Address and re-evaluate this rating system.

[Nila120]

I recently re-listed a property on Airbnb after having it rented to a private party for almost two years. The rental was offered at a discounted price because of needed cosmetic repairs, as clearly stated in my listing. Because of the holiday weekend, very few accommodations were available.

All correspondence with the renting guest for the Labor Day weekend were made through the Airbnb forum. I felt that the communications were positive. I reached out to this guest initially stating that “in the event we overlooked or forgot something, please do not hesitate to message or call me.” After they arrived, I received a message stating “Thanks so much for all of.the wonderful extra, thoughtful touches!” [sic]

I also received correspondence after they vacated, informing me that they had cleaned up

Because I felt these guests had gone the extra mile in cleaning up, used only two of the three bedrooms, and unfortunately we discovered that we had overlooked the outside BBQ grill, I refunded them half of their deposit. At no time did the guest complain or request a refund. I just felt it was the right thing to do, mostly because of how clean they left the house

I left this guest a 5-Star, favorable review. In return this guest left me a favorable written review. Then to my dismay, discovered that the Star review was AWFUL! Never have I received such a poor star rating. They left me a 3 Star review for “Cleanliness”, yet in their written review stated, “It is big and clean”.

Had this guest reached out to me and stated that the accommodations were sub-par, I would have canceled her reservations and refunded ALL of her money.

I am asking Airbnb, as a Superhost, to please reconsider how star reviews are handled.

As a suggestion, please consider showing the Star-ratings left by both guest and host. Although some low ratings are merited, some individuals are by nature extremely picky.

My niece recently stayed at an Airbnb. When I asked how it was, she stated that there was a drop of cream rinse on the back side of the shower curtain. Really??? What a prissy!

I have an acquaintance who leaves embarrassingly low tips. Although this acquaintance is financially well-to-do, and can certainly afford the standard 15-20% tip, she always states “service wasn’t very good.” I no longer care to join this person for lunch.

After putting TLC in preparing our properties prior to listing, then spending the time and money on picking up extras, like snacks, toothpaste, soap, etc. only to be graded and judged by some click-happy critical guest, who feels it is their obligation and right to give low ratings, Airbnb will no longer be the main listing avenue for renting out my properties. More time and money is spent on preparing for short-term guests than traditional guests.

If Airbnb values its hosts, it will address and re-evaluate this rating system.

Thank you

[Brian2036]

@Nila120 

I can definitely sympathize with this. We have had similar experiences.

Part of the problem is Airbnb’s review instructions which seem to indicate that 3 is average, 4 is very good, and 5 is perfect.

 The guest may be so entirely ignorant that she doesn’t know that her 3* rating was actually insulting and destructive.

 I guess she does now, though.  😉

 I wouldn’t host her again either. Just not worth it.

[Sarah977]

@Nila120  Sorry this happened to you, but what I don't understand is why you refunded these guests money. Guests should  clean up after themselves, it's not something that warrants a refund.

If a guest does a great job cleaning up, you reward them for that by leaving them a great review and ratings, not by throwing money at them.

That you had overlooked cleaning the BBQ is an oops, but refunding for that when the guests didn't ask you to, seems to belie the rest of your post- that you feel peope are too fussy and should accept that everything may not always be perfect. Which I certainly agree with. 

I have to say that your lengthy responses to guests who left you reviews and ratings you didn't like are horrible and quite unprofessional, and do yourself much more harm than a low rating. I would never book with a host who left responses like that.

Responses are not supposed to be used to attack a guest nor the rating they left you. Your responses appear on your review page, not the guest's, the guest will likely never even see them.

Responses are meant to correct any misinformation or misleading statements in the written review, for the benefit of future guests, and should never mention the star rating you were given nor anything that the guest has not said in the public review. If you plan to continue to use Airbnb, I would suggest you contact Airbnb and ask them to remove those responses- they are very much to your detriment. Leaving scathing responses to what are nice, complimentary written reviews makes you look ungrateful and vindictive, and quite frankly, crazy.

[Nila120]

You are “sorry this happened to me?” Really? Not sure about your “expert advise” either, nor do I care.

You explain that I should not have refunded any cleaning fees. Yes, guest should clean up after themselves. Not all guest do, and those that do, their level of care certainly vary. Nonetheless, you are entitled to your opinion, but go ahead and inform me how I handled this whole event wrong!!!

There again, you are such an expert!!!

I noticed that you are a 5-star host. Not sure how you would react if all written indications were favorable. Then be slapped in the face w/a 3-star rating, pulling your overall ratings down. Like what happened to me with this guest.  But this is how I’m reacting.

As far as the Response criteria, from what I researched, it is currently the only avenue that Airbnb offers for low star ratings. But apparently your research for Responses has a different criteria.

Oh, and thanks for analyzing me: “ungrateful and vindictive, and quite frankly, crazy.”

Had you read and comprehended my complaint, you would have understood that I will NOT be utilizing Airbnb as a main avenue for renting out properties unless they re-evaluate their grading system. I have been a landlord for over 20 years, and personally Airbnb is more labor-intense and costly.

After the current guest vacate, I will be un-listing my properties. You can have my share of critical guest. Your day will come!!!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Sarah977 I fear you should have realised that @Nila120 doesn't take criticism well! 

[Nila120]

Perhaps constructive criticism.

But really, what makes Sarah977 such an "expert" ?

I was certainly frustrated and yes venting. Perhaps if Airbnb would also post the Stars-given, like most review sites, it would be beneficial. I mean really, who wants to host to a guest that is in the habit of being over-critical? We all know that over-zealous expert who considers himself/herself a perfectionist or taken a class from that professor that graded on the bell curve. Just not a pleasant experience. One poor star-rating review and that perfect star-status is gone. Kind of like a professor who utilizes critical grading techniques, that of course gives him/her a sense of power and control, but can destroy a students 4.0 GPA.

But, ah well, I just unlisted 2 of my 3 properties. The third property will be unlisted later this week, after the current guest leave. No more berating from people I do not personally know.

There were over 300 Airbnb listings in my area when I became an Airbnb host in 2017. Currently there are 244 listings–filter out listings without heat, beds, bathrooms, and over $300.00/night, that number drops to 203 listings. The demand for rentals in my area is at the highest trend I’ve witnessed in over 20 years of renting out properties. Naturally, I will use the friendliest, most cost-effective/revenue-generating means to list my rental-properties.

[Sarah977]

@Nila120  "Oh, and thanks for analyzing me: “ungrateful and vindictive, and quite frankly, crazy.”

I didn't say you were those things. I said the review responses you have left will leave that impression to others reading them. 

It is natural to feel angry when a guest tanks your ratings for no good reason. But as adults, we don't give vent publicly to every emotion we might feel. 

I am not an expert. Any advice I offer comes from my own experience and/or reading hundreds of other hosts' advice and experience over several years. 

And no, if a guest left me an undeserved 3* rating, there is no way I would leave responses like that. 

I often advise other hosts to write out, off platform, the response they would like to leave to an unfair review, to get it off your chest, then sit on it for a week until you calm down, and hopefully have had some nice guests in the meantime, then revamp or rewrite it to something brief and professional that corrects any misinformation in the written review.

If the written review is positive, there is no need for a public response- send the guest a private messsage if you feel you must rake them over the coals for not leaving a 5* rating.

[Mark116]

@Nila120   I don't want to speak for her, but I suspect @Sarah977  point was that your response didn't do you any favors.  All any future guest can see is the written review, which was positive, publishing a rant detailing all the star listings doesn't seem very professional and might put off future guests.

What you might have done instead, is send that feedback to the guest, and ask them point blank why they gave  you a 3 star rating for cleaning when they said in the review it was big and clean.  The response you gave would have been better suited to private feedback.

I never EVER give any type of refund from a stay until after the review period has ended.  A handful of times when guests have either arrived or left early by a day or so, we have given a partial refund, but I would never open myself up to giving a refund and then potentially getting a bad review, even a 4 star review, so I always wait until the 14 days have passed.  Hopefully, you've learned that lesson now.

[Nila120]

Yes, lesson learned! But then hindsight is 20/20! With traditional rental deposits, I always wait 20 days. Not sure why I choose to refund this partial cleaning fee early. But it won’t happen again.

My main complaint is that the stars are not visible. Other review sites I have any experience with, except for Airbnb, publish both the narrative and the star-rating.

Not sure why Airbnb hides individual star-reviews, but I am not a fan. I just think making the star-review ratings along with the narratives public would be a better option. This would allow potential hosts/guests the opportunity to evaluate prior to booking, and then determine whether they care to engage in business with someone who habitually leaves low-marks.

As a host (or rather former-host) I would most likely not want to host a “low-baller” or “low-starrer”, in this case.

In the four plus years I’ve been an Airbnb host, several “guests” have actually turned into “tenants”. One particular former guest, has been renting from me now for over two years. There have certainly been positive perks with Airbnb. This event, however, was the final straw in a string of Airbnb irritations. Nonetheless, this has certainly been an adventure. I will re-evaluate Airbnb at a later date, but as for now, life it too short to engage in activities that are not value-added.

Best of Luck to you.