I have been trying to achieve and maintain 80% 5-star reviews to be able to get super host status on our house. Have been a host for just over 4 months. I was at 80% but my place just got a 4-star review, so now it will probably only be at best 79% for the next assement. Since one of my next guests is staying 3 weeks!
I have no idea why she left that rating, she also gave me 5 stars for everything except a 4-star review for cleanliness. Ironically she was one of the guests who was less clean than most.. Putting lots of trash in the recycling bin, leaving a chair from the dining room in the bathroom! Also she cleaned out all of the snacks and drinks and the full assortment of specialty teas I provide my guests.. (A first time for that after hosting 27 stays!) Of course I left her a 5 star review anyway.. Cause I tend to be the kind of person who does that...
I try to go the extra mile.. I provide coffee, tea, oatmeal, popcorn, granola bars and an assortment of other snacks, wrapped chocolates, and sometimes wine for guests who book for a longer stay. I also provide sodas and bottled water, and fresh fruit, as well as a fully stocked kitchen with new dishes, and cuisinart pots and pans, netflix and dvds, games, children's toys, original art and art photos on walls! I have local guidebooks and maps and an extensive list of restaurants and recommendations. I even provide usb phone chargers, and extra outlets.
I meet guests and give them a tour and leave our personal cell phone numbers, and a printed house manual, which asks people to please call for any issue big or small.
I have new beds with memory foam pads, and all brand-new premium cotton sheets and comforters. The house is cleaned for 4 to 6 hours between each visit.. sweeping, mopping, shining everything.
I think the issue may be that this is an older house which is in the process of being fixed up. So, there are still some items, such as the bathtub which are worn. so we spend 20 minutes cleaning the tub, but it still has some spots which are porous and worn! The kitchen floor is also worn.. so despite scrubbing it... It will not look perfect, likewise some of the mirrors.
I mention in my description that I have priced the property a bit lower than most others in the neigborhood because it is being fixed up... But still I think that some of the 4 star reviews are due to the fact that a house with older fixtures will not sparkle as much as a new one.
Also, I tend to accept everyone as guests. I notice that 3 of the 5 non 5 star reviews I have received came from people who were brand-new or almost brand new to airbnb.
I'm considering leaving a suggestion questionnaire which lists some improvements we are planning to make over the next 6 months, and lets people rank them, or make other suggestions for improvements.
Or should I be more selective of my guests, and not take ones who have not stayed on airbnb before?
I'm also thinking of explaining the rating system to them in my house manual.. I also plan to ask anyone who leaves a 4 star rating what I could do to improve. I also wanted to check. Is it true that airbnb suspends people if their rating is at 4.5?
I'm amazed if this is true. I have had an occupancy rate of about 85-90% - I have to block out days from getting rented just so I can do deep cleaning, and some fixups... so it looks like I'm making a lot of money for airbnb. and I have been working nonstop to improve my guests experience as much as possible. In general they seem quite happy. I talked to a friend recently who mostly books on vrbo.. and I wonder if their system is less stressful. She doesnt have any of these issues. She doesnt even meet her guests.
Or perhaps I should turn off instant book, and send them the list of the things which are not yet "perfect" and get them to read that before booking.
The other crazy thing is that I have upgraded so many things, such as premium egyptian cotton towels, new cookware, new grill, newly refurbished goldfish pond with waterfall, etc. and no one mentions these things...
I wish that instead of the current rating system, airbnb actually had a more detailed system helped us know what specific things led a guest to give a less than 5 star rating... What is the point of the rating system, if we are left in the dark, and can't attempt to improve the problem.