This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
It seems to be but it isn’t really. @konacoconutz is one of the most experienced and helpful hosts at this forum. New hosts would do well to heed her advice because she has been in just about every situation a host could find himself/herself in.
As time goes on in your hosting life, ratings and reviews become less important. What matters is the bottom line.
I second that they seem to get stuck, at least toward upward mobility. My rating certainly does not seem to get better, even after I unlisted the weakest scorers of the bunch due to different reasons.
(Overall I have some 665 reviews at 4.7 currently, overall 4.5)
The only mobility I see is that your ratings can take a very fast downturn so unfortunately …every bad rating does count and heavily.
Keep in mind Airbnb thinks that 4.7 is the new average. Fall below and you are below the average.
I have two villas side by side, one is 5* for location and the other on 41/2, go figure. Anyway after 6 months the 4 1/2 has just gone up to 5*, so it is possible.
Both are on 4 1/2 for value, they are ridiculously expensive (because guests are prepared to pay!) I don’t understand how they are rated so high on value and keep waiting for them to drop to 4.
My sister in law is a senior manager for a national accommodation chain and she is an expert on reviews. She says that research shows that you should respond to 48% of all reviews, choosing the most detailed ones.
She also points out the obvious, (that I frequently see that hosts don’t get), your response is not for the guests that have left (they won’t see it) but for future guests. She says you should always thank them for their feedback, acknowledge their issue and make a comment about how you have rectified it. You then thank them for their stay and say you hope they stay again (even though you never want to see them again!).
She says that when you reply to reviews, positive or negative you should use it to point out a positive i.e next time you are in the area make sure you visit/do/eat at…
I am lucky that when I need to respond to negative reviews I get her to write them for me.
Someone with a totally different online business told me that they don’t mind the occasional less that stellar comment as it makes it appear more honest/real/true.
I think this is a great idea. It’s so much easier to be non emotional when it is someone else.
Especially as if I don’t get a 5* review I take it personally!!
What they wrote was actually pretty nice. It doesn’t match the 4 star rating. I think most people will read the review and not really focus on the star rating. I personally would not respond to it.
Only you can see the star rating anyway
Ah, you really shouldn’t! Airbnb’s rating is insane. No other word for it. It’s devised by millenials who think you should get a badge just for showing up at school/work/life. It’s ridiculous and causes hosts, particularly new ones, so much stress and anxiety. I don’t use this word often but in this instance, I really HATE the airbnb rating system and their attitude towards it. It stinks like a dead skunk.
Nobody is going to get 5* for everything all the time. How could they?? People are people.
My comment was a little tongue in cheek.