Ignore me, I am ranting :)

[Peter890]

Hi all,

Just had a guest, new to airbnb. Communication was good, place left in good shape. Left him a good review. He left me 5 star reviews for everything except cleanliness where he gave 3 stars because of "dust" and 4 stars overall.

I am in the apartment now and have checked the place end to end - and the rating is  cranky. Oven, hob, fridge, freezer, microwave, bath, sinks, under beds, sofas, everywhere is pretty spotless, as normal. There is no dust without using a microscope and a bright light 😉 It is spring here so with the windows open there is plenty of pollen settling everywhere.

These off-piste reviews seem to happen about every 30 guests. The best one I remember was a guest last year giving 5 star reviews for all individual scores, said they were delighted but then gave a 4 stars overall review. Huh??? 

We take so much care - courtesy soaps, shaving kit and toothbrush. Bath salts, recommendations for places to go, tea, coffee, juices right the way down to a little kinder chocolate for each guest...we really really care...and really value 5 star reviews...

The unevenness of guest reviews sends me crazy! When we get something wrong, sure, we take it on the chin. But when guests just have a cranky idea of what stars to give? I think some guests use it like a hotel star rating, if they want a 5 star like that then the Four Seasons in Prague is excellent at Eur570 per night for a basic room versus our Eur60 for a whole apartment! 

Just a rant. I don't think there much to do about it and we are running at 92% for 5 star reviews anyway so most people value what we do 😄 It's not like it puts superhost at risk. But it does make me want to rant!

Rant over. Thanks for listening 🙂

[Peter890]

@Rebecca181

I am a bit of a perfectionist. Well a lot, so I couldn't let it go 🙂 I wrote to my guest:

"

Hi [Name concealed],
A last message from Prague 🙂 I have spoken to several other airbnb hosts about this...

You need to be aware that within airbnb a 4 star rating means "only just OK" - and that as a superhost we now need to aim for the next 9 ratings all at 5 star if we are to be considered "good". 4 star is no more than OK. 3 stars is bad - and below that is no future at all!

If I were a hotel, I would aim for 3 star. As an airbnb, you are using my home when I am not there, different standards apply - and no-cost late checkout, juices, tea, coffee, milk, chilled water, personal soaps and shower gels - that is a 5 star on airbnb according to 92% of my guests in the last 12 months.

If you are going to mark an airbnb superhost down to 4 stars, I suggest you have a really very strong reason. Otherwise superhosts (i.e. the best ones) won't wish you as a guest. If my apartment had such a bad problem as to merit 4 stars, please do tell me. If I got it wrong, I am happy to learn!

I mention this as you are new to airbnb. 4 star reviews count as "good" in most of the world, but not on airbnb. You can't change your review now but I hope this advice helps you consider how you review other airbnb superhosts in the future.

Apart from this, you were a great guest! Thanks!

Happy travels and best wishes,
Peter

"

If he doesn't reply I will mention the review problem as a comment on his feedback, so other  superhosts can beware, assuming they see it 🙂

Peter

[Rebecca181]

@Peter890 Wouldn't it be nice if Airbnb simply added a short educational blurb when they send out the email telling the guest to review us hosts? I simply don't understand it. All they say is what the stars mean. And it does not match what they tell us the stars mean. Therein likes the problem. Until then, we each must address this in whatever manner we are comfortable with. What a pain. And so very unnecessary.

[Rosemarie9]

The whole process is ludicrous and it just nudges guests to find fault over stupid things. I haven't travelled using airbnb but being prompted with such things as "smell" ratings and such is what I believe happens. Its like airbnb wants a bunch of hyper critical guests and terrified hosts and that does not make a happy system for anyone. Someone on here described it as Stockholm syndrome, and that is spot on. 

[Peter890]

Rosemarie,

It only get's that intense if you let it! If you do a good job and - crucially - make sure that guests  see that you are doing a good job then most reviews are 5 star anyway.

The meticulous attention to descriptions, photos, service, all of it is only really important if you want superhost. But if you don't want to do all that then you are fine, just don't expect superhost!

But keep an eye on the minimum standards as they are changing and I don't have clarity about what level below which you would be kicked out as a host 😉

Good luck,

Peter

[Rebecca160]

@Peter890. I love this note that you wrote to your guest. Of course, this is after the fact and will help

other hosts, we hope. Maybe you could come up with something to give to guests in their welcome package? I think that I will do exactly that, and maybe reduce some of these less than 5 star reviews. If you do not mind, i would like to use some of your text to

do so.

[Peter890]

Rebecca, feel free to use my words. I have already adjusted my welcome document with something similar 🙂 If abnb can't set the expectations clearly for both us and the guest, we need to gently do so ourselves!

Happy hosting!

Peter

[Tracy200]

Airbnb have advised me they can delete a guests review only if the guest requests that themselves.  

[Jennie46]

Hi all - I am also new to Airbnb. My first guest gave what I think was an “off piste” review which really surprised me. So they got a 20% discount - as recommended and got a large pristine double room, a large separate loung with sky TV and a large double bathroom ( near exclusive use) plus breakfast with fresh baked muffins. All for £24. Yet they gave me 4 stars for value for money. This was a couple. Seriously ?!?. I even guided them by car to find a local restaurant and parking. I can’t think where else you could get such amazing value. They also gave me 4 star for cleanliness. The house was spotless. Cleaner than any hotel I have ever visited. I was perplexed. I tried less hard with my next couple as I thought - what do I need to do. I got five stars. Go figure 

[Julie909]

I have a house with 10 bedrooms and have provided B&B for 16 years.  With all of the booking agents, I generally get 5 stars for everything except value for money.  My only explantion is that maybe people believe that if they geve 5 stars for value for money then you might consider increasing your prices.

It sounds to me as though you are offering fantastic value for money.  I would double that price.  You can be too cheap.  Good luck.

[Peter890]

@Joanne221 There is for sure a "random element" to guest ratings, the random bit being human nature 🙂 As we get a lot of short stay guests in Prague, i.e. tourists, that kinda averages itself out. We had 72 guests last year, 78% reviewed and 92% 5 star reviewed. Where I would worry is if you have lower volume - then 1 bad review could really hurt ;0

I did think this guest would be a problem - I send a message after the first day asking if they are enjoying Prague etc - he said Prague is "OK". All his communications were flat, no smileys, jokes or exclamations! I even offered a courtesy late checkout for a few hours to see if that would change anything. Nope. I thought the review would be a problem - simply because of the guest's character. And it was.

As a result I think the review system is flawed. It makes no allowances for human charcater differences. But I am over my rant, life continues 🙂

BTW, your prices do sound very low! If you have a flat in London for when I am in UK, please advise 🙂 Good luck hosting, we enjoy it and despite the niggles it is normally fun...

[Helen0]

Your place sounds amazing and worth a lot more than £24 a night. If you charge more, you will get fewer guests who are merely looking for a cheap deal, and they may appreciate you more! Also - and it's weird - but if you put yourself out too much for people, a strange psychological thing happens where they get the message that they can ask for anything, no matter how unreasonable, and you'll gladly oblige, which makes them not value you at all! Being an Airbnb host is a long fascinating lesson in setting and re-setting boundaries with people you've only just met.... Good luck!

[Robin4]

@Peter890

Peter, don't be too downhearted about the odd poor star rating, believe me reading your reviews, a review like that says more about the guest than it says about you. Just keep doing what you are doing Peter, you are the essense of what has made Airbnb great.

I have worked in Airbnb support in the past for about 8 months and I do have some contacts and through them I am trying to have Airbnb reconsider the way star ratings are analysed and presented, and this is the scenario I am using to try and get them to see commonsense.

I have a genuine Turkish triple knotted silk floor rug, left to me as part of a family estate! I could not put an accurate figure on it at the moment but suffice to say it is worth many thousands of dollars

You never actually get to own an authenticated Turkish rug Peter! After 99 years the ownership reverts to the Turkish state (symbolically) ....it is regarded as a state antiquity! 

This rug for almost a year resided in my listing cottage.

One guest gave me a 3 star for cleanliness and in the accompanying comment box said, "The rug looked old and shabby"!!

What exactly was I supposed to do as far as Airbnb was concerned to protect my overall star rating percentage? Was I supposed to 'hot foot' it down to Ikea and purchase a cheap synthetic bit of matting nonsense and cheaped the whole environment, the whole scope of what I offer guests. Are Airbnb expecting me to throw out anything genuine that I own and replace with plastic synthetic substitutes. Was it not Airbnbs statement to hosts that they offer a "GENUINE Airbnb Experience"

So Peter I am doing my bit, I am trying to make the heirachy see the silliness involved in 'blanked' star rating guests in various categories! I hope for the sake of all of us I can get somewhere.

In the interim, don't change a thing Peter, take it on the chin like we all have to, you are never going to receive enough of these 'left field' reviews to have any effect on the great host that you are.

Cheers.....Rob

[Peter890]

Hi Rob,

Good points! The challenges for airbnb are manyfold:

- not all consumers are very nice people. They lie and manpulate e.g. to get refunds by complaining on airbnb. And I am sure that not all hosts are angels either!

- differing expectations. My friend who is OCD about dust will never be happy, no matter how clean the place is! A 5 star review from him would be an Intel clean room for making computer chips 🙂 Most people wouldn't want to stay there 🙂

- care. Many guests don't know how much a 5 star rating matters to us. Can't blame them, it's airbnb's job to educate them - in the same way they educate us hosts!

For your carpet scenario, you may be able to market it 🙂 In different ways explain the antique carpet is a feature (put a plaque on wall, mention in guest handbook...) - but if it is valuable I would remove it and buy a cheap decent replacement from IKEA 🙂

The challenge is the need for a system that gives a decent "on average" view of what the place is like and how you are like as a host. The overly-simple rating system as current does not do that. And the forthcoming changes appear to not improve things??

We have nad some great experiences as hosts - and more recently as guests - and will continue to live the airbnb culture. But I hear the challenges loud and clear - maybe 20% of posts I have read on the subject in the last few days are suggesting to be a little more cynical, raise prices, drop concern for airbnb's synthetic "Like" culture and treat it like any other platform.

I don't want to do that, but I hear and understand...

All the best,

Peter

[Rosemarie9]

Here, here! I like it when someone tries to carry what we all feel forward to someone who might listen, I don't think they read this forum as I am sure we all feel like we are on a loop regarding reviews.

May the force be with you, And may we all keep smiling and remember the mostly lovely people we host.

[Julie909]

If the cap fits - wear it.  If it does not fit then toss it to one side - and do not take these comments personally.   You will always get people who enjoy complaining and you will never please these people.   If you get a regular complaint then you must address the issue and this is why the comments should be seen as positive rather than stress you out -  Chill out!