Ignore me, I am ranting :)

[Peter890]

Hi all,

Just had a guest, new to airbnb. Communication was good, place left in good shape. Left him a good review. He left me 5 star reviews for everything except cleanliness where he gave 3 stars because of "dust" and 4 stars overall.

I am in the apartment now and have checked the place end to end - and the rating is  cranky. Oven, hob, fridge, freezer, microwave, bath, sinks, under beds, sofas, everywhere is pretty spotless, as normal. There is no dust without using a microscope and a bright light 😉 It is spring here so with the windows open there is plenty of pollen settling everywhere.

These off-piste reviews seem to happen about every 30 guests. The best one I remember was a guest last year giving 5 star reviews for all individual scores, said they were delighted but then gave a 4 stars overall review. Huh??? 

We take so much care - courtesy soaps, shaving kit and toothbrush. Bath salts, recommendations for places to go, tea, coffee, juices right the way down to a little kinder chocolate for each guest...we really really care...and really value 5 star reviews...

The unevenness of guest reviews sends me crazy! When we get something wrong, sure, we take it on the chin. But when guests just have a cranky idea of what stars to give? I think some guests use it like a hotel star rating, if they want a 5 star like that then the Four Seasons in Prague is excellent at Eur570 per night for a basic room versus our Eur60 for a whole apartment! 

Just a rant. I don't think there much to do about it and we are running at 92% for 5 star reviews anyway so most people value what we do 😄 It's not like it puts superhost at risk. But it does make me want to rant!

Rant over. Thanks for listening 🙂

[Paul154]

Charge more, care less.

This is the unintended consequence of the rating system.

Eventually all hosts think "If people are going to complain, at least I better make more money off them" = charge more.

Also all hosts think "If people aren't going to appreciate what I do, then I just won't do it" = care less.

This is not just philosophical, but market science based. 

"Normal" people do not want to subject themselves to the vagary of people judging them on their personal, intimate home. So the rating system helps professional hosts, by limiting competition.

Ironically, all hosts should be grateful to the crazy, ungrateful guests - they reward us by letting us charge more and letting us do less.

[Peter890]

Paul, a tempting way to think and I do buy the care-less message! Getting a 5 star review is a bit like getting a Like on facebook, it's a synthetic ego booster...

But superhost does have some value and given that more than 9 from 10 guests value what we do with 5 star reviews I will keep with the focus on quality. And just rant every now and again about the odd off-piste review 🙂

[Kimberly178]

LOL, I think you are right!  Paul, your a genius!  People at a "certain price range" are ungrateful and tactless (to say the least). Raising the bar!

[Mike340]

@Peter890

I think the problem is the lack of explanation to the guest on "how" to score.

AirBnb does not see the importance of that ...that is the rant for most hosts

Guests have no real idea of how the scores effect your place in the searches, Superhost status etc

The review is largely something guests do in the couple of minutes without a great deal of thought...and who can blame them.

"dust" is more of .. well, just a feedback comment...I have had the same....

You have hosts who get marked down for their location despite the guest knowing where they were booking.

I have  a friend who got marked down for having a first floor flat, despite his advert stating

"1st floor flat "...

I got marked down for not speaking French...even though I never claim to..

Marked down for not having Cable TV..nothing states that I have

The list of these ridiculous things gets longer week by week

[Kimberly178]

Exactly, they should have comment but not lower the score, there should be more than a few questions to answer that cuts to the deep of it when it is trivial. That is the problem with this scoring procedure. Also, these guests change their email and therefore they are a whole new person.  Owners can not change their address at the drop of hat- or at all. 

[Zappa0]

I got marked down because my cooler smelled too clean

[Peter890]

Sometimes you just have to laugh! Make it smell dirty for the next guest maybe? 🙂

[Kim87]

On the french airbnb community, there's a very funny post with screen caps of ecstatic guests leaving 3 or 4 stars or weird comments about laundry smelling to fresh.

[Rebecca181]

@Peter890 I posted recently here on this subject, and it is receiving many comments and much discussion is going on. Search on 'Review system needs to be revised'. And, it does. Because starting in July, those odd reviews most hosts get every so often may cause super hosts to lose their super host status if they fall below the mandatory 4.8 score; regular hosts need to maintain a 4.7. Trying to raise your average again after one of these 'off' reviews is nearly impossible. Other members of the community have discussed the math. 

As for me, given what is coming (if it is not changed) I have no attachment now to stars or whether or not I maintain my super host status. Too mentally and emotionally exhausting. I just focus on enjoying hosting, and doing the best I can for guests, and the income generated - And let go of the rest. 

[Peter890]

@Rebecca181 Thanks, I read through your thread, interesting and very relevant. For sure the rating system is contentious and will need more than a tweak 🙂

One observation, people can simply be odd! Before airbnb I rented the flat a while on the local market (for postgrads and the like) and one lovely guy who I still know springs to mind. He is a high function aspergers and OCD about cleanliness. If he saw dust he stopped his life to clean the flat end to end. A great tenant - aside from he never got on with people he shared with! But how would he rate any abnb he stayed at? For him the whole world gets less than a 1 star rating for cleanliness 😄

So somehow the rating system needs to allow for the occasional odd-bod. One under-considered point is a review of the reviewers. Some guest who goes everywhere giving substandard reviews is someone who deosn't "get" airbnb and needs to be educated or removed from the community 🙂

I guess we wait and see how abnb develop the ratings system. GIven that abnb is still more like a " social movement" than a bookings engine a la booking.com, I guess they won't wish to lose too many of us. Also, whilst they are becoming less host-friendly I notice that booking.com is becoming a little more host-friendly.

Let's stay in touch!

[Florence144]

Great tip. Just focus on enjoying hosting and do the best you can.

[Joanne221]

Hi Peter,

I think with the superhost status the guests come with a very high expectation. I've been really helpful to some guests in the past and they have given me an average review. Although this happens very little i do find people are just out to get a refund when they complain. I wouldnt worry too much about getting five star reviews or the guest complaining as people can be very difficult and sometimes try and take advantage!

Jo

[Peter890]

Hi Joanne,

We have given 2 refunds over 3 or 4 years and maybe 300 guests - that was when the boiler threw a hiccup so no hot water for a while - and they didn't expect a refund and  5 starred us for caring! We haven't found people playing the game for refunds at all...but I do know it does happen...

In fact we haven't had anyone playing games at all, the problem is simpler - expectations. As you said superhost implies something special but with no guidelines for guests as to what average - good - or excellent is, it's simply a lottery!

A little airbnb marketing to guests around expectations would be very welcome 🙂

[Rebecca181]

@Peter890 Ironically, Airbnb itself states that 5 stars means that the listing was as described and expectations were met. Meaning, they are implying that being a 5 star host is simply offering what you said you were going to offer. Conversely, most guests believe 5 stars means luxury hotel fantastic. Guests are told when asked to review that 4 stars are 'good' and 5 means 'fantastic' - Further adding to the confusion. 

It is a gnarly hornets nest and too many hosts and super hosts are getting stung. Let's keep speaking up until this gets fixed. Because, it must.