Ratings

[Nicole1187]

I recently had a guest private message me w/ feedback that a TV in the living room (TV is in the bedroom) and the use of blinds would be better (curtains are on the windows ).  They gave us a 5 star rating for everything except value where we were given 4 stars.

Does another TV add more value or should I move the bedroom TV to the living room? The other comment regarding blinds didn’t make much sense to me because the house is located in a rainforest where it’s relatively dark.

[Gordon0]

>>Does another TV add more value or should I move the bedroom TV to the living room?<<

Even tho my personal TV is in the bedroom, it often makes more sense to have one in the living room. 

>>The other comment regarding blinds didn’t make much sense to me because the house is located in a rainforest where it’s relatively dark<

Sense doesn't come into it I'm afraid 🙂

[Beth80]

@Nicole1187  I can almost guarantee that if you move the TV to the living room someone will mention how much better it would be in the bedroom! :D.

Personally I like curtains more than blinds. 

These things should not effect your value rating. They just like to nit pick. 

[Anonymous]

@Nicole1187  The Value rating can mean just about anything, since there's no clear reference point on that. For example the guest might understimate costs in your area, or even forget what they actually paid for the booking in the first place.

I don't think a second TV would add any perceptible value in your situation. Your target guests appear to active outdoorsy travelers, rather than couch potatoes, and you're only hosting 1 or 2 people at a time rather than families. Travelers visiting the rainforest would appreciate things like ponchos, flashlights, hiking maps, bug spray, and first aid items being conveniently available. A cold drink in the fridge or some other local treat is always a nice surprise. A speaker that people can connect to their phones to play music is a nice thing to find, and quirky card/board games can be fun and memorable on rainy evenings in ways that TV is not.  

[Kate-Mary0]

Hi

The living room would be my place of choice for a TV, but there are probably going to be guests who will prefer in the bedroom and vice versa, so unless you get a second TV it can be tricky to please everyone! I would just make sure you describe where the TV is in your listing.

Same goes for curtains and blinds I guess? Different strokes for different folks - maybe sleep there yourself and check out if the lights coming in too early and disturbing your guests sleep?

I think small touches can add a whole lot of value to your rental (guests love to think they are getting a lot for their money). Make it personable by including useful things related to the setting? Maybe binoculars they can use to spot wildlife? A little complimentary hamper of local produce? A few games in case the weather is poor. Maybe negotiate some discount vouchers for local attractions - extra trade for local businesses is always welcome and your guests will be pleased you've gone to the effort for them! 

Make your guests feel super welcome and they will be more likely to leave a super review.

Happy Hosting! 

[Susan151]

@Nicole1187 . If you are taking a poll, I would much prefer a TV in the living room. Your pictures don't actually show the TV in the bedroom, so I would have been surprised as well.

As a host,I would not be crazy about people sitting on a bed to watch tv while munching on snacks. As a guest, if my travel companion wanted to go to bed before me and I wanted to watch TV, I would be out of luck.

I will say that you only have six reviews and your star ratings have already taken a bit of a hit. I would be listening closely to whatever feedback I could get from those six guests to figure out how to better align my listing description with the guests' actual experiences.

[Nicole1187]

I agree that I need to listen attentively to the feedback.  Just to be clear, my rating was lowered when a former guest (a local) damaged locked cabinetry in order to gain access and stole $400 worth of bedding, and supplies.  After I requested reimbursement,  she fabricated a story to justify giving me 2 ratings in retaliation. I have asked Airbnb to remove this review but they have refused. 

[Susan151]

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@Nicole1187 wrote:

I agree that I need to listen attentively to the feedback.  Just to be clear, my rating was lowered when a former guest (a local) damaged locked cabinetry in order to gain access and stole $400 worth of bedding, and supplies.  After I requested reimbursement,  she fabricated a story to justify giving me 2 ratings in retaliation. I have asked Airbnb to remove this review but they have refused. 

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That is really too bad. I am so sorry that you had this experience. Takes a lot of recover the stars, money and trust, but I am sure you will!

[Paul154]

@Nicole1187  

Airbnb is great because it is not about only about meeting guests' needs.

It is also about meeting hosts' needs.

You can run your house in such a way that matches your lifestyle.

My way  or the highway.

It drives my crazy to have a TV in the living room. All that uncontrolable noise and chaos.  I want to give the feeling that my house is an intellectual place for reading.

Plus, I don't want guests in my living room 

As for blinds, I want guests who love the morning. Those we wake early and get out of the house. Sunshine helps.

[Emilia42]

@Nicole1187, you cannot please everyone. When I first started hosting I didn't have a TV. I honestly didn't even think about it because I don't own a TV in my home. Not because I don't watch anything but because I have my own devises to stream on. I was hosting a lot of millennials who likely have a similar way of thinking. It wasn't until three months in that an older couple stayed for one night and immediately said 'where’s the TV.'

[Sarah977]

@Nicole1187  My neighbor has his TV on a stand with wheels- he can move it around wherever he wants it. So you might consider that.

Personally I hate TV and have never had one in my house, where I host a private room. And I wouldn't put one in a seperate guest home if that was what I hosted, either.

As for the curtains, you can buy blackout fabric and sew it along the top of the back of the curtains, at least in the bedroom, if guests are finding they are being woken by light. I had to do this on one of my guest windows when the city put in a street light that glares right in there.

But the fact is that you can't please everyone all the time. You could stock the place with all manner of things you think guests would like, and there will be some who wished you had provided dark roast coffee instead of regular, or skim milk instead of coffee cream. If you get several similar complaints or suggestions then it's worth addressing and making some changes, but that's a separate issue from catering to each individual guest's preferences.