Great Comments, 5 stars in the categories but 4 stars for overall...?

[Claire107]

Hi all!  I am pretty new to hosting but have had a few bookings now.

I have been getting really nice comments and 5 star ratings from my guests on the categories of cleanliness, accuracy, location, value, communication and arrival, however these same guest that are giving me 5 stars for all of these are leaving an overall rating of 4 stars - I'm at a real loss...any ideas out there or other hosts who have successfully remedied a similar situation.

All suggestions most appreciated

[Liliana167]

@Rebecca191 , how did you calculated your percentage? From what month to what mont? Can you explain to me how to do it? Please? I think I need to calculate mine as I think there’s a mistake on mine also. I can’t afford to lose my super host status so I would really appreciate your help thank you so much

[Jen250]

This is so interesting. We had a similar issue. Someone arrived for their birthday and a pipe burst in the front garden. We had it fixed immediately and offered a free night to compensate. The guest gave me 5 stars in all categories (and had texted me privately to say how much she loved the property) then gave 4 stars! Go figure.

[Deshik0]

Great suggestion. Hope someone from airbnb is reading this and will act on it.

[Jules106]

thanks Jenifer but this guest has 5 stars on everything and at the top near her name it says 4 stars I am baffeled could this be a mistake

[Gordy-and-Kate0]

I'm so glad to hear we aren't the only ones that have this frustration with the ratings system. We're new hosts who have been working hard to make every stay a 5-star experience. We too had a recent guest rate us with 5 stars in all of the subcategories, only to then rate us 4-star overall. I could go back and ask, but what good would it do since they wouldn't be able to update their review? For all I know, he tapped/clicked the wrong spot on the screen, dropping our overall rating so far from 5.0 to 4.9. 

I don't understand why Airbnb has the subcategories if they are meaningless to the overall review rating. The system would be much more functional if the overall rating were calculated as an average of the ratings given in the subcategories. So, in the case I described above, the overall rating would have been 5.0. Let's say our guest decided the location wasn't what they thought it would be, so they decided to give us a 4 star review in that subcategory, then the overall rating would drop to 4.8. The overall rating could update in real-time on the site (or in the app) and allow the guests to adjust things based on their experience. It doesn't do any good for us as hosts to see that we excelled in every category Airbnb deems important, yet didn't achieve the highest overall rating possible -- especially when the guests gave us great feedback and said they will definitely be staying with us again when they are back in the area. 

In the grand scheme of things, not a huge issue unless it continues to happen, but frustrating nonetheless.

[Alice595]

We should all provide feedback to AirBnb. Once they collect enough feedback about this, they may consider to change.

It makes more sense to average each subcategories out for the overall.

[Jules106]

DEFINITELY  THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED!!!!!!

[Jules106]

Yes!!!! since I am new at this  and I take alot of time and effort  not only for a 5 star rating its just the way I am with things  very meticiolous

[Arlene48]

Guys, my overall status had been 5 stars the past weeksand then someone left me a review and right after I replied and gave him a 5 star too. My overall status dropped to 4.9 which I could not understand as that last guest gave me a 5 star overall and 5 star in all categories.  I am totally puzzled. i have a pending person to review but could that person have given me a lower rating? I have not responded yet so would that person's rating might have affected my overall rating though their review is still pending awaiting my review and rating for them? Anyone knows the answer?  appalled:-(

[Matthew285]

@Arlene48 if everyone you can see the review for has given you all 5-stars, then you theory about the pending guest review makes a lot of sense.

It would be interesting if the system added the unrevealed guest ratings into your average.

[Deborah82]

As I understand it, as soon as a guest reviews you, those stats are added to your already compiled stats.
This is regardless of you reviewing them. Holding off on a review will not affect your stats at all.

I hope this clarifies matters for you.

[Chiara232]

If it's such a complicated thing to understand for us let alone for the guests, who in the vast majority of cases are thinking of giving you a good, if not excellent review.

[Russell49]

I would love to know the same thing...a guest gave me all 5 stars on ratings but it ended up a 4 star! Absolutely lame on Air BnB's part.

[Iryna21]

Same here, I had 2 excellent reviews - 5 stars in all categories, and 4 stars overall. AirBnB review system is not fit for purpose. It should take average from all categories. Guests can click on 4 star accidentally for overall score

[Ela22]

Hi there 🙂
I'v been with Airbnb for 6 years.
I got quite a few 4 stars Overall reviews given by guests while scored by the same guests at 5 stars for each of 6 categories. I find it not fair and illogical when I get 5 stars for Cleanliness, 5 stars for Accuracy, 5 stars for Value, 5 stars for Communication, 5 stars forArrival, 5 stars for Location and finally I end up with 4 stars Overall rating which affects the Final rate showing in public on my airbnb website.

I contacted the airbnb support to clarify how is it possible an I got the answer that "guests give ratings on Overall experience". My question is - why to bother with scoring in 6 categories since they do not count?
In my opinin, it will be more justified and fair, if an overall score given by guest were the average of the hospitality star rates calculated by the system. I would suggestof 5 or 7 instead of 6 categories, to make an average score unequivocal. That would be logical.
Greetings 🙂