Airbnb Hosts – Is It Time To Review Your Views On Reviews?

Just a short post today.

I just came across a post on Facebook. It was from a host who had just received a 4-star review from a guest. This host was, and I quote, ‘Livid.’

TBH, I’ve seen hundreds, if not thousands of these type of posts over the years.

That got me thinking.

I wondered why hosts think they should get 5-star reviews – every time?

Comparing Apples to Apples

So, I did some digging to put things into context.

I searched for the most bought items on Amazon.

I don’t know how many people have bought Apple AirPods Pro, but 18,760 people have left reviews – So a LOT of people have bought these.

Only 73% of reviewers left 5-star reviews. Believe it or not, 10% of reviewers left a 1-star review. Overall, the product has a 4.3 out of 5 rating.
BUT THAT ISN’T STOPPING PEOPLE BUYING THEM.

I also looked at this iPad – Say what you like about Apple products, love them or hate them, you have to admit that the build quality is top-notch. You know what you are getting.

But, of the whopping 134,000 reviews, 9% of people gave it a 4-star review, That’s over 12,000 4-star reviews. Another 4% of people gave it less than 4-stars.

Do any of us here believe that Apple gives a flying fig about those 12,000 4-star reviews?

Overall, this iPad has a 4.8 out of 5 rating. 4.8 is a good score, isn’t it? After all, you can’t please all of the people all of the time.

Digging a little deeper, I discovered a big spoonful of irony.

Airbnb’s own rating on TrustPilot is a woeful 1.3 out of 5. Most of the 11,600 reviewers have trash-talked the company – And some. It’s as bad as it gets – BUT Airbnb takes over a million bookings a night. Their poor rating doesn’t seem to be affecting them at all.

I understand how a 4-star review can be disappointing for hard-working, eager-to-please hosts – But we need to be realistic. We’re dealing with the public; we all know they can be difficult to please.

I play golf in my spare time, and there’s a very interesting book called Golf is not a game of perfect. The idea behind the book is to reduce expectations, as this leads to happier, less frustrating golf.

Maybe our hosting mantra should be: Guests are not a game of perfect.

They can be fickle, picky, moody, and at times, a real pain. But, luckily enough, most are lovely.

So, next time you receive anything other than a 5-star review, just make yourself a cup of tea or a large gin and tonic and remember that these ratings don’t really matter. They aren’t going to stop people from booking.

Some would argue that the odd 4-star review adds authenticity. Some say that the odd 1 or 2-star review just shows that particular guest in a bad light.

As long as most of your reviews are 5-stars, you’ll be just fine.

Either way, your guest reviews will never be as bad as Airbnb’s own reviews, and that’s just nice to know.