What rating categories would you like to see removed?

Laura2592
Level 10
Frederick, MD

What rating categories would you like to see removed?

If I could wave a magic wand, I would remove the "check in" category from hosts who have a lock box or key code. How can a self-check in be rated against a host? So either everyone gives 5 stars or there is a retaliatory review if for whatever reason the guest does not follow instructions or feels uncomfortable with using a keypad. With a host that meets the guest for key exchange? Sure. Keep it. But for someone who has flexible check in time and uses a code to unlock a door, its pretty meaningless. 

 

Also, I would remove the "location" rating. As they say in real estate, the location of a house is the one thing you can't change. If the location is described inaccurately the "accuracy" rating should cover that. Perhaps instead of a rating, there would be a section that showed distances to points of interest, or a searchable map for things like "restaurants near me" or even a walk score. Front loading the info would be better for the guest than a rating on the back end about a factor that the host can't control. I fully believe that only things the host can do something about should be rated.

 

If I designed Airbnb and needed rating categories I would do:

Accuracy

Cleanliness

Comfort

Communication

Value

 

OR just have a review and a thumbs up or down for whether or not a guest would recommend to others. 

 

What categories would you change?

 

 

33 Replies 33
Kath9
Level 10
Albany, Australia

@Laura2592 Definitely location, which seems to be the biggest bugbear for hosts. It doesn't affect me because my location is pretty good, but I can imagine how frustrating it is for others. 

 

I'm also interested in the categories we could add for guests such as:

 

Accuracy (was the guest who they said they were and did they arrive with the correct number of people?)

Had read and understood listing (because even if they do 'observe house rules', it's often only after an awkward conversation)

Suited to listing (were they, for example, terrified of the dog or did they expect the Ritz for the price of a backpackers?)

Basic common sense!

 

Any others?

I agree with @Laura2592

Remove  Location ...  

 

 

 

 

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Laura2592 

 

i would remove accuracy- as guests hardly ever read entire listing. 

-location as it’s a pain and realistically should be “neighbourhood” 

 

-value- London is expensive to live and for property, you have not lived in London so how could you actually rate this. I am sorry you can buy a 4 bedroom house with garage and garden space and freehold for £250k where you are based but here you’ll be LUCKY to get a one bedroom apartment in zone 3 (not central London) (WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE SO EXPENSIVE ?! 😭)

Different markets, different values- comparing two which are completely different seems illogical to me. 

Oh and I would remove that x.xx* stat- I see this and feel exposed as if someone has posted my test results for everyone to see. 

thanks. 

 

Lisa4920
Level 2
Holt, Australia

Location needs to go for sure.

The guests are selecting the location! 

If a guest cant figure out how to use GPS and cant find one of the tallest, most prominent buildings on the Gold Coast, surely that shouldn't be my fault. 

I hate this!

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Laura2592  I'd like to see all the star ratings scrapped-  star ratings tell people virtually nothing because they are comletely subjective and anyone else seeing them has zero idea why it was rated as such. What is clean to one person may not be to another, what is a good location for one may be terrible for the next guest, what one person considers comfortable may be not be for others, etc.

If I were queen, there'd be written reviews only.

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sarah977 agreed but how would Airbnb be able to quantifiably objectify (might be the wrong word but my brain is tired) you and what criteria would be used to replace this as to identify the “under performers” from the herd of hosts? This was my thought so found it hard to suggest a suitable alternative.

@Yadira22  Well, do you really think that the star rating system identifies the "under-performers"? I don't. We read on here constantly complaints from guests who booked places that had good ratings that turned out to be dumps, and we know from the "AJ" story that as long as a host is generating lots of booking fees for Airbnb, they turn a blind eye to the low ratings and guest complaints.

We also know that great hosts with tons of 5* reviews have had their ratings totally tanked by bad, vindictive guests, -those hosts aren't underperformers, they just had the bad luck to get guests like that.

Instead of the star ratings, maybe there could just be an "acceptable" and "unacceptable" designation. 

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sarah977 So maybe consider removing outliers (thus protecting the consistently good) and find consistent levels of complaints (within the bad) and target those hosts in particular.... could work but their tech would need to be changed drastically as to reflect this. However, an interesting concept no less. I vote this one! 🙂

@Yadira22  Their tech needs to be drastically changed, anyway 🙂 Glitchiest site anywhere.

Yadira22
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Sarah977 I only agree with numerical values if it’s based on facts, as in total sales generated, occupancy levels etc and not based on values determined by personal experience and opinions as this can be vastly affected by how the individual remembers those sets of event and emotional state at time of voting and this is not even taking into account the cultural side of it, as some cultures would naturally see a 4/5 as being above average and 5/5 exceptional (almost unattainable)... 

 

My point is merely to say that numerical values to Airbnb is an objective way to qualify their host’s performance, not fair but given the amount of data they need to naturally get through, probably the easiest way to do so and cheapest as testing someone under qualifiable terms will be more difficult and subject them to more scrutiny. Sticking to the quantifiable method is what it is, qualifiable could be more based on interpretation. 

@Sarah977, totally agree with you. No need in numerical ratings. Let people write! It is useful and healthy:) 

To evaluate our work they can use very simple algorithm: “recommended” or “not recommended” with short explanation why. 
Usually people are writing more than couple of words in their reviews, so in fact they give an idea how is the place and interaction with the host. 

Emilia42
Level 10
Orono, ME

I hate the Accuracy rating. When searching as a guest I will see places will a low accuracy rating but have no idea what it means. Okay, the place is not accurate but WHAT is not accurate about it? I am never able to decipher this from the written reviews. 

 

I think the ratings should be on a sliding bar scale. There is no positive or negative just a sliding scale which best matches a guest to the listing/host they prefer.

 

For example:

More host interaction <------------> less host interaction

Rustic <---------> modern

Romantic <-----------> Family getaway

Peaceful <----------> City life

Remote <-----------> In the center of it all

Helen350
Level 10
Whitehaven, United Kingdom

@Emilia42 - Not sure about 'more or less host interaction' because this could be a good or a bad thing! I choose a lot of interaction with guests who seem open to it, but stay away from workers who've worked a 12 hour shift & probably just want to sleep! I offer chat & travel tips to tourists, whilst being mindful that even some people here for leisure want their own space..... So I wouldn't want a 'high interaction with guests' score to put people off, or be mistaken for meddling & snooping! 

@Helen350 good point. I have a similar hosting style. Letting the guest choose how much interaction they need. So I figure my rating would fall somewhere in the middle. I was thinking more in terms of guests who don't want anything to do with their hosts .... so they would choose a listing with almost no host interaction. Or those guest who want to stay in someone's home and eat dinner together every night would gravitate towards the high host interaction.