I just can’t agree more! This review system are turning hosts into desperate 5-star reviews cravers.
Great - Fantastic? When you review, as a traveller or as a host, 4-star is “Great” and 5-star is “Fantastic”. Can’t see why a 4-star review turns black while a 5-star review is blue. If I were not a host myself and did not know how my review might affect a host, I’d give a great stay a 4-star because, well, isn’t ‘great’ great enough? But no it’s not enough, and I know it. Always giving my hosts the 5-star reviews they deserve. But not every guest is also a host. Can’t blame them for rating me as “Great!”. Smh.
Another thing, location review. Location review!!! How many times do I have to describe that my place is central and easily accessible, but is not like 2 mins walk from tourist attractions? Airbnb is telling me: “You have 2 listings to work on” but how can anyone improve on this? Move somewhere else? I explained in the Title and in the Description and the map also shown the area. Yet guests sometimes still give me 4 stars for location because “a little far from old quarter but easy to get a cab to access anywhere”. Again, I can’t blame them because 4 is still “Great!”
Last one, % trips reviewed. Superhosts are required to have over 50% trips reviewed. Not sure how it works with everyone, but mine is either 100%, 50% or 49%. No in between. It has always been 100% though not everyone who stayed left a review. Then there’s a guest from another city who booked my place about 2-3 times a month, 2-3 days each time for her work trip. “You can tell I love your place” she told me. But who has time to write a review again and again for one same place? Or there was this couple who bought me a small flower bouquet before they left because I helped them booking a lot of things during their whole stay and they appreciated it. But they didn’t leave a review. I only tell my guests that it would help a lot if they could leave me a review of their experience, but personally I find it a bit rude to keep asking for it. And yes, I fell to only 49-50% trips reviewed. Always on the edge of losing ‘the status’.
Airbnb is a great platform, but a lot of improvements can be made. Right now, average is no where near good and great is not good enough at all. After a few assessments, I decided to stop caring too much about if I’m hosting summa cum laude.