When reviews were first implemented on sites like eBay, buyers could rate the sellers, but the sellers could not rate the buyers. Today, websites and apps all over the internet give you the opportunity to not only rate and review, but to be rated and reviewed.

Now, Airbnb is criticized for having so many positive reviews. The author of "Airbnb's Problem with Good Reviews" on Pymnts.com says it's because of social pressure.  

“The fact is that you are exchanging a service where there is a personal relationship between the guest and the host,” Proserpio noted. “So even if the stay is not amazing, but the host is a nice person, consumers don’t want to give a bad review, they give a good review in any case. There is a bias that I would call social bias,” he explained."

We think it's definitely social pressure, but why is anyone surprised?

Culturally, social sharing is a part of everyone's daily life--whether raving about a great movie on a Facebook post or adding a review to Yelp. Online reviews are a way of life, and now we get to hear the other side of the story.

Instead of a restaurant guest complaining about poor service and labeling a business, a business can now say, this guest came in and played on their phone the entire time and put their order in incorrectly. Because don't forget, there's always two sides to every story. 

So, is it really about people not wanting to offend "someone" or writing a positive review because the person was "nice"? No, I don't think so.

Airbnb doesn't have a problem with good reviews. They're setting the tone for what I'd like to call "experience accountability."

It's the new "fair" review and honesty will always win. 

Read the source article at PYMNTS.com