How can I fix what is not broken!

[Robin4]

Here we go again. 

I thought I had this covered by my explanation page of how Airbnb reviews work in my house rules folder, and for the last 50 reviews it has worked ok but, last nights guests obviously didn't open the house rules folder and this is what I got.....

So, tonight my stats have taken a minor dive, I am back down to 92%. 

Airbnb, what did I do wrong here? Give me something, point to anything out of this review that I can work on to make this up to your standard!

If I didn't cop reviews like this (perfect except for that overall star) I would be sitting on 98%! I struggle to comprehend why doing my best, and being seen to be doing my best in the guests eyes is not good enough in the eyes of Airbnb......why is that?

If I need to fix something, I will fix it, but will someone in the organisation tell me why I am penalised for doing everything right!

We hosts do seriously travel a hard Airbnb road.

We are told to accept annonymous guests.

We are told to lower our prices for these guests.

Our guests are instructed to expect excellence at the cheapest price in town.

And we are penalised for doing everything right and by the book.

Surely sooner or later someone has to take notice of this!

Rant over!

Cheers......Rob

[David6]

Exact same @Robin4 . Guest thanked me for great stay. 5* in each category. But overall 4*

With 3 recent retaliatory reviews,  and a few of these ‘overall markdowns’ I’m now about to loose superhost status. It’s so disheartening when a host put in so much effort.

[Suzanne302]

@Robin4  Isn't it you that also has a house manual explaining the rating system? Even more frustrating.

[Robin4]

@Suzanne302 

Yes Suzanne it is me that has that explanation page in the house rules!

But these people obviously did not look at the house rules folder. 

The thing is, I am sick of trying to fix this on my end.....why can't the Airbnb system detect that when all category ratings are 5 star the overall will automatically default to a 5 star as well.

I know it's a stupid little thing Suzanne, but you know as well as I do, we put our heart and soul into this and our guests do appreciate what we do. They just don't understand the topsy turvy way that Airbnnb interprets them!

Cheers.......Rob

[Alexandra316]

@Robin4 I just got exactly the same thing, for the first time ever. Very annoying, but I can count my 4-star reviews on one hand so I'm just not stressing out too much about it. Overall, it's not going to hurt me. I just wish that Airbnb would do what they said they were going to do last year and remove these outlier reviews where the overall stars don't match the rest of the ratings given. Airbnb seems very quick to implement policies that have a negative impact on the host and very slow to respond to requests that would benefit hosts.

[Robin4]

@Alexandra316 

Hi Alex, of my 235 Airbnb reviews, 216 have been 5 star, and 14 of them have been 5 stars in all categories but a 4 star overall.

So that means of my 235 reviews only 5 found some sort of category issue they felt was worth mentioning which also affected my overall star rating. Only 5 gave me a 4 in a category and a 4 overall!

So, out of a possible 1,645 stars (235 x 7)  I have received 1626 5 stars and 19 four stars which means I should be sitting on 98% 5 star reviews. But I am not, I am sitting on 92%.

It seems incredibly strange that Airbnb would punish their bread and butter by doing this.

I just get annoyed when what I do is devalued by the company I am trying to support!

Cheers......Rob 

[Alexandra316]

@Robin4 Totally agree Rob... wish they would fix it, as they promised to do a good year ago now. There is no reason for this to happen.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Robin4 

Don't stress about it so much, you will burn out, it isn't worth it 🙂

I leave a review, I read a review... but I don't look how much stars they gave me.  It is not that I don't care, it's just that i don't care enough to be stressed about it after each guest.

[Robin4]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Now Branka, I know that is not true, you try your heart out to provide something special....I am not trying to p*ss in your pocket, just look at your reviews!

It must hurt you when you have let that guest in early, had to juggle check-out/check-in times, had to come up with that bit of extra that you didn't expect....and then end up with a 4 star review.

You are no different from me Branka, you like to be rewarded for what you do, it's just a shame the company are not on our page.

The problem with money is.....enough is never enough, I don't like our heirachy!

Cheers......Rob

[Emiel1]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

I agree. I also do not look at the stars, even not at the review (but after some time)

I consider it as an obsolete system,  not worth to be taken that serious anymore, with to many flaws.

I am not interested in being Superhost either. I do my best and my guests are generally very happy.

Airbnb should create something else, at least a system which does not need explanation !

[Emilia42]

@Robin4, there is no arguing that the review system is flawed.

I wish Airbnb would put forth a public statement as to why they believe that it is working....

[Anonymous]

@Emilia42  That would require admitting that the rating system has nothing to do with providing useful data to customers. It's just crafted as a psychological manipulation tool, to make sure that even the most successful and experienced hosts are bent into submission by way of constant anxiety.

One thing every major web platform has in common is a set of features that are specifically designed to modify users' behavior in service of the company's goals. There is no logical reason that a successful host with a beloved property should feel "penalized" by a few yellow pixels, or dependent on an orange logo for validation. But when they do, the system is working exactly according to plan. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Robin4 

I understand you, we are here together for a long time 🙂

Stop looking at how many stars you got from the guest. Don't stress about it. You are a great host and you know it 🙂

[Lilly28]

@Robin4 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

I do not think it is right to blame Airbnb - I had the same problem recently. I asked the guest why - because I really went far and beyond - and the answer was - BY MISTAKE, Sorry! And this is not the first time I am given that explanation. And what is more - these guests try to reach Airbnb - and ask them to repair the situation, telling them that they did so in a hurry, that this was a mistake... 

And every time the guests who did that kind of mistake were writing me afterwords not once, but at least 3-5 times - that they are so sorry, that they did a mistake, that they tried to reach airbnb...

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

I don't believe they did it by mistake @Lilly28 ,I've heard it too many times to buy it.

I think they did it intentionally but felt guilty when you ask them why, because they don't have an explanation.