Am I being too sensitive?

[Carol-Lee1]

I have one review that is just driving me crazy to figure out why I got a 4 star on value.  These folks changed their reservation last minute and came a day early.  They didn't arrive until 4AM and I stayed up to greet them.  Then because they were fleeing the Florida hurricane I didn't charge them for that extra day.  They seemed happy with their stay with their two dogs.  But they gave me a 4 star review on value!  I was stunned.  My rates are the lowest for Air BnB around and for most hotel and motels.  What do you have to do to please people?

[Ben205]

@Carol-Lee1

Have you asked them why? If it's that annoying, send them a message and remind them they got an extra day for free. Reviews are in, they can't change it!

[Fred13]

Some people quite do not grasp what the BIG difference is ~in the Airbnb world~ betwenn 4 and 5 stars.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Carol-Lee1 you can not make everyone happy, forget it. Some people are just ungrateful, some have unrealistic expectations, some think that 5* is for Burj Ar Arab only. 

Even if you would offer free stay it would always be someone who would rate you bellow 5* because you don't serve brekfast too 🙂

[JC-Vacations0]

@Carol-Lee1 I completely understand how you feel. I had one guest give me 3 stars for value when I first started hosting. 

I was very confused since I had just listed and priced my home lower than anyone else in the area. I think generally, some people will never give 5 stars since no listing is 'perfect' so don't take it too hard.

Another weird phenomenon I've noticed is that guests don't actually want to pay the lowest price possible. When they are paying the lowest price, it feels like there is something wrong with the place and the host knows something that the guests don't. As such, they are more likely to give lower reviews. I would try pricing my Airbnb similar to others but not any lower (you want guests to book because they love your place, AVOID bargain hunters)

Hope that helps!

[Todd-and-Reese0]

We had some folks IB without reading the listing description or house rules or contacting us. Once they got here they made sure to mention that they were from Houston and taking a break from the chaos. They then asked for the moon and laid it on so thick about how they were put out by the hurricane. We found out they were going from place to place doing this because they told us what their last hosts did for them! They totally expected us to give them a free place to stay and feed them. Profile didn't say they were from Houston. Probably scamming. Luckily, they could only book for 3 nights. We expect a ding in value because we didn't give in. Oh, well.

[Ben205]

@Carol-Lee1@JC-Vacations0

Definitely agree with not dropping your rates too low. That's a race to the bottom. Being the cheapest isn't always the best for business and may well send out the wrong message.

You want people who appreciate what you offer and don't use your place as a party den or doss house (if you have those over there).

[Carol-Lee1]

Thanks for your wise advice.  I've put a lot of effort and money into creating this space so it surprises me when people aren't as impressed as I expect them to be.  I guess I could drive myself crazy second guessing my decisions.  I'm finding the whole experience to be very rewarding overall but I just want to make as sure as I can that I'm doing it right.  I just added to my description that I'm not a traditional B&B because I think some people might be expecting the breakfast thing.  Thanks again for your support!  Much appreciated.

[Tomi5]

@Carol-Lee1 For what it's worth, I think your space is beautiful and I'd book it in a heartbeat!

[Marzena4]

@Carol-Lee1 Just five cents - try to predict what review guests may leave. There are a lot of patterns in their behaviour, maybe one day I will come up with a tutorial. 🙂

[Carol-Lee1]

I wish you would do a tutorial for what to expect from different guests.  I think I'm bending over backward for them and some of them don't seem to appreciate it.

[Ana7]

I had my heart broken by my last guests, too... They were fleeing the flooding that came over them in a camping place, and came to my place. I live in a residential area and have a nice garden. I let them wash their muddy tent in the garden, it was hung all over it and it hung for two days until it dried so they could fold and pack it away. And when they left, they rated my locaten with 3 stars. I couldn't believe it. Yeah sure they would have been able to wash the tent in the city center, at a 5 star location! And the whole rating they gave me was 4. 

I am really considering not taking the first-time Airbnb-ers anymore....

[Carol-Lee1]

I completely understand.  I'm starting to feel used.  Gave my last guests a special rate for three grown men.   They couldn't back their truck and trailer up into the parking area so I let them leave it in the drive.  They drank the beer, gatoraide and shots that were left by the prior guests.  Ate the snacks I left them which included donuts and banannas and soda,  left my dog gate open and were very noisy especially when they came in at 11:30 PM.  I discovered after they left that two towels and one face cloth were completely covered with black grease. They left me a 4 start rating for cleanliness.  I was told the linens and towels weren't clean enough.  All the linens and towels are basically brand new!  The only dirty things were the things they left behind.  The man who rented the space had no prior host references and I shouldn't have let him rent.  Next time I won't, but in the meantime because of the way the ratings work, I said I would approve him again, so I wish I could change it.  They were my worst guests so far.  I'm just to insecure I guess. I'll have to toughen up.

[Fred13]

The Airbnb 5-star system has one major flaw from the start: It borrowed from the ~hotel~ star system, so everyone that uses it needs to learn individually that 5-stars in Airbnb and in hotel ratings are two different things. A 5-star hotel rating means a level of luxury, in Airbnb means a level of matched expectations, for the price. That is a tricky amount of evaluation for many people.

[Paul154]

@Carol-Lee1 Sorry you've had a bad encounter.

You're not being too sensitive, just too generous.

Please start saying NO.

These are people you cannot please. Period.

This is business and you must protect yourself and your good heart.

Never do anyone a favor, such as giving them an extra day for free or letting their 2 dogs stay for free.

The problem is human nature.

You think you're doing them a favor. But if you look at it from their side, you are taking their money.

They don't see it as a favor, just an expertly negotiated deal.

A host should have no expectation of good-will from a discount. Their wallet is thinner because of your interaction.

We take their money and that gives them the right to say whatever they want.

It is harsh. I've been in this business for 30 years and I still struggle being a pushover by manipulative people.

Fortunately, if we follow the standard and our policies, we usually get great guests.