I get the concept of Airbnb's rating system. I like the fact that we can publicly reply and rate our guests as well. However, I think that the owners are at an unfair advantage as it's not clear to guests that anything less than a 5 star review is actually a negative review. If you are going to use that much weight on the ratings, the questions need to be a lot more clear. Plus the questions should make them consider the price they paid, the accuracy of the actual listing, the location that they agreed to stay in. I’ve gotten negative reviews on the “accuracy” of my listing due to small maintenance issues (i.e. the air conditioner was making a loud noise — that doesn’t mean that I lied on my listing! That just means that they need to contact me, so I can get it fixed. Something that worked yesterday may not work tomorrow - that’s life, but I do the best I can to fix any issue as quickly as possible - clearly guests don't understand this question). Or I’ve gotten less than 5 stars because of the location or because the building is older (which was clearly explained in the listing and obviously reflected in the price — so it’s completely inaccurate for them to rate me less because of it).
Suggestion to Airbnb: clearer questions and examples on how to rate and answer. Be more clear that this is NOT your typical 5 star hotel rating system. Some of my older listings are comparable to a 3-star hotel. They are updated and in a nice neighborhood, and I do a great job as a host -but the building and public spaces are older. The location is a little further from the main areas in town. I’d give it a 3 star if I'm rating the property itself. But I also price it as a 3-star stay. So - on Airbnb's scale it should deserve a 5 star rating from each and every guest!
This is the issue: Airbnb guests see the ratings as an analogue to the hotel industry, where one star is your typcial flea bag motel, 3 stars is OK, 4 stars is a very fine experience, and 5-star ratings are for the most over-the-top luxurious experiences with 5-star ameneties.
One more thing: I've noticed that the most critical reviews are from those that get the best deals via "price tips" and "special offers" -- I'm really starting to second guess the value of those price tips or the quality of renters they attract.
Suggestion: Make guests rating public from their profile! Give the owners a chance to check a guests' history of ratings so we can see if they are this type of guest who complains about silly things. Most owners are going to give their guests good reviews, so those are pretty worthless in my eyes - especially if they were quiet during their stay. The true test is how they rate their hosts! I would love to see how many of the people who were hard on me were equally hard on every place they've stayed. Some people just like to complain!
