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Nick, if you look for negatives you will find them, none of us are perfect, but the trick is to look for positives.
Nick, it never crosses my mind that it might be a bad review when I see that email, unless something has happened during a particular stay that made me question what I do.
I have been fortunate to have had only three 3 star reviews over the past 6 years. One of those was a difficult guest, another was a 'God botherer' who felt I should be more receptive to her brand of religion....... and the remaining one was where the guest was doing exactly what Airbnb said they should do! The review simply said...."It was fine" and they gave me a 3 star, indicating that the stay met their expectations.
I can't do anything about those, I did nothing wrong, nothing I can improve, so it's no blot on my hosting!
I have never had a 2 or a 1 but Nick, I try to not get myself in the situation where I might get one!
I don't have disputes with guests or hassle them in any way. I do get even with them if they do the wrong thing, but not through the review system.
Nick, don't look for problems, most guests are wonderful, look at your reviews, they are great....
And of course that great review from Katie from Brussels! You surely would have got a thrill when you read that one!
Try not to get too absorbed in the negative aspects of the review system, if you are a good host the negative side will very rarely manifest itself.
I know you are still smarting a bit from Lauran's comment about a bit of mess, but forget that and look what else she had to say....."Nicks place was great, very spacious room perfect for short stays ............. and Nick is a great guy!"
As a prospective guest I would place far more importance on the positives that Lauran offered, not just the one negative.
Nick, be a glass half full person, not a glass half empty one!
Cheers.........Rob
Hi @Nick1866 @Angelica-Y-Jorge0,
Maybe this is helpful.
"Negative reviews can be subjective in nature, but it shouldn’t discourage you to leave it alone. Understanding this concept will help you face these reviews and tackle them one by one.
You might be worried that it may tarnish your online reputation — after all, big brands have been lambasted online, too, and it didn’t end well for them. You may have been figuring out how to bribe Facebook into removing your negative review, but instead of being scared of the big, bad negative review, why don’t you turn the tables around and turn it into a blessing in disguise?"
Source: https://browsermedia.agency/blog/why-you-shouldnt-fear-negative-online-reviews/
Airbnb review systems?
“bizzarre”!
“ out of your hand”!
“ doesn't makes sense”!
As for me > “ dead and buried”!
.
The problem that You get nervous about a negative review is not the negative review per se, the problem is that You think reviews are important, especially the star rating.
What's the benefit of a high average star rating?
Well, there isn't any. You may now say: But You need high ratings to be a Super Host. Ok, then let me ask You this question:
What's the benefit of being a Super Host?
Well there isn't any, except You get a $100 travel voucher for one year of hard work. That's a monthly wage of $8.33, that's way below the legal minimum wage in Angola.
What's the key to successfully renting on airbnb?
The key to success is a high placement in search results, You and other people believe that a high average rating and being a Super Host moves Your listing up in search results. Here are some quotes taken from the thread „Guests who don't believe in giving 5 Stars“:
@Jillian115: But my rating effects my booking …...
@Robin4: I did (an do) work hard for my Superhost, it keeps a lot of lovely people come to my door.
@Elaine701: But with our 4.8 - 5.0 average star rating, and plenty of great reviews, we consistently show up on page 1 or 2 of any search for "Mallorca"
So as You can see, all these bulletpointstatements indicate, that high ratings and being a Super Host drives Your business. Unfortenately, all these statements are totally wrong.
Does a high average rating move You up in search results? No.
Does being a Super Host move You up in search results? No.
Elaine said that her listings consistently show up on page 1 or 2 of any search for „Mallorca“ because of her high average ratings. I don't know how she searches her own place, maybe not in incognito mode.
I just did a search for Mallorca (no dates, no filters) from Germany and her 2 listings do not show up on page 1 or 2, they don't show up on page 5, actually they don't show on the first 15 pages and thats 300 listings.
Who then shows on page 1 for Mallorca? Here are the results:
| Listings on page 1 - Mallorca search | Rating | |
| 1 | Cal Dimoni Suite. Natur nahe dem Meer. | 4,99 |
| 2 | Casa des Tarongers / Casita für 2 Personen | 4,81 |
| 3 | Typical Stone House In The Centre with Pool | 4,67 |
| 4 | Villa HERRERO | 4,62 |
| 5 | House with Garden for Nature-Lovers | 4,87 |
| 6 | Mallorca rural - Ca na Rafela | 4,74 |
| 7 | U Vila, Finca rústica con piscina | 4,95 |
| 8 | U Coste, Finca rústica con piscina | 4,68 |
| 9 | Mallorca winter offer-villa close to nature&beach | 5,00 |
| 10 | Penthouse studio with outstanding view | 4,75 |
| 11 | Cozy Studio with balcony | 4,36 |
| 12 | Refugium in den Bergen | 4,74 |
| 13 | Moderno estudio planta baja a 500m de la playa | 0,00 |
| 14 | CAN MIQUEL (TORD) - Fantastisches Haus | 0,00 |
| 15 | Moderne Finca Sos Fuyes mit großem Grundstück | 5,00 |
| 16 | VillaSpa, in der Nähe des Strandes mit privatem Poo | 4,44 |
| 17 | OWL BOOKING VILLA MIQUEL - LUXUS URLAUB | 0,00 |
| 18 | Ideal für Naturliebhaber. | 4,50 |
| 19 | Typische mallorquinische Finca | 4,91 |
| 20 | Lovely house in the country. | 4,56 |
| Average average rating | 4,74 |
The average average rating on page 1 of the Mallorca search is 4,74*, that's not exciting, right? And why are there 4.6* - 4.5* - 4.4* and 4.3* listings on page 1?
I once did a much bigger research on the New York market. My question was:
Who's making money in New York?
Obviously the listings with the highest number of reviews are the ones who make money, because these are the ones with the highest number of stays. So I examined the 300 listings on the first 15 searchpages in New York that have more than 100 reviews. The result was, that the 90 most successful listings in New York have an average rating of 4,74*, same result as for Mallorca.
I've done similar researches several times and published them mostly on the German CC. You know what kind of reaction I get from my fellow hosts?
Well, Ute, I think You are right and You have all the prove and evidence, but maybe it's still better to be a Super Host, because who knows? You never know.
😊😃😂
That's the same position some atheists take. They don't believe in god, but they go to church once a year, mostly around christmas time
Well, I think there is no god because there is no evidence that god even exists, but maybe it's better I go to church once a year. Because who knows? You never know.
4 million airbnb hosts minus one (that's me) believe, that You need a high average rating and that You need to be a Super Host to successfully rent on airbnb, but that is not true. The fact that a vast majority of people believe that something is true isn't a proof that it is actually true.
Let's take a look back in history: In the 16th century the world believed that the earth is the center of the universe and all the stars would circle around the earth. There was only one guy who thought about this differently. That was Gelileo Galilei. He said that the earth is circling around the sun and he was right. I'm in the same position today as Galileo was 600 years ago.
Airbnb successfully managed to implement a cult into 4 million host brains: 5* reviews are important, you need high average ratings and you have to be a SH. And You can't get that back out of their brains, no matter how much evidence you provide.
Who invented that cult? That was Douglas Atkin. He worked for airbnb for a few years and installed the Superhost feature. He also wrote a book:
The culting of brands
From the Amazon description of said book:
Contrary to stereotypes, most cult members aren’t emotionally unstable—they’re just normal folks searching for a sense of belonging.
Read the book. Douglas Atkin explains in detail what You have to do, to get 4 million hosts to worship a badge. And watch the language in this book, You may have come across that language already some where else.
This is a copy of the first page of that book:
After 6 years of hard promotional work airbnb has established a 5*/Superhost cult that has become undestroyable. No matter how much evidence You provide, You can't kill that cult. So as I know that everything I write is completely in vain, why am I still writing it? Well, I just wrote this for Your entertainement. I've been perfectly entertained by some posts on this forum, especially by the „puddles in Seattle“ tread. So I just wanted to give something back that I have received on here.
---------------
Here's my advice to You Nick as You started this thread: If You are nervous about every review that comes in, quit hosting. If You live in an ongoing fear and anxiety about reviews, You make Yourself a servant to Your guests and a slave to airbnb.
That's not a life worth living.
cc: @Anonymous @Sarah977 @Emilia42 @Ann72 @Debra300 @Colleen253 @James2566 @Fred13 @Laura2596 @Aurielle-and-Dave0
