Good review but low rating

[Erica-Mireille0]

Hej everybody,

I started being a host in December 2018 and it was going well until my first guest in 2019 gave me a good review but gave me a 3 star which has put me into a bad 4.3 overall rating. Can someone in the community please help me to look at my listing to see where I can do better. My place is spotless and I try to ensure the best service but I guess it's not going through to the guests.

thank you forehand.

[Ann72]

Hi @Erica-Mireille0, Strasbourg looks so pretty.  I looked at your listing and thought the photos were somewhat unappealing.  They should be taken during the day, so there's natural light coming into the space, and they should be taken in landscape mode, not portrait mode.  The bed should be super neat with 4 pillows, and you might want to think about introducing some color by having a throw at the foot of the bed or some colorful pictures on the wall.  I don't think the cover photo should be a nearby building - it could be the exterior of your building or the room itself.  Put in more photos and captions that describe what the guest is seeing and what the guest has use of.

This is a separate issue from the 3 stars.  You don't say what the guest marked you down for.

[Erica-Mireille0]

Hi Ann,

Thank you so much for taking your time to look at my listing. Now that you mention all thoae things, I can see what you mean. I'll improve those things and hopefully it will get me back on track. Thank you again.

[Ann72]

Hi @Erica-Mireille0 I just saw your answer (no tag and no like so I wasn't aware) - and I looked at your listing and it looks fantastic now.  Well done!  Sounds like your guests are happy, too.

[Mark116]

I agree, the photos need some kind of color accessories and maybe something on the wall.  It looks a little too utilitarian.

[Ange2]

@Erica-Mireille0    I agree with others, the photos do not say "cosy".  Dress it up in colors. I think you could do with a few more photos as well. You could add some close-up images of the amenities you offer, coffee machine, computer desk, shampoo etc. Plus a few more different views of the room, and the view out of the window if there is one, if no view stress quiet, peace,  plus images of the famous market and other nearby tourist attractions, etc.

[Erica-Mireille0]

@Ange4 Thank you so much for your suggestions! 

[Sarah977]

@Erica-Mireille0  Aside from the suggestions you've been given, it happens often that guests give low stars when they thought the place was just fine. The problem is that Airbnb leads guests to think that 3*s is okay, that 4* is good, when in fact, they penalize hosts for dropping below a 4.7 average. So it's often not that the guest wasn't pleased, but that they don't understand how damaging low stars can be for hosts.

You might find this thread informative and useful: 

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/How-can-we-Hosts-quot-educate-quot-Guests-about-how-the-...

[Joe765]

I am having the same issue too with receiving low ratings. I started hosting in July 2019. My first ever guest gave 5*. After my last three guests I’m down to a 3.7* average. One of my guests left a poor review despite the fact house rules were not followed and there were major check in issues in which the guest is to blame (guest arrived a lot earlier than planned and when I asked through the app what time they planned on arriving, no response from the guest).

I host only on the weekends and prior to a guest checking in, a maid comes in and cleans, takes out the trash, etc. I also make sure necessities are available and the entire unit is in good working order and presentable to guests. I am also generally away (but can be contacted) when I host. When I am contacted, I respond generally within 15-30 minutes.

What can I do to improve my rating?

[Sarah977]

@Joe765  One thing you might need to do is to learn to better vet prospective guests. Read their past reviews, read how they present themselves in their profile. have they bothered to even fill it out in a personable way? You can also cross-refernce reviews- look at a review they were left by a host,then click on that host's profile to see to how they have reviewed their previous stays. Do they have a history of always criticizing the places or the hosts they stayed with? (Of course, sometimes complaints are warranted) Did they grouse about having a bad check-in experience, when the host's response to that review makes it clear that the guest failed to answer their messages re arrival time, didn't bother to read the host's check-in information that was sent?

Does the guest communicate nicely during or after the booking process? Tell you something about themselves and their purpose for taking a trip, say they are looking forward to staying? Or do they only send messages like "Arriving early aft, not sure what time." Do they ask for special allowances right off the bat, like a discount, that they want to bring their dog when you don't allow pets, ask (or simply expect) that you accommodate an early check-in or late check-out?

There are red flags that you can learn to recognize that can lead a host not to accept a reservation. This may lead to better reviews because you are weeding out non-appreciative people before they darken your doorstep and then leave you a bad review.