Help me write a message educating new guests about star ratings

1

I just had a new to AirBnb guest leave a four star review. While I don’t much care (well, I care more than I should), I’d like to have in my arsenal a factual, educating standard message to send to the guest after the review; something along the lines of “since you’re new, here’s what a four star review actually means. Do better next time”.

There’s quite a few excellent writers on this site, so I’m asking for help getting this message just right.

BTW, yes, I DO try to educate in advance both in my messaging (“we want you to have a five-star stay” etc.), in my welcome guide, and with the signage explaining the rating system that is found in so many AirBnbs prominently displayed on the refrigerator. But some people don’t read.

Or maybe this is pointless. I welcome your thoughts.

2

As much as I prefer to only have guests who understand the (very unrealistic) rating system from Airbnb, I also try to do my best to prevent such 4-star “Everything was great reviews” by making sure that the guests receive everything they expected to make their stay perfect.

I also think that there is a limit on how far one should go - in terms of keeping your sanity as some guests are flat out resistant to any exterior ‘influences’ regarding how to review your place.

I just read a review on another accommodation’s page where someone was perfectly happy with the accommodation but only gave 4 stars because she wished there would be more amenities. There was no mention of any listed amenities missing during her stay so I conclude that she simply would have given 5-stars as a WOW-factor by having ‘more’ amenities.

This brings my blood to a boiling point as we also run into guests who ask for amenities that we expressly (!) exclude, such as garden/terrace access. They even start sulking like a 5-year old when I repeat that guests have no access to our garden (for a very simple reason, which I also explain to them). Sometimes you get such guests and we can try to make the best out of it.

There won’t be a 100% fool proof way to make everyone happy or expect them to understand the Airbnb review system. Sometimes, I consider myself lucky that some guests actually figured out how to create and account and pay for their stay, considering their inability to cope with daily tasks…

Regarding the message you would like to write - I’d use ChatGPT to whip up a professional sounding letter with all the information you want to include. Let us know if it worked out for you.

2 Likes
3

I don’t know if it’s pointless, quite a few members here advocate it and one very amusing and clever way of educating guests was described here several years ago. A search of the site will turn up many prior threads on the topic.

However, as a guest I assure you that Airbnb does “educate” guests about the ratings. When I rate a host Airbnb guides me through the process and guidelines are provided. So I doubt anything you write will be more effective than what is available to them at review time on the Airbnb site.

As a personal aside, I don’t want to try to coach the guest into leaving me a 5 star review. It reminds me of my former students begging to be given a certain grade instead of what they earned. I wouldn’t hold it against a host if they did it to me, and so far, with over 25 Airbnb stays none have tried to educate me. As a host though, I wouldn’t do it. I have over 1000 stays and 700ish 5 star reviews with a 4.98 average so it also doesn’t seem necessary.

3 Likes
4

As a homeshare host, I have sometimes mentioned to guests how Airbnb looks at ratings differently for hosts than what they tell guests. Yes, Airbnb does have guidelines they give guests for star ratings, but what most guests don’t know is that while Airbnb tells guests 4* means “Good”, that 4.7 is the “target” for hosts and less than 4.8 will lose a host their Superhost status.

If one is going to mention ratings to guests, either verbally or with something written, it’s important not to come across like you are shilling for a 5 star review- I would be put off by that as a guest. So when I have talked to guests about the review system, I make sure to tell them that of course they should rate a place according to how they experienced it, but that they should also be aware that Airbnb doesn’t consider a 4* average to be “Good” when it comes to hosts.

And also to keep in mind that ratings should be based on a place being accurate in its description, providing what they promised and the host being responsive to any issues- not based on amenities, location, etc, that the guest would have liked to have, but which weren’t offered in the first place.

One guest was shocked when I told her that 4* wasn’t considered good enough for hosts. She said she had rated 4* for places she had stayed that she liked perfectly well and would book again, thought 5* was reserved for something over-the-top fantastic, and thought the hosts would be happy with a 4* review.

She thanked me for cluing her in, said she felt terrible that she might have lost a host their Superhost status, and said she’d be sure not to leave less than 5* again for a place and host there was nothing wrong with.

Another guest said his sister was a host, so was aware of the disconnect between the standards Airbnb holds hosts to compared to leading guests to think 4*s is a “Good” review.

But I will say that by no means have I had the “review discussion” with more than a small fraction of my guests, only if it develops organically in the course of conversation. And I have always gotten 5* reviews- maybe because I tend to get experienced guests and few newbies.

5

That’s the problem with Airbnb’s rating system.

First of all, some guests believe (or internally compare) that a 5 star rating equals a stay beyond their expectations with amenities or other things not mentioned that they were positively surprised with.

Secondly, pretty much no one assumes that 5 stars is considered ‘everything was the way it was advertised’ while anything less than 5 stars pretty much only states how much worse it was compared to a satisfactory stay.

6

:rofl: Exactly! I get the feeling a lot of our guests wouldn’t know how to bang in a screw.

2 Likes
7

I’m not sure about this but maybe someone can help me out. Isn’t soliciting for reviews and ratings against Airbnb’s TOS?

1 Like
8

Telling guests that you’d appreciate them leaving a review and explaining how the ratings work isn’t against the TOS. Extorting for a good review is.

2 Likes
9

Go to Etsy and search Airbnb signs ratings. There are tons of pre-made ready to hang signs in your Airbnb for every topic/concern you could imagine.

10

So I’ve decided it is pointless. If the guest has ignored the signage, the info in the guidebook, and my messaging concerning the star ratings, then there is no educating them. However, in case anyone is interested, I did take a stab at the kind of message I was hoping to have at the ready. I personally will not be using it.

To be clear, this is NOT a plea for a better review. This is for after both reviews are published and is solely an attempt to educate the guest for the next host’s sake.

This is a draft that borrows heavily from a Forbes article.

Dear [guest],

We are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us and found our home clean and comfortable and everything as promised. It was truly a pleasure to host you.

We are disappointed that your stay was a four-star stay but do not contest your rating. We would, however, like to ensure your future ratings of AirBnb stays are consistent with AirBnb guidelines.

Some new AirBnb guests view ratings akin to the hotel industry, where four stars is a very fine experience, and five-star ratings are only reserved for the most over-the-top luxurious experiences.

But ratings should be a reflection of how well hosts meet reasonable expectations based on what their listing promises. So if a guest has a great experience at a great price and the listing fully disclosed any possible concerns or idiosyncrasies, it should be rated five stars—even if it’s in a very modest apartment.

Many guests who are new to AirBnb do not fully understand the ramifications of a four star review and that anything less than a five-star review can cause serious issues for a host. The Airbnb platform actually delivers warnings if hosts get four-star ratings. And anything less than five stars can have a detrimental impact on a host’s placement in the all-important search rankings—causing damage to a host’s financial well-being that a guest may not be aware of. And Airbnb’s “Super Host” program—which offers perks such as higher search placement and better customer service to extraordinary hosts—requires hosts to get five-star reviews in at least 80 percent of bookings: A high bar to climb if even the occasional guest who had a great stay is leaving four stars.

While we appreciate an honest rating of this property and every property at which you stay in the future, we also encourage a full understanding of the meaning behind each of the rankings.

Our very best to you.

11

I have to say that seems far too wordy. Also too serious. I think the “ratings guidance” examples that use humor would be much more effective.

But I agree with you that if you already have signage, stuff in your guidebook, and messaging about ratings, anything more is overkill.

4 Likes
12

You could really shorten it to 4 stars means you thought it was ok. Everything as advertised but I wouldn’t stay here again. Because truly, at this point many host would not let them rebook.

1 Like
13

This is another reason why it is advantageous for guests to be made aware that Airbnb misleads them by indicating that 4* means “Good” or “Met my expectations”.

If guests assume, which many do, that a host would be happy with a 4* review, it is of benefit to them to know that some hosts will decline a repeat guest who has left a 4* review.

If a host can convey this info in a way that doesn’t come across like you are pressuring them to leave you a 5* rating (for instance, when I occasionally have the “review discussion” with guests, I always say that of course some places only deserve 4* or even less, but if it’s a place there was nothing wrong with and that they’d book again, 5* is appropriate), most guests will appreciate the info.

14

some people even think a hammer works with a screw<><>

15

Yep, I also find that one can get straight 5s and then a 4 for overall. I’ve just put that down under clicking too quickly on the guest’s part.

Also, no matter how well a host describes the place, they sometimes give a 2 on location, even if it is clearly marked "we are in the COUNTRY, so you will need to drive 2 miles down the road to get to stores, restaurants, etc. Then they mark us down to a 4 overall. :slight_smile:

In the end, most guests who “love the place” will describe it and the potential guest can see how great the place is. :slight_smile:

Best wishes, Pam

16

With the current “rating system” Airbnb has in place, they might as well default all star settings to 5-stars when leaving a review so guests actually have to lower their rating if there was actually something wrong. Otherwise, many guests don’t understand how their rating actually works.

We have a senior couple, repeat guests, since 3 years who always leave a 5 star review and are always telling us how happy they are staying at our place. Well, guess what? Once they left a 4 star overall review (comment left: Everything was great, we will come back again.) and another time in our newer studio that we’re still building up our rating they accidentally gave us 4 star for cleanliness - THE one and most important point to us to have everything spick and span. It just sucks that actually the guests who love our place and give us repeat business actually dragged down our rating - unintentionally.

Unfortunately, we had to explain to them in detail how this rating system works and honestly - I can see how many guests simply don’t understand the system in the first place.

It is what it is.

17

I have never had a “review” conversation with a guest and I am not sure how it would come up. I think it may be interpreted by guest as being a bit tacky even the process explained tacked to the fridge. I am sure if you provide a clean airbnb with fair pricing you will mostly get 5 stars. If you have a 4.97, 4.98 or 4.99, because of an occasional guest giving you a 4… guests looking for accommodation would think that average is pretty darn good.

18

I once rec’d a 4 star rating for location! We live on a beautiful clear lake, with a private beach. You can often hear the loons calling as well as beautiful sunsets. We also live 0.8 km off the highway…all of that information is provided in our listing. I messaged that guest to ask why a 4 rating was given for the location that they chose? If you didn’t like the location why did you book with us!!! That shouldn’t even be a category in my opinion.

1 Like
19

As a homeshare host I end up having lots of conversations with many guests over coffee or a glass of wine (and some guests I barely see).

So sometimes we get to talking about their travels, other Airbnbs they have stayed at, or some issue they had with Airbnb, sometimes they’ll ask me about hosting, saying they’ve been thinking about doing it themselves.
So that’s the context in which it comes up. I do think it would be awkward to pointedly bring it up out of context.

But like mentioned upthread, since many hosts seemingly don’t want a repeat guest who gave them 4*, I think many guests would want to be aware of that, and should be, if they are under the impression that hosts and Airbnb consider 4* to be a good review.

20

I am finding this whole tread interesting. I have not been happy when I myself have rec’d a 4, when overall the guest seemed very happy with their stay. I am sure guests may think a 4 is pretty darn good, when in fact, as a host, it isn’t all that great. I can see now, how a conversation on reviews can come up quite casually.