What rating categories would you like to see removed?

[Laura2592]

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?

[Lisa723]

@Laura2592 as a guest, check-in is important to me and can be easy or hard with a lockbox or key code. The worst check-in experience I've had: No directions were provided other than address, and map app landed me on a highway on the other side of a concrete wall. Finally found the apartment complex, but in the dark and rain the building numbers were invisible and there were no guiding signs. Finally found the building and apartment, and wrestled my bag up the dark stairs, but in the dark the lockbox entry code was impossible to see. Finally got the lockbox opened, and 3 keys fell out onto the dark landing floor. Finally found the keys, and there was no indication which one opened the door. By the time I got into the apartment I was in a pretty bad mood. As a host, I have given a guest the wrong entry code and been unsurprised by a low check-in rating.

[Inna22]

@Lisa723 we have all made mistakes. There should be a difference between me giving the wrong code – which I have done – or someone putting one star down the line because they were angry about something entirely different. thats where @Yadira22 Idea of removing outliers makes sense

[Lisa723]

@Inna22 sure. I was just responding to the idea that the check-in category is meaningless for self-check-in. I actually think it's really important, from my own experience as a guest, and from learning that check-in really sets the mood for my own guests-- I've done a lot to perfect the process and it makes a difference.

[Inna22]

@Lisa723 yes, totally. I might actually still book a place with low rating for check in if everything else looks great but be prepared for surprises. I think they key is consistency. Did everyone mark that one down or was it a handful of jetlagged/ angry/ unable to read and follow direction guests.

[Sarah977]

@Lisa723  I agree that check-in can set a mood for the stay- it's their first introduction to the place. So whether a host has self-check-in or checks guests in personally, it has to be as smooth as possible. This extends through giving the guests an orientation tour if you don't have self-check-in. Overloading the guest with too much information as soon as they walk in the door can be off-putting. I just show my guests their room, quickly let them know how things work up there, then leave them to unpack, shower and relax before showing them how to lock and unlock the kitchen door, where stuff is in the kitchen, etc.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

We are off-site hosts for 3,5 years, we meet our guests personally and our check-in process is the same for every guest, every time.

The only problem occurs when they "forgot" to let us know they will be late and are unreachable by phone. We hate such time-wasters!!! They assume we will be waiting for them whenever they decide to show up and are surprised if we don't. Somehow they are always able to call or text when they find themselves in front of the closed door and are angry when they have to wait for us to come back and let them in.

Of course, such guests always rate us low for check-in, for them, it's our fault.

[Helen350]

@Lisa723 Agreed! Whether being greeted in person or using a lock box, check in can go well or badly. An ex-listing near me had it's lock box on a different property, the other side of town, 2 miles away, which caused problems for guests - especially the ones who didn't read the instructions & went straight to the  place they were staying! I've known other places where the key had to be picked up off site, which could be seen as less than 5*, even if you know this in advance. 

[Laura2592]

I guess I just don't think that much about check in as a guest. I only stay places with self check in so short of not being given a code or an inaccurate one (which has not happened but I feel I would account for that in the communication category should it occur) I feel that it's my responsibility to follow instructions and get into the space. Maybe instead of a star rating for self check in we could have something like a yes no question: was it easy to access the space? Yes or no. I have had guests who  had difficulty following instructions that I have had to go and meet to show them how to punch the code into the door. I would argue that these guests should look for a host check in as they tend to want more of a personal intro to how everything works in the space including the door code. Some people are just more interested in that than others.

It's a totally different experience when a host meets each guest to check in. But even when I stay in hotels with a front desk I might get a key card that doesn't work on the first try. I've never thought to rate a hotel on their check in process. Honestly I'm thinking more about how the space looks...is it nice? Clean? Has what I asked for in a room? Interesting to hear that some people care about the moment of getting the door open. At the very least I would not give this the same weight as the rest of the evaluation. 

[Rebecca181]

1) Location (needs no explanation. Guest can see where it is before booking. Their problem if they aren't happy with their choice).

2) Value (Guests consider Airbnb's service fees when contemplating value and can ding a host for feeling they paid too much, despite the host's very reasonable nightly rate). 

[Helen350]

@Rebecca181 I quite like the 'value' category. To me, it means : Was the place appropriately priced/under-priced, rather than overpriced? Tho' I agree it's annoying to be perceived as over-priced because of the Airbnb commission. My rooms are cheap by any standards & I think it's really mean when guests give less than 5* for value. Do they really expect me to make NO profit?

[Mike-And-Helen0]

I like Emilia's idea of a sliding scale, I would definitely bin the location category.

I'd like to rate guests on responsiveness to messages.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Helen0  I always felt that fell under the category of communication.

[Mike-And-Helen0]

LOL you are right of course @Sarah977 !

[Jakša1]

For example, If location is 4 stars and accuracy is 5 ,then it doesnt make sense to grade location 4. It would make sense if accuracy is 4 and location is then 4 but not otherwise because it means that I did all correctly, my adress is well pointed and guest picked that option on his own, so grading location is pointless.

[Harold75]

This is sounding a lot of like math homework! 🙂