Interesting reasons for downratings:-/

[Sandra856]

I just received a review this evening where the guest decided to downrate me in both the overall, value and location category. 

The interesting and funny thing here is the reasons for downrating me. She downrates me for having great public transport nearby and in value for being cheaper than a 10 people/shared room at a hostel. I have made a small note and added to my profile explaining the system as I find it so stressful and difficult to get those full plates of 5 star ratings when I only offer a small and simple room in such an expensive city as mine. It has improved my ratings but I still get these reviews now and then. I don't know what to do about it. I also feel a little bummed about the "almost to friendly" comment in the end as I hardly saw or spoke to them when they were here 😕

[Sandra856]

[Paul1255]

@Sandra856 It says a lot about the review system and how it doesn't work, and the stress it causes that you're upset by this review amongst your nearly 300.

It's another guest who just doesn't understand the system, and for them 4* is perfectly decent when we know it's anything but.

The comment about friendliness isn't meant to hurt, the guest actually said you're "even too friendly!" which I take to mean that you were friendlier than you could have been, given they weren't that social (a good thing!)

You typed "almost too friendly" which I would take offence to if that was the case, as it means something different. (even though it sounds almost the same!)

You have a beautiful listing and you're clearly a great host, I hope your next guests understand the system we have to work under.

Paul.

[Sandra856]

@Paul1255 Thank you, Paul 🙂

I guess it still gets to me despite being a host with many bookings behind me. I just needed to write it down, telling people that might know the feeling 🙂

And about the word mix-up. Thanks. It makes me feel much better! They were very, very introvert-ish when they were here and that is of course perfectly fine, but I guess I then took it, as if they thought I was a little to much 🙂

[Paul1255]

You're welcome @Sandra856 !

And I know the feeling for sure 🙂 On the whole almost all of my private room listing guests rate me 5*, I had my first 4* the other month, and I delighted in it so much I started a thread for it ahaha (like you, I didn't do anything wrong as such apart from not having a wardrobe in the bedroom...there is barely room for 2 guests as it is!)

The listings I co-host are another story, I've had a fair few 4* on some of those, luckily they balance out on the whole which is good.

What do we do about guests that leave 4* reviews when everything was wonderful and then some? Take the money and runnnnn!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sandra856 

Aaah... we will never understand some people ...

My advice - read reviews but don't look at ratings.  It is so liberating 🙂

[Ann72]

@Sandra856 Hideous.  Those 4s always stick in one's craw.

She sounds a little confused.  The wording of the explanations under the stars seem to be directed at future guests.  It's as if she gave you 4 stars, then assumed future travelers would see them and wrote something that was meant to mitigate the less-than-5-star rating.  As if to say, "4 stars for location, but the public transport runs all night!"  "4 stars for value, but even a hostel is much more expensive!"  

Weird!!!  And honestly she sounds like an idiot.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Sandra856 

Honestly....... just from the review that the guest posted, she sounds (her review wording & tone) like one of those ditsy idiots that are a total pain to be around because they can never seem to say what they mean, talk total nonsense and contradict themselves. Bit of a pet peeve for me. 

[Ute42]

.

Jessica, can't tag You.

There are people in this world who can't tell left from right and have no clue what they are doing.

It makes no sense to spent time thinking about their actions.

[Marie82]

@Sandra856 I understand this hurt, but the review system is bad when saying to guest 4 is good, who can think it will result in the long run losing ur superhost badge and receiving a reminder from ABB system. I don't think this guest wanted to give u bad review but probably he though his stay was good but not excellent as people view diff when he comes excellence. ABB refuse to change the review system so we can expect more and more unhappy hosts and host losing their badges through years. 

I had a guest who recently reviews me "Excellent" but gave me 4 in all categories except communication, what a contraction but nothing i could do, and usually i don't fight or even ask guests why as i honestly believe it is not their fault especially when they are 1st time ABB users. And ABB told them 4 is Good

[Robin4]

@Sandra856 

Oh Sandra I do so feel for you, but you can't take it to heart! It is a problem with the review system, Airbnb have been bombarded continuously about it ever since I have been hosting and it is only just now that they are willing to concede there could be as issue that hosts might need a bit of relief from.

They now allow the removal of an outlier review per year but, they are not addressing the situation you have brought up here!

I am fed up with getting these........

I have now had 11 of these that do not give me a hint of what I needed to brush up on. Everything was great, but as far as Airbnb was concerned I needed to be reminded I could do better.......How!

Silly system Sandra, but we just have to cope!

Cheers......Rob

[Cindi0]

These are terrible! How can all the 5*s equal 4* overall!?

[Robin4]

@Cindi0 

Cindi, that is just the way the review process works. If you have a look at this screenshot of mine, it shows the steps a guest goes through when they review a host.

The first thing the guest does is give the host an overall star rating.

Next in step 2 they are asked what stood out for them.

The third step is the killer! Note the wording of the first and third step.....

1/.....How was your stay at Rachel's place?

3/....How did your stay at Rachel's place compare to your expectations?

Cindi, guests link the two! Initially they may have thought, great a good experience, nothing wrong we will give it a 5 and then when they get to step three Airbnb tells them the middle option (a three) is ok and lived up to the guests expectations. The guest backtracks and changes that initial 5 to a 4 or even a 3 as many hosts are saying here. Guests genuinely think that by giving the host an overall 4 stars they are helping the host, they think they are being constructive. Airbnb are telling them in the review process they are!

I can tell you Cindi, that this is the way it works in practice because, I live on the property and I get to talk with guests, and during conversation this always comes up and guests are genuinely shocked when they understand how the host is treated by Airbnb when the guest hands out that 4 star overall. They all say they wished they had known that before and how it makes reviewing a bit silly!

The problem is the people who write these programs are given a program criteria to satisfy, and that is what they do. Cause and effect is not something they are interested in, all they are interested in is satisfying their design brief! Nobody does an analysis of how this will work. They just know that it achieves what they set out to do....it builds a statistical base they can use! They aren't hosts, they aren't guests...they are computer programmers!

This Cindi is why we have to battle this situation!

@Sandra856  @Ute42  @Sarah977 @Lawrene0 

Cheers......Rob

[Sarah977]

@Sandra856  Guests aren't "downrating" hosts when they leave a 4* review. Airbnb tells guests that 4*s means "Good". In the real world, there is nothing whatsover wrong with rating something as Good. 

It's Airbnb's absurd and nastily punitive application of the star ratings to hosts that makes hosts have to be stressed about getting a 4* review. They're like some insane parent who tells their child that they can have 2 cookies, then punishes the child because they did exactly that.

The only thing we can do about this is inform guests as to how Airbnb applies the ratings to hosts behind the scenes, and to continue to pressure the company to stop telling guests one thing and hosts another.

[Lawrene0]

Know what's not helping people like us, @Sandra856 ? That advertisement for Airbnb Luxe. Tagline is "Extraordinary homes with five-star everything!"

Oh, castles are five-star. So ordinary homes are three? No? Still five?

Insane parent indeed, @Sarah977 ...