4 Star Reviews

[David1873]

Dear Guest, very sorry we did not meet your expectations with the 4 star review you gave us. 4 Star reviews are so rare for us, quite frankly we don't know what we could have done better. We thought we accommodated you, and you verified that with your expressing a desire to return to the property. We couldn't be more frustrated with Airbnb's rating policy, although a 4 star restaurant may be quite good, 4 stars from Airbnb guests, will cost us our Superhost status.   I hope you can see the contradiction that Airbnb has where there's guests like yourselves that express a desire to return to a property, after they've just left a review that would put us out of the (Superhost) business.   Thank you for your understanding in this matter. We as hosts try to be generous in our reviews - giving 5 stars to guests  like yourselves - to try to promote Airbnb as a platform, and we're sorry you couldn't do the same for us.

[Helen3]

Confused - why are you posting this on a community forum @David1873 ?

Hopefully this isn't something you are sending out to guests to try and guilt trip guests who don't give you a five star review. 

[David1873]

Just pointing out the contradiction of someone thinking they'll be coming back, after they tried to put me out of the Superhost business.  

[Colleen253]

@David1873 You’re a long way from being out of the Superhost business with one 4 star. I hope you never get anything less, or I fear it will put you 6 feet on the wrong side of the grass. 

Many guests dont understand the rating system. More Airbnb’s fault than the guest. Superhost and the rating system exists for Airbnb’s  purposes of behavior modification and control over hosts. It works amazingly well for them.

Let it go, for your own mental health if nothing else.

[David1873]

Thank you, that's something I was trying to point out - Airbnb not educating guests in giving a review.  

[Colleen253]

@David1873 Airbnb isn’t going to start educating guests on the rating system. It serves them very well for guests to be unwise to it. 

[Sarah977]

@David1873  It's a real stretch to assume that guests are trying to put you out of the Superhost business. 

Most guests have no idea about the criteria for Superhosts nor do they know that Airbnb considers an average below 4.7 to be a fail. How on earth would you expect them to know that?

Airbnb tells guests that a 4* rating indicates "Good". Why would they think that Good isn't a nice rating?

Any guests I've had a conversation with regarding the Airbnb review system are shocked when I tell them hosts lose Superhost status for anything below a 4.8 and get warnings from Airbnb about pulling up their socks for ratings below 4.7. 

Your anger is misplaced- it isn't guests' fault, it's Airbnb's.

[Kristin108]

I too just received a 4* review after 9 years as a Superhost! And the guest liked the property... Go figure... I don't understand why @Colleen253 thinks it serves Airbnb? Would love to know your thoughts??

But agree the system is broken. 

I attribute my 'low' rating to the fact that guests are no longer reading the detailed descriptions...

Incredibly frustrating!

[Colleen253]

@Kristin108 The whole Superhost and ratings thing is a way for Airbnb to exert mind and behavior control over hosts. It’s why a ‘fail’ is anything less than 4.7. It works, as evidenced by this post, just one among many on the forum from others who have their shorts in an absolute knot over it. Look at what it makes people do! 

Why? If hosts live in fear of being awarded anything less than a five star, they will remain anxious and do their absolute utmost to provide a 10 star experience for guests. Hosts will bend and kowtow to guests and do everything they can to appease and keep them happy, and avoid confrontation. Damage claim? Never. Look the other way, or risk a 1 star retaliatory review.  Guests are the ones Airbnb are interested in keeping happy and coming back, as they pay the big service fees.

[David1873]

Thank you, you write so well, and your properties are gorgeous, my hats off to you.  I like the way you understand human and corporate behavior,  and you give good advice.  Thank you for the time you put in thinking about this, and your good advice to me - to just chill.   You know we have had reviews removed regularly,  it is against Airbnb policy to mention a damage claim in a review, and they will remove a review that "does not contain relevant information for a future guest to make an informed decision".  Likewise after years - we finally have enough reviews that we can't be hurt too bad statistically.   

[Jack298]

I have been complaining to AirBnB for 1.5 years about their rating algorithm...in my town I have crack heads trying to book my units to cook...and others to party....I always attempt to defeat their booking but then AIRbnb sends them out a review to cokmplete....naturally I get a 1 in all categories.

I always provide a VIP service guarantee up front to the guest with the stated explanation of 5/5 star goal for my company...if they are unhappy with anything to contact me personally....so when they rate it a 4 after a ones stay...I ban them and tell them to go to a motel next time....they should be telling me during their stay if anything isnt perfect for the.

[Sophie560]

@Kristin108 I have to agree with you about Airbnb NOT reinforcing guests to read the detailed descriptions . . . it is incredibly frustrating!

I've started asking my guests to reread the description and house rules so that everyone's expectations are met.  And to text me back that they have read them and agree to abide by them. It has helped somewhat.  I also have set up automated texts that restate the house rules (day of check-in) along with checkout procedures (day before checkout).  They either think I'm obsessive-compulsive (which I don't mind) or I'm a real stickler for the rules.  

@David1873 I have experienced getting a 4-star rating too; it doesn't feel good and leaves you the host confused.  I'll share what I have started doing right after a guest makes a comment about enjoying their stay, toward the end of their stay:

"I'm so glad you've enjoyed your time at . . . Ruidoso has always been a magical, rejuvenating place for us!  That's why we share our place on Airbnb. We always appreciate a 5-star review on Airbnb if we've met your expectations and you've enjoyed your stay.  It helps others find us." You can, of course, change it to fit your own voice/circumstances.  I hope it might help you turn things around.  I know we, as Hosts, work really, really hard to provide a nice, clean, inviting place for our guests to stay.

As @Colleen253 said, Airbnb isn't going to start educating guests on the rating system, so I think it's up to us to toot our own horn a little and educate our guests on what we expect, er . . . appreciate their help in rating us. ;  )

[David1873]

I desire Airbnb to educate guests that a 4 star review is damaging to a host, (not "good") that's how on earth I expect a guest to learn.  

[Sarah977]

@David1873  But your topic post here is directed towards guests, not Airbnb.

"We as hosts try to be generous in our reviews - giving 5 stars to guests  like yourselves - to try to promote Airbnb as a platform, and we're sorry you couldn't do the same for us."

[Helen3]

Then why aren't you providing information in your guest book about how the Airbnb ratings work? @David1873 That's how you expect guests to learn.