4’s rating review🤬🤷🏽‍♀️😩

[Adrienne174]

Just letting off a little steam here:

my guest checked out yesterday and left me 3- 4 stars for Accuracy, Cleanliness and Check -in what I don’t understand is why? She sent me a message saying everything exceeded her expectations and she is comfortable. I looked on my ring doorbell and seen she let herself and guest in with no problem, I know I cleaned properly because my ritual is I clean and disinfect throughly before a guest arrive, during guest stay as well as after check-out and if they are sharing the bathroom I go in and check at different times of the day and clean again which includes full clean (not ocd I just don’t want guest using space unclean when someone else use it, I wouldn’t want to use it if dirty) check other shared space and clean that if needed if not I just wipe knobs and handles with wipes to clean from touching. and accuracy that one baffles me because what my listing and pictures show is what they get and if I change anything I retake pictures to replace what I done so they can see my listing is truthful I want them to get what they seen on my listing.

Now about them they left small amount of grocery and a bottle of wine on counter as if they are at home, when I seen it I asked her about it and she said the wine is a gift and she fell asleep and came to get the wine but left the grocery on the counter, after they checked-out went to clean and why did they leave a empty condom wrapper in my brand new chest drawer closed is beyond me when there is a garbage can next to the bed🤷🏽‍♀️ 

I messaged her about the review and politely asked why she thought I needed the 4’s because one I wanted to understand why and two why😞

i have not heard anything from her in a response and doubt I do, but last night I was pissed because honestly those 4’s was not warrant I’m not just saying that, I’m new in this game and my husband said do not do some of the things I do because no matter what they will not appreciate it. For Pete sake I iron the sheets and comforter if I see wrinkles because I don’t want them to see wrinkles when they walk in the room he just shake his head and finish helping with what needs done.

PS: I truly want to give a clean and comfortable experience her comment made me feel like I failed, I know my other guests gave me what I deserved but guests who give erroneous stars are evil. Lol 

PS 2: I am over it and I do get reviewed for super host in July but I wanted to see how long I can go to get all 5’s before a guest like her comes alone and I made it a few months. 

PS3: this is her words review:  

Public review Enjoyed my stay!!

Private - Adrienne was a great host and the place exceeded my expectations!”

Overall rating 5 stars

Thanks for reading/listening and you can comment.

[Anonymous]

@Adrienne174   The fastest way you can drive yourself crazy as a host is to let 4-star ratings get under your skin. It's a positive rating as far as most people are concerned - certainly not a sign of failure. More constructive feedback would have been helpful, but if the guest didn't feel like supplying it when prompted to in the review, she won't be any happier to do so when put on the spot by the host. 

Your husband makes a fair point, too. Private rooms in shared houses don't make much money - they're a labor of love - and if your changeover process is too labor intensive, you'll be totally burned out by the end of the year.  Budget travelers appreciate good value, cleanliness, and comfort, but at the end of the stay they're not going to remember or appreciate that their linens were ironed. Some of those premium services are only appropriate at premium room rates. Over time, I significantly reduced the scale of what I offered to guests and kept my focus on the features that were most appreciated. 

[Adrienne174]

@Anonymous  I got an update from the guest she responded that she was indeed in a rush and made an attempt to contact Airbnb to have it reverse but unsuccessful due to the fact we both submitted a review.

[John5097]

@Adrienne174 

Your listing looks very accurate. I think you have a great approach to hosting and understanding what's important to guest. The only possible question mark or amenity that seemed a little iffy might be the parking. Amenities say 4 spaces, so guessing the drive is two cars wide, so two cars would be blocking each other? You say to park to give each car enough room to get in and out, so maybe need to also include that info with the check in instructions. However this guest didn't give a reason. Might also mention in message that you would appreciate any suggestions on how to improve guest stay, that you are always trying to make little improvements whenever possible. I built a separate driveway so as it is now guest have their own driveway, but don't know it and still some park in the middle, I've noticed, so maybe some guest are a little weird about parking. A good many won't read or remember the something like that in the listing and just expect their own space and to come and go whenever they want. 

Otherwise 4 stars in the subcatigory doesn't factor into the overall rating which you got a 5. I've had a few 4s in the subs and they were all just odd. The only one that was accurate didn't have shampoo. It was one of my first and they did get discounted rate and will never find a better value but still decided to ding me for shampoo. I noticed you include a lot of odd and ends, so if even one is empty or missing they may mark it down in accuracy for amenities. 

Otherwise I think your overall approach is very good and will result in happy guest. 

[Sarah977]

@Adrienne174  There really isn't always, and probably most of the time, a "why" to guest ratings. Nothing you can improve on, nothing you can make more accurate.

Ratings are totally subjective, and guests have no idea how ratings affect hosts. Most guests aren't trying to hurt you, they think 4*s is a good rating.

I do not iron sheets much. I try to smooth them out well before I hang them on the line ( I don't use a dryer). If they look not smooth enough, I iron them on the bed (great trick I learned on hosting forums-much easier than on an ironing board). Mostly just the bottom sheet, then the top of the top sheet where it folds down over the duvet or blanket. 

Don't go overboard- you aren't running the Four Seasons hotel. Guests don't pull back the duvet to check if the sheets are all crisply ironed. And if they do, they should stay at the Four Seasons.