Star Ratings

[Tom-and-Hayley0]

Despite getting five stars on all categories on our latest guest review air bnb has given us an overall rating of 4 Stars can anyone explain why this might be? THANK YOU

[Kath9]

@Tom-and-Hayley0 the overall star is not based on an average of individual category ratings (as it is for guests). The guest chooses the overall rating once they have rated you in the separate categories.  This is a common complaint of hosts and happens frequently. 

[Rudolph5]

Oh, the same just happened to me. Was wondering if it is a glitch on the system

[Robin4]

@Rudolph5 

Rudolph, it's no glitch in the system, a 5 star in every category does not mean the guest thought their stay could not have been better. Some guests never give 5 stars......an overall 5 is that perfection that does not exist.

Would you believe Rudolph, in my 281 reviews 19 have been 4 star and of those 19 4 stars, 12 have given me 5 stars in every category and a glowing review, but they gave me a 4 star overall.

I could list them all but, what's the point, it happens, even more frustrating Rudolph when you get one like this ........

She booked the listing, and I can't move it where it would have been worth a 5 to her.

The problem with these 4 star overall reviews where they give a 5 in every category, we can learn nothing from them! In every category everything was perfect. How the hell are we supposed to correct something when there was nothing wrong????

Rudolph, it's frustrating mate, a lot of hosts here will say, "get over it, it's no big deal getting a 4 star"....and maybe to some it isn't a big deal.

I didn't spend 8 grand on a bed to get 4 stars.

I didn't put in soft close cupboard doors to get a 4 star!

I didn't put in a ducted Hepa air filtration system to get a 4 star!

I didn't offer my garden environment to guests to get a 4 star!

I can't offer and endless swimmer pool outside the cottage door. I can't offer an 18 hole golf course through a gate in the back fence.......but, don't advertise those things and I don't price my listing as though it had those things. When I get a 4, it is a big deal to me because I try my heart out to make sure I can't offer a better experience!

Rudolph, it's not a glitch in the system mate......it is just the way it is, guests will be guests...and we just have to accept that!

Cheers........Rob

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Tom-and-Hayley0 , @Kath9 is correct sometimes it goes the other way as well, getting a 4* on a category but a 5* overall.  The star system is flawed in a number of ways that make it a bit frustrating for host and confusing for guests but its the system Airbnb uses so were kinda stuck with it!  The toughest part is learning how to accept with grace the occasional 4* and the extremely rare 3* as a fact of life we can't  avoid in subjective systems, safe travels!

[Mike-And-Helen0]

@Melodie-And-John0 @Tom-and-Hayley0 @Kath9 or you could be ungracious like me and block guests who give you a glowing review but only 4* overall therefore bogging up your rating.

[Melodie-And-John0]

@Mike-And-Helen0  Its funny, We do get a lot of College student parents and they can be the toughest, they should worry more about what grades their kids are getting than if the -Location wasnt perfect- or -There was too much snow-, (I would like to remind them its right where it was when you booked it, upstate Rural NY!).  I have turned at least a couple 4*' snoods  into long term returning guests and in the end, its all about the money.

[Melodie-And-John0]

 I recently got another 5 stars across the board and 4 overall, they were very nice and said they would return for sure.  I think the requirement of the system using a scale (star system) designed to measure my spaces up against the best in the nation or world leads to more than one POV for the scales purpose.  To be reasonably sure, my place would not ever be a five star stay if it was truly measured against the Ritz Carlton or even The Lodge at the Turning Stone but who would want to stay at my 3.5 star place?  Nobody because <5 Stars on Airbnb is not acceptable by most hosts or guests.

Scale is the reason nobody should expect the Ritz $1895 per night experience and luxury for their family of 4  @ Bearpath Lodgings <$100 per night.  By the way, The Carlton is rated 4.6 Stars with 619 reviews by google whereas 305 reviews of stays @ Bearpath Lodging have netted me 4.9 stars overall, better than the Ritz, how bizarre is that?   So the fact is, many customers and even some hosts neither understand scale nor effect 

I think the new Decimal point system is a start to gauging the differences in any true measurement of happiness and satisfaction, I think a 3.9 might not be looked as like a slum, after all, it only .1 stars  from being 4 stars yet I would expect far better out of a 4.8 Star than a 4.1.   Now the trick is that Airbnb needs to sell that to our customers and the rest of the host community so the 8.0 star rating is really effective for business person and customer.  Sorry about the long rant but this is one of those subjects that doesn't really get the attention I think it deserves, safe travels, JR