So why is 4 Stars 'Good' for Guests - but 'Bad' for Airbnb Hosts?

Rachael26
Level 10
Murphy, NC

So why is 4 Stars 'Good' for Guests - but 'Bad' for Airbnb Hosts?

Normally I am looking at things from a host angle - but I saw something recently that really made me think. I was an Airbnb guest last week and  I saw all the correspondence that Airbnb send to guests, before, during and after the booking.

It was very interesting and useful, especially the request to review (which I share with you below).

 

As Hosts we are all working towards satisfied guests and lots of bookings. And using Airbnb means we also have to be concerned with the Review System - and the dreaded pressure to achieve 5 Stars. Not only because some of us may want to achieve SuperHost (the jury is still out for me as to whether there are any significant benefits to being a SuperHost - the increased expectations from guests v. a dedicated phone line and a $100 travel credit - hmmmmm, still not sure!) but also the pressure to keep above a 4.5 average, because when you dip below that number Airbnb start to send warnings of suspension and all sorts of negative things. As if the pressure of hosting wasn't enough!

 

So my question is this - is it fair for Airbnb to have such a high average standard (above 4.5) which basically makes anything lower than an overall 5 Star 'Bad'....... but the email they send to guests after a stay doesn't point this out. It actually reads like this (see below) and I believe this is sending one message to the guest - while sending another message to the Host.

 

'How was your stay at Fred's place?

Terrible
Bad
Okay
Good
Great

Share your experience while it’s still fresh. Your review will help Fred improve and tells future guests what to expect.'

 
SO IF FOUR STARS ARE CONSIDERED GOOD - and Airbnb sends this explanation out to the guest with the review request - then why such an unsupportive reaction from Airbnb when Hosts get a 4 star review?
Wouldn't most people booking a place to stay to save money and somewhere cheaper than a hotel - wouldn't they be happy with a 'Good' place? And delighted, but not expected, if a place turned out to be 'Great'? So why is it so bad from Airbnb's point of view to get a mix of 4 star and 5 star reviews?
 
I also agree with the suggestion that Airbnb should wait to send the warning emails until a host receives an overall 4 star review three times in a row. That would be more indicative of below par performance than the occasional 4 star overall that some guests just seem determined to give to be difficult or whatever reason they have in their heads.
 
This email message from Airbnb to the guests (showing 4 stars to mean 'Good' and 5 stars 'Great') is not helpful if Airbnb continue to use a different measuring stick for Hosts (meaning 4 stars is not 'Good' but that you are failing as a Host).
160 Replies 160

Hi Helen,

 

Congratulations on getting on board.

 

Hang in there. You'll soon get your first booking. When I listed my place or year ago I worried I wouldn't get any bookings since there were so many places listed in Los Angeles. I posted my listing and was still working on the description when I got my first booking.

I'm sure it helped that I initially listed my place for less than I knew it was worth, because I needed to get some reviews. Before my first guests had time to post a review, I had another inquiry from someone asking why I had no reviews. I explained it was a new listing and that was why my rate was lower than comparable places. That guest did book and gave me a great view. Once I got a few reviews I raised my rate and started charging for additional guests after the first two.

If you don't get any bookings within a couple of weeks I would suggest adjusting your rate lower to attract your first guests. Some guests are attracted to new listings when they realize they're probably getting a good deal. Early this year I was the first guest to book an Airbnb apartment in Washington D.C. that was a brand new listing for $87 per night for 4 people. By the time we stayed there a couple of months later they'd had several guests and reviews, and their rate had doubled, with additional charge for 3rd & 4th guests. So we knew we got a tremendous bargain. Good luck.

Adidharma0
Level 2
Indonesia

Hi all,

 

I am new to airbnb and would like some insights on this really outdated ratings system.

 

I read some of the posts here and am wondering if a budget type listing can actually be listed on airbnb without any issues / problems.

 

Beforehand I would like to say sorry for the long post since I do not know which forum is the right place to speak up my concerns and my story with Airbnb.

 

Allow me to share my story:

I rented a whole new one bedroom apartment in a suburban area near Jakarta, for price of only USD 12 for two persons per night - as airbnb put it start with bargain price - (other listings charge 20 - 25 USD per night; Local budget hotel charge 30 - 35 USD w/o breakfast).

 

Most of the locals like it (as they need simple room just to rest) and I DO write clearly on the listing summary that since it is a budget accomodation, there are no Wi-Fi, sofa, cooking equipment, water heater in bathroom; however they got whole apartment with AC, Twin beds, Table and Chairs, Cutleries, Fridge, Smart TV, dresser, Private bathroom...

 

Then nightmares starting to come, got some guests who expect paying 12 USD per night and being mad to me for not providing cooking equipment, kettle, wi-fi, sofa, and in sum: they hate my listing. Bad reviews = 4 stars start to appear (as maybe people does not bother to read anything before pressing book) and might be more (since couple of guests send me a message via app that they complained the lack of such items - which they thought come naturally for each airbnb). Airbnb now threaten me that they might close my listing.

 

Oh my, I do not know what is wrong with airbnb, nowadays hosts are expected to rent as cheap as possible but to provide star-hotel facilities or even better (luxury and professional hospitality), and hosts are blamed for even getting 4 star reviews for not satisfying guests that cannot read listing limitations that have been stated... or for guests that cannot understand that 4 stars = bad, and only 5 stars = decent / good in airbnb.

 

I miss the original idea behind airbnb, when people rent extra couch for someone in need of accommodation, which has unexpectedly turn into a company who forces hosts to provide high level of service with prices as cheap as possible.

 

I do wonder, if it is becoming a norm that every listing in airbnb should have sofa, cooking equipment (stove, microwave, etc) and WI-FI, Why does airbnb do not make it mandatory for every listing?

 

I do not know what to do, cannot spend more $$ to upgrade my apartment to fulfill every customer wishes. Should I stop hosting?

 

@Adidharma0

 

The only thing you can do is that everytime you get a review complaining aboust something that you clearly do not offer is to contact AirBnB and get them to delete it.

David

It’s news to me that that’s even an option.  When I have a situation like that I post a response to the guests review, pointing out why their expectations were unreasonable. So far as I know the host gets the last word.

@Mary167

 

You may wish to reconsider your current policy, this is the last one:

 

Mary
Response from Mary:

Thank you for choosing to stay at Casa Habibi while you were in Los Angeles. Sorry you had a problem watching TV. The apartment has DISH Network with hundreds of channels including movies & sports, and it works very well. There is also a SONY Blue-Ray player and nearly a thousand DVDs. I did demonstrate the remote controls when you checked in, but you were anxious to go out so I asked you to let me know later if you needed help with the TV or anything else. Because I never invade my guests’ privacy I am always available to answer questions and supply anything extra that’s requested. As for your wife smoking, my listing clearly states no smoking is allowed anywhere on the property. There is a queen bed in the bedroom and a full (double) in the sitting room. As I mentioned when you checked in, the comfortable day bed in the solarium was also made up and available.

David

I wrote that because even though the guests wrote an OK review, which I appreciated, they reported some pretty serious and totally false things to Airbnb. Such as that I spied on them with a camera, that I entered their space during their absence and violated their privacy, that their teenage sons had to sleep in a full size bed, such as that the TV and lights didn’t work... and several other equally false things. They also complained I had made the wife uncomfortable by asking her to place her cigarette butts in the outdoor ashtray which I provided after I realized she was smoking in violation of my explicit rules. (She had been putting them in the indoor waste baskets & creating a stink which I’m working hard to get rid of in readiness for an upcoming elderly guest who uses oxygen.)

So while they didn’t post these false accusations publicly, I was pretty outraged that they would make false claims to Airbnb. I always tell my guests to text me if they have questions or don’t know how to work the controls for TV, AC, Heater, Lights, appliances or anything else. The only time the guest texted me was to ask for olive oil, which I cheerfully supplied.

I always ask guests to let me know when they are ready to leave so I can collect keys & parking permit and wave them off. When I realized this family had left I expected to find a mess. And I did.

That is the first time I felt I needed alert other hosts to issues I had had with a guest.

@Mary167

 

I think you misunderstand the point of the review system, how do you think that looks to potential new guests?

 

Strikes me that there are 2 ways you can approach review responses, do none or do all, you chose it seems the later I chose the former. Question of style.

 

The only reason for responding is to set a good tone for future guests, which most of yours do.

David

You could be right.

Mark462
Level 2
Germfask, MI

As some wise person stated” you can please some people some of the times,but you can’t Please all the people most of the time” I’m fortunate to have a sweet place to offer as far as location goes, but my house is not 5 star ,or the Hilton, but the majority are pleased with what I have to offer and I don’t go for the bargain hunters for there’s no pleasing them, even if it were free they would not be happy. As far as reviews go.... if you please most, people will get the fact that there will be the disenfranchised.... and you can always review their comments diplomatic like ,call iit a day, and not be overly downcast about that 5 star Airbnb carrot they hold in their politics 

Adidharma0
Level 2
Indonesia

@Mary167 @David126 @Mark462

 

Thank you very much for your replies.

 

I do agree with your comments.

 

Tried to contact airbnb via twitter (calling to US is way too expensive for me). And only generic reply from airbnb and when I follow up there is no answer. So sad 😞

 

Will try again to contact airbnb to ask suggestions for my rating issue.

 

What I am thinking doing now is to turn off instant booking on my apartment in danger.

 

And even though marketing-wise not recommended, I will also list the amenities I don't have, i.e. No Kitchen, No Wi-Fi, in the first section (listing summary), and thinking to send a message to every confirmed guest as soon as they book to check if they read what I offer before booking. If it somehow turns out that people still do not read and complained. I have no idea what else to do. 

Adidharma, I think that’s a good idea.  List what you don’t have, and then list what you do have.

 

I understand your frustration with guests who don’t read the description and then blame you because they expected something different. Also it must be frustrating not to be able to contact Airbnb from Indonesia. I’d be lost if I wasn’t able to reach them whenever I have a question or an issue.

 

Still, I would suggest you take a look at the repeated complaints & comments and think about whether you can make some small changes. I can’t believe how many changes I’ve made in the 18 months since I listed my space. I ask guests if they have suggestions for things that would have made their stay more enjoyable. (I hope if they have a chance to tell me in person they’re less likely to vent in a review) I tell them my top priority is to have satisfied guests who give me great reviews. I sometimes explain how hard it is for us Superhosts to maintain our status, given Airbnb’s rating system in which four stars is a fail. Many of the suggestions I received from guests were very easy to implement. For instance I had a beautiful antique coffee table made from an English dining table. No matter how explicit I was in asking guests to use the placemats & coasters underneath cups & glasses & bottles, I finally concluded it was a losing battle so I gave my treasured old table away (marked so badly it needed a complete refinishing) and bought a second hand glass-topped coffee table. Problem solved. I’ve used part of my Airbnb income to replace or add things, and the result has generally been more bookings, including repeat bookings, and better reviews. A lot of the changes cost very little.

 

Being an Airbnb host can be frustrating. I don’t think it’s everybody’s cup of tea. Not all guests are conscientious about following house rules and cleaning up after themselves. I used to get upset, but I’m a bit more forgiving now. I leave a short, uncritical review for such people, and a glowing review for the others. I detest doing housework so I hire a housekeeper to clean the place between guests.

 

Good luck. Don’t give up yet. And if there’s any way you can add a couch, do it.

Mary167
Level 10
Los Angeles, CA

The five star rating system is ridiculous and is unfair to hosts.  It encourages guests to compare us with five star hotels.  Since we don’t have gyms and spas and valet parking and restaurants and bars and 25 hour room service it’s not surprising when our guests give us four stars and believe it’s a very good rating.

 

if Airbnb insists on using a star rating system they should at least use ten stars, if only to remind guests we’re not hotels.  I’ll bet we’d be getting 9 stars instead of 4, which would more closely reflect guests’ level of satisfaction.  (We all know there are people who never ever give anything the top rating possible.). I don’t understand why Airbnb continues to ignore our requests for an overhaul of the ratings system.  It makes us hosts feel they aren’t listening and don’t care about us.

Annie334
Level 2
Espoo, Finland

This was the main reason why I left airbnb. 

I just learned something new about the way Airbnb processes reviews left by guests.  I had repeat guests who left me great reviews & 5 stars across the board. Airbnb told me the guests had sent me private feedback saying there were issues with cleanliness (towels & linens) and check in access.  Yet the guest’s “private” feedback to me was that the linens were very clean and that check in-and-out were very flexible.  The very pleasant, very patient Airbnb agent I spoke to explained that this “private feedback” is read by computers, and apparently the computer doesn’t read the words but just takes any comment to be a criticism, even when it is the opposite.

 

While I find this to be a flaw in the Airbnb ratings system, I was assured that even if the computer gets it wrong I’m not penalized as long as I get enough stars.  That’s fine, except it makes me realize I have likely been upsetting myself on other occasions when Airbnb’s computer has given me false private feedback, and I have on occasion felt betrayed by guests when it could easily be Airbnb’s computer getting it wrong.

@Mary0This is interesting information. At least 30% of my guests leave me 'private feedback', 99% saying something personal like a special thank you, etc. I never considered that it could possibly be used as a 'negative' under any circumstance. 

   The 5-star Airbnb system was flawed from the start (too easily confused with the hotel 5-star system), and the ramifications of that decision over the years never ceases to amazed me.