Review system is frustrating

[Anthea26]

I am looking for advice as to how to handle future guests and their potential subsequent reviews when they give you glowing comments and 5 stars in each category, but then rate their stay 4 stars overall? How is that even possible? It affects my rating (currently 4.88) out of 112 reviews. I’ve had two 4 star reviews (with 5 star in each individual categories) and a 2 star ( guest tripped over) and a 3 star as she hated my skylights despite disclosing them in the listing. Any tips? Would guests feel uncomfortable if I send a check out message stating how wonderful they were as a guest and that I’m planning to rate them 5 stars...so hope they do the same. Too icky? 

[Anonymous]

@Anthea26 Yes, icky in my opinion. It's a common complaint of hosts here, and if you read comments from guests elsewhere online you'll also see complaints about hosts obviously grubbing for 5 star reviews. Let it go, let it go.

The simplest explanation for the discrepancy is that the guest's Overall impression was imperfect as a result of one of the many factors that aren't covered by that list of individual categories. Such as, the comfort of the bed, the room temperature, the taste in home design, noises or smells or who knows what else. You can ask them a out it if it's really bugging you, but if guests feel like explaining their ratings they already had the chance to do so in the private comments.

You can drive yourself crazy over this stuff but at the end of the day it's just numbers, and all you do as a host is bigger than the tactics a website uses to manipulate you. 

[Maria568]

I understand how you feel Anthea ... it happened to me today for the second time ... all 5 stars , overall 4 !! no complains , no comments , great review ... I've just said something privately in the line of her score can affect my superhost status  4.9 at the moment... but it is nothing we can do ... keep the good work !

[David6574]

If a host were to message me and tell me that they planned to write a good review of me in exchange for a 5-star review of them... I would probably give them 4 stars out of spite.

Let your guests do what they will do. As a guest that has stayed all over the world, I do not care much about "Superhost" status, or about ratings, as long as the overall rating is 4.5 or above. What I care more about is what other guests have written in their reviews and how the host has replied to those reviews.

[Sandra856]

@David6574 Airbnb expects every host to have at least 4,7 so there really isn't an option to ignore what ratings guest's decides to give. 4,5 and the host will have a constant warning sign with a message on his/hers dashboard saying that the host needs to improve - very stressful. If the host gets below 4,5, airbnb will sometimes pause the listing. 

If you as a guest receives less than 5 stars in the categories your host rates you in the next host will think you were lacking in that category. 

[Brian1663]

Hey, at least you know your star rating!  I just found out we guests are rated by hosts and we aren't even privy to that information.  Fun fact:  I love Air BnB.  16 rentals under my belt as of today!

[Sandra856]

Hi @Brian1663 🙂 I'm a host but I'm also a guest and I don't know my guest ratings either - Hopefully they are good 🙂 

[Cathy157]

I have just recieved a horrific review, 1 star, and this will obviously give my listing a serious knock (even though the past year has seen guests give me mainly 5 star reviews).  It was a dreadful guest, and while I can simply regret ever having him stay, there is no way to ever undo this rating he gave me.  If I get another year of 5 star reviews it will never cancel this one out.  And, apart from feeling so ashamed that my listing now has this scathing review, I know that this will forever affect future bookings.  I would not book a place that has a 1 star review (even though it is the only review of it's kind) and I use Airbnb on every trip I make. So, what are my options?  Do I de-list? I feel that before guests can even give a 1 star review they need to motivate this with airbnb (a red flag of sorts) because the damage that this does is irreparable.  

[Susan17]

@Anthea26 

Regardless of whether or not it's icky (although it is, and most guests really don't like it), telling a guest you're leaving them 5 stars, and even hinting that they do the same for you, is considered by Airbnb to be Incentivisation, which is in direct violation of Airbnb's Review and Content policies, and can get you suspended or delisted. 

Airbnb's Dispute Moderation For Reviews

Extortion and Incentivisation 

Violations may result in the restriction, suspension or termination of your Airbnb account.

This policy prohibits:

• Hosts requiring a guest to leave a positive review or rating, or to revise a review in exchange for a partial or full refund, or a reciprocal review

Airbnb's Review Policy. 

2. Reviews Should Be Unbiased

You are not allowed to incentivise positive reviews, to use the threat of a negative review to manipulate a desired outcome, or to influence another’s review with the promise of compensation.

Airbnb's Content Policy

The following content is never allowed on Airbnb:

• Reviews that are biased or exhibit indications of extortion/incentivization

Also, there are a number of viral news stories circulating at the moment, which are shining a very uncomfortable spotlight on all the (many) ways Airbnb's review system is being abused and manipulated for nefarious purposes, and gaining a lot of terrible publicity for the company, so you can be sure than any host who gets reported by a guest for even the most tenuous of review policy violations, will suffer harsh consequences. Truly, not worth the risk.