Declining a Guest - I thought reviews were meant to be honest!

[Cecilia155]

I've been a guest and a host so have seen both sides of the coin.  I stayed in an apartment earlier this year and it was great location suited my needs, however there were some issues that I raised privately with this host.  Overall gave the host a 4 stars (due to those issues raised PRIVATELY -  not even on his review profile).  I requested to stay with this host again.  He declined - due to me giving him the 4 stars.  I've had guests leave me 4 stars want to come back and then gave me 5.  He said 80% of his guests leave him 5 stars.  As a host, I would want to know where I need to improve, am I missing something?  

[Lisa723]

@Cecilia155 like @Letti0 I have blocked the few guests who have left a 4-star review (or less, heaven forbid). Why should I risk it? This is a rational and pragmatic response to an irrational system. As a host you surely understand that wanting suggestions for improvement and wanting a five-star rating are not incompatible goals. This host is not "taking it out on" you, he's just protecting his own business from further punishment at your hands.

[Noel63]

I probably wouldn't want to risk another 4 star review either. As a host, you know that if someone averaged 4 stars, Airbnb could suspend them from the platform. If the listing was bad enough to be put in a position of being suspended, then why would you want to stay there again?

[Sarah977]

@Cecilia155  The overall star rating isn't really any kind of valuable feedback for the host, anyway, because it doesn't identify the problem, all it does is maintain the host's status quo or punish.

The individual star ratings (aside from Location, which the host can do nothing about except describe accurately, which would fall under "Accuracy") are valuable feeback, because they speak to specifics - Was my Communication with the guest on point and polite? Do I need to do a better job Cleaning? Do I need to tweak my listing description so that guests aren't confused or misled (Accuracy)? Are my directions and door lock information easily understood and followed (Check-in)?

And the individual star ratings don't count against a host's continued listing. (Unless maybe they kept getting 1*s for cleanliness or something). So 4* away on those, but don't give a host a 4* overall if you consider it good enough that you'd stay there again.

[Sarah977]

@Cecilia155  I suggest you read this post- he really nailed it.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Please-Consider-Reverting-or-changing-your-rating-system...

[Kim87]

This thread is in itself a perfect illustration of the review system flaws and how biased it is. As hosts we want honest reviews for potential guests, but we don't even see how many stars our guest got for each category, just an overall rating or thumbs up. We also all know how an overall 4 stars review affects our rating. I can understand your host @Cecilia155, as i can understand you for leaving what you felt was a constructive and honest review.

I'm always nervous when i host other hosts, although i've only had good experiences so far. As a guest, i've rated other hosts 5 stars after a great stay even when there was a little bit of dust under the bed or tiny things that weren't perfect. I kept that for private feedback, knowing how it is to be in their shoes. I read listings thoroughly and never encoutered a bad experience so far.

That being said, i wouldn't ask to stay again at a place where i felt, as a host aware of the system (unlike most renters), a 4 stars rating was necessary. I would have choose another place.

[Mark116]

If  I can't leave a 5 star I don't leave a rating at all and give private feedback unless there is something really out of whack that seems dishonest or dangerous or something.

[Marian65]

 It's called karma.

[Rebecca181]

I agree with @Kelly-And-Dan0 and @Sarah977 on this one.  A 4 star overall is very difficult to come back from. But only because Airbnb's review system is so irrationally punitive towards hosts. I had an intelligence-challenged millenial give me a 4 star overall for what until then had been my 100% 5 star rental because he did not read the listing, didn't read the photo captions, and was upset that he was staying in my beautiful Beach Cottage and not the Sun Room (one of the amenities) because he thought the Sun Room was a tiny house. It was my first 4 star revew. It took me literally months to recover from that. So, not that you did anything wrong at all by speaking to the host privately. But knowing what I know about the review system and how a less than 5 star overall review impacts a super host, I simply would not have left a review at all. Unless you felt that his rental was mediocre and not super host worthy and wanted to communicate this to other prospective guests. Which may be how he took it, which is why he doesn't want you as a guest again.

[Sarah977]

@Cecilia155   Here's an example- it's a 20 minute walk to town and the beach from my listing. This is clearly stated in my listing, is preferable to the majority of my guests because it is so noisy and crowded in town, and I reiterate the distance when my guests book, suggesting that they don't forget to bring a hat and good walking shoes.

I had a guest who was in her early seventies and she mentioned while she was here that she wasn't used to walking that much and that her feet were hurting a bit. She wasn't complaining,  just commenting, and we got along very well and had some nice times together. 

She gave me a 5* review, but mentioned in her written review that older or out-of-shape people might find the walk a bit much. This was totally fair, and informed prospective guests. If she had simply given a 4*star overall because of this, it wouldn't have meant anything to other guests, except that my listing wasn't that great, and would have hurt my standing for no reason.

[Giedre-and-Andre0]

@Sarah (BTW, Nice reviews and great listing you have!)

its not complicated. For example:

If a listing is rated 4* 50 times out of 100 than there is probably something serious wrong with this stay!

If a listing has 4* for cleanliness, than you need to improve and clean up!

If a guest had a great time but wants to make some constructive points,

tell host in person or leave a private feedback!

BUT, If a listings shoes 5* in ALL categories and 5* overall rating from 134 votings,

and a guest is giving a 4* THAN ITS PROBABLY THE GUEST 😉

AND THIS WOULD BE A POINT, I'M PICKY WITH ACCEPTING GUESTS OR NOT!

It is very important for other hosts to reply on unfair ratings.

I try always to read reviews GIVEN (from guests) to other hosts to understand

what kind of person coming to my house and running around with my key.

All HAPPY CAMPER are welcome!

Here is the listing Cecilia was complaining about:

134 reviews

In all categories 5*

Beautiful Apartment

Right on Australia's Gold Coast, almost Ocean-Front

And NO, I would not host her.

Here the listing (not sure if they allow a link):

**

**[Link removed due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Emily487]

We've only had one repeat guest but I would not welcome a 4* reviewer back either. Why risk another overall 4* to tank your ratings with AirBnB? The only overall 4* rating we received from our only guest who asked for (and received....ugh) a discount on his stay - and he also dinged us on value....jerk. 

[Letti0]

@Emily487   I never discount except to active military. I get requests for discounts and say I am sorry for what I offer, you are already getting a discount at the current price listed. Read my reviews. Early check in or late check out and I say I'm sorry I do sameday booking, so neither is possible. You can rent the additional day(s) if needed. I have yet to have a guest ask for something we do not provide other then an air mattress. Which I also state is not needed as we have plenty of beds for your groups size there is no need for any air mattress to be made available. I get a 50/50 booking rate with these guests with these questions I'd say. I don't care, we're going to start this booking off on the right terms, that benefits both the guests and myself in the long run.  

[Emily487]

@Letti0 I certainly learned my lesson with him! I did manage to keep my wits together enough to mention the discount in my (very kind) review of him. From now on if a guests asks for a discount I decline BUT I state that they asked for one in their review. I don't use it as a negative and I don't hold it against them in my rating of them but I want to make sure that other hosts see that this might be a guest who will request one.

[Emily487]

@Letti0

How kind to offer an active miliary discount!

We are one block from a large research/teaching hospital and while we don't advertise that we offer a discount to families or patients, we try to do so once the booking is underway and we have figured out why they are staying. I've found that most of our KUMed guests aready book last minute and snag a lower rate to begin with but it's so nice to be able to offer a bit to ease their burden (and I always make sure they have extra snacks and sanitizer wipes!). 

[Emilia42]

Personally, with what I know now about the review system after becoming a host, if I ever felt the desire to give another host anything less than a 5 star review I would never want to stay there again.