Types of guests who never give Five Stars

Alex460
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

Types of guests who never give Five Stars

I just had a guest give me five stars in every sub-category as well as leave a very nice review, but when it came to an overall rating he gave me four stars. I have to say I was a little disappointed, but I've got used to it from English guests, especially ones in the 40's and older.  

 

Not to start a big firestorm, but English friends have told me that they were raised to be super critical.  Nothing is every quite good enough or certainly worthy of top reviews.  I'm mindful of not starting a big nation-bashing thread or one that plays into stereotypes, but I'm curious whether any other hosts have encountered noticable trends based on where guests are from.

14 Replies 14
Oomesh-Kumarsingh0
Level 10
Pamplemousses, Mauritius

@Alex460 I have also encounter such guests in the past who i actually pick up myself at the airport and waited for them 2 extra hours as their plane arrival wasnt on time plus i did taxi arrangements for them during their stay at my place. After their stay i asked them if they had a nice stay they said everything was superb but they gave me an over all 4 stars, Why would they do that i dont know but i think some guests are just big hypocrites : ) and it seems whatever you do to make them comfortable they still wont give you a 5 stars overall. Good luck for the future!!!

@Alex460 I forgot to mention that there are some nationalities that are colder than others.

Jeff158
Level 10
Caernarfon, United Kingdom

Hi @Alex460

I was brung up with "There's always room to improve" and I think most of us brits are the same. 5 Stars is exceptional, the creme de la creme.

Its getting us brits and new users of airbnb to understand how the airbnb rating system works.

It honestly would not bother me getting 4 star reviews, except of course I would get de-listed.

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Plenty of English guests stay at my place and I don't remember any of them giving less than 5 stars. 

Alex460
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

For "Creme de la creme" I'd charge much closer to what neighbours charge.  I think people discount the value component completely.  I had a couple whom I paid to have someone meet, got the whole flat to themselves on a summer weekend for the price of a just a room and still complained.   To me, the more value something represents the higher I'm likely to rate it.   

Marie21
Level 10
Dublin, Ireland

@Alex460

 

i have feeling mature guests dont give 5 stars a lot, not sure if English only but in general

Christian65
Level 10
Copenhagen, Denmark

The last guest I had that gave me 4 stars were in their 50's and from Australia. I think its more the age and not so much the nationality.

The review was amazing and she praised me for everything and even wrote to me that my kitchen was amazing unlike many others she had tried...... and then.... 4 stars ! 

The older ones are def more restained with their stars for some reason.

Vanessa181
Level 3
London, United Kingdom

I have to agree with you on this . I am English .. I think it fair to say I grew up in a quite priviledged

middle class family , in the country and the standard of living I remember was alot higher than it 

is today . 

To give a five star rating for anything would have called for more than perfection . There is never

a time I have rated anything as 10/10 .. or 5star... 

But Airbnb seem to see anything beneath 5 star as a failure and I am very irrritated by this .

My listing gets excellent reviews and I had a couple of not so good comments and I lost a star !

I was threateded by airbnb and lost alot of bookings and had to lower my prices.. Im thinking about

packing it in !

 

I think is is ungrateful and disrespectful of airbnb to use the star system in this way..

 

\

 

My experience is that the very few 4 stars I have been given are mostly British, and one older australian couple. The reason? There is a walk up hill home. Such a surprise as it is stated in my description and Address! The other younger self important English man didn't approve of where the tv was Positioned? Give me strength! American mature couples are more demanding but still give 5 stars and good review. Most tell me how great accommodation was compared to others in this country.

Will-and-Kim0
Level 2
New York, NY

I had 88% 5 star review. Then suddenly 2 different guest wrote me good reviews and private feedback as well but left me 4 stars rating.  The 4 star rating bought rating down to 83% 5 star.  If I get a few most 4 star I will lose my superhost status.  How can they write me a good review and mention how good my place is and gives me a 4 star.  We just have to learn how to deal with it

@Alex460  I do not think it is anything to do with nationality but points more to those not bought up in the digital age or not heavy participants in manufactured perception (opinion) used as Fact to market, they do not know that below 5 stars is perceived as negative criticism. Overall it is Airbnb's star system that is at fault. There is confusion between the star system used for hotels and what Airbnb rating stars mean. Three Star Hotels are considered good for the price, not so for Airbnb listings.  I have gotten four stars because, and to quote a guest here's the disconnect , my listing "is not the Ritz, it is not a five-star hotel".   For Airbnb, three stars (in fact anything below five stars) is considered a fail and gets a warning (or worse) to improve.  Many guests do not understand that they are penalizing a host by giving less than 5 stars. It is a crazy system where 5 stars is a pass and all else is a fail in varying degrees.

Susan191
Level 2
Portland, OR

This is quite worrisome, as I just had an English middle aged couple check out after a six day stay, and they left a note in our Guest Notebook that I deserve to be a Superhost (I am one). And now after reading other's comments I am worried that they'll leave 4 stars. 😞

Kathie21
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

Yes - I believe it's both cultural (reserved cultures don't wow and gush over things as readily) and age (we have more experiences to compare things with, so don't as readily judge things as extremes of amazing or awful).  The biggest problem is that Airbnb tells guests that 4*=good.  This is basically a lie, because actually 4*=should be delisted.  The system does nobody any favours because there is no way for guests to identify and reward the truly exeptional.

John1574
Level 10
Providence, RI

@Alex460

 

 I agree with most everyone and I congratulate Alex for the helpful thread.

 

 I do not have enough experience to speak with Authority on this, but my first guest gave me five stars on everything but a four-star overall experience after he snuck in an extra guest.   He is what I call a millennial-American. 

 

 Here's my idea:  when guests are leaving, checking out, I send them an email saying

 

"I hope you enjoyed your stay and if you get a chance please leave a review for me.  Please bear in mind that according to Airbnb's algorithms anything less than five stars is viewed as a negative."

 

 Since using it twice I received one all five star review and the other party did not leave a review. 

 

 I go by feel according to how I think the guest will react.

 

 But I like the sound of my sentence,

 

according to AirB&B's algorithms anything less than five stars reflects as a negative on a host's listing.