hosts willingness to disconnect and use many other services.

[Phil3732]

Just an additional note - I can find many discussions elsewhere on the web about 5 star ratings involving hosts, services and AirBnb.   I can't find any where a place where guests are discussing improving or keeping their rating.  

[Karen3433]

Good observation.  I did not review the creeps who could not do their drug deal because they knew "the system".  If a host gives them a "bad rap" probably they can say you were racist or discriminatory or whatever.  it's true.