Star ratings now made public!

[Robin4]

I have just noticed that listings on a general search page now include the hosts overall star rating!

I can see this upsetting a few hosts who may be down in 4.5 territory because of one or two poor reviews!

Cheers.........Rob

[Anonymous]

Another one of those features that hasn't rolled out everywhere yet (it's still showing as star graphics to me) and may change again tomorrow.

[Robin4]

@Anonymous 

Andrew, you can see the implications here. I just had a scroll down through a few listings in my area. I feel I am hard done by because of my 239 review 11 were 5 star in every category but a 4 star overall, and I have never had anything less than a 4 star overall. So my rating is currently 4.92!

But some of my neighbouring hosts are 4.75, 4.5, 4.36, 4.72! These hosts have some great reviews but are going to be at a severe disadvantage because they have copped a couple of bad reviews which have dragged their rating down.

I just can't understand why Airbnb are continually finding ways to have their hosts fight against each other.

It just seems counterproductive to me!

Cheers......Rob

[Anonymous]

@Robin4  Plenty of hosts really obsess over their star ratings, but guests seldom seem to ever notice them. 

When you travel, and you find a nice accommodation in a great location that perfectly fits your needs and budget, do you choose that one or a place that doesn't suit you as well but has a higher star rating?

[Maria568]

You are probably right Andrew ..I do that when I choose my holiday places , I read the comments more than the stars ..but not all the guests know that.

[Susan151]

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@Robin4 wrote:

@Anonymous 

I just can't understand why Airbnb are continually finding ways to have their hosts fight against each other.

It just seems counterproductive to me!

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I don't think this has anything to do with hosts fighting each other. Do you really? I think, overall, this is probably a good thing for guests who are searching for the right place.

No one is going to book based on a number alone. The kind of guests that I want will have read my listing, read some of the reviews, noted the rating, and feel that my home matches their travel style.

[Jennifer1421]

This has been appearing, then disappearing randomly for me for the better part of a week. As a bit of a nosy type, I've found it interesting to browse through other host's "actual" numbers (as I've always found it weird that pretty much every listing in my area is a 5-star), but then, I've got a good bit of time to kill 🙂

As you say, @Anonymous , it's unlikely to make much of a difference to guests - especially when almost every listing that has hosted more than a few stays is somewhere between 4.8-4.97. That's a pretty small difference in numbers, and likely translates into absolutely no difference at all, in real terms. I will point out, though, that the day this went live in my area, I got 3 bookings within a few hours. Coincidence? Likely.

Just to be devil's advocate though, if I were a guest and choosing between 2 or 3 pretty much identical units that all had fab reviews, ticked all my boxes, and were "much of a muchness", these numbers would likely sway my decision. Why choose a place that's rated a 4.82 if there's a 4.97 on offer?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Robin4  @Jennifer1421  yes, I noticed this a few days ago, and I also spotted one listing with perfect 5,0* rating.... and 5 reviews 🙂  So no, I am not sure if I would choose someone with 5 reviews over someone with 300. 

[Suzanne302]

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Exactly my thoughts! I'd definitely choose the host with more reviews and a slightly lower rating because as hosts, we know that over time you are bound to get a few "off" reviews as that is the law of averages.

On the other hand, I'd also know something MUST be wrong with a host who has only 5 reviews, and a very low rating!

[Cor3]

Hi @Robin4,

I noticed this change too, recently.

And it looks like it, Airbnb is adapting the UBER / Booking.Com type of rating.

In theory, I do appreciate this makes it more clear to guests, what the ‘exact’ rating of a listing is.

And especially, when you are dealing with larger numbers. It will start to display the ‘true’ overall performance of a listing.

With UBER, I can understand this. As it does not take a very long time to acquire a thousand ratings (easily possible within 1 year).

And when you get on an UBER with a couple of thousand ratings. You really do notice the difference between a 4.7 driver and a 4.9 driver.

So, there are pro’s and con’s to this way of showing the overall rating of a listing, by this precision.

But because of this precision. It will start to influence the way guests will decide for a particular property.

Suppose, guests have 2 properties on their shortlist. Both for more or less the same amount of money.

And they can choose between a 4.91 or a 4.92 listing.

Just guess what will they decide for?

Recently, we had a 4-star review. Basically out of the blue. As the guest was pretty excited about everything. I’ve asked them for an explanation, but I didn’t get any.

Non 5-star ratings are also pretty rare with us.

But this ‘lesser’ review knocked my overall rating down by 0.02 stars.

Previously this was not visible to other guests. And now suddenly it is.

I suppose Airbnb will start to receive much more calls with a demand for removing non ideal reviews. Because the effect is this visible now.

As far as I'm concerned: They've created their own issue.

[Mike1034]

@Cor3  Airbnb seems like to have customers calling them. 🙂 However, they make their phone number not easy to find. And their customer service representative are poorly trained with little knowledge.

The controversial review system has already created a lot of trouble to them. It does not hurt to add one more. The same is true for their guest screening system. Anybody with an email address and full name can register to become Airbnb's user. And they proceeded with only showing a first name for a guest to book. This caused more rejection and cancellation. Thus, more calls to their customer service.

[Suzanne302]

@Robin4  Just like @Jennifer1421 , I too have been seeing this off and on for a couple weeks. Even when I do two different searches (using incognito windows) within minutes of each other, for one search I'll see it, the next search it's gone.

It bothers me because there can be a host with 5 reviews, and a 5.0 rating, and another host with 100 reviews and a 4.95 rating. As hosts, we would know that the best gamble would be on the host with 100 reviews, but new guests might just see the rating and book based on that.

[Jennifer1421]

Hmm. I've just had an evil thought, which occurred after re-reading @Robin4 's original post. Rob, you've asked why the corp is looking to pit hosts against one another with this change...

As we know, there are LOTS of hosts, and fewer guests. Is this another way to thin out the hosting ranks - by attrition? The carrot (Superhost) has been dangled a good while now, and has had the effect of creating a lot of listings that fall into the 4.8 + range. Now, let's half the number of Superhosts again, by creating an environment where anyone with listings below 4.9 are seeing bookings drop off a cliff, and therefore stop listing with the site. Plus, we'll all try even harder (by which I mean potentially offer even more amenities, bend even further backward to placate difficult guests, etc.) just to hang onto a 4.9+ rating.

Brilliant move by the company if that's the intention. Very hard on hosts.

Just a thought. An evil thought.

[Mike1034]

@Jennifer1421  If Airbnb has this evil thought, eventually hosts will burn out trying to keep 4.9+ rating. Many part-time hosts will fail first to remain at 4.9+ because they have less time.

[Helen427]

@Robin4 @Mike1034 @Jennifer1421 @Suzanne302 @Branka-and-Silvia0 

It's visible here in Auckland, New Zealand as well.

It simply adds to clutter on maps and makes it more challenging for Guests to find a suitable place for their requirements.

There's simply no thought given to the majority who use a small mobile portable device to look through & book listings so it's counterproductive.