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Ok so, if you are like me, striving to consistently get 5-star reviews from each booking, you know how frustrating it is to get a “poor” (4-star or below) or NO review at all!
I’ve been doing this hosting thingy for almost 4 years now. At certain point Airbnb used to pester guests, reminding them to leave a review. That is no longer the case these days. Guests are treated with special gloves now, and all the burden, including inquiring for reviews, is on us.
So after getting about 60% of the times reviewed (which sucks badly) and struggling with neutralizing the 4-star reviews by adding x3 more 5-star reviews, I’ve given a serious thought on how to approach the guests and just ask for the damn reviews.
It’ve made it very simple, and it’s working.
When you know that you and your guest/s had a great experience, couple of days later leave them a review and shoot them a short message with something along these lines:
“Good afternoon XYZ,
Just wanted to let you know that I just left a positive review for your stay. It was truly a pleasure having you as my guest,
I’m sorry for bothering you, but I was wondering if you could kindly spare a moment and review your stay. I will truly appreciate your gesture.
Hope you have a wonderful day and I really hope you come to visit me again.
Kindest regards,
XYZ”
—-
Now, I know this is like too much schmoozing and cheesy, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working long time on a luxury retail is: CUSTOMER SERVICE! CUSTOMER SERVICE! CUSTOMER SERVICE!
You should treat this damn thing with the highest amount of courtesy at all the times (particularly since we need those pesky ratings lol… ugh). At the cost of sounding like a doormat-nice, understand that going the extra mile with compliments and flattery pays off. Keep it short and to the point, engaging the most humble and kind words you can add to a small paragraph. The way I see it, people don’t want to read long texts and when you are REALLY nice 80% of the times they are willing to be nice back.
Thanks for reading this and I hope it proves useful to you as it has been for me.
I do something similar but it’s not as “groveling.” I only ask when the guests leave glowing. I send a text after checkout that’s more by the by…
Thanks for leaving the apartment in such great shape and for staying with me! I will leave you a five star review and would love if you could do the same! Aloha and safe travels!
If I just ask for a review I might get four stars. And even have received dings on individual tthings such as location when guests have left glowing. So it can be risky to ask for a review.
That works as well. I do feel like when I was in Hawaii i didn’t have to be really extensively careful with words. Here in EU, they are really nitpicking. There is no Aloha spirit lol…
Good advice. I sometimes do something similar, and I would add one more thing to the note. I always try to put in a sentence that’s more personal, something we’ve talked about, so it doesn’t sound like a standard letter. It’s easy for me as we do a bit of socialising with the guests. Obviously not TOO personal (“Do hope the bladder infection clears up!”) but “Hope the house move goes smoothly” or “Enjoy your Trip to New York this Autumn!”
Of course, this does mean you have to actually remember something the guest has told you and not get your guests mixed up - I wouldn’t want to congratulate the chic young gay couple from Paris on the forthcoming birth of their grandchild - so I do write a few notes on the back of their printed Airbnb itineraries to help my ageing memory!
I’m glad you found something that works well for you! Personally, I wouldn’t use that method and like to educate guests while they’re with us. What we do is have a welcome letter in each room, part of which explains how Airbnb’s rating system works. (I’ve posted an excerpt on here previously). Since doing that, all but one gave us 5 stars. About six months ago, I started a second way. We have a dry erased board listing current guests and breakfast menu. At the bottom I have written how many 5 star reviews we have. Currently, it says “5 Star Reviews 199 out of 205 - THANK YOU!” That also seems to help us keep getting 5 stars.
I write something similar, but, as @konacoconutz put it, not as grovelling.
I usually write “left an all-5 star review for your stay”, or something similar. Because all-5 star is a bit more precise than “positive”. Of course, if you didn’t leave all 5 stars, or if you aren’t in the habit of leaving all 5 stars, don’t write that.
I normally do leave all 5 stars, but then I’m not super-nitpicky, and for the most part have avoided majorly troublesome guests.
Agreed on what others have said. I ALWAYS check the home first to make sure things have been left in good condition. Then I send a private message thanking them for being so thoughtful with the space and letting them know I’ll be leaving a 5 star review.
Then the next day I leave the review for them. It’s kind of a way to let people know how you’ll be reviewing them so they will hopefully respond in kind.
I haven’t done this on the 2 occasions I saw the space and planned on leaving less than 5 stars. I’m also not super nitpicky either and I’ve only left less than 5 stars for guests twice.
I will text them after they’ve left and say thank you for staying with us and we hope you had a five-star stay, and that we hope they’ll come back (if we do want them back). I also add that they will receive a message from Airbnb asking to review us and they can provide either public or private feedback and if there’s anything we can improve, please let us know as we will act upon their feedback. Then I close with a comment that leaving a review benefits them because they can instant book more easily the next time (9 of 10 of our guests are first-timers). So it’s a blend of subtle suggestion regarding star ratings, education and recognition that their feedback matters to us (and noting the difference between private and public) so if there is a recommendation they know to leave it in the private feedback. That’s worked for us as we’re just a year in and people did have some good suggestions they wrote in the private section.
This is what I have at the end of my check-out procedures message:
The Airbnb review system is how we build trust and accountability across the community. Your review is interpreted as a reflection of how well we met reasonable expectations based on what the listing promises. So if you have a great experience at a great price, it should be rated five stars—even if it’s in a modest apartment. Your reviews have a significant impact on our overall ability to continue to offer our home to guests and thrive as a family living on the Big Island. We thank you so much for staying with us!
When I send check in information I have this added at the end:
We believe you will find the apartment to be to your liking, but please let us know if there is anything amiss or does not match your expectation of the listing.
The night before a guest checks out, I send a message which states that I hope that the apartment met or exceeded their expectations. I tell them that I review every guest and request that they review me as well as it helps other guests when they are choosing their place to stay.
Out of 79 sets of guests, 78 left reviews. All 5 stars.
Ask for what you want!
So far 50 reviews out of 51 visits. I was frustrated not to get one for a party of Canadians who we treated extra well and though 5 was a certainty but there you go. BUT just had a 4. And I see Air has tagged out account as “recent low reviews” !!! Good grief we have had 4 maybe 5 4’s out of 50 what are they on about! This 4 was from a party comprising 2 Americans. one Frenchman and one Filipino which I must say hacked me off because the French chap booked the place then marked us down for location as far as i can work out (not that one can really tell) . This was after I drove them into town and to the shops on three occasions (here for 3 days) in an attempt to mitigate the “remoteness” and even made them some Kiwi specialities for breakfast on 2 mornings (only time I have ever done it - yep no good deed deserves to go unpunished!). When is Air going to remove location or the ratings? On our offering we TELL PEOPLE IT IS 25 MINUTES walk to the shops/ Restaurants so why do they mark us down when that turns out to be the case! I give up with Air, had up to there and back with them
What does their nationality have to do with it? I learned quickly, from members on this forum and personal experience, not to bend over backwards for guests. I would remind people that it’s a 25 minute walk and I would also state the actual distance because people walk at different paces. Mention if it’s a flat, scenic walk or hilly, unpleasant due to traffic, whatever.
I only ask when the guests leave glowing. I send a text after checkout that’s more by the by…
