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]

Thanks @Julie909 - I am learning to chill 🙂  I am fresh to the community forum, just been doing my thing up to now. Having heard the problems others have had I feel like I have been super lucky. So today I am sitting in the sunshine with a glass of wine, feeling more chilled than an ice cube in a fridge in the arctic 🙂

[J-Renato0]

@Peter890

You say... "These off-piste reviews seem to happen about every 30 guests. "

It almost the same with me.

Just out of curiousity, did you asked the guest where he found dust? Did the pollen have to do with the issue? 

[Peter890]

HI Jose,

Yes, I asked about the dust twice, no answer so far...the real problem is no standardisation on the reviews. One person's 3 star is another's 5 star.

And yes,1 in every 30 guests is an odd-bod - it's a  guesstimate but about right:)

Nevertheless, onwards and upwards!

[Marcia55]

I just had one about the dust, amazing.  I have a quest that works at nite and sleeps during the day, so vacuming is not always easy.  I have two dogs also that are groomed every month. It is hard to deal with because I know cleaniness is important,  I do get over it but I have to fuss a little.

---

@Peter890 wrote:

HI Jose,

Yes, I asked about the dust twice, no answer so far...the real problem is no standardisation on the reviews. One person's 3 star is another's 5 star.

And yes,1 in every 30 guests is an odd-bod - it's a  guesstimate but about right:)

Nevertheless, onwards and upwards!

---

Dust seems to be an issue for a lot, I bet they wear white gloves too. I have had the same.

[Alessandro479]

I’am a guest! Just a guest!  The first time I booked on Airbnb 2 years ago I did not have any idea about how  Airbnb Work. Are they providing maid service !? Are they cleaning my bath !? Are they changing my bed linen !? I did not know ! Basicly I tought airbnb was like an Hotel inside someone else home! Now I learned! I’am following this forum and I did learn! I did use Airbnb for all my travel and for work I spent  9 months in 2 year inside different Airbnb home in United States  . Anyway sorry for my English is not my first language. One month ago a host from London told me I can’t write here if I don’t speak good English ! Hello Marcus :-)anyway a lot of people thinking that Airbnb is like an Hotel ! Is because Airbnb is acting like that. People are always looking for better deal or better opportunity. In the beginning ,I am sorry I gave some 4 stars rating just because for me 4 stars is a good rating . Now I know is not. And always try to give 5 stars unless I have bad experience .But in my mind if I pay 50 $ for a room I compare this room for a 50 dollars Hotel. A lot of people think the same . They don’t know what Airbnb really is ! No tv !? How come no TV I can get a tv in any Super 8 . No coffe maker !? Same thing! But is not host or guest fault is Airbnb fault . Airbnb does not explain guest what Airbnb really is about ! Last thing. I always worked in hospitality business , restaurant hotels and cruise line. If your business is hospitality you need to be aware that bad review , bad people , loosing sometimes money and time it’s normal ! People changing mind , people complain for getting free stuff, people are smart and other people are amazing. If Airbnb is your business you need to deal whit that. I really thing Airbnb should make “ guest relations “

class for host ! Because if you know how to deal whit problem is more easy find out the right thing to do .  But have “ good guest relations skills “

is someting you have to learn and practice!  I am restaurant manager. People don’t tips my servers , people try to make up complain for free food , people sometimes complain for good reason  , we always deal with that whit a smile because we are on hospitality  business! Sometimes we win sometime we loose and nothing we can do about that  beside try to be always more perfect 

[Cathy172]

Excellent point about the importance of "good guest relations skills"!!

[Robin4]

@Alessandro,

Mate, we are all different, we all offer different things, we emphasise different qualities in our listings.

This is why it is so important to read a hosts previous reviews when booking as a guest. You soon get to realise that we hosts can go from one end of the hosting scale where all the host wants is the money, to the other end where we take the guest into our lives and our hearts.

What is offered here on this site is not up to Airbnb, they can suggest things but, it is us hosts who do the offering, not Airbnb.

Cheers.....Rob 

[Peter890]

Alessandro,

Some nice points! I agree 100% with the service industry point.

Your early visits where you gave 4 star reviews is where I have an issue. That is 100% down to you having no idea of how airbnb ratings work - that is not your fault, airbnb themselves need to tell you! As hosts we can steer people - through good service - and simply telling them that 4 stars is a "bad" review - but airbnb set the culture through the rules and they are doing a poor job on explaining the rating system to guests. Especially a new guest, that was my original rant in this thread 🙂

As to price, I watch a local 4 star aparthotel that does offer more service (but not much!) and make sure my pricing is suitably beneath theirs 🙂 That is a better guide than anything else I have found.

Take care and happy travels! Look us up if ever you get to Prague 🙂

Peter

[Sarah977]

@Alessandro479   Your English, while not perfect, is just fine- totally understandable. It's nice to see a guest writing in here with comments like yours. It would be really helpful for hosts if guests like you, who have learned how airbnb works and what guests need to know that airbnb doesn't tell them, would fill in one of those feedback forms to send to airbnb. They need to hear from guests, not just hosts, that airbnb needs to do better as far as how the reviews work, what the reviews and star ratings are really supposed to reflect, and how the ratings work for hosts. They don't educate guests, guests have no idea what to expect as far as staying in someone's home, then they penalize hosts for what isn't the hosts' fault. 

It's so true, there's all kinds of people out there in the world, some are just complainers no matter what, you can't please them, some flow with whatever is happening, some appreciate every thing you do for them and give lots of thanks, some are displeased, but don't say anything so you can try to make it better, and then give a bad review after. I read on this forum hosts saying that the guests gave a bad review that they were cold and didn't have enough blankets, but they never told the host when they were staying, and the host had a closet full of blankets, all they had to do was ask. People can be strange and they bring their strangeness with them wherever they go.

I've been lucky, I have had mostly all super great guests and they have left me nice reviews, I have good interactions with my guests and try to make them happy. But I know I could get a loony one some day just like other people do. I'm in my 60's, I think being middle-aged or older helps as far as hosting, we have had some life experience in dealing with all kinds of people.

[Alessandro479]

You are totally right. I know people that  comparing prices on Airbnb and booking.com and they just book the most cheaper / better locations for the price place they can get! 

Is not anymore that people who travel whit Airbnb are inside the arbnb mentality of sharing houses and experience . Now some  of host and guest looking at Airbnb like a way to save money on travels or make easy money hosting. And that’s iAirbnb fault because they advertising Airbnb like or similar to hotels and is not( and it’s why guest make “no sense” complaints, because guest having different expectations and give such 4 stars review in locations )and Airbnb make “ potential “ host belive  that hosting and dealing whit people from all around the world whit not background knowledge  is easy and it’s not ‘ 

I’am so happy to follow this forum because I learned a lot, I learned how to be a better guest an how to make host life easy ! And I think a lot of you are making a great job 

[Sarah977]

@Alessandro479  You are welcome to be my guest anytime!  ( English lesson for the day- "with", not "whit"- I live in Mexico- I see "whit" in English translations all the time here 🙂

[Alessandro479]

 Thanks 🙂 I don’t know why but “ with” Airbnb app  the auto corrector does not work at all 🙂

[Rebecca160]

@Alessandro479. It is refreshing to get your take on things from the guest side. I have only hosted so far, so I have tried to imagine what I would like and not like, if I were renting a room in my place.   A lot of my guests have been helpful with suggestions for improvement, which I followed.  It it is fascinating to learn that Airbnb does not properly educate guests on what to expect and how to rank hosts. I guess this is why my four star reviews have come from newbies on Airbnb and experienced guests rank me higher. Seems to me Airbnb needs to provide clear guidelines as to what is expected from hots and guests.

[Hannah104]

Accepting all ridiculous guest review rants right here! This just happened to me as well. And it’s left me feeling surprisingly hurt! It’s definitely not the most nightmarish thing we’ve had to deal with in an eventful year of Airbnb, but...but it feels so unfair!!! Sometimes I feel my Airbnb guests are unintentionally  gaslighting me and I’m going to develop some terrible deep-seated emotional anxiety about being in this room in my home. 

I am a perfectionist so when I advertise my room as being spotless, I mean I regularly scrub and vacuum the very walls. So to be critiqued that there was dust on the bedside table lamp (which I know cannot possibly be true as I damp cloth dab those ill-advised white shades down at every check out) makes me feel so unappreciated when I have for free provided my guest with brand name popcorn, oatmeal, cereal, ramen, tea (4kinds), filter and instant coffee, water, beer, shower gel, paraben free shampoo, conditioner, shaving stuff, tooth brushes and toothpaste, body moisturizer, fancy facial cleanser, toner and moisturizer, sun cream, bug spray, laundry liquid, beside the bed restful sleep pillow spray and a welcome gift of chocolates.

How rude!!! 

I can’t take the pressure any more, I’m attaching my go-pro to my head and recording my whole cleaning and preparing process each time in the future and sending it to the next guest who complains about a non-issue. 

[Aurora52]

Hannah , same here.i guess we need to be careless don’t offer to much,charge a lot and maybe they’ll be more happy.I have a neighbor also with Airbnb,she don’t give her guests not even toilet paper,or weather NOTHING and she gets 5 stars all the way.