Making reviews more fair for hosts

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Making reviews more fair for hosts

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 Many of you have asked us how Airbnb can protect hosts from one-off bad reviews. When this question came up at the most recent Host Q&A, we told you we were working on ways to make the review process more fair for hosts. Specifically, we made 2 promises:

  1. We committed to launching a tool to detect outlier reviews—or one-off bad reviews. A common example is when there’s a discrepancy between the overall rating and the category ratings provided by a guest (when a guest gives a host 5 stars for cleanliness, accuracy, and the other categories but a 2-star rating overall, for instance).
  2. Based on your feedback, we also committed to exploring ways to help guests better understand that the location category rating is meant to be objective. The location category rating doesn’t impact your overall rating (or Superhost status), but we know it’s important to you, and we want to make sure the whole system is as fair as possible.

 

Today, we’re excited to announce two improvements to the review process that directly address these issues. Since these changes have been introduced, we’ve already noticed a tangible uptick in more accurate, fair reviews for hosts, and we hope they solve some of your pain points. Here’s what’s new:

 

One-off review alerts

We’ve added a step to the review process for guests when they give a host an inconsistent overall rating. For instance, the guest may have given 4-star or higher ratings for all the categories (cleanliness, accuracy, etc.), but then give an overall rating of less than 3 stars.

 

The new pop up screen asks guests: “Is this right?” And goes on to explain that they rated their overall stay lower than they rated it in specific categories. It gives guests an option to either change the rating or ignore the alert.

 

This new alert has led to higher overall review ratings for hosts. Since we launched, we’ve seen a 2.8% drop in 3-star reviews and a 3.9% drop in 2-star reviews. While these percentages may seem small, they’re driving real improvements in the accuracy of our review system, and hosts are benefitting.


Location, location, location

We’ve heard from you that the location rating can be particularly frustrating because some of you have experienced guests dinging you in this category, unexpectedly, after great stays. This category is tricky. It gives valuable information to prospective travelers, which we don’t want to lose. At the same time, we hear your concern that you’re being graded for something you can’t control: guests’ opinion of your location. This opinion is inherently subjective—one person’s “rustic rural retreat” may be another’s “too far from public transportation.” So we made it more clear in the review process that guests are rating the accuracy of your location description, rather than the location itself.

 

Now, when a guest goes to rate you in the location category, if they give you less than 3 stars, they see an explanation: “Was the listing’s location not described accurately?” So far, this has led to a 0.8% increase in the average rating for location.


While we were working on this, we also made similar improvements to the value category. If a guest gives you less than 3 stars there, they’ll see this message: “What would have made this listing a better value?” This has led to a 0.25% increase in the average rating for value.


These changes were designed to begin to address your concerns around unfair reviews, and to help make sure that guests understand what ratings mean. We still have a journey ahead of us to keep making the review system better, and you’ll continue to see updates from us on this throughout the year. Thank you for hosting!

1,283 Replies 1,283

Wow I searched YouTube and see what you mean... that is shocking. I wish we could see how guests have reviewed other hosts before deciding whether to accept them, like you can on eBay. If I knew a guest had a history of leaving negative reviews of course I'd decline them... although maybe this exactly why Airbnb doesn't give us the power to read guests' other reviews... less revenue for them.

@Katie---Sean0  You can see how guests have reviewed other hosts- I do it all the time. Go to the guest's profile, click on a host's profile that reviewed them, then look down that host's reviews to see how the guest reviewed that host. You can also download Air Review, which will show you all of that at the same time.

@Sarah977 – I had no idea, thank you!

Lee150
Level 4
Philadelphia, PA

In airbnb host communities on FB there are.stories.of.guests.in beach communties.booking a.place.going to.beach come back take.shower than call Airbnb for.the.most ridiculous thing and call and get their money back and leaving.

 

And since many hosts are loathe to write the truth so they dont get a bad review the whole system is bad..

 

@Lee150 in Philadephia

 

You may also want to check out the Airbnb Guest blacklist group on FB.

Lee150
Level 4
Philadelphia, PA

I have .thanks

Gillian120
Level 4
Peachland, Canada

Yep, Guest have become more and more critical with unjustified reviews, so I found this little ditty that I feel sums it up

 

An Ode to Airbnb

 

Proud homeowners list their guest suite on airbnb

A way for extra income how happy they will be

Providing a warm welcome, toys, games a beautiful yard for all to see

Guests would arrive and love their home, just like you and me

 

Hosts diligently clean polish and wash on every changeover day

as extra costs for a cleaner guests simply would not want to pay

 

They send out welcome messages with info on whats on and what to bring

Wanting guests to enjoy their stay and don’t miss a thing

 

Years on and guests find they now have the power

to complain in reviews about everything such as a bit of fluff on top of the shower

 

Hosts cower in fright to see what guests will have posted

Such ‘awful’ things such as a harmless spider they found in the bath and noted

 

Only 3 stars for communication “They should be open 24/7

;They did not respond to my night call and it was only half past Eleven!”

 

Just 4 stars for accuracy as guest said no barbecue

“What do you mean it was on the patio just behind you”?

Or

“Only one bathroom and small kitchen to cook”

“These were shown in the pictures and description so why did you book?

Could it be because they were the cheapest rate and you did not bother to look?

 

Crikey onlyTwo stars for location as it was not near transportation

“Why not look at the map before booking to see you would need a car to get to the station?”

 

Informed guests are always appreciative and knowing

That they did not book a 5* hotel but a much loved home to keep a families income flowing

 

They know that a hotel suite that may not be as nice

Would be over double the price

 

And inform the host if there is something they need or should be aware

Instead of posting negative reviews which make the host's totally despair

 

Why do they share their home when guests can be so critical?

Cause listening to the children playing and guests enjoying the pool

Is the best reward for any good host and makes up for it all

 

By Anonymous Airbnb Host

 

Chris-and-Yoko0
Level 4
Nerang, Australia

I have a situation which is a common occurance.Airbnb always prefers an INSTANT booking,but many times including now I have a request to book with 1 guest,when in fact there are 4 . That means if i just accept ,I am ripped off with the guest count. NO GOOD !!!!!!!!!!! and after booking Airbnb will not allow cancellations, even when its the guests fault. !!!!!!

Susan1028
Level 10
Oregon, US

This is an 80 page thread and there's been no change.

 

This translates to: They don't care.

 

I've been 5 stars since my 1st month of hosting with 99% booking rate in season and 86% overall with 100% positive reviews narratives and guest book comments. 

 

I had 3 recent reviews that were clearly including 4 star ratings about the amount of airbnb booking fees and other issues I have no control over.  It was even stated as such in the private comments.

 

Airbnb still refuses to remove them.

 

THEY.DONT.CARE.

 

WE HAVE OTHER CHOICES FOR BOOKING PLATFORMS...that do more for less.

Katie---Sean0
Level 10
Carlsbad, CA

This thread was started by Airbnb, and it has gone on for way too long (OVER SEVEN MONTHS!) without Airbnb responding to the obvious anger and frustration from their hosts, the people who keep them in business.

 

Airbnb needs to chime in here. Are you listening? Is anyone reading these comments? Do you even care?

 

Clearly the review system needs to be  overhauled with more fair and equitable ways to appeal bad reviews, and by removing the ability for guests to leave “revenge” reviews (such as when a host makes a damages claim and the guest retaliates). 

 

Yes we know you made a minor tweak a few months back that dips a toe in the water, but it’s not nearly enough.

 

Over to you Airbnb. 



Someone trashes one of our rentals calls should be forwarded to a special department . Easy peasy to take before and after pictures . No reviews period end of story
Airbnb knows that there are YouTube videos on how to scam to get your money back

@Lee150 -- I hear you and agree. I think I'm going to unsubscribe from this thread -- 7 months and nothing from Airbnb is disgraceful and I'm tired of seeing updates to this thread come through to my email, which just make me feel helpless that will nothing will change -- while I work my ass off to be an amazing host and maintain my hard-earned SuperHost status.

Brux0
Level 10
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The problem with this, is that even though Laura Chambers announced, CX has the hands tied to remove or modify reviews.  I just had a guest that gave me 5 stars in all categories, including overall, great text comentar, but in the public one appeared 3 stars in the overall.  Maybe a bug, maybe a typo.... the fact is that he wanted to give 5 stars in all categories.

 

CX stated that even if the guest contact them, they do not have the tool to modify the review, and to remove the review just by the guest contacting them.  A guest who is on vacation, or come back home from vacation, and sincerely is the last things want to do, probably to spend time in contacting airbnb on an issue that he/she doesn't even understand why is important.

 

Unfortunately, there are still many cases of unfair reviews that are not addressed by airbnb at all.  They should use (as happened in all sport competition, where there is a subjective review, in the world) where host are allowed to remove one best/one worst review for a period of time.  No matter what.

Not good enough. Guests should not be able to leave an overall review that is more than 1 star below the average of their subcategories. Guests should be forced to change/make the subcategories lower if they want to leave such a low overall review. I think this will, in most cases, (appropriately) force guests to leave an overall review closer to the average of the subcategories (i.e., no lower than 1 point below). Because they will realize it is fair, logical and makes mathematical sense. Those that strongly want to leave a much lower overall review will take the time to go back and change the subcategories. Most will probably not go back to change the subcategories forcing the guest to leave an overall closer to the average.

Garth45
Level 1
Ballarat East, AU

I'm finding the review system very unfair as a host. I run a Victorian townhouse, very central. It's listed as such, and I keep it very clean and comfortable. 95% of people love their stay. But now and then I get some pedantic or overly entitled person who either didn't read the description and expects a modern hotel room or runs their own BnB and habitually leaves scathing reviews out of competition or malice. I mostly don't meet the guests, and if they leave the house tidy and undamaged I always leave a positive review, why wouldn't I? Only to discover that they've left me a terrible review, picking on everything they can find. Once someone detected a hair in the shower outlet. Another time a kitchen tap came off from wear and tear. How could I have predicted this? It's very hard to maintain any kind of rating when for every 20 guests that are happy, one grumpy person can just decide to ruin your efforts with an unkind review out of spite.