Overall Rating & Category Rating

[Nic21]

My guest personally claimed that he gave me all 5 stars, but it ends up the 'Overall Rating' is only 4 stars.

I'm wondering how it works? Because I thought the Overall Rating shall be calculated by a formula based on all Category Rating, for example like: 30/6 = 5 stars.

Overall Rating shall not be rated by Guest anymore, because the mistake they've done during rating it, they cannot undo it & it affects the Host's listing rating unreasonably. 

Anyone knows or experience this before?

[Rosanna51]

It’s just how they write that your overall rating is 4.9 stars. 

[Trevor-and-Paty0]

I agree.  I believe that the sub categories: Accuracy, Location, Value etc. should be done first....then the overall rating calculated.  It makes no sense that someone gives 5 stars in every sub-category, but then your overall rating is a 3 or 4.  Additionally, I think there should be a pop-up or something that explains location.  There is a map function where people literally get to pick the location of their Air BnB.  Was Location accurately described could be the category.  But, if someone knowingly picks to stay at an Air BnB in the suburbs and then knocks the location because it isn't downtown, that is pretty ridiculous.

[Karen622]

I completely agree.  I had someone give me 5s in every category except, but my overall was 4 because he thought the mattress was too hard.  Another review from a fellow Airbnb host, stated that she was alarmed at the noise she could hear from my area of the home (she rented a guest suite in my home with a separate entrance).  It was Christmas Eve and  my kids were in town....AND SHE'S IN THE SAME HOUSE AND KNEW SHE WOULD BE!!!  UGH!!!  All 5's for everything across the board and then a 4 overall.  I don't get why the overall is not calculated automatically.  Very frustrating.  I have 94% of my guests rating me a 5 and 6% rating me a 4.  Out of that 6%, all but 2 rated me 5 stars in EVERYTHING except overall.

[Tez1]

The same happened to me. A guest gave us 5 stars on everything but rated us 4 stars overall. It’s quite frustrating! He will be back for a second visit which is concerning, as one guest giving us two 4 star reviews drops our complete overall which was great before 😞 

[Matthew285]

@Tez1, well, if they are returning this is your chance to explain to the guest that a 4-star Overall rating hurts you, and is a bit confusing given that they gave you 5-stars in all the categories. It sounds like they really enjoyed staying with you, so they should be happy to give you 5-stars overall.

[Stephanie6]

Just had the same thing happen.  Positive review and 4 stars overall despite 5 stars in each category.  He was travelling on business, so if he does book again I will definitely ask where we fell short resulting in the 4 star overall rating. 

I would prefer a simple thumbs up/down like we give the guests.  Airbnb can compute the overall rating based on the category stars. 

[Dawn164]

I agree that the overall rating should not be lower than the individual ones

[Ori6]

 I just had the same situation!
A guest rated all the categories 5*, left a great review and was very happy - but the "overall rating" was 4*.
I asked him about it (politlely of course) and he said it was an honest mistake.
i called Airbnb and was told that once a review is published - it cannot be changed.
However, if it lowers the rating of the host in a way that might affect his Super-Host status for example, the review can be completely removed.
I didnt want that to happen of course, so now I need to live with the only 4* review I ever got, because airbnb cant change a review.

I was also told its important that we send them feedback about such things, so I URGE everyone here to send them this important feedback:
https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback

Thanks 🙂
Ori 

[Laura1455]

@Ori6I totally get what you mean, the same just happened to me yesterday, the guest told me he was so happy,  posted a very nice Review, even thanked me for allowing him to stay 5 hrs more after our official check-out time and stated that he recommended our place 100%. He ranked us with 5 stars for each category but still gave us 4 stars on the overall.

When I tried to find out with him what the reason was, he mentioned that is was because he had some recommendations and he would have liked (note that he told me until after he checked-out and I asked him, and his Review he mentioned none of this), so he said:

     - We would have liked to have a lamp on the night table

     - We would have like to have darker colors on the curtains

     - We would have liked the bathroom plastic cover for the seat to be bigger

     - We would have liked you to include shaving cream as an amenitie

I explained to him that for the first 2 items, in our pictures we describe the bedroom and all apartment areas and he could have realized that the curtains were white from looking at the pics, it would be so hard for us to customize them for each guest taste, specially because we do not know them before, for the lamp at the night table, I also explained that as in the pics he could see, we do not have one, so if he needed one, he could have asked for it and we could have discussed if possible.

For the bathroom seat plastic cover, I said that it was his preference but I would find it hard to also fit every guest taste on how they like the cover seat if small or big, note that it was nothing functional, just he wanted a bigger seat. And about the shaving cream, well, we offer shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, body cream,  hair gel, toothpaste, cotton mini pillos and ear tips, but unfortunately well, not shaving cream.

So I am wondering that due to the "lack" of those things that at the fist place we never claim to provide is that he decided to give us a 4 stars overall rank, to me it looked just unfair, so so unfair, mostly because all the other reviews we have, guests have adored our place and details, so being punished because of those 4 things and leaving aside a 5 hrs late check-out, a basket of amenities we give to them and to pay $20 dlls  per night for an entire apartment for 2 people in our city downtown, aaggrrr, it honestly makes me feel frustrated 😞

Airbnb response was that they do not change Reviews nor scores unless it is a critical situation, I assume lik the one you detailed Orin, so yet, I am giving them feedback as well, I think the Overall score should not be lower than either the average of if unanimous scores among the categories, then the overall should be allowed to be set lower.

Thanks!

[Andrew460]

Oh Dios mios guest like these SMH...

[Susan990]

Location. Location. Location.  This topice rings my bells as a Realtor since 1983.  What does that Word mean- today and historically?  When a hotel chooses a site to Locate it considers traffic and arterial transporation channels . It locates where it is allowed to build per zoning regulations and infrastructure. When a private property owner decides to offer a spare room or a property in private ownership to the public as an alternative to commercial nightly lodging the topic  "Location" and its value as a consideration of lodging location is altered entirely. 

  Development of the understand by Guest Lodgers for Airbnb and all alternative nightly lodging offerings must be consciouse and intelligent about the distinctions  between commerical and alternative nightly lodging offerings. 

  The entire point of origin of Airbnb lodging product development has always been and continues to be in reality all about making a place to stay where commercial lodging does not exist.  Does not exist. This salient fact stands tall to the fact that global travel has increased globally to places where commercial lodging does not exist.  Ergo, you can get there but there is no place to stay. No room for the night.

  Think about Jesus. His parents travel to Jerusalem.  They need to be there at this time to pay taxes. All the rooms are booked. The only place they have to 'stay' for the nite is where they parked the car. i.e. the donkey, for the nite.

  Should they submit a review of the manger provided for their baby? Should they rate the barn and the hay for comfort? How many stars?  Oh yes, there were 3 stars guiding this holy family to this place to stay. So a 3 Star rating worked for Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus.

[Carol-Lee1]

I love your description of location.  Very to the point.  I rented my little two room apartment to a woman who was in town to visit her neice who was a student at the university about three blocks from my place.  There literally is no other place to stay.  No motels or hotels.  One other “real” Bed and Breakfast charges more than twice as much for just a bedroom.  She gave me 4 stars for location because she would have preferred to be at the beach.  How is this fair?  I’m about 150 Miles from the beach.  It’s not as though she could have had that if she booked another place in town.  People really do not understand the star system and it’s not fair to hosts especially because we don’t get to post any rebuttal to a less than 5 star rate.

[Andy370]

I’ve had guests on several occasions give me 5 star ratings for every category yet give the overall score as 4.8 for no valid reason. By definition the overall score should be an average of all other scores and hence calculated.

[Andy370]

I meant 4 stars not 4.8, oops 

[Breighana0]

Did you try calling airbnb?  There is a category called "respects house rules" that the guest rates you on.  If they leave it blank, airbnb takes your rating down to 4, even if you have 5 stars for every category