Have had a perfect 5* rating until now, got a 4*, will I ever get back to being a 5* star?

[Mariana313]

I´ve hosted all perfect 5 stars (about 12), until now, a super good review (go figure) gave me a 4*. Now i´m 4.9*

Will it ever be possible to go back to 5*?

Is 99.9% 5*- 0.1% 4 stars still count as 4*?

Will I be inperfect forever? haha...

How does this work?

[Clara116]

@Deanna216 Hey, I know your request was to Barbara last year but I was so curious so I looked at your property. 

Having been a super host/community leader and 5* 212 reviews later - and top in Florida for hospitality wanted to offer you some ideas about your fabulous listing.

Let me know if you'd like my suggestions for ways to improve your listing - sometimes Less is more and that seems to be your situation as I see it. 

Wishing you all the best in your hosting!

warm greetings, Clara in Pensacola, Fl. 

[Deanna216]

@Clara116  yes, absolutely and I thank you for your interest in helping me. My bookings go totally dry after April...and so I am only renting about 30% of the year.

Best wishes, 

Deanna - Suite Du Soleil Ixtapa in Ixtapa, Guerrero, Mexico

[Clara116]

@Deanna216  so glad you wanted a little feedback to hopefully improve what's happening with your listing and booking.

Your place is fabulous for certain. There are some things I think you might consider to help you.

!- too many photos! Way too many 200, people are not buying the place but wanting to visit short term. Best to have about 30 photos. Show the main things that every guests wants to know about - living room, bedrooms, bathrooms, Kitchen and not soooo many close up photos.  My understanding is you have about 8 seconds to sell the place and going through a hundred/2 hundred  photos is exhaustive. 

2- If I read it correctly, you do NOT have a dishwasher - This is a mistake I think, but you have a wine cooler that's filled - which is the amount of space you'd need for a dishwasher. Guests do NOT want to Hand Wash Dishes and Hosts do NOT want guests to stack up dirty dishes. 

3- I couldn't find is there and elevator up to 17th floor??? 

4- I would try 3 night min. and see what happens. 

5- Like I mentioned above you have way too many close up photos!.

That's my take on some points that might be helpful. Most importantly # of  photos and the dishwasher. and 3 nights. 

Happy Hosting and best to you,

Clara 

[Paula]

Hello @Clara116 , I just wanted to stop by to say hi 👋. I hope everything is going well 😊, and as always, thank you so much for sharing these great points with @Deanna216.

[Clara116]

@Paula thanks for your kind words!

[Deanna216]

@Clara116  thank you very much.

Yes, there are too many photos...since airbnb decided to "help" with the new system of identifying each room for the "view tour"...They have taken my photos and repeated them over and over. 

My place is tiny.... 882 sq. ft....I typically only accept a couple and maybe one young child but that's not encouraged. When I remodeled my apartment, I sold the dishwasher to have a pull out for the trash cans instead...I hate having trash cans exposed and in the way of the fridge and or any other cabinet. 

Yes, we have an elevator...we are on the 17th floor...I will cite that fact.

Great ideas...thank you.

I will try the 3 night rental.

I will delete photos as they are repeated too much.

My apartment is beautifully furnished and the kitchen supplied with more than any other kitchen I have seen. Fine dishes from Macys, all-clad pots and pans and more.

The apartment was originally not to be for rent to the public. I furnished it with only the best of the best...I fear that a revolving door of tenants will cost me in "wear and tear"  loses over things broken and, or stolen that I could not keep up with...

What is your experience with loses? I weigh out the income we receive against the sentimental value I have placed on my things. I treat my guests better than family. I do so many special things for each tenant that surprise and delight them...in exchange, I only hope that my guests to treat my place kindly...that is my strategy. 

I almost prefer not to make money to renting it to a person that I think will not care that they are will be in a specially nice place. 

I guess I am not the typical host...probably do not have any business hosting I am so picky...LOL..

Be well,

Dee

[Clara116]

@Deanna216  I hear you completely.... your approach is wonderful on one side totally BUT on the other side somewhat confusing. Chances of folks breaking those precious dishes is far greater by hand washing as opposed to dishwasher machine, I think.

And having the wine cooler  makes little sense in that regard. That's what I would substitute. Not everyone are wine drinkers. And me coming from a family of alcoholics I would never offer booze in my cottage. Because so many people are recovering and I would never want to have a bottle offered to a guest that had been struggling or was now sober and suddenly I tempted them or messed up their world with that bottle. Its just how I think and host.  We never know peoples stories and everyone has a story.....Totally personal. 

Its lovely doing for guests and they love being surprised. That is one of the best things you can do as a host and win their hearts and those 5*'s for sure.

I have never had a guest in 7 yrs. Steal anything. Never had anything broken either. 

You can control your calendar....you can block off time so your place is not overused or has too much wear and tear as you think it will for 3 day stays. Most of my guests stay 3 nights. I have a 2 night min.  

I forgot one thing that I think is a critical factor and could be stopping people from booking??? Have you checked to see how many views you have been getting?? That's important. The thing about having to only get 8 hrs. of electrical and then having to pay for extra electric use if they want 24hrs a day. They all want 24/7 trust me, what if they don't go anywhere, or are sick or just want to rest at your fabulous place. And the unknown factor of how much that would cost - that would stop ME in my booking tracks. Not sure how you resolve that one, but I think it is having a massive impact...and it was at the end....meaning they have to read everything before they see that. If you can fix that it could be the BIG factor that I think might just be "the difference that is making THE difference". I personally would never consider a place with extra ??? charges for A/C...that unknown  extra $$ would halt me. Sorry, just being honest. 

Hope you understand where I am coming from.

Best to you, Clara

[Lauren-and-Blake0]

Same thing happened to me! She put 5 stars under every category, but decided it was an overall 4.  If you get a 4 star, your rating drops immediately and significantly. I’ve have 12, 5 star reviews on top of the 4 star and it only went up a from 4.96 to a 4.97 after 12 perfect reviews! Something’s gotta give Airbnb

[Kyaw7]

We came here to read the thread cuz we finally got our first 4-star even though the guest was happy with everything. The thread did not disappoint. This is like a therapy! Like everyone, life goes on with 4.95. We can mentally round that up to 5 if airbnb doesn't. 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Kyaw7 I couldn't agree more. Losing the perfect 5.00 rating is liberating and I think a 4.95 rating seems more honest to future guests!

[Donna1173]

I’m so sorry this happened to you because it happened to me this week. I have 85 perfect five stars and work really hard to attain that. I had a Guest booked  for four days and she raved about the condo and gave me a great review and still gave me a four-star so it took me to 4.99. It hurts!

[Mark5129]

Same thing just happened to us after 55 5 star reviews.  They gave us a great review and only 4 stars.

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Mark5129 This is likely to be because when a guest reviews they are told that 4 stars is very good. Also some guests just do not give full marks on principle.

Anyway if you luxuriate your imperfections you will be far more content in life.

[John7994]

We, too, are super frustrated.  Eighty one perfect five-star reviews now sabotaged by a guest who left a four star review for reasons that seem to make no sense.  In the private comments, she said the bathroom was freezing. There is a thermostat for that area.  All she had to do was adjust it.  I really wish Airbnb would have a way of marginalizing a certain number of reviews. 

[Simon4548]

After a very recent stay, I faced blackmail by a host that left -ve feed back on myself. This would be lifted if I revised my 4star review to 5, in fact this Host was lucky to get 4 stars. I have written to the CEO on the matter. If you cannot face feedback as a Host in real terms, fill you property with Chickens and seek an alternative sauce of income, rather than shaft the customer?