Incentivizing Reviews

[Kris198]

I've only recently realized that the review process on Airbnb is a one-way street.  When I review a traveler, it posts on their profile - whether or not they leave me a review.  Why is that?  It creates moral hazard - reviews for Hosts are only provided at the convenience of the traveler.  Reviews are both a lifeblood and currency for Hosts.  Most guests will obvioulsy decline to stay in a place that has too few reviews or poor reviews.  

I'm sure this has been discussed in a previous thread, but Airbnb should think creatively about how it might incentivize guests to leave a review.  A couple of ideas:

1) Airbnb could take a tip from Uber - where you are required to rate/review your previous driver before you can access you next ride.  

2) Airbnb could allow Hosts to offer travelers a financial incentive to leave reviews.

3) Airbnb should ensure that travelers do not receive a five-star review until they have finishing rating the prior property.

Thoughts?

[Susan151]

@Kris198 It is actually a two way street. I stayed with a host this weekend who has about 350 reviews and has left about 25 total of his guests. This makes it harder for guests who stay with him to have enough reviews to help hosts feel comfortable hosting them.

A financial incentive to leave a review is actually against the TOS for good reason. In New York, this was called payola.

[Emilia42]

@Kris198, I think the vast majority of guests DO review the stay/host. I think fewer hosts leave reviews for their guests; which makes it difficult when guests book another stay already claiming to have one or more Airbnb experience under their belt.

A review SHOULD be posted even if the other party does not review. Imagine if you had a horrible guest who stole many items from your space. You review him, warning other hosts, but he doesn't review you so your review floats off into cyberspace and he goes on to rip off the next host. 

I have had a handful of guests where I was super relieved to find that they did not review me. That's why I have the high rating that I do. Those guests surely would have given me a lower star but instead they choose not to review. The system is flawed there but a review should be a choice, in my opinion.