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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if Air BnB think a 4 out of 5 rating is so bad that they should tell guests?

71 replies

hooliodancer · 25/08/2018 14:09

I have just started doing Air BnB on my house. It was going very well, I had all 4 and 5 star reviews and I was very happy. Every written review has been very complimentary.

I had a warning email from Air BnB saying my listing was in danger of being removed because the standard of my house was unacceptable.

I have just learnt that if your average goes below 4.3 they remove your listing.

I really think that if this is the case the guests should be told that if they give a 4 they are saying that the property is unacceptable.

Personally, I would think 4 stars was a good review to give.

So shouldn't Air BnB tell people the implications of their ratings?

OP posts:
LittleKitty1985 · 25/08/2018 15:32

The main rating is "how well did the property meet your expectations?" (or something like that, I can't remember the exact wording). So 5/5 is clearly not about being perfect or exceptional, it's about having a detailed description in the advert and then producing that. This makes sense to me, otherwise only amazing luxury places would get 5/5 reviews.

origamiwarrior · 25/08/2018 15:50

I agree with LittleKitty - people upthread talking about giving 4/5 if you get a hairdryer and only giving 5/5 if you provide branded washing powder and other 'luxuries' are using the ratings incorrectly (otherwise how would a basic tree house in the wilds of snowdonia, or a cheap and cheerful spare room ever get a 5*?) The rating should be on the basis of the description/photos and price you paid, how satisfied were you. And anything below 5/5 does suggest room for improvement.

But yes, guests should be made aware of it!

Original poster
hooliodancer · 25/08/2018 15:50

Lap, no all reviews are controlled by Air BnB.

OP posts:
Original poster
hooliodancer · 25/08/2018 15:54

I think the gap is between the expectation of Air BnB of it matching the listing etc, and the guests who may give you a 4 because there weren't any sunloungers, when you don't say anywhere there are sunloungers.

Or in the location example, the location doesn't meet their expectations, but the host can't do anything about it.

OP posts:
Slarti · 25/08/2018 15:55

So they've turned a 5 star rating system into a 2 star? And they're conning all their guests into thinking 4 is good (by virtue of it being better than 1-3) but in actual fact it's the worst they allow.

knittingdad · 25/08/2018 16:03

What I found when I left reviews on airbnb was that if I didn't give five stars I was asked for a reason of what was wrong. So they implication was clear that something had to be wrong (though I would normally say a four was good, everything fine, but not exceptional).

This did make me feel pressured to give five stars, which I sometimes did do as a result rather than give a reason why not.

Bonkerz · 25/08/2018 16:11

Sounds normal. My husband works for a retail shop that has surveys for customers. Anything below an 8/10 is considered a major fail and reduces their bonus! I think if customers knew this obviously they would increase scores.

starfishmummy · 25/08/2018 16:20

I just don't do reviews/give ratings at all. Really can't be bothered.

Redglitter · 25/08/2018 16:29

I feel really bad now. I've stayed in 2 Air BnB places. The first was amazing. Very high quality furniture & bedding. Welcome pack including wine etc. Absolutely amazing. The 2nd place was lovely. It was clean & fresh a lot of the furniture was a bit tired but did the job. Pretty much the type of stuff you expect in a holiday home.

I gave property 1 5 because it literally was perfect. I gave property 2 4 because it was absolutely lovely but just not the same standard as the first.

It wasn't meant to be negative in anyway. I was totally unaware of their policy. It seems very unfair. I'd say 4* is an indication of an above average property. I'll keep it in mind for the future though

Purpleartichoke · 25/08/2018 16:36

For me, 3 is the default. Then you can move up or down from there. That is how reviews have always worked and how they still work in my office.

But apparently, the new standard is 5 and you take off points. There is no way to distinguish acceptable from excellent. I say this tongue in cheek, but I blame millennials.

Nandocushion · 25/08/2018 17:06

Oh god I am SO FED UP with being asked for feedback on every bloody thing I do or buy, all the time, everywhere. I go on a bus tour, what is my rating. I buy groceries, what is my rating. Called my insurance company to ask about making a claim, they want a rating for the five-minute conversation. I just want to go about my life without reliving every single detail of it afterwards! Getting a new toilet installed shortly, looking forward to the inevitable email afterwards asking me to rate its flushability Hmm

havingabadhairday · 25/08/2018 17:26

I hope when they ask for further details they take note of what is said, or people will be kicked off because their bathroom was a colour the guest didn't like or the Venetian blinds annoyed them, or something equally daft.

LittleKitty1985 · 25/08/2018 19:52

@hooliodancer If people refer to lack of sunbeds or inconvenient location as their reason for rating you 4/5 then that is probably unfair, but at least you can add that info to your description so future guests know exactly what to expect and this should increase your 5/5 ratings over time

Original poster
hooliodancer · 26/08/2018 05:52

The thing is littlekitty, the location is amazing! It is clearly described, shown on a map, lots of pictures. It's so subjective. I didn't particularly like New York or Padstow for example!

The sunbeds thing, I will put it in the listing that we don't have them. But how far do I go with what I don't have?

One person said I needed a non stick pan. There are 2, but she didn't see them! I don't know how she missed them, but she did and marked me down presumably because of that.

OP posts:
Nancydrawn · 26/08/2018 06:34

It's true for rideshares as welle.g. Uberthey'll fire you if you don't get enough 5s. I 5 on principle and critique in comments if need be (unless there's something genuinely problematic/dangerous).

CasperGutman · 26/08/2018 06:49

Typical American company not understanding British people's more reserved approach to giving feedback. I used to work for a US-based professional services company that did client satisfaction surveys. If we got less than 95% this was considered unacceptable. Less than 90% triggered a formal process in which senior executives from HQ would come over from California to investigate what went wrong.

We had several longstanding repeat clients who sent all their work our way, had done for decades, and never once gave a rating over 80%.

BarnabyBungle · 26/08/2018 08:20

This is complete madness on Airbnb’s part, and just undermines the whole ratings process. For me, 5 is for reserved for perfection... a 4 is very good. I’d be happy to stay at an AirBnB that has lots of 4 star reviews.

BarnabyBungle · 26/08/2018 08:25

And anything below 5/5 does suggest room for improvement.

Yes, but there’s a big difference between there being “room for improvement” and being so poor that your listing is removed.

Striving for perfection is reasonable; insisting on perfection is madness.

wheezing · 26/08/2018 08:28

Uber is like this I think. Less than 4.5 as a customer looks bad. Only recently found this out.
Bizarre.

Slarti · 26/08/2018 08:45

Clearly this just leads to customers rating 5 as standard or out of guilt, which makes the ratings unreliable and untrustworthy. This has really opened my (cynical) eyes out air bnb now.

ZenNudist · 26/08/2018 08:59

I only recently booked on airbnb as I am going away with a group of friends. Thanks for this thread I now know that their reviews don't mean anything.

Is booking.com like this too? I only choose properties which are 8 or above on booking.com. but maybe the 8s are just some substandard grotty hole!

I also take a lot of reviews with a pinch of salt. I can make my own mind up and generally even one Bad review won't put me off going somewhere unless it says that the landlord didn't actually deal with the problem or were very slow to act. Problems themselves are inevitable but it's how they are dealt with that counts.

I think it's really stupid about the and be asked if a place met your expectations because that is a subjective measure different people will have different expectations. I am definitely put off using it before I have even started now.

bionicnemonic · 26/08/2018 09:02

But don’t forget we like in a world where people often say they give 110% !! Confused

Flightywoman · 26/08/2018 09:15

We are at an Airbnb right now, in Italy. The location is lovely. It's a great place with a pool and gorgeous views.

But...there's no washing machine. There are 2 loos for a place that sleeps 10, one loo is on constant fill - all day and night.

The provided towels are 4 hand towels.

There are 5 pots of salt and no sugar!

These things can, and should, be improved.

I don't know what we'll score it...

FinallyHere · 26/08/2018 10:34

average goes below 4.3

But if all your reviews are 4 and 5, then your average will not drop below 4.3. Am I missing the point?

Sleepthief · 26/08/2018 10:45

Has anyone had their listing pulled for going below or is it just an insubstantial threat? I probably wouldn't give a 5 to my house, which is in a amazing location and a lovely, warm, homely house, but has water pressure issues, slightly scruffy carpets and paint testers/filler on walls. We are working towards these things, but it's our holiday home, bought for our family to enjoy, not a business or a show home - Airbnb is simply a way of helping cover the running costs when we're not using it. We only bought it at Easter and have other priorities (such as fixing the dodgy balconies)... It's also a complete bargain for a house that sleeps 16 and has sea views - threadbare carpets or no!