And proud of it! I am too young to be in that group, but boy did it look like fun from my almost-teen perspective.
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Same thing happened to me pretty much. I had some guests with really thick heads that could not take hints that the rental is in a QUIET neighborhood (emphasized all over the listing, and mentioned verbally when I showed them around). The next night they are all out on the front porch and sidewalk drinking and smoking (all 4âall both drinking and smoking). I really hate having to tell guests things a child should know. But I told them that after 10pm on a Tuesday night the area gets really quiet, as evidenced by the absolute silence (other than them) and the lack of any person, animal, or moving car within a 2-block radius. I also mentioned the house rule about not hanging out on the front porch. And yet THEY ARGUED WITH ME about it. I went inside after a short conversation since I did not want to literally argue back and forth with them about this for longer than 5 minutes. (I kept it polite and friendly, I thought.) And what do you knowâŚthey gave me fewer stars than all the other guests do. It could be that the lesson from this is that I am not nice enough when I ask people to do things that are necessary preconditions for staying at my rental. But what I really think is that some people are just @$$holes. Maybe I could have gotten 5 stars out of them if I had the charm of Brad Pitt and gave them a free bottle of Macallen 25-year-old scotch or something, who knows. But Iâm not that guy unfort.
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Wait, if this is still on the table I may just need to book some last minute vacations. I promise you 5 star reviews all around!
On a serious note while it is really hard to handle those situations as exactly like you said, itâs really annoying to tell guests basic stuff. The guest review section would definitely be a good tool for future hosts to know of this type of behavior from this guest.
In a perfect world, but Iâve been hosting long enough to know that this is just naiveâŚsorry
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As you only quoted the âgoodâ Iâm usure as to which part you refer to.
In the case you meant the guest reviews, I can only say that I have for as long as Iâve been hosting ( which perhaps is not that long) as well as how Iâve advised my clients to be very discerning of requests based on previous reviews.
Perhaps my experience differs, but I do find it a bit rude to call it naive.
I donât see the difference. Arenât they both based on satisfaction?
With Airbnb, though, they expect absolute perfection and being wildly satisfied, which is so unrealistic because most Airbnb stays are pretty hum drum, nice, pleasant, OK. But Air wants them to be over the moon.
No, hotel star ranks are based on level of service. Motel 6 is a one star, the Four Seasons in Paris is a five star hotel. Often older guest think you are rating the âpropertyâ service level - not your satisfaction per se.
Also, remember Airbnb isnât the one reviewing you, It is the guest. You stated âWith Airbnb, though, they expect absolute perfection and being wildly satisfiedâ.
I didnât have a problem with high standards. I see it as better for everyone. Guest education and managing expectations is part of the job. Otherwise you are just like any vacation rental listing on a dozen other sites.
High standards are great, but many guests donât consider the price they are paying against the amenities they want. The Four Seasons in Paris costs appreciably more than Motel 6.
Iâm sorry. The quote thing isnât working on my phone. I mean to say that listing those three things as all you need to do to get good reviews. Thatâs naive. Most of us hosting have done that and way more and still get a meh or unwarranted bad review at times.
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Iâm glad that you mentioned in another post that you havenât been hosting for long. 
This forum is a fantastic place to learn.
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You should read the bestselling novel by Dave Eggers âThe Circleâ which conveys the same school of thought. Mae is working in CE (Customer Experience, which means Customer Service) at a posh company called âThe Circleâ in California (could be Airbnb) and everything she does is rated by customers. She usually has an average customer satisfaction rating of 97% but âThe Circleâ doesnât think thatâs good enough, so she should strive to get 100% all the time.
Itâs a great novel which was made into a movie, starring Tom Hanks, and will be shown in movie theaters, this spring.
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Iâm sorry to hear that you donât have the charm of Brad Pitt. Donât worry, thatâs life. Neither do I.
You would have to ask Angelina about the charm of Brad Pitt.
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I understand the frustration. I almost quit doing Airbnb to rent out a room in my house after receiving a 2 star review after nothing but 5 star reviews. I actually did stop for 6 months partially due to the review and partially due to a close friend leaving her finance.
This review came from someone I made a number of exceptions for. I agreed to meet her downtown to give her keys for an early check in. I have never done a check in without a greeter. I will not again. She said she expected a lock box. This is my home. That will never happen and now my listing reflects that check in is a personal greeting which can be discussed. The booking was uncomfortable to begin with as it was next day. I donât like those.
It was also a booking for a 1 night stay when she was interviewing at the nearby hospital. I had several before. I know their routine. The first interview day is a networking day starting early afternoon and continuing late. The following day is the interview. She requested to check in on the networking day. No other resident interviewee had ever done this. They always checked in the day before the first day and checked out the day of the interview or days after to visit.
In her review, she said pay the extra money for a hotel. Iâm not sure she realized that the nearest hotel would have been about $200 more and at least a 10 minute Uber or 20 minutes walk.
I did not respond to her review. My listing stands for itself. My super host status stands. It has come up with multiple guests and I have had 5 guests since that stay flat out tell me she was a dumbass and they ignored her review because of my other ones and will be sure to reflect how happy they are.
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If you are going to stereotype please get it right!
Millennials are not the children of baby boomers & baby boomers didnât give out any participation tropheysâŚand they donât think the Milennials are special in a good way. Youâve skipped a generation. X. These are the punk-yuppie-grunge-free range inventors of hipster who are the parents of Milennials and rebelled against their baby boomer, free education, war recovering parents who were quite hard on the discipline. Generation X invented modern childcare and get criticized every day for having a career and creating self absorbed Milennials.
Generation X patents invented the participation trophy and the over indulged Millenials who donât even know who their parents are!
My boys are Millennials who donât fit the stereotype. They are hard working and committed. They were raised from sixteen on totally by a single mum who never stopped pushing them to believe in themselves, follow their dreams and keep on being the brave, thinking, conscious, society changing young people that our world needs right now.
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Hi - bringing back the 4 star portion of the threadâŚ
Just got my first overall 4 star. They rated all of the individual categories 5 stars and gave a nice review but gave a 4 overall. One suggestion was left in the private feedback - to change the bedside light bulb to one with a âsofter spectrum.â
My inclination is to just let it go, however, they did indicate they plan on returning in the future. Do I message them and ask what I could have done to make it a 5 overall, mention the all or nothing AirBnb mindset? Not message and mention something if they book again? Not message or mention and hope for a 5 overall next time? Decline their request if they want to book again? Would it be a permissible decline if I gave Air the reason that I was uncomfortable due to the guest not having been completely satisfied in their last visit?
Iâm trying to not get hung up on the star count but almost every listing in my area is 5 star and a superhost. Iâm currently on the first page and often in the top 6 listings. I donât want to fall in the rankings.
Iâd let it go except for this. Because they will give another 4 star if they think thatâs appropriate. So tell them you hope they stay again and you want to know what you need to do in the interim to get a 5 star overall next time. You may find the 4 stars were given in error. I got a glowing review with 5 stars in every category and a 1 star overall. Ouch. And the guest was also coming back. So I made sure to message her about it.
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âDecline their request if they want to book again.â < This is what I would do.
The reason would be that you are uncomfortable with this guest.
If an explanation is required, let Air know you are uncomfortable based on the guestâs prior and sole complaint that the bedside lightbulb should be of a softer ambiance.
Weâve had our first 4 star today - for cleanliness of the floor. Our property is brand new with wooden floors that you could literally eat your dinner off theyâre so clean, other guests have commented how immaculate the house is. Itâs been very snowy and wet whilst this guest was with us though so of course the floors wouldnât remain shiny once theyâd walked through the houseâŚ
Weâve bent over backwards for this guest and itâs quite hurt. I wouldnât mind if it was justified but I checked the property personally before their arrival as I had a gut instinct theyâd be very fussy.
I know you just have to take these things on the chin but Iâm not sure what else we could have done aside from running after them with a mop (not possible when itâs an entire house they have to themselves).
Bah bloody humbug. 