So why is 4 Stars 'Good' for Guests - but 'Bad' for Airbnb Hosts?

[Rachael26]

Normally I am looking at things from a host angle - but I saw something recently that really made me think. I was an Airbnb guest last week and  I saw all the correspondence that Airbnb send to guests, before, during and after the booking.

It was very interesting and useful, especially the request to review (which I share with you below).

As Hosts we are all working towards satisfied guests and lots of bookings. And using Airbnb means we also have to be concerned with the Review System - and the dreaded pressure to achieve 5 Stars. Not only because some of us may want to achieve SuperHost (the jury is still out for me as to whether there are any significant benefits to being a SuperHost - the increased expectations from guests v. a dedicated phone line and a $100 travel credit - hmmmmm, still not sure!) but also the pressure to keep above a 4.5 average, because when you dip below that number Airbnb start to send warnings of suspension and all sorts of negative things. As if the pressure of hosting wasn't enough!

So my question is this - is it fair for Airbnb to have such a high average standard (above 4.5) which basically makes anything lower than an overall 5 Star 'Bad'....... but the email they send to guests after a stay doesn't point this out. It actually reads like this (see below) and I believe this is sending one message to the guest - while sending another message to the Host.

'How was your stay at Fred's place?

Terrible

Bad

Okay

Good

Great

Share your experience while it’s still fresh. Your review will help Fred improve and tells future guests what to expect.'

SO IF FOUR STARS ARE CONSIDERED GOOD - and Airbnb sends this explanation out to the guest with the review request - then why such an unsupportive reaction from Airbnb when Hosts get a 4 star review?

Wouldn't most people booking a place to stay to save money and somewhere cheaper than a hotel - wouldn't they be happy with a 'Good' place? And delighted, but not expected, if a place turned out to be 'Great'? So why is it so bad from Airbnb's point of view to get a mix of 4 star and 5 star reviews?

I also agree with the suggestion that Airbnb should wait to send the warning emails until a host receives an overall 4 star review three times in a row. That would be more indicative of below par performance than the occasional 4 star overall that some guests just seem determined to give to be difficult or whatever reason they have in their heads.

This email message from Airbnb to the guests (showing 4 stars to mean 'Good' and 5 stars 'Great') is not helpful if Airbnb continue to use a different measuring stick for Hosts (meaning 4 stars is not 'Good' but that you are failing as a Host).

[Mary167]

I was just chatting with my current guests, a lovely young couple from London. They were astonished to learn that a 4 star rating is considered by Airbnb to be a fail. They said they feel pressured by Airbnb to give "honest" feedback, not realizing any and every small criticism can be very harmful to a host. This means guests tend to compare all their previous experiences at hotels and Airbnb's, without really considering costs and other differences, sometimes being influenced by other factors such as weather, location and even whether their memories were happy or not. Airbnb doesn't factor in that kind of nuance. It's not common to have rain in my area, but I have sensed from reviews that some guests give overall better reviews when the weather is really nice and they were able to do more sightseeing.

[Vie0]

Another point: I allow light use of my kitchen e.g (making toast/boiling eggs) , I'll charge USD 60-70 for a clean comfortable room, but there are guests who visit and assume its OK to use my kitchen & prepare a ' thanksgiving type' dinner.  Even though the website state, light/limited use of kitchen.

[Rachael26]

@Sonny7

I am so sorry to hear about your recent fire loss. I hope you are recovering and getting back on your feet.

Please call Airbnb customer service and ask for the negative mark due to the April cancellation to be removed. I know it is the least of your problems but it can be remedied - and should be. And, if you ever need to cancel again in the future - call Airbnb and ask them to do it. That solves the negative mark situation - because you are right in what you say - it's a computer now making the decisions in Airbnb so when it comes to cancellation - always ask Airnbnb to do it. In person. They do still answer the phone - and early morning calls work best.

With best wishes to you and your family!

[Mary167]

I have learned to be very very careful about initiating any cancellation or change of a reservation.  Recently a guest booked and within 30 minutes she learned the event she was planning to attend was going to be held in another city.  I assured her I would let her out of the 50% charge for cancellation, but she was very nervous and asked me to cancel it.  I have learned from experience never to do it. She even contacted Airbnb and they told her I  should be the one to cancel, but I knew better and insisted it had to come from her. Finally she called Airbnb and explained what happened, and that I was fine with her cancelling, and they called me to confirm.  Last week I pre-approved a guest for five days and then she wanted to change it to four days.  Again I told her I couldn't do it, though she didn't understand why.  I insisted she let my pre-approval exxpire and then re-book.  So my advice is to never cancel a reservation at the request of a guest, and if you have to cancel it yourself call Airbnb to make sure it can be done without it going on your record.  I have always found Airbnb agents on the phone to be responsive, and in every case they have resolved my issue.  And they always follow up with an email a couple of days later to ask if the problem is resolved, inviting me to respond if I still have questions.  My impression is that it's almost impossible to get Airbnb to change anything after the fact, so I do nothing without consulting them first.

[Amy38]

@Mary167 Mary, the way to change booking dates is to have the guest initiate a change....there is a button on her reservation page...she requests the change, it comes to you and you approve and its done...no need to call abnb.

[Mary167]

Yes, that's what I told her.  She wanted me to withdraw my pre-approval. I called Airbnb and was told it doesn't go against me to do that.   When I demurred they admitted it would affect my super host status and that I was smart not to do it.    The woman hadn't yet confirmed the booking, so all she had to do was wait out the 24 hours and rebook, which is what she did. 

[Annette33]

@Mary167 , seems a bit strange: yes, cancellations will be held against you for one year, not being able to achieve super host status. but withdrawing a pre-approval? It was not a booking, not even a decline, so I really don't think it has anything to do with affecting one's superhost status. who knows what that Airbnb representative meant with that remark ?

and really, changing a booking request by one day through "change reservation" isn't a cancellation either. I have done it as a host, as a curtesy so the guest didn't have to do it - and all was fine. I guess whoever knows better how to do it just does it , the other party has to agree to it then. that's all, Airbnb doesn 't have to get involved.

[Mary167]

To be honest I was already a bit ticked with the guest, and I figured if she wanted to change it or let the pre-approval expire or even decide to book somewhere else that was OK with me.  She had requested five days, which I pre-approved, then wrote to ask if she and her children could check out in the evening (around 7PM) rather than 11 AM.  This could be a problem if I get another guest on her checkout day because my check in time is 3PM, and I have to clean the apartment.  But I wanted to be accommodating, and it was a five day booking,  so I said OK.  Next thing I know she's contacted Airbnb to say she made a mistake & meant to only book for 4 days. I felt manipulated.  She did re-book for 4 days, but I'm stuck with the late checkout I promised, so I'm hoping nobody else wants to book for that day.  

[Sandra305]

@Rachael26 WAUW!!! finally !!! I though I was the only one getting frustrated, although this community help center thing is overloaded with the same complains again and again and again!!! I sended private feedback about this allready tons of times towards Airbnb but no response of course. 

First of all this ranking and rating system is completly crap! Since guests get a sort of "power " to be judgemental.  I went through the same experience you just described so I booked myself a room in Lisbon... I was stunned by the mail Airbnb sended to me as being a guest! They start out by comforting the guest saying : don't worry the host wont see what you wrote untill he/she revieuws you ... This gives the guest an extra power on top of the chocker the host is wearing allready "always scared to get a bad revieuw or a four star ranking"...  I have 93% 5 star revieuws but Airbnb sended me a mail THAT I NEED TO IMPROVE OR MY LISTING IS IN DANGER TO BE BLOCKED??? I called them and asked for explanation, they said its because I got 3 times 4 * ranking in one and a half month.... (not good enough!!!) 

They create a love hate relationship between the guest that is full and loaded of high expectations forgetting that they are booking a guestroom and not a hotel room with staff included, and the host that jumps whenever a guest snaps his/her fingers since we all need (pushed by Airbnb) the best possible ranking and rating... 

We can cry out loud as much as we want but if they refuse to give more credit to the host and a bit less to the guest than it's a lost case... 

Now the newest policy with airbnb is that every guest has the right to cancel a booking without reason upto 3 times a year getting full refund EVEN IF the host has a strict policy.   What's next?  Giving the guest to ask for a full refund after checkout based on the color of the bedsheet that they didn't like?  

Can you believe that I got a complain from a guest (followed by a mail from Airbnb) about the smell in the bathroom?  She didn't like Dettol smell at all???...  

I mean, will a host ever be able to level up with the too high expectations that Airbnb is putting in too much weight on our backs?  For me it's becomming frustrating and I started to discover that from time to time I don't do the extra kind thing for a guest anymore, simply because of how I had a few bad experiences with Airbnb.  Guests are our bosses and Airbnb is brainwashing them to keep an eye on us, it would be so nice if they would push the guests to be possitive! 

[Annette33]

@Sandra305, I wouldn't go that far to say that guests are the problem - the problem is with the ridiculous system Airbnb has set up is! That is what creates the anxiety and defensiveness in hosts when they don't reveive 5 stars at all times. It is the system that sets up this animosity between hosts and guests. 

In all fairness, like guests, hosts also can rate and give out stars to guests,   thus they/we also have "power". The fact that neither guest nor host can see the review the other has written until both have reviewed or until the review period is over does not "give the guest an extra power on top of the choker the host is wearing already".

Yes, the ratings system sucks, but bashing guests in general because of it is not the answer.

[Sandra305]

@Annette33 I'm not negative towards anything my dear.  But it 's time for Airbnb to - or stop giving people the opportunity to destroy or build one another, OR stop pushing people towards this ranking and rating (I have guests that ask me NOT to revieuw them since they find it a privacy issue, those are the guests that give me flowers, contact me after few weeks or months to say hi, the best guests ever... ) 

Ranking and rating should be an option if the listing totally doesn't match the promises. And the other way arround.  I 've been asked by two hosts from Lisbon now to be their co - host and I said thanks but no thanks... I refuse to put a guest in a not comfortable zone without a clean and tidy zone.  This is what I do at my places and I would never cheat on a guest.  But to be honest... shortly I'm asking my guests on wich base they booked my room (since I discover they don"t know anything from my listing) . The answer is  that they book according to the revieuws and the stars and dont botter reading the listing... THIS IS how a host gets in trouble! 

[Андрей6]

Sandra, you are the best))))

[Sandi17]

I absolutely agree with you. I worked hard to make sure my first guests were royally treated and asked them throughout their stay whether there was anything at all we could improve. They said there was not, but, at the end, only gave a mixture of stars 4 and 5. This was disappointing and so I asked why. They said that, for them, four stars was good but five stars was "outstanding" and therefore they would only give 5 stars in exceptional circumstances. If this is what is expected by guests then Air B and B need to adjust their expectations accordingly. I also think, if less than five stars is given, guests should be asked to say exactly why. If they do not give reasons for their decision, nothing can improve.

There is a lot Air B and B need to do to get their own house in order but I have the impression they are not interested in improving themselves!Getting feedback through to Air B and B is difficult and I find the absence of their contact details on their website very frustrating.I had a complaint against them but they did not properly address the issue and closed the complaint down too quickly and now I need to start all over again.They need to make sure hosts are looked after as well as guests - after all, without people offering their homes they would not have a business.

[Alicia139]

Yes i totally agree Rachael..i don't think it is correct at all that Airbnb sends out all these negative comments and stressful suspension things when people are clicking anything over 3star which means okay. I think its very bad psychology on a human basis and extremely negative. I think they should stop this system entirely as if a place as only 1 star that's the problem of that owner to make it nicer and better and work harder! In any case things happen in lives..sometimes someone has an accident or a bad personal experience or surgery- a relative has died etc. Things happen in life!  As a result of which perhaps the service  isnt the best at that time..in these cases it's enough for the owner to deal with his or her or their problems at that time anyway without added stress! 

AirBnb isnt a complete and positive enough experience for me as an owner yet... I rent out seasonally as i enjoy this and enjoy working in Tourism and Communications but I think the management teams in AirBnb are out of date still..Tourism is meant to be a positive experience for both the client but also the owner...it has to work both ways around. We do this as we enjoy this.. its very hard work but great fun and we get to meet people from every 'walk of life' from across the globe. 

I have been working with Booking.com for 6 years simply because there is no predujice at all to the owner, their service is complete,modern and dynamic with a very good marketing system and it works extremely well with a few simple clicks and it is an entirely positive and i will add 'peaceful'  experience. There is also a fantastic client service..and this is where they are a clever team as despite the digital computer organisation that we all use every day there is the essential human contact and a telephone number with a charming team available every working day in Paris. This gives me confidance. When everything goes well its great to do 'thirty clicks' and basta the reservations are made or whatever, marketing done, communications in place and everyone's happy but when it desont go smoothly..For example I had one or two bookings which were a bit dodgy and the booking.com team cancelled them for me....two strange people with two fake names from a village which doesnt exist..I didn't have to  battle with booking.com. They helped me..this saves time when we are busy parents with much work and a house in rennovation etc, dogs and the goat etc! and if they Booking.com make a triple booking for one weekend by mistake they take responsability. If i make a mistake then i do..Its a totally human, positive and as the english say 'fair and square' experience. Airbnb is far behind..its still too 'stressful'. 8/10 people in my tourism colleagues use Booking.com for these reasons as opposed to 3/10 for Airbnb.

95% of people in the cottage are totally charming...but my little country cottage  is not a 4star hotel with marble surfaces and its not meant to be either. Its what it says.. a pretty and well-equipped little cottage with steep steps not good for people with bad mobility or pregnant women etc but  a wonderful place for people who come to enjoy the sights of the region and who love nature, hiking, canoeing, biking and climbing etc.. as i do myself. Its a little house set in 'nature'..with a pretty garden that is shared with my family..sometimes we are three and sometimes its just me or my colleague. 

However once on Booking.com i had a terrible client, as happens to us all about once every year and half, there is always some moning minney in every place at one point!.. and these people having stolen articles in my house and trying to run off without paying got caught out in Fontainebleau and made to pay by a friend. They took revenge by saying the gite wasnt clean (we have professional cleaning ladies..all of us in the village and it is always perfect!), saying they didnt understand why there was a cleaning fee (thats obvious..this is included in all stays anywhere in the world) and they pretended they couldnt understand the site again. Whats worse is that i actually gave them a free breakfast also!  Booking.com gave me the right to reply which was wonderful as this was also correct after they gave me 4.6  for being made to pay up!

When i started AirbnB the very first client i had was unfortunately a rather negative experience and they gave me bad press saying that there wasnt enough intimacy..they only had a whole garden to use and if they wanted to be totally alone they only had the entire forest of Fontainebleau,..they destroyed my business on Airbnb for two years. Now ive finally had three lots of really nice people but i know now why there has been noone every since as Airbnb must have sent out loads of negative stuff from this first review...this is pointless and harmful for hard-working owners and also for their service. The star system is a good idea but they should take off all that negative stuff  they are sending out all the time definatively and take a leaf out of booking.coms service which is fab. 

Finally starting to do my own website..but have learnt a lot from these two  services

Have a good day in Asheville,

From France!

Alicia

[Sandra305]

wonderfull message!!! I agree!!! according to my post I got a blame from a certain Airbnb community worker all of a sudden since I disagreed with another host???? I asked her kindly to reply to my posted problem instead of my not agreeing with another host who seems to be defending Airbnb in any way... so far so good, I'm looking forward to a reply from "Lizzy"  a community help center worker who is ready to help us according to what I understood 😄 I'll keep you updated!!