What do you message to encourage guests to write a (5 star) review?

[Alice425]

I’m quite new to hosting and I’m beginning to appreciate that Airbnb rewards hosts for the percentage of guests that leave a review, besides the star rating of any reviews.  It seems to me that we can influence whether guests leave a review by writing a nice message to them on checkout.  

I think it is crass to ask for a 5 star review outright. Perhaps there is some other way to communicate the importance of it to the guests?  Also, what about the timing?  Do you “hit them up” on the day they leave?  Or wait a day?  

Thanks for for any Input!

[Maria3660]

Thanks for your posting.  A very smart and elegant way to ask for a 5-star rating.

[Chris2050]

VERY helpful, especially for a newbie like me. You preempt the 5-star problem in your welcome email, planting the idea before they even arrive. So, I revised my welcome message to include: "We work hard to maintain our 5-star rating, so if anything is out of place or needing attention when you arrive, text us and we will respond."

[Rich-and-Yan0]

That's a clever, non-aggressive approach to this sticky problem. Well done, and thanks.

[Rebecca181]

@Alice425 Given that guests are led to believe by Airbnb that a 4 star review is 'Very Good' and a 5 star review is 'Fantastic', yet, going forward we can be removed from the platform if we 'consistently' fall below 4.7, I believe it is important to educate guests about the reality of the review system, but in a non-intrusive, casual way.

Therefore, in my one page 'Cheat Sheet' which includes my most important rules regarding hot tub care and use and septic system sensitivies (given that most guests do not read our House Rules, even if they say they have), I include a brief note saying 'Airbnb's Review System Is Not The Same As A Hotel' and I give a brief blurb that five stars means that the listing description and photos were accurate and that the overall experience was excellent and that feedback from the guest in the form of a review will help future Airbnb users to determine if our beach cottage is the right place for them.

I also mention that Airbnb's review system is similar to Uber's in that anything less than 5 stars is viewed as less than acceptable by Airbnb. I also ask guests to let me know right away if they feel they are having less than a 5 star stay. I do not specifically ask for a review, and I do not ever ask for a 5 star review. I have a very high review rate since opening, even before I added all this into my 'Cheat Sheet' (over 90% last time I looked). Guests do seem to be enthusiastic about their experience and they do the review without any prompt from me beyond the Cheat Sheet.

I will also say that guests have thanked me for educating them about the realities of the Review system, saying they had absolutely no idea that anything less than a 5 could trigger warnings to the host, etc, from Airbnb. They also wondered why they are told '4 stars' is 'Very Good' by Airbnb when we hosts know that it is not. I wonder the same thing.

[Lisa723]

I ask if and only if the guest is new to Airbnb and makes some kind of departing remark about enjoying their stay. I never ask for a specific rating, just send a message saying we'd appreciate it very much if they have a minute to review their stay with us. In general, I think I probably don't want a review from a guest who is aware of the process but not motivated to leave one on their own-- and virtually all guests do leave one. However, I have recently added a small card in our spaces that briefly (and hopefully humorously) describes the difference between Airbnb's presentation to guests (ratings are a graduated scale) and its message to hosts (ratings are pass/fail and anything less than 5 is failure). I hope it won't be perceived as pushy. I did this after hearing from a friend who left a 4-star review and did not understand why her host was upset. She was astonished to learn what that actually means to a host now.

[Christina355]

I've asked for a review once, and it was only because I spent a lot of time with this particular guest and I just gently asked if she would be so kind as to write me a review since I was a new host and it would encourage other guests to book. She was totally cool with it and left a really nice review. It could also totally backfire, so it's definitely not something I normally do. I haven't had a ton of guests yet, but to me it seems that if I review the guest it promts them to review me (since Airbnb sends them a message reminding them their host left them a review & now it's their turn). So far all of my guests have been kind enough to leave reviews, even it they didn't do it right away.  It's scary to trust the guests to leave you 5 stars, but I prefer to leave them to their own decision. I'm one of those that will do the opposite of what you tell me if I feel pressured so I try to assume everyone is that way lol 

[Clara116]

Hey All - in our cottage I have a guest book and it asked them to leave, stories, events, feedback, recommendations, comments, anything. And it has been great - cause almost all guest leave comments, praise, cards, just really nice stuff, picture drawings, etc......and I think it helps them all with the review and what others think and say and gets em ready  for the review that will be asked of them when they depart....because so far - almost 60 groups and all 5 stars. It is lovely indeed. Happy hosting, Clara

[Alice425]

Clara, that sounds great, really fun.  I still need to get a guest book, plus make up a book of local hot spots but I’m on it.  I’m glad you’ve had such a good experience! -Alice

[Letti0]

@Clara116 I have a guest book also and every guest so far has signed it and given a review. I had guests over the holiday weekend. A serviceman on leave from Kiwait. It kinda broke heart with what he wrote in the book. I go above and beyond for military families always. I added what he wrote as a photo to my listing hoping it will help to make more people aware that we need to thank our service men and women for all they do for us. 

[Lizzie]

This is such a lovely comment @Letti0.

[Alison310]

Hi Alice,

As soon as I see a new notification for booking I message the guest  via Airbnb, saying something like ‘looking forward to meeting of hosting your visit.  If you have any questions or need anything just let me know and I’ll try and help. 

If their are children I will ask the age so I can make up right beds eg cot or junior bed if needed.  

I keep the messages down to earth to make it personal to them. Eg if they have already commented there visiting someone they already know the area.  If I find any discount leaflets I will leave in the property.  I provide milk and basics.   About a week before the visit I check in with something appropriate like, not long now along with a tip or do you need any other info.  Along with address and how to enter property.  I give an option of meet or lockbox.   Day or day after checking I message is all ok or a pop in. (Whatever feels right) 

I think people want to be reassured and kept informed and feel like they’ve had the personal experience, just to feel they fit in.  

I leave post it note on worktop with thank you messages from other guests to set a president that the property is valued. Always leave local magazine with local what’s on guide.  Also have guide To my place and local shops & takeaways.  

Overall I try and show an interest in what they are looking for in their stay.  Most importantly I keep it clean.  

I’m hoping it’s leading by example of what I would want in a stay.  

Ive never asked for reviews but  the post it notes are a working reminders that they are a part of a good experience.  I’m hopjng they want to shout about.  

[Elin11]

So I host and I also use air bnb when I am travelling and it pisses me off when I am asked for a 5 star review. I had one who asked me for it and my stay was anything but 5 stars which I put in my comments! 

I have also not reviewed where I have been asked to give 5 stars as someone who reviews things in my work I feel that where its desererved you will be awarded 5 stars without having to ask for it. 

i think its polite to ask if they enjoyed their stay and would they ming giving you a review but to ask for a certain rating is pushy! 

[Mark116]

The problem there is that guests think 4 stars is a good review, because the airbnb review template says 4 is 'good'.....so if you don't explain that airbnb will literally pull the listing if you have a 4 star rating, then they will think they're giving you a "good" review, when it's really damaging.  It put hosts in a very difficult situation, but since airbnb does not educate guests and the template that guests see is not reflective of how airbnb really evaluates the ratings, it is necessary to mention it, in my opinion.

[Sarah977]

@Elin11  As Mark says, guests are told by airbnb that a 4* rating is good, then turn around and send threatening messages to hosts for 4* ratings, and Superhosts lose that status for anything less than a 4.8 average. They are outright lying to the guests. Therefore it falls on hosts to let guests know how the rating system works.

I never ask for a 5 star review, I simply tell guests that hosts are rated on the percentage of reviews their guests leave and that Airbnb will strip me of Superhost status if my rating falls below 4.8 They are all shocked to learn that. Some have said they wish they'd known that, becuase they had rated some of their other stays at 4*s thinking that was good (that's what airbnb tells them, after all), when it was fine and they had no complaints. 

My guests have actually thanked me for this information- they have all been really nice people and said they would feel terrible to find out that their 4 star rating had gotten a great host stripped of their Superhost status.

I also tell them that I want all my guests to review honestly- that if they felt it didn't meet their expectations or wasn't satisfactory in some way, I would want to know. 

So no asking for 5 star reviews, just education on how it actually works from the hosts end.

[Elin11]

I get that I host and travel using air bnb but there is a difference between educating and asking for a 5 star review. 

The request I had was if you enjoyed your stay give 5 stars so on one I didn't review it as I didnt feel it was worth 5 stars and I thought it was rude to ask as I wouldn't and on the other they did not deserve 5 stars and I told them so in the review.