Reviews

Gloria37
Level 3
Neils Harbour, Canada

Reviews

   I'm interested in  opinions of more experienced hosts.  I recently sent this message off to a guest after her check-otut and her review today ...

Hi XXXXXXX , got this message f rom Airbnb.:Your guest mentioned some issues that weren’t accurately reflected in your listing description: photos.      Perhaps you could elaborate o n this for me. We work really hard for 5 star AIRBNB ratings and for most part we succeed but any guest feedback is always useful when we don't. Thank you.

 

Is it appropriate to ask for an elaboration? Personally  I am getting frustrated with rave reviews in words and then getting stuck with low er ratings with no real explanation of why  and the worst part is the lower ratings very often seem to come f rom the less than exemplar guests.

 And will the day ever come when AIRBNB sucessfully explains to guests the significance  and meaning of an AIRBNB  overall 5 star.  I do not know how to make it any clearer or transparent in my listing description that I am not renting a 5 star luxury accomodation!

Thanks in advance for any insight  you can provide me. 

6 Replies 6
Em4
Level 10
Franz Josef Glacier, New Zealand

@Gloria37  yours is an interesting situation.  you have 5 full stars for each classification - accuracy, communication, cleanliness, location, check in and value.  yet for 75 reviews you have an overall host score of less than 5 stars.  how does that happen?

 

re BNB 5 stars and accommodation 5 stars, i think they are 2x different things.  i read every review.  only 4x people wrote negative comments.  the drainage issue was sorted and has never been mentioned again.  my guess is there was some issue outside the house.  in my view these things can happen.  they can even happen in a 5 star hotel (except i paid a 5 star hotel price so not only do i expect to have that seen to immediately but i also expect the cost of the room to be discounted or a shift to another suite).  one guest talked about a lumpy mattress but as he said he could have tried one of the other beds.  once again not mentioned again by subsequent guests.  a BNB host who made the reservation on behalf of her mother in law, who complanied about dust and not having available things that were not metioned in the listing which was fruit for breakfast even though everything acutally mentioned in the listing was there.    the other person i forget at the moment.

 

all in all, every one including 3/4 who made some negative comment, liked you and otherwise liked staying there.  at NZD140/night for a group of up to 8, it represents excellent value.  the place is rustic.  here we would call that a typical NZ bach. 

 

there are recurring comunity discussion threads debating the difference in perception between host, guest and BNB of what 5 star actually is.  the other thing is that people will generally say one thing to your face but say something else entirely behind your back or in this case in the review.  in summary 99+% of your guests like you and think that you are a 5 star host.  and that of those guests 95% believe your listing to be accurate and liked it.  of the 5% who had something of an issue, they were all resolved before the arrival of subsequent guests.  and looking at that 5% again, only one person had a bona fide issue.  i only hope it might be possible for me to achieve the same.

 

🙂

Em

Hukawai Lodge

Franz Josef, NZ

https://www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/15418840

Gloria37
Level 3
Neils Harbour, Canada

Thank you so very much for taking the time to look at my listing and reviews in depth. We do work very hard to be sure guests get what they are led to expect. I guess we will just keep doing our best and hope for the best.  Thanks again.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

ah @Gloria37 some people always find a reason to complain ... just forget it...

Yes, i believe you are right and I thinkI will. 🙂   Thanks.

Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

@Gloria37  You have provided excellent value for your space for many guests.  Please take satisfaction in that.  Have you ever been a traveler using Air BNB?  What do you think travelers look at?  Pretty sure Super Host is not in the top three criteria.  What they will look at are value, availability and some of the reviews.  So, unless your ego requires Super Host, 4ish rating is fabulous!

 

Yes, I am a Super Host, but not a single guest has ever mentioned that to me.  What many have mentioned are the reviews which reflect that the guest expectations and the guest experience match.  You have done that and more.

@Linda108

well said