Making reviews more fair for hosts

[Airbnb]

 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!

[William1246]

STOP ALLOWING CRIMINALS TO POST REVIEWS! A recent guest stole from us and AirBnB paid us for the theft. The guest ADMITTED taking items in writing on the AirBnB message system. They posted a 1-star review, AirBnB refuses to remove it. Allowing this siabsurd.

Last year another guest opened an illegal restaurant in one of our apartments. They refused to leave, even after being contacted by AirBnB. We were forced to call the police and have several officers force them off of the property. As incredible as it may seem, these guests also posted a 1-star review and AirBnB has allowed that one to stay up as well.

TO ADD INSULT TO INJURY, AirBnB subsequently sent us emails threatening to DE-LIST OUR PROPERTIES BECAUSE THEY RECEIVED POOR REVIEWS! 

AirBnB used to have actual employees dealing with these issues, but ever since they sold out and hired ARISE to hire 2nd and 3rd party non-employees to read from scripts, Customer Service has vanished. We can't wait for more and better advertising options to become available. We'll be leaving this platform as soon as we're financially able to do so, AirBnb has become a travesty and we cannot continue to let AirBnB make money from hundreds of thousands of $ of our assets when they clearly don't care about supporting or protecting hosts.

[Anthony1254]

After hosting on Airbnb for 3 years, I’ve realized we have at least 2-3 generations of people who weren’t raised well by their parents. Lies, deceit, and exaggerations because these people don’t like being called out. And these are people with families and little kids....We as a nation need to do better. Airbnb can help by not allowing guests to write dishonest reviews.

[Sarah977]

@Anthony1254  It isn't only poor parenting- when my younger daughters were growing up, there was this misguided self-esteem movement which took hold in schools, where kids were never to be told that anything they did wasn't good enough. Instead, it was "good effort" and such. Constant praise for little to no reason.

They no longer hold kids back a grade if they haven't grasped the concepts taught in that grade, it might damage their fragile self-esteem. Instead they just get moved up a grade with the rest of their peers.

This in fact does not build self-esteem, it builds entitlement and lack of personal responsibility.

A lot of the younger generations have grown up never being held to account for anything, either at school or at home.

[J25]

This does not go far enough.

1. Client moved heavy object. Cleanliness went right down and I dont charge for cleaning!

2. 2 BIG persons stated clutter.  Untrue they were extremely big FAT persons.

3. Above said 1 exit. Wrong back door exit leads outside with another door to unlock (key in it) to leave section by way of ouerside concrete pathway.

Hosts get sick of these comments.

I went and stayed in places in Croatia - these 2 want to know small cluttered .. well they would not have got into toilet!  Nor fit in the shower box!

Mine sq metres is 27 sq metres with outside wrap around verandahs and privacy.

[Sarah977]

@J25 A friend who hosts a private guest suite in her home had a couple make a booking, and then when she saw their photo and that they were both hugely obese, knew they would never fit in the guest shower stall. She tactfully tried to get them to cancel within the 48 hr. full refund period, of course not referring to their weight but that her shower stall and bathroom were quite small, perhaps they would be unhappy with it?

No, they insisted on keeping the booking, arrived, took one look at the small bathroom ( they wouldn't even have fit between the fixtures) and decided to leave. She just gritted her teeth, was professionally pleasant, and offered to refund them fully. She wasn't in the mood for an argument and just wanted them gone.

[Thandeka0]

I have decided to give up on reviews I have guests givinging us review for 1 because they didn't get a shampoo? my god 

[Dionne2]

@Thandeka0

You know you can argue your case to airbnb. I once had a guest who complained about how dirty my place was which was completely untrue and he made no gesture to complain to airbnb or provide pictures. I however had pictures before he arrived. 

The comment got removed. 

I believe since then airbnb has changed the reviews surrounding false feedback. 

[Dale711]

@Thandeka0 @Dionne2 @Chris-and-Yoko0 

I have over a dozen of unfair,  untrue and revenge reviews.

I’m never and ever to  borders to respond to the public on the ridiculous.

Recently, the most hilarious 1 stars review and named us “ the **bleep**ty place”,

because we advise the guest shouldn’t smoke inside the room.

Stone the crowns.

[Maria13902]

How can Airbnb allow bad reviews (3 stars or less) about HOUSE RULES? And  specifically,  SECURITY RELATED RUles???

THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE: Rules are published before guests reserve, we are  trustworthy superhosts, and AIRBNB ALREADY SPENDS MONEY ON THEIR 24 HOUR PHONE ASSISTANCE THAT CAN  READ MOST RULES IN 5 minutes. Or less. 

AIRBNB is waisting resources “reviewing cases”- WHICH TAKES LONGER THAN CONFIRMING THE  RULE THE  GUEST IS COMPLAINING ABOUT, and frustrating their star providers.- BAD BUSINESS for everyone if they keep it up

I CALLED  airbnb the 3 times I got 3 stars for this reason, the  last reply I got  from a “SPECIALIST” was that “GUESTS HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH” .... referring to a guest whose children got into restricted areas.

I feel ver insecure now.

[Chris-and-Yoko0]

Yes and what about the case where someone cancels at the last minute,and you give a refund even though you dont have to,and they can leave a REVIEW even though they didnt stay !!!!!!!!!

This is a disgusting practice from Airbnb.

[Peter154]

I absolutely agree and support!

It is not understandable why Airbnb doesn't support their (Super-) hosts.

After 300 + positive reviews ( 4.8) I had on scammer guests, that threatened with a bad review -and did it, its an insulting and offending fraudulent review, filled with lies and wrong accusations- But Airbnb "support" doesn't delete it. Unbelievable.  We have to stick together to solve this unfair review practice

[Nina444]

There are other platforms. This has been going on for years. I have ditched Airbnb, so I'm not at the mercy of their algorithms or having to jump through ridiculous hoops. The Airbnb bubble has burst. I don't even use it as a booking platform anymore. 

[Chris-and-Yoko0]

** They are only interested in your money,not your feelings.

**[Inappropriate content removed - Community Center Guidelines]

[Rab304]

@Airbnb Thank you for taking our feedbacks into consideration. 

it would be beneficial as well to apply the same for Communication and cleaning. for the communication part, Airbnb have an access to the messages and for the most important part ¨cleaning¨ guest should provide an evidence. 

thank you again and it will be great if you remove the rating i got from the UNFAIR guest :))

Have a lovely day!

[Susan990]

ABB stats of 3.8% - 0.8% - 0.25%  prove the root of the problems with the Rating/Review system are the system itself. 

I had hoped that ABB would purge it and  simply upload the  VRBO  system to the platform since the entire ABB site is a cut  and paste copy of the VRBO site.  The only outlier is this bizarre monster which is clearly written by someone who knows nothing about the Hospitality industry.

 Maybe the  big change will come from  the investors who will demand that this section of the platform conform to industry standards and best  practices  for the good of the company and its long term growth.