So we are in one of those awkward situations that I tell others they must be honest but now feel awkward doing so myself.
Looking at past sitter reviews everyone left 5 stars for cleanliness. I get it. No one wants to be “that person” when the sit itself is great and you were happy to be there. But it’s not honest. Guest rooms and bathrooms were very clean. Kitchen mostly clean - not how I’d leave mine for others but not terrible. The issue is the fridge - had not been cleaned in a very long time - half eaten things left - dirty shelves and drawers…never would I ever have anyone stay in my home with my fridge in that condition (and it’s not immaculate when I’m living home, I am not a clean freak in my own home but when guests are staying overnight, yes). One of the kitchen drawers clearly had something sticky, gooey spill in it and things stuck (not freshly spilled).
Does this warrant 4 instead of 5 stars? We have sat in truly 5 star clean places and it seems unfair to rate this on par with those. Of their MANY reviews, no one left anything under 5 stars but I am willing to bet money we are not the first who arrived to a fridge like this. Hate to be “that person” and ding a perfect 5 star record in every category but also believe in honesty and get frustrated when other sitters are not honest.
I’d hope we’d give them 4 stars for cleanliness and cite the fridge as the main culprit. It hasn’t happened yet but am sure it will at some point. Someone else suggested using ChatGPT when you’re writing a tricky review that could get emotional as it makes it fact only. We have friends who are hosts in NL and their home is not squeaky clean, especially their fridge which makes me squirm (they know this). At least 3 sitters have only given them 4 stars for cleanliness and it hasn’t impacted their application rates at all so don’t feel bad for doing it. #fridgefever
I recently left a 4* review for a host. On arrival we found overflowing bins in the kitchen, filthy fridge and shower. To be fair the rest wasn’t too bad.
To leave a 5* review wouldn’t be fair to all the other excellent hosts who had taken the effort to prepare for our arrival. I hope future sitters will have a better idea of what to expect.
It was difficult to do but glad I did it. I took quite a few photos in case there was any push back from them but there wasn’t.
@Cuttlefish Do I understand that even though your friends have received 4* for cleanliness from 3 sitters, they haven’t acted on upping their cleanliness level?
I was the first sitter to leave 4 stars for cleanliness for a sit in NYC. Since then, I see other sitters have left 4 stars, so maybe your 4 stars will encourage future sitters to be honest.
@Cuttlefish I’m curious that you said they know this - how did you communicate this without it being awkward?
It’s a good point that I don’t think it would impact their applicants. This is a very unique and privileged location and home - which is why, I’m sure, no one wanted to leave anything less than 5 stars in any category bc we are all grateful for this opportunity.
Absolutely. It’s their house, they have two kids, a dog, 2 cats and a chaotic life so it’s take them as they are! They’re not stressed at all by 5 stars and it’s interesting because as we all know 4 stars means very good on most other rating schemes so that’s how they see it. #refreshingviewpoint
@Twitcher - yes, agreed that it isn’t fair to the hosts who take the time to clean out their fridge (a job most of us only do when we absolutely must!) and something I truly appreciate as a sitter!! I want to give those hosts 6 stars!
It wasn’t us that needed to communicate it as they’re friends who use the platform but we’ve never sat for them ourselves. h you mean how did I tell them their house is chaos, they know that from our group of mates as it’s been like it for 20+ years. I can probably DM you the listing link if it’s helpful so you can read the context? #letmeknow
Thanks all. Adding to this is that nowhere in the listing or in their version of the welcome guide (their own PDF) are internal cameras mentioned (pet cams - and there are a few - 4 I think) and not one sitter mentions them either. We asked during the video chat so we knew coming in but didn’t know there were so many and were told we could turn them around (which I always feel weird doing…as if we have something to hide) …and it’s not a deal breaker but again, I think it’s odd that not ONE sitter among a couple dozen mentions all the cameras. Everyone is so afraid to be truly honest and it’s frustrating to those of us who feel it is important bc then we become “those people”. The nitpickers.
They will always have tons of applicants. The place is incredibly unique and a rarity and those of us selected feel grateful - so I get the apprehension - but still. I feel I need to be fair to hosts who do all the cleaning and disclosure of cameras.
Honestly, I’d aim for accuracy without punishment.
If the cleanliness issue was limited to the fridge and one sticky drawer, while the rest of the home was comfortable and clean, I’d probably give 4 stars for cleanliness and mention it briefly and factually in the review. Something like: “The home was comfortable and the guest areas were very clean. The only issue was that the fridge and one kitchen drawer needed a thorough clean before we used them.”
If, however, the platform culture is such that anything below 5 stars is treated as a failure, I’d still mention it in the review, or at the very least in private feedback. Future sitters deserve to know what to expect, and homeowners deserve the chance to improve.
The bigger issue is review inflation. When everyone gives 5 stars regardless of reality, the ratings stop being useful. A genuinely spotless home and a home with a grimy fridge end up looking identical, which isn’t fair to future sitters or to homeowners who really do go the extra mile.
The question I’d ask myself is: did this materially affect my stay? If I spent five minutes cleaning the fridge and then had an otherwise excellent sit, I wouldn’t want that to overshadow everything else. But I also wouldn’t pretend it didn’t happen. Reviews are most helpful when they’re honest, balanced and proportionate.
Definitely 4 stars for cleanliness but please mention why. That way the HO can decide if they want to address it going forward, or sitters can decide whether the otherwise great sit is worth cleaning a fridge and one drawer for.
The reviews I find unhelpful are where they ding a star but don’t mention why.
In you review, please mention what issue prompted the lowe star. As stated by others, reduced stars with no explanation are useless.
Also mention the cameras, but that they can be turned off. Ensures that other sitters will ask about them. Who knows if they remember to mention them to everyone.
I’d give them 4 stars for cleanliness. But it’s very important to explain why. I’m driven nuts by reviews that dock a star in a category (or even two or three), without explaining it.
and I think it helps answer (at least partly)another statement that you made
I would say both sitters and HOs have a hard time writing a review when they are not fully convinced it should be a 5* one.
Some (I think just a few) don’t want to be honest. There used to be a member of this forum who insisted on that stance and he was finally forced to be honest. But I think most of us just don’t want to hurt the other party’s feelings. After all, we’re grateful and want to show grace. Then there’s that
My personal solution in similar situations has been to make sure there’s some explicit and/or implicit information in the review so that other sitters can decide whether it’s worth applying or even asking about that and HO can also decide if they make an effort to improve or just accept that that’s the way they live and are happy to match with people who don’t mind that, as it seems to be the case with @Cuttlefish friends.
So far, I haven’t given anything less than 5* across but I have done the following:
Written a glowing thorough review about every category, explicitly mentioned but made no reference at all to cleanliness.
made comments like “my room and bathroom were very clean and tidy”, “with two small kids one can’t expect a spotless, clutter free house”, “I am afraid some spiders didn’t survive my stay but I left the snail alone”
some of the above have been combined with something like “I would give 6 stars if I could in X or Y categories”
This works well for me but that may be because I have been a teacher all my working life and I have had more than a fair share of assessments, evaluations and, worst of all, grading. That doesn’t mean I won’t need to knock off a few stars here and there in the future. I am certainly prepared to do it, especially as the reviewing culture in THS evolves.
