ISSUE 983 - OCTOBER 2023

As I picked up the phone to call Airbnb's host support line, I felt a mixture of outrage and fear. Why? Because I had just received four stars from the immediate past guest instead of my customary five stars from all previous guests. 

My "Little Green Cottage" Airbnb, which I have been running for almost four years, reflects my commitment to outstanding customer service and the value that I bring to all of my entrepreneurial careers, whether it be a professional speaker, a realtor, or a Super Host with Airbnb. In other words, I take this seriously. 

I not-so-patiently listened to the ring tone, then the automated messages, eventually leading me to an actual human, to whom I could ask one question and fulfill the single purpose for the phone call: will the four-star rating affect my "Super Host" status? 

The woman I spoke with was polite, warm, and empathetic. She mentioned that the guest's feedback had already been posted, and I could do nothing to change it (cringe). She repeatedly assured me that four stars was still an excellent rating and would not hurt my "Super Host" status. 

While all this was happening, a memory popped into my head of a show I saw years before, and over the years has periodically haunted me. It was an episode from Black Mirror (a British science fiction anthology series) named "Nosedive." I found it disturbing when I first saw it. It aired in 2016, and viewers voted that the subject of this episode will most likely come true. 

The episode's premise revolves around a society where individuals are rated on their interactions with others through their smartphones. These ratings, interestingly enough, are measured by one to five stars and dictate a person's opportunities to advance, be accepted, and do well in the community. The episode delves into our society's obsession with social media and the consequences of a society driven by constant public evaluation. 

Sound familiar? It sure did to me, especially in the heat of a conversation centered around me trying to defend the status of my Airbnb rating. Reflecting on the show's concepts, do you agree that ratings, rankings, reviews, and feedback drive almost everything we do?

That's not the worst of it. I felt personally diminished. I felt personally threatened. Then it hit me: I am now square in the middle of that sci-fi scenario. It has come true!

This guest scored my Airbnb's location with four stars. Mind you, she picked the location. It's obvious in the description where it's located, "Halfway between Old Colorado City and Downtown Colorado Springs." She didn't have to stay in this area of town. It was her choice, yet I got four stars. 

I can offer the best of everything a guest might want, like a squeaky clean environment, pristine linens, a fully equipped kitchen, and personal touches to ensure my guests feel special. And most of the time, I am rewarded with a perfect score. However, my overreaction (yes, I admit it) to less than perfect is a perfect example of how unhealthy, unreasonable, and dependent we have become on public evaluation in our society. 

There are many examples of science fiction becoming a science reality: Video calls (Star Trek), self-driving cars (the Jetsons), voice-activated assistants (2001: A Space Odyssey), and Artificial Intelligence (every Sci-fi movie ever made). 

The one I'd like to see come true is the time machine. I'd head right back to where life is less complicated and the five-star rating system stopped after Kindergarten.