Star Rating

Answered!
Naomi141
Level 3
Ottawa, Canada

Star Rating

My question deals with star ratings for hosts as I have noted over time that the more reviews with stars for specific areas such as cleanliness, value etc. the more one runs the risk of going from a 5 to 4.97 to 4.8 and potentially downwards which seems rather unfair. Someone starting out may consistently receive five stars in all categories and the ranking changes due to 4s. The more times one hosts the greater the probability that one's status will diminish. How does AirBnB propose to handle this inequity in the future? It appears to me that one is stuck in a downward spiral. The fact that there is no rebalancing of star ratings for successful, long term super hosts through recalculations seems rather unfair.

 

As an aside, and one can only laugh at this situation. The irony for me was that I was given a 4 star rating by a guest who said "my condo was not as expected and had exceeded his expectations". I have the philosophy of under promise and over deliver.  

 

Naomi Fowlie

Mont Tremblant, Quebec, Canada

1 Best Answer
Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

This has everything to do with averages and nothing to do with inequity

 

If you are a host with 10 five-star reviews and your 11th review is a 1 star it will drop your average overall rating to 4.64.

 

If you are a host with 100 5 star reviews and your 101st review is a 1 star it will drop your average overall rating 4.96.

View Best Answer in original post

35 Replies 35


As it exists now a guest writes a review, they select star ratings to several relevant things such as: cleanness, location, ect. and they apply a star rating to each item.
As in our case 5 stars as usual
then they apply a star rating to their overall experience (in our case 3 stars) because of it was raining that weekend or something else beyond the control of the host.
Then because the relevant items Such as cleanness ect, do not apply ( they should)
The overall experience of 3 stars is what we get rated as hosts.
This platform needs to be updated to be more fair.

Tim2635
Level 2
England, United Kingdom

We have 99 reviews 95 x 5* and 4x4* the 4 stars were accidental but air bnb would land change them even though the guest asked. 
we are 4.97. The figure is very quick to go down but very slow to go back up. 
it seems stupid to me

I have got five star ratings for all categories, but recently some guests have given a 4 star overall rating because they have had a problem with my neighbour over perceived noisyness( at 9.30 in the evening!)-

they shout and bang on the wall.

I do ask guests to be quiet between 11 and 7 at night, but what else can I do?

Arie7134
Level 2
Redmond, WA

A 4.98 with 100 reviews should easily trump a 5.0 with only 10 reviews. I know which I would trust more.

Not all guests are data scientists. Fix it!  🙂 

Sheree59
Level 2
Fort Myers, FL

The star rating system is unfair and not well thought out. In Fort Myers, Florida, during high season, guests are booking properties they can’t really afford, then giving a low rating on value because they can. That’s one example. I would like to know how hosts can contest these star ratings. 

What if find most inequitable is the guests that tell you how perfect their stay has been, has rated every catergory 5*, and then given you a 4* rating as if you are a hotel...  And then ABnB will do nothing about it.


Why is the overall rating not an average of the separate category scores?