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!

[Gabriel586]

airbnb need to fine diferente way to review us 

I don’t believe that some people gave you 5 start review and next costumer coming and gave you 3 start review 

my rating was reduces  a lot becouses I don’t let people make party’s in my property and is in my houses rules 

but some people believe that pay $139 dollars they can do what ever they wants 

so 

rating the owner of the property in better way 

thanks you 

[Linda1328]

I've had some success with airbnb and enjoy having guests but some seem to have forgotten the origional ethos of a host like me using their own space to share their town with others. After you take care to iron the sheets, put in new towels, soap, flannels, coffee tea water sugar oil etc in the kitchen make sure it's really clean and welcoming someone gives a 4 star because they find a small mark inthe kitchen. Dispiriting.  

[Magdalena150]

Hi Christopher and Elisa, yes... it is annoying! It's just not a clear business concept the way it's being practiced. We as hosts, are a central part of this business; we set up and offer our homes to guests, however, we are the less cared for. We are even penalized because there is no real understanding about how things work, or maybe even appreciation I must say...

[Magdalena150]

Well, that's what I mean!

We take care of sooooo many aspects when putting up our homes for guests, we are in sooooooooo many details (clean homes, comfy beds, ironed sheets, oil, salt, coffee, tea, water, t paper... tips, help upon arrival if needed, recommendations etc etc etc...) and it looks like guests lose perspective about the value this has when it comes from the context of HOME OWNERS. We don't have the back up of a hotel corporation to do this. We do this out of OUR OWN EFFORTS and personal dedication.

And it's annoying that after guests receive a supportive stay, they consider it not enough! 

Who made guests think this way??? What is going wrong ????

They set foot in our homes and penalize us....??? 

[Nina444]

Who made guests think this way? I think you've supplied the answer. This unrealistic rating system is making for guests who exhert their privilege. I love staying in genuinely homely environments and find quirks and differences enrich my experience. Having somewhere clean and safe, of course, but I prefer unique and homely to bland and uninspring. I don't want to stay in homogenized environments where the furniture, styling, wallcolour and character are closer to a doctor's waiting room than a holiday experience. My cottage is rustic and quirky. I want to attract the sort of people who enjoy and respect that, not someone who is expecting to sleep in a mass produced furniture warehouse display setting.

[Christopher-and-Elisa0]

@Magdalena0 What is going wrong? Well, that’s today’s world. People are spoilt, entitled, lack common sense, have no consideration for others, it’s all me, me, me... And they think if they pay they can do whatever they want. And they look down on you because they pay you. I know I sound like an old fart, but this is truly my experience. Don’t get me wrong, most of my guests are fine but even the nice ones sometimes leave me speechless. The thoughtlessness and the lack of common sense... it’s astonishing. Just recently We’ve had someone staying here who has scheduled client sessions in the studio. It didn’t occur to them to inform us of their plans and ask if that’s ok (which it isn’t, obviously, it’s a holiday accommodation). 

And then there are those with severely inflated sense of self-importance who lack manners and good will, are utterly wrapped up in themselves and the concept of respect, courtesy and consideration for others or appreciation and gratitude are completely alien to them. 

[Joseph664]

I'm glad to hear that you are addrssing these issues. But I agree with the other host's we go out of our way financially to make these guest feel at home, with all sort's of amenities that even hotels dont have. It's frustrating when you have a guest that really doesn't understand or appreciate what it is that we really do to make their stay enjoyable. I had a guest last year that stayed for a month and complained that the condo was not clean which was a totaly lie in her review, and she scored me low in ratings I ended up losing my Super Host status based on your criteria. Of course as a host I could not really defend myself properly and make the guest who actually left my condo a disaster!! dirty dipers every where trash in corners a complete mess it to my maid over 8 hours to clean. How do you defend that, so I hope with these changes some good will come out of it for the host. As others host's  have said with out us none of this would exsit. I think the company should cater more to the host than the guest. Because we will always do the same for every guest that stays with us  but as anyone knows you can't please everyone. 

[Daphne54]

I would like the option of eliminating 1 review per year. Actually, I would like the option to eliminate 1 review per superhost review period- but I would take 1 per year. I put a lot of effort into providing a 5 star experience and am shocked when a guest docks me a star because they did not like the brand of coffee I provide, or the bar of soap, I also provide, is assumed to be a leftover from a previous guest and that means the entire bathroom must not have been cleaned! Or the worst, when they rave about my space but still dock stars. It is also awful to read these reviews after I have given them a 5 star review because I thought they were happy with everything, saying nothing to me while they are here. 

The fact that 4 stars is considered below the standard line, that I can even get flagged for having too many of them, feels like a punishment based on subjective opinions. I should feel like I have some ability to excercise some control on my status if the stakes are set at such a high minumum.

[Jackie192]

I just wish when you phone airbnb that the person onthe other end of the phone was allowed to use their brain and personal judgment: I was left an average review but in the review it commented on how quirky the setting was, but how bad the terrible water pressure was. it also went on to say how great it was to be surrounded by fields with a view of sheep.

I called airbnb explaining that the guest had obviously left the review by mistake, and that i thought it was the previous airbnb she had stayed in that it was meant for. The airbnb staff member just kept repeating that they dont remove reviews, despite my living in an aprtment in the middle of the city and therfore TOTAL oppisite of the review! USE your common sense when dealing with people. 

It wasnt a bad review, i wasnt angry by said review - my complaint was it was misleading and obviously left by mistake! 😞 

[Hala5]

These changes are ridiculous and your stats are laughable as they more accurately read to show absolutely no significant changes at all. Airbnb has a long way to go in respecting and supporting its hosts, particularly superhosts.  Reading I felt that you simply think we hosts are stupid and invaluable. Please, spare us the joke next time and just admit when you haven't got things right!

[Mike-Mihai0]

Hi AIRBNB,

Just like many of my fellow hosts have pointed out, this is a good start from you! For which I can only congratulate the team who finally took notice of what we repeatedly told you to do .... Still, this looks like a drop of water in the ocean, and many more things need to be done on your part, as your system was purely designed to be biased on the part of travellers, paying no or very little attention to the hosts! Here below are some suggestions on how to change your system so that it would reflect a better, more ballanced scorecard:

1. First of all, one should assume hosts are at least decent, well-intended persons, if not very well trained and qualified in Customer Experience. You should understand that none of is ill-intentioned, nor would he/she want to ruin their own Business. BUT there has to be a mutual partnership and respect between hosts-clients. This is enforced only if clients respect the hosts, their place and of course the house rules. You need to put a lot at work in this respect! Many customers thing wrongly that they are the Master, making a huge service to us, low-life-servant-hosts, by the mere fact thay come to our apartment....  Alas, if a lot of them got no education at home or in school, you should educate them or allow them to quit Airbnb system!

2. I had 2 clients with total lack of common sense, decency or manners, and yet you said their opinion was true, in spite of the damage they made to our property! You need to reinforce your check-up systems, rely on hosts messages, photos and experienced opinions!

3. Whenver a poor rating is submitted by a client, please ask them if this is truly the case, or if they are aware of the rating system (I had a customer who said he tought 3 was a very good rating...)! Whenever they claim something, ask them for photos or any other proof of that assuption.

4. Writing opinions from both host and client should not be submitted under reciprocal condition! Neither should hosts write first, as this leaves the leverage to the client only! A lot of clients know this biased system of yours, so they wait until we hosts write on them, and then take the liberty to revenge on the most cruel manner. So, they might have never respected house rules, left the place a total mess, did a lot of damage, but if you wrote your dissatisfaction, they would always rate you 2 or even 1, as they have the upper-hand! This should stop as soon as possible! And I am pretty sure I can speak for at least 3 of my host-friends on this...

5. You should rapidly and consistently improve your ~damage-cover policy~! I showed you the damage one client made to our laundry machine and what another did to our electricity system, but your compensations never came, in spite of photos sent and 4 messages on our part! Again, you should learn to trust host at least as much as you trust clients... Set insurance or deposit schemes for clients get inprints of their cards, so as when needed, they should pay for their wrong-doings.

6. Last but not least, you should install a system of monitoring malicious clients, that type of ~never-happy-trouble-seeking-customer~ whose only job is to rate their experience 1, because it rained outside, or because he/she had a bad flight on the way in. I think on these cases you should also introduce them to the prospect of being banned forever from Airbnb system.

So, these being said, I want to thank you for the baby-step you took for leveling the situation and wish you strength and wisdom to understand clients and hosts should be treated fairly and equally, as well as to improve your cooperation with hosts.

Best wishes,

Mike

[Maria2451]

A bad review is particularly distressing.  I have been in that boat.  However, I did manage to have it removed. I believe the reason I was able to get it removed was because.  The person made two major mistakes. One was – They claimed I had advertised as a hotel.  I clearly had not.  Also I was racist towards them.  Which also proven to be untrue. My father was seriously ill, there were emails to track messages I sent to the person saying I would not be home for a few days. Most of the time, I did not see the person. I had car park tickets everything.. There was a catalogue of things the person said, that I as able to disprove.  So thankfully, it got taken down.  This person appeared to be clumsy; there was damage to my property on an almost daily basis.  I put it down to clumsiness.  On reflection, I believe the damage was intentional in order to give a bad review.  They broke the shower, couldn't be used, then the shower curtain. Check out day. I discovered the person had draw all over the bed linen, with a biro pen.  Bed linen was brand new, I had only brought it the day before. I was not grumpy, because I believed was an awkward person.  Check in day. My last check in is 9pm. The person turned up at 6am in the morning. Then the cheek of a bad review. So for me it ended well. What really annoys me. My review is still on their page. I wish I could get that taken down.   I believe, the person would do it again. I now no longer give a review to anyone until, I get notification of one being done for me.   Otherwise, you do them a review, it appears on their page. I was lead to believe that reviews would only be seen or posted on their page after each person had done a review. This is not the case, I discovered this recently.

[Sarah977]

@Maria2451  The point of leaving a review for a guest is to let other hosts know whether this is a guest they would want to host or a guest to be avoided. So the idea of not leaving a review for a guest just because they didn't leave one for you doesn't make much sense or accomplish anything, except give other hosts less to go on when vetting guests.

If you write an honest review, there shouldn't be any reason to want it removed. Accidentally breaking one thing can be overlooked, we all have accidents, but whether a guest damages a whole bunch of stuff willfully or because they're just klutzy doesn't really matter- no host wants to have to replace or repair a lot of items after a guest stay like this. So to my mind, damage beyond some small item needs to be mentioned to warn other hosts. Our perception of whether the guest is just clumsy or whether they did it on purpose is immaterial when we're talking about extensive damage.

[Lee150]

Look whether they say it or not the reasons that we hosts cannot see reviews and or pics anymore before they book should be obvious. And now I understand WHY when I have to cancel I feel I get raked over the coals.

I don't know about anyone else but I can tell in like 3 seconds whether someone is going to be a pain in the ass . And believe me, it has NOTHING to do with the color of their skin

I am a white suburban lady and I had guests so rascist I turned down two weeks when they wanted to extend their stay . Their rascism hurt my ears. And 3 weeks ago someone didn't let me know when they were coming ..It was 9 o clock and I was in my underwear and the door bell rang. It was them just it was pretty clear that they were looking for a cheap hotel . I told them I would give them their $$$ back but leave. And I wrote them a bad review ..which I have NEVER done. Lessons learned because the ONLY other person who wrote a bad review was a French Tourist . From NOW on I plan on asking folks what their plans are because again I am NOT a hotel not a boarding house and if you want the amenities pf a hotel stay in one .

[Loren35]

One of the items that would help hosts regarding guests is another review category dealing with reading and understanding the house rules, location, etc.  I have had many guests send me questions that are clearly posted on the property description.  

And I totally agree that Airbnb needs, repeat NEEDS TO, delete "one off" reviews that are from guests who are malicious in their reviews; ignorant of how getting 30 points on 6 subcategories translates to a 4 or 3 star over all rating; or give 4 stars when 27 to 28 points are given for the subcategories.  ( Simple math FACT 27 divided by 6 =4.5!!).

I have had guests booked by someone else.  That does not work either, especially when the guest arrives one day early and demands to be housed!!!

Simply stated, get a back bone, Airbnb.  Stand behind your hosts when they deserve it!