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!

[Barbara542]

OMG Sarah. This is exactly what happened to us. And for the same reasons--all of them! I haven't gone through the Airbnb process to see what we can do. But we have been 5-star Superhosts for over 3 years. And this is our first disgruntled guest/review. We work very hard to go over and beyond what the guests expect, adding amenities and personal touches, extra safety measures for children, etc. It's a definite slap. This is a hard lesson i thought we would never have to learn. Your post was a year ago, but I don't think anything has changed since then. Thank you for posting tho. We don't feel so all alone.

[Mic-and-Leeah0]

Yes! 

[Kath9]

@Airbnb, these changes seem to be definitely moving in the right direction for hosts, so thank you.

[Helen427]

@Airbnb @Kath9 @Sarah977 

That's great to see that Guests are been asked to justify there decision on how they are rating Hosts with reviews, alas we all need to be mindful that sometimes these "not kind" reviews are when a person first starts Hosting which can add to the challenges of new Hosts/ Guests.

What steps are been undertaken to educate Customer Services on Laws and moving forward with removing reviews that are inaccurate, misleading and not relevant to one's listing?

The later which when English, or whatever language of the Guest is not there 1st language and things can and do get "Lost in Translation"?

Thanks in advance

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Sarah977  said it all.

A few months ago Airbnb was thinking about the possibility of removing 1 outlier review-rating out of XX and it was a great idea. And what happened with that idea? We have a saying: "Tresla se brda - rodio se miš "  ( Hills were shaking - the mouse was born)

3,8% ...0,8%... 0,25%....  wow!  impressive.

[Cindy319]

I think that's a great idea! Guest could be given the same option to delete x out of x bad reviews, acknowledging that there are some not-so-great hosts as well.

[Shawna33]

All of this also ignores the guests who simply refuse to give a5 star review because there was room for improvement, which there is always room for improvement. Or the guests who leave no review, even though we know they had a great stay. In particular, my extended stay or frequent stay guest often don't continue to review.

[Donna370]

Yup...that too--I have had so many guests who raved about their stay but left no review. But the cranky pants ALWAYS leave reviews. And yes, in this "everyone's a critic" Age of Yelp reviews are getting nit-pickier. I also want to speak about the fact thyat abnb now allows professional management companies and hotels, inns etc on the site. I am a woman who rents out my private home, to make ends meet. I am not a profeesional hotelier nor do I have a huge staff to do all the work...it is just me. I almost feel like there needs to be a Pro and Amateur class system as I feel I am now ranked against guests who have stayed in really posh places or in prfessional establishments and then expect the same from me. So it is skewed.

[Christopher-and-Elisa0]

@Donna370 Yes.

[Anne1623]

I agree about where AIrbnb seems to be heading.  In my area, there are an increasing number of listings from companies and people who are listing on other accommodation platforms.

I also rent rooms in my home to help pay the bills, yet I am listed with the professionals.

[James1201]

Thank you, Donna for speaking truthfully about Airbnb.  I completely agree with you.  I have personally experienced 1 rogue guest, Pavel Sapronov.  He books 39 nights with 10 nights for his wife to visit him.  After 2 weeks staying, he pressured me to give him deeper discount from 15% to over 20% and not pay for his wife's stay for 10 nights.  When I refused to accept his demand, he told me that he would pay me personally but only with 60% discount on his wife's extra guest fee.  The guest proceeded to sabotage my home.  I reported to Airbnb.  Airbnb did nothing.  I finally had to make the decision to shorten this guest's stay because I have another group of guests checking in the same day.  I want to provide the utmost comfort and safety to my professional guests.  Airbnb is looking out for their interest of the paying guests.  Sadly, they don't care about the hosts !!!  What they don't realize is that the hosts provide products for Airbnb to sell !!!!!  Very sad !!!!!  

[Derek157]

Probably the wrong place for this, but Donna prompts me to ask how "no review" affects our star rating.  I find it really disheartening when a guest tells me that everything was fine, they loved it etc. and then they don't leave any review.  Do AirBnB take these non reviews into account in some way when working out your star rating ie by entering an "average" mark?  And even when guests DO leave a review, do they really understand the impact of, say, a 4 star rather than a 5.  I work really hard without any help  to give people a good stay and decent facilities but are they aware that giving me a 4 because I am not a "5 star hotel" is pretty unfair and could unduly affect my "Superhost" rating? In my own mind I think I merit anybody's  5 stars (but I would say that of course) but no way am I a Hilton, Ritz  or even a Premier Inn!  The star and review system needs more than tinkering with.

[Doreen21]

Well said Shawna. After having this happen to me several times I now wait for Airbnb to tell me my departed guest has written me a review, and I need to do mine in order to read theirs. I will not now do a review first and get nothing back.

[Derek157]

Good thinking Doreen, and I think I will now do the same.  I am tired of giving apparently good guests a decent marking only to find that they don't bother to even give me a rating.  

[Andrea761]

Thanks @Airbnb2 but a pop up window that guests CAN IGNORE will do very little to help. You are basically assuming that low ratings are mostly given due to overlooking/error on guest's part? smh.

Also, all guests should be prompted to give an explanation for every rating less than 5 - like why start at 3?? How does it help me as a host to improve if I only see 4 stars and no explanation why so?

An explanation to each rating criteria should be visible straight away to everyone, not just to guests who gave 3 stars. Again, why starting at 3? 

Good start though 🙂