The General Confusion About Star Ratings

[Huma0]

I've seen a lot of posts on this forum where hosts are upset about receiving a four star overall review when the guest has given them five stars in every category. Those reviews/ratings look something like this:

There is no explanation given in the feedback or review as to what they were unhappy with and they have marked each category with five stars, so what on earth was the problem?  The problem is that they have NOT given five stars in every category. When a guest reviews, it is totally optional to fill in the star categories. They can rate some, all or none of them. Many guests choose to rate none and just give an overall rating (as in the example above). When this happens, all the categories will show up as five stars under that review in your Progress tab, but they do not count as five star ratings, i.e. your percentages in each category will neither go up nor down.

How do I know this? Because I keep track of my overall and individual star ratings (you can see these percentages under each listing in your Progress tab), so I can see each time a guest reviews which categories, if any, they have rated. Here's an example.

This is not fail safe as how much the percentages go up or down with each rating depends on how many reviews you have for that listing. If you only have ten, each rating can be worth 10%, whereas if you have 100, it would only be worth 1%. If you have over 100 reviews, you might not always see a change in the stats with each guest that rates. Still, you can get an idea overall if guests are rating the individual categories or not.

Of course, I shouldn't need to keep a log of these percentages. The stars under each review should only show what the guest has actually given, not show five stars for a rating that doesn't even exist. It is obviously causing confusion amongst hosts and Airbnb needs to change this, but I thought I would shed some light on it, so that next time you see that four star rating with five stars in each category, it is not so confusing.

[Emilia42]

Thank you for posting this, @Lizzie. There is a big misconception or huge technically glitch regarding the review process and the overall rating vs. "meeting expectations" questions. Please see if you can get Airbnbto write a post that allows hosts to see the step by step review process from the guests eyes and/or offering some explanation as to why each questions is asked. I think it would benefit us all! Thanks @Lizzie!!

[Lilly28]

@Huma0

Sorry to ask you again for some explanation!  You wrote sometimes the order of the different ratings are mismatched - does this always mean that the guest has only rated the first one - which is out of order and all the rest ones are just fake, non-existant from that guest 5-stars? 

[Huma0]

Hi @Lilly28

I'm not sure to be honest. I only noticed the disparity in order when I was writing this thread! 

I don't think that it can be a coincidence that Location, which normally appears lower down, was suddenly near the top. The two categories that particular guest rated (and I can see from my stats she didn't rate the others) automatically came up on top under her review rather than in the usual order.

I think I will need to keep an eye on this as more reviews/ratings come in so I can be more sure about it before I report back.

[Helen427]

@Lizzie@Huma0@Lilly28@Emilia42@Jo13@Ange@Fred@Robin@Emilia@Petrina  and @ everyone_else

It's my understanding that when it comes to the "overall rating of experience" as outlined by @Robin that this is where hosts are now getting dinged.

The ratings for cleanliness, accuracy, communication etc can all  ALL be 5 stars however the overall expectation and experience Star rating can and does tip that overboard downstream....

As an example I had 2 recent guests rate me 5 stars for all sections but it comes up as 4 stars overall. I would like to have also been able to rate these guests on a scale of 1 to 5 as it's important hosts also have those equal opportunities to rate Guests overall.

It would be great to have the option of "maybe" or "neutral" as well as where we have the options of "Yes or No " to recomend guests to others where we may or may not recommend them or want them back but not be harsh on them as it would be wrong to leave a person out on the street without anywhere to go.

Or am I missing something?

Does that make sense @Lizzie and others?

[Lilly28]

@Huma0

Thank you, Huma! I will also take a look at that in the future.

I have for longtime thought that we, the hosts must have the right to judge the guests twice - and both ratings and written experinece to come out together, or to have the right to review the guest a second time at least for ones who do not do their review. Sometimes I sacrifice so much time and effort for a given guest, and being sure that he or she would appreciate my work done for him or her - I write a very good review, but I either do not got one back or have some 4-stars for trifles. Well, at least to have the right to add - this was a fussy guest - and all hosts will know what this means as they know what means - this guest is better suited for a hotel.  

[Tom643]

I just received a 4 from first time air b and be guest buy when I checked every category given 5 stars not one negative I don’t care but I can’t believe everything perfect great comments and went the extra mile 4 stars only yet every category perfect 

[Huma0]

@Helen427 @Tom643

Did you read my original post in this thread? Are you sure that the guests who gave you 4 stars overall actually did leave you 5 stars in each subcategory? Just because it shows up as 5 stars under their review, that DOES NOT mean they left 5 for each category. It could mean that they did not rate the sub categories at all, in which case it would look like they left 5 stars even if they hadn't.

If you read the explanation in my first post, you will see what I mean.

[Lilly28]

@Huma0

Ha-ha... It is really a GENERAL confusion! I collected everything what was written on my rating in the different categories - and asked my last guest to go through all categoties and give me her ratings as she thinks I deserve. So it was 4 days delay since I collected the data and she posted her review. AND... she definitly did rate every category - as they were with their 5-stars in the right way - and every one changed with one rating - obviously she gave me the rating BUT, BUT - exept one of the categories - LOCATION - before she did the review - it was written - Your last 5 reviews on location were 5 strars - and now - Last 2!!! And what is strange  - no percentage has moved, just these words - how many from the last have given 5 stars...  

[Lilly28]

@Huma0

And Huma, it is true - there was one 4 given for location-just two guests before - so now it is really the right thing counted, but have in mind that there is sometimes a delay - so you cannot be always sure how the ratings have changed. But still your advice have been more than helpful!!! Again and again - thanks!!!

[Huma0]

@Lilly28

Yes, it's true there is often a delay. I wait until the total number of reviews has updated for the listing before checking the individual categories. Sometimes this takes only an hour, sometimes a day.

[Lilly28]

@Huma0

I have just seen a listing - NEW, 1 review, Superhost!!!!

And there are so many Superhosts with 4 to 7 reviews only!

Please, give your comment, is the situation the same in London?

[Huma0]

@Lilly28I'm not sure. I haven't come across any, but there are thousands upon thousands of Airbnbs in London so I have only looked at a tiny fraction of them (mostly in my local area).

It certainly doesn't make sense that a host with only 1, or 4, reviews would be a Superhost, given that the requirements for Superhost specify that you must host at least 10 trips a year and have a 50% review rate. I would assume then you would need at least 5 reviews.

However, it is possible to have a listing with less than 5 reviews where the host is a Superhost, if that host has reviews for other listings. It's the total stats of the host, rather than the individual listing that are taken into account in the assessment. You can usually see if the host has more reviews, as it is specified in the review section of the listing: "This host has X number of reviews for other listings."

[Ronnie48]

The whole star review system seems so disingenuous! I had no idea! Sharing the use of your private home/ cabin / space seem to me that hosts should reconsider it as this star review system seems rigged for Corporate Airbnb and not the hosts! I got an education just reading theses comments and I find myself asking what really should hosts do who just want to share their piece of happiness/ property with others? I had no idea that all these deceptions factored into a simple sharing a private property with others to bring joy of place to some who would have not otherwise been affordable ! An eye opener! I think closing one’s property down would then be best if such deceptions continue! Wow! And to think of guests who disrespect one’s home and think that they are entitled to do it!!! Wow!!

[Sarah977]

@Ronnie48  Yes, it is truly outrageous that some vindictive guest can tank a host's ratings and jeopardize their hosting income by just clicking on a 1* button. Or that Airbnb would consider a 4* average (while telling guests that 4*s indicates "Good") to be a failing grade. Insane, really. The star ratings should be done way with entirely- only allowing written reviews, IMO.

But honestly, not all hosts get guests like this. I've been hosting a private room in my home for over 3 years, and I've had nothing but lovely guests who all gave 5* ratings. I'm not so smug to think I could never end up with one of these nasty guests we read about, but it hasn't been my experience and I know there are other hosts who regularly contribute to the forum here who also get fine guests. And I'm quite sure there are many hosts the world over who also have great guests- if everything is going well, they aren't inclined to post that here on the forums, are they? People tend to come to the forum for help and support with bad situations, rather than talk about how wonderful all their guests have been.

[Dave52]

A guest gave my listing 5 stars on each category, wrote a glowing review said the place was "outstanding", yet gave only 4 stars overall.  Why?  She said she never gives 5 stars to anything because that would mean it is "perfect".  Obviously nothing is perfect.  When I told her 4 stars on airbnb is average or even below average, she wanted to change it to 5 stars.  BUT the real issue?  airbnb would not allow her to change her star rating once posted.  Don't understand why not.  They should allow it.