Worse ratings since covid

[Szilvia3]

hello fellow hosts! 

I would would like to see if this is happening to anyone else, or is this just a fluke? I usually get pretty high ratings, mostly 5*s, but ever since the rebound after the initial covid break, I’ve had some 3 and 4 stars, mostly cleanliness and value. I go above and beyond with cleanliness, made some expensive major furniture changes to be able to sanitize better. I explain all this in the listing. Prices are higher but I am just following the suggested price by Airbnb. People seem to be more dissatisfied in general. Anyone else has a similar experience?

[Anonymous]

@Szilvia3  A few other hosts have mentioned similar experiences in other threads. My hypothesis: this year, most people aren't getting to take the vacations they hoped or planned for. Travel restrictions keep them away from their dream destinations, and the attractions and services they'd usually enjoy are either restricted or closed.  So a bigger portion of your guests haven't chosen your property and location because they had a vast array of options, but rather because it's the best they could come up with under disappointing circumstances. So some reviews will be tainted by that disappointment, while others (for example, your September guest who lamented "I guess I'm just used to city life") were never going to be well-suited to your place to begin with.

Pro tip:  never post a public response to a positive review that brings up negative remarks made to you privately! That's a common rookie mistake, but you're way too experienced for that! 

[Dorothy190]

Thank you for this information.  As a new host (rookie) I appreciate when learning new way to do things.

[Anna9170]

@Szilvia3  Most people have depression, nervousness and discontent after quarantine activities, plus financial problems. This is reflected in their perception of everything, unfortunately.

[Russell49]

Financial problems....so they go out and take a trip they cannot afford and leave a scathing review because their mood could never be lifted. lol

I have taken time off of AirBnB. It seems this year we have gotten more guests that I no longer feel like dealing with.

[Helen350]

Hi @Szilvia3 ! - My ratings have gone UP post Covid! Since we were allowed to host again in the UK on 4 July, I have received 48 x 5* overall  ratings and 1 x 4*.  Only two people gave 4* for cleanliness, everybody else gave 5*! ALL other categories were 5* from everyone. 5 guests didn't review at all.

Whilst I agree with @Anonymous 's theory, I'm assuming my guests were happier than previous ones because I'm on the edge of England's most popular National Park, so maybe coming here wasn't so second best? There are plenty of people who come to the Lake District as a first choice! Also I mainly host weekends & short breaks, so staying here may not have been the guest's main holiday? And I'm super cheap, which satisfies most budget travellers who have read the listing description properly!! 🙂

[Laura2592]

We have had pickier guests since COVID, but strangely not about cleaning. A few of our location ratings have been 4s with one overall experience 4 rating and one value rating of a 4 from returning guests who then asked to book AGAIN a few days after leaving that review. They had stayed last year with higher points given all around. That says it all to me-- people are just peevish and on edge these days. Stuck at home and hating it, they are taking out their frustrations everywhere they can. I was reading a blog about how people are giving more ratings than ever on various star-driven systems and how the ratings are more critical than pre-lock down (and as we head toward more lock downs, one can only imagine how the ratings will go...)

I would be curious if Airbnb is seeing lower ratings overall. As my guests are pretty much 100% Americans from my own state or the neighboring region, I think there is also a lot of anxiety about the economy and the upcoming election. I did have a guest send me so not very nice feedback because she didn't like the political signs in someone's yard, and another was offended that when they turned on the TV it was set to a news channel that the previous guest had watched and that they heartily disapproved of. I now make sure that I switch everything to HGTV when I am doing my disinfecting so that no one gets irritated by the previous guests political leanings. Its a very touchy and divisive world out there right now.

[Mark116]

@Laura2592  We are truly doomed if people have become so totally unhinged  that they would complain to a third party-you about the viewing habits of total strangers, same goes for complaining again to a third party, you, about random political signs in the area.  Everyone now wants to live in their own bubble with nothing they don't agree with ever coming into their orbit.  Sad. Even if said news channel had been watched you, so what?  Oy.

As far as reviews, I have found them to be about the same, but my stress level hosting now is through the roof.  Instead of sightseers who just want a nice place to come back to, guests are staying the apartment all the time, so more wear and tear, much more stress and only weekend bookings so much less money.  

[Jane563]

I’ve had four 4* ratings since the first lockdown ended in the UK. I normally get one or two a year.

I thought I was going to lose my Superhost status. However, a price reduction and allowing one night stays has just about sorted that out.