4 star ratings

Answered!
Lauri-And-Roland0
Level 2
Orillia, Canada

4 star ratings

Our last 3 guests have given us a 4 star rating for cleanliness and value.  We live on the yacht too and our Airbnb stateroom and guest bathroom is cleaned after every stay .   We cannot clean up the entire Marina! Also for value, what more can we do for $85 a night...they get full run of the yacht, their own stateroom, bathroom, glass of wine on arrival plus a full breakfast?  Also some people will only do 4 stars no matter what...so how do we ever get Superhost Status? 

1 Best Answer

IF they have not provided private feedback to you about the cleanliness or value, reach out to them directly and ask.  Why did they mark you down for these things?  What can you do to improve for the next guest?  Be open and non-defensive  - respond after their feedback with a "thank you for sharing" message and that's all, even if your feelings are hurt.  Try to listen with an open-mind to see it from their perspective. 

 

You might learn that the guests "thought" a yacht would feel like living in an MTV video and it turned out it wasn't all that and a bag of chips - it was just a boat in a marina.  There's not much you can do except try to set "guest-pectations" better in the listing and manage those during their stay.  Tough to do for sure.  You might get some real feedback that you can do something about - maybe the head could use an airfreshener for the land-lubbers who aren't used to bathrooms smelling like, well, toilets (I'm not suggesting your bathrooms smell, I'm just being colorful).  Or maybe that thing that doesn't really bother you, really bothers your guests and you can fix it, like fingerprints or something you just don't see anymore living there.  

 

What you will learn is a lot more about the guest than what you can do to change things. We once got a 3 for value because we didn't have orange juice available in the morning.  For him, this was a horrible mistake and staying with us just wasn't worth it - all because we didn't have juice.  So I learned something - this guy likes his juice but he didn't bother to tell me at any time he just absolutely had to have juice to make his stay 5-star.  Do I buy juice now?  Nope. It was irrational. We've also noted that several of our lowered "location" scores were because our home is fully renovated, others on our street are not - YET!  So while we see the improvement, fully understand the changes taking place and love the diversity of our neighborhood, sometimes our suburban, middle-class, HOA-loving guests with their McMansion somewhere in Middle America do not.  We can't paint every house and you can't clean up every dock or boat.  There is little you can do about this lack of openness in people's eyes.  

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Personally I do not care for the superstar status, it's impossible to make everybody happy so I do the best I can do.
Ephraim0
Level 10
New York, NY

Lauri some people are unreasonable. I sometimes get 4 stars or 3 stars for location. I have to wonder if people don't know how to google a map. Some people are just not very nice or fair. I'm learning to ignore individual reviews and focus on the overall review. Also having a good relationship with each guest is very important. I greet every person warmly and try to throw in a few extras like snacks or ice cream. You'd be surprised little things go a long way. If people just stay on your yacht and its not a personalized stay at all they will tend to review you like they would review the holiday inn.

 

 I know how upsetting it is to get less than 5 stars when you know how hard you work to make things clean, but if youre keeping everything clean learn to ignore it. Also since it's happened 3 times you may want to message guests and state that you are concerned that they found the yacht less than perfectly clean, and you want to know what improvements you can make as you always strive to make stays the best they can be. Perhaps there's something you're unaware of that you can correct.

 

Good luck,

Ephraim

IF they have not provided private feedback to you about the cleanliness or value, reach out to them directly and ask.  Why did they mark you down for these things?  What can you do to improve for the next guest?  Be open and non-defensive  - respond after their feedback with a "thank you for sharing" message and that's all, even if your feelings are hurt.  Try to listen with an open-mind to see it from their perspective. 

 

You might learn that the guests "thought" a yacht would feel like living in an MTV video and it turned out it wasn't all that and a bag of chips - it was just a boat in a marina.  There's not much you can do except try to set "guest-pectations" better in the listing and manage those during their stay.  Tough to do for sure.  You might get some real feedback that you can do something about - maybe the head could use an airfreshener for the land-lubbers who aren't used to bathrooms smelling like, well, toilets (I'm not suggesting your bathrooms smell, I'm just being colorful).  Or maybe that thing that doesn't really bother you, really bothers your guests and you can fix it, like fingerprints or something you just don't see anymore living there.  

 

What you will learn is a lot more about the guest than what you can do to change things. We once got a 3 for value because we didn't have orange juice available in the morning.  For him, this was a horrible mistake and staying with us just wasn't worth it - all because we didn't have juice.  So I learned something - this guy likes his juice but he didn't bother to tell me at any time he just absolutely had to have juice to make his stay 5-star.  Do I buy juice now?  Nope. It was irrational. We've also noted that several of our lowered "location" scores were because our home is fully renovated, others on our street are not - YET!  So while we see the improvement, fully understand the changes taking place and love the diversity of our neighborhood, sometimes our suburban, middle-class, HOA-loving guests with their McMansion somewhere in Middle America do not.  We can't paint every house and you can't clean up every dock or boat.  There is little you can do about this lack of openness in people's eyes.  

Okay this is my concern!  Hopefully someone can enlightned me.   TWICE I have received 4 stars for the same guest.  The first time I thought well I will try harder.  Then they booked again for two different stays the place was spotless.  Again 4 stars.  The kicker is they booked their 3rd visit with me for memorial day! I did not charge a higher rate but let them know it was a deal.  I am so mad that I want to cancel the 3rd visit.  But it looks like I will be penalized with Airbnb and I do not want to upset my guests. 

So I will have to let them stay and receive another 4 star but I will NEVER book with them again. They also used "curry" in the kitchen and it stunk so bad! I like curry but that smell from starngers was hard. There was "underwear in the kitchen garbage" I mean really at least throw them in the garbage can. Your thoughts?  Just wrong...

@Michelle, honestly, at this point, I would message them now and let them know that Airbnb sees 4 stars as a negative review. Obviously, they do not dislike your space or they wouldn’t have booked again and again with you. Ask them what you can possibly do to give them a 5 star stay. Ask for their advice which will benefit you and future guests. If they don’t care to respond just put in their review that they were impossible to please.

I’m scared to mention it they are coming back next week don’t want them to get defensive. They might say I don’t give out five stars etc.  The review was positive what they said just 4 Stars. 

@Michelle955, I just looked at your listing. Have you been to that guests Airbnb profile?! He is also a a host with not so great reviews. He should know how the rating system works!

I forgot about that! It’s upsetting nothing  I can do but let them stay one more time and next time I will have the chance to decline the reservation! 

@Michelle955 Report and Block them from future bookings. Your listing will no longer be visible to them to book.

I just learned you could request a guest be blocked from future bookings . Just doesnt show up in their search. I called abnb and the rep took care of it. This wasn't even a guest who had stayed here yet and written his lousy review (as he had done for other hosts). He just canceled a few times and I didnt want him to have the opportunity to do it again. 

@Randy120   I would have reported and blocked him also. I also report and block spammers and guests I do not want to book if they send inquires I don't like I don't want them to be able to instant book. I just screwed up on one inquiry from a few weeks ago. I didn't want her and she instant booked last night on a group booking. 1 night split 6 ways, really? She's gonna be a pain in the neck guest even for 1 night. 

I had a very problematic guest last year.  She told us that because of our "crumbling side walk", she fell, spraining her wrist and ankle, spillin HOT coffee all over herself, etc.  I was very concerned with her well-being, but was busy trying to find a job at the time, so I couldn't talk to her in person until the next day.  When I talked to her, she was wearing shorts and a tube top with not a hint of scratch or swelling on her body.  In speaking to my daughter's boyfriend who was at home at the time of the incident, he said she walked out with a Big Gulp and told him after she fell that she just lost her entire cup of SODA.  The following day, we went to clean up the room after her stay and her things were still in the room.  She blamed her husband, who didn't travel with her, for not booking correctly and demanded to stay another night.  It was impossible to let her do so as we had another guest coming so she cleared out, not before telling us that she had lost a couple of diamonds from her wedding set in our home.

 

Two weeks later she booked the room AGAIN, saying she really enjoyed her stay.

I immediately messaged her and told her that I was not comfortable having her stay in my home after all the problems she had last time and that I would contact Airbnb to get her a refund.  I called Airbnb and they understood, seeing the back and forth messages (I only ever communicate via the app or in person) and contacted her.  I was not penalized when they cancelled her reservation.

Tell them that Air BnB dislikes 4 stars and you won't be allowing return guests that do not want to stay at anything less than a 5 star.

Annette33
Level 10
Prescott, AZ

The whole ratings game is rather ridiculous, please try not to worry about it!! Your overall rating looks like a solid 5 to me 🙂

Apparently what counts in Airbnb's eyes is the overall status.

I had one guest one time who gave us 5 stars all across the board, but then "only" 4 for overall. Huh?  In a private message after the stay she said she was hot, so there... AC was set to 76, you can't please everybody at all time..

Same for the super host status: it all is just a gimmick.

I personally wish the reviews and ratings were more honest. In my eyes a 4 star is darn good, or it should be! But here on Airbnb it is a minor catastrophe. 😉

When I now travel occasionally as an Airbnb guest, I really miss a more nuanced spectre of reviews: seems like everybody and eveything is getting 5 stars. Helpful? No...