Guests who never leave a five star review?

[Jane563]

A while back I was talking to a client, who has booked airbnb for the first time. She mentioned to me that she would never leave a five star review because “nothing can be that perfect.” After explaining how important reviews are to hosts, I refused to let her book my room when she visits Brighton later this year.

She went ahead with her planned trip, and sure enough gave the host four stars. The host gave her the same rating, and in his private feedback explained that ...”No guest can be that perfect.”

She remembers saying she doesn’t give five star ratings to the host, but is very angry not to get one herself! So angry that she asked how to contact airbnb and get the rating removed! According to her, she was an “exemplary guest!”

[Michelle-And-Michael0]

Hmmmmm.... That's a tough one! 

But I would rate it as accurately and honestly as I think of its worth, measured against how it was portrayed, and what I paid for it. 

We too have a standard that we like to offer our guests that, so far, have given us all 5 star reviews.

Recently, our daughter and son-in-law booked an Airbnb entire house, and invited us along to stay with them. To put it politely..... It was old and musty.... sounds a lot like your experience of the elderly relative and being stuck in the 70's. We had to provide our own linen.... and Thank goodness!!!  Because their pillows and comforters were needed to be aired before using and still they were smelly and musty. I'm just glad we don't have any sensitivity or asthma. 

We didn't book this.... our son-in-law did. And so it was up to him and our daughter to leave a review. But, if we had to review it, we would need to weigh up what they offered, how much it cost, and how accurate it was portrayed. 

In our case, I certainly wouldn't have given it a 5 star review..... maybe 4 stars overall. 5 stars for location and 4 stars for value for money. 3 stars for cleanliness and accuracy. But I think the review comments are what matters the most in this sort of situation. 

[Lorissa0]

That sort of stay warrants an honest guest review so that others can understand what they're getting into! I think so many of us are afraid to give or receive less than 5 stars that we really are just contributing to a rating system that is ineffective and uninformative - as mentioned above. If my stay is truly not what was advertised I will absolutely note this in a fair and deserved star rating with explanation. 

[Helen56]

@Mary1135 You should have rated it 4 and left a review.  I don't want to stay there!!

____

[Mark1713]

This is exactly the problem, but I can also understand the hosts' perspective.

As a guest I feel a lot of pressure to give a 5-star review and worry about repercussions if I don't.  All the Airbnbs I've used in the UK have been great at their particular price point, but there's still a wide gulf between the okay ones and the brilliant ones.  How does one reward the truly exceptional if all are rated the same?

I used to give "honest" ratings but have since switched to 5 stars as I know how important it is for hosts to maintain their rating (and livelihood).  Instead I try to give a positive but carefully worded review which still indicates potential issues to other guests.  But I do sometimes feel like this whole approach is utter craziness.

NB - a sure fire way to get less than 5 stars from me is to state "free parking on premises" when there quite blatantly isn't any.  I don't want to drive for 3 hours then spend another hour trawling the side streets for the elusive space.

[Sarah977]

@Mark1713  Thank you for being an understanding guest- you are doing the best you can by being honest about any "warts" in your written reviews but not hurting the host with the star ratings. I just wish they'd do away with the star ratings altogether. They are too subjective and therefore I think they don't really aid guests that much- one person may give a low location rating because it was a 15 minute walk to the store, another guest may rate location as 5 because they enjoy walking and enjoying the sights along the way. One person's perception that it was really clean may not be up to another's perfection standards. So the written reviews seem to me much more valuable in terms of an overview of the listing from the guest's point of view.

I believe that the majority of hosts wouldn't be fussed about a less than 5 star review if it weren't for how punitively Airbnb applies the star ratings to hosts, I know I wouldn't be. Airbnb tells guests that 4*s means Good- there's nothing wrong with Good, except when it comes to Airbnb and their treatment of hosts.

[Lan1]

I recently had one mature lady who gave me mostly 4-5 stars in detailed areas but overall 3 stars! Pulled my rating all the way back even I had 6 five stars afterwards! I lost hope to achieve super host statu even I have 100% response rates and zero cancellation. Airbnb also should consider there is difference between host 10 times and 300 times with multi listings. Hope there is reward for hosts who is consistent, steady, with multi hundreds hosting experience, loyally stay with Airbnb for many year.....time is great evaluator!!

Lan 

[Sherin1]

Is there a way of writing a private review, once the review is given.?

[Robin4]

@Sherin1 

Well no Sherin you can't write a private review once the reviews are posted but, what you can do is send the guest/host a message in the message stream. Once a guest enquires or books with a host a message stream with that guest/host opens and stays active for ever more. Through the message stream I have contact with every guest who has ever contacted me.

If you send a message that way it will stay private.

If you want to respond publicly to a review you can also do that. Along with the review when it is posted, you will be offered for 4-5 weeks the opportunity to write a public response to the review which will appear directly below the particular review you are responding to. But remember the other party to the review will have the same option on their profile.....they will be able to leave a poublic response to your review which will show on their profile!

Sherin, don't ever rush a review!

There are some stays that go well and you can write a review with confidence you will get a nice review in return.

There are some stays that do not go well and you know you are going to receive a poor review. Don't be tempted to lash out and say something you may later regret. Keep your review short and very generic, just say,  'you value feedback and wish the guest/host well but would prefer to move on from this experience'....and leave it at that. You stay dignified and that review will soon disappear. If you get into a verbal fist-fight it will stand out and hound you for ever more.

Sherin, diplomacy always wins!

Cheers.....Rob

[Sherin1]

Aww....thank you so much for your advice.  So true, it's better to move on.

[Emily352]

Just have yourself a little cry, then go your own way. @Jane563,  remember, this is not your path. This is AIRBNB’s path. You’re like a donkey. First the carrot encouragement, then the big stick if you don't do your job, if you don’t achieve what AIRBNB wants (the company’s profits).

You just keep right on doing what you doing. Keep on giving all your best. A good host. An excellent stay at the right price for you (not for an algorithm). Keep on enjoying hosting and your guests, without feeling bad about it, without having to run after random scores that are difficult to maintain.

Guests appreciate kind and caring hosts, people who love what they do, people who pay attention to the little things that are important to them, people who make them feel less "foreigners". That’s the main thing in hosting, not the title of Superhost which is beyond your control.

The fundamental flaw is in the selection of the new evaluation criteria which puts the company’s policies before host’s wishes.

AIRBNB just becomes more problematic for hosts, who get increasingly discouraged, frustrated and betrayed.

But hosts, like roses, take root everywhere. They are resistant, endure sufferings and humiliation and despite the shortage of appropriate care, they blossom quarterly.

[Natasha239]

I know this is so common - guests expecting nothing but perfection from a host, yet unwilling to offer even the simplest courtesy as a guest. This seems to be a spillover of hotel mentality/behavior into the Airbnb community - hosts are nothing but all-obliging "staff", and guests are self-entitled "customers".  And this trend is on the rise, as Airbnb matures. Back a few years ago we started Airbnb as a way to find what was missing in public and in private life - a safe way to share life wisdom and bounty with others. As the years wore on, more and more guests focused on amenities, not personal connections. Yet, all along they expected hosts to remain warm and accommodating of any and every need or want. It seems worth reminding us all - the best things in life are free, and you cannot buy them for any money. This includes the warmth and the human connection that guests still seek, but are unwilling to nurture in a host. Over time we find the "burnt out" host - the one who puts a keypad on the door and talks to guests only via text messages. It's a sad but logical ending to hosting emotionally lazy guests. 

[Alon1]

Natasha,

Sorry, but can't tag you.

I don't share your sentiment. After 6 years hosting the quality of my Guests by and large remains the same; i.e. courteous, not 'self-entitled', etc.

I believe my continued experience is based on retaining the Inquiry without subscribing to Instant Book.

However, I know from these threads that many Hosts are content with IB. 

So it maybe down to other factors. Still, I believe the process of vetting Guests remains crucial to the continued happiness of my hosting. 

[Kate-Mary0]

Oh dear, it seems even when you bend over backward, some guests just can't bring themselves to give a five-star review! It's frustrating when you've put a lot of time and effort, and you have someone offering up "nothing can be that perfect" as a reason to leave four rather than five! 

I try not to dwell on it too much, although it's certainly worth looking at your guest's record regarding previous reviews! It can be hard to spot a "hard to please" person though! 

I always try and make my place as welcoming as possible, and add little special touches where I can. I found a few ideas here: https://www.airbnbtips.com/boost-airbnb-ratings/

It can be hard to steer a guest to a five-star review if they are set on not providing one, but it's worth a shot! 

[Jane563]

When I first started doing airbnb hosting a year ago, I was able to see the star ratings potential guests had left in the past. Now I can’t - I can only read their comments. 

I was wondering whether to thank these “nothing can be that perfect guests” for their “Valued four stars” in reply to their comments.  Perhaps we all should!

[PaulAndTracy0]

I've only been a host with aribnb for just under 2 months, but was a property manager of a condominium complex for several years and I should expect things like this but when it's your own personal property that you take pride in, well, I'll be honest, I'm livid. 

We had an older couple from Illinois who only registered with Airbnb the same day they booked, as there are no hotels or condos available in our area - mostly due to hurricane Michael. Our description of our place as well as amenities, how close we are to the beach, shopping, how we have a second room available for those that may want to do a friends/couples getaway, are very detailed in our listing.  Our photos show our rooms, pool, local attractions (including the beach) etc.  However, I knew this was going to be trouble when the guest asked us where our hot tub was (we've never owned a hot tub nor ever listed one). I explained he must have us confused with another place as we've never had one, but then he asked about the jacuzzi in our pool, and again, i said, it has never been listed in our listing - only a pool. He asked if he could use the washer and dryer...again it is not part of the amenities, but I said yes as they were supposedly going back to Illinois.  He never used it. After he left, he rated our location as a 3 because he said the beach picture "implied" we were within walking distance to the beach (I clearly state in our listing we are between 10-20 min from the beach depending on what area of the beach you wish to go); gave us a 4 for not allowing kitchen access - again when it states on our listing the kitchen is off limits; and gave us a 4 as we should only allow 1 couple at a time so that the bathroom is not shared!  Who is HE to tell me how to run my Airbnb??   His wife only said 3 words to me in the 3 nights they were here...and they were "yes i would" when it was pouring rain outside and i asked them if they would like the use of our umbrella.  I do not think the star ratings should be allowed if airbnb can verify they are not valid.  That is just unfair to the host - especially when everything we were critized for was already in the listing that apparently he did not read before booking. Even trip advisor will remove unsubstaniated (is that a word?  lol) reviews.  Just sayin...I'm still upset about it.