Your November 2019 Host Q&A Recap

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Your November 2019 Host Q&A Recap

Guest standards, new safety features, and irrelevant reviews are just some of the hot topics we covered at Host Q&A in Austin, Texas, in November. Though the questions were asked by local hosts in Austin, they reflect questions we’ve heard from hosts around the world. Check out the conversation with Airbnb executives about the issues that matter most to you.

 

To turn on translated subtitles, click the “CC” (Closed Captioning) button underneath the video screen when viewing.

 

Question 1: What is Airbnb doing to protect hosts from bad guests?

 

 

We understand how important it is for you to feel a real sense of safety when hosting in your space. You want Airbnb to help prevent things from going wrong and to be there in the rare but unfortunate moments when they do.

 

Next year, we’ll be ramping up our commitment to guest standards on Airbnb. We recently announced our new Guest Standards Policy, which will introduce a system for tracking and removing bad guests from the platform over time. When a guest fails to meet one of the standards outlined in the policy, they'll receive a warning. If the behavior continues, it could lead to suspension or removal from the platform.

 

These guest standards build upon existing policies we already have in place to address the more serious trust and safety issues that result in immediate removal from the platform. We’re enhancing our system to better monitor guests who engage in less serious misconduct, so that we can educate these guests and take appropriate action if they don’t correct their behavior.  

 

Learn more about our new Guest Standards Policy

 

Question 2: What is Airbnb doing to support hosts when things go wrong?

 

 

We’re committed to ensuring you have the tools and support you need in those moments. We recently began testing our Urgent Support Line in the U.S. and plan to expand to more countries next year. For critical matters related to your security or safety, Airbnb app users in the U.S. with access to the pilot can tap the “Call Airbnb's Urgent Support Line" button in the Safety Center (available via the Profile tab) to quickly connect to a specialist for help. Keep in mind that the Urgent Support Line button is designed to be available only for active reservations, from the day before check-in to the day after checkout. We’re also rolling out a new local emergency button, which provides a direct line to local emergency services. For non-urgent issues, we’ve introduced a live chat feature to English and Mandarin speakers this year, with plans to roll it out in seven more languages next year. It’s currently the fastest way to get help for things like updating your calendar or adjusting your pricing.

 

Of course, these new features are only as effective as the teams that support them, which is why we’ve prioritized growing and restructuring the customer support team. Just this year, we expanded our global staff by thousands of agents, and we reorganized and refocused the team to make it more efficient. We’ve set it up so that more experienced agents handle more complex issues—this means you won’t have to go through multiple agents before you get connected to them.

 

We’ve also been training our claims specialists to show more empathy and understanding, and we’ve implemented a process that speeds up resolution and payout for hosts who are more tenured on the platform. Finally, we’re working on improving our workflows to ensure that the same issues are handled the same way every time.

 

Learn more about how we’re supporting you when things go wrong

 

Question 3: What is Airbnb doing to improve the review system?

 

 

We know how much you rely on reviews to grow your business, and we know that a review may sometimes be misleading or contain content unrelated to the stay. We hear you. And we want you to know that we’re working hard to make them better—it’s a journey, and your feedback is essential to getting there.

 

Earlier this year, we built a new tool that automatically detects an inconsistent review, then interrupts the flow to flag that inconsistency. Similarly, if a guest leaves a low rating for something like location or value—two categories that can be interpreted in different ways—they’ll get interrupted with a clarifying question. These interruptions force guests to think a little more about the rating they’re giving, and they also give guests a chance to go back and correct it. And we’re already seeing more consistency between the category scores and overall scores as a result.

 

Most importantly, we also recently updated our Review Policy. We focused these changes around some of the issues you find most frustrating: irrelevant reviews and biased reviews. Under the updated policy—effective December 11, 2019—we’ve empowered our agents to remove these types of reviews, and guests and hosts who repeatedly violate the policy may face consequences including account suspension and removal.

 

Learn more about the policy and other review updates

 

Question 4: Is Airbnb losing focus on host-to-guest interactions?

 

 

That connectedness—the special magic that happens between hosts and guests—is what hosts like you uniquely bring to the platform. It’s also what makes people choose Airbnb. And it’s core to our mission to allow anyone to belong anywhere—belonging can’t happen without human connection.

 

Listings like yours drive our business. We’re committed—and will forever be committed—to our host community. This fall, we celebrated that community with our first major ad campaign in two years. We wanted to make a statement to the world about who we are and what’s important to us, so we chose to showcase what makes our community so amazing: hosts like you.

59 Replies 59
Paul5876
Level 1
Melbourne, AU

Abnb cannot stop a bad event before it happens. So please ease up on the “we will protect you” banter. It’s rubbish.

But.....Airbnb can minimize bad events.....by bringing back photos of potential guest BEFORE the booking is confirmed. MY home, MY decision as to who I allow in!

 

Cheers

I Agree wholeheartedly!!  Especially when it's a guest without any reviews.  I know everyone has to start somewhere and want to be open to new guests on the the platform.  I straight up ask them lots of questions and if they hesitate it's not a good sign.  For the most part, I have been pleased with my guests and airbnb support with a couple of guest issues.

 

It is my home and guests are on the third floor for privacy.  I do like to know who's coming and what to expect.  My most recent guest didn't have any reviews, after a few questions I agreed to book.  After the booking was confirmed, the picture was a statue of Abe Lincoln and three young girls!   I didn't know if they were his children, grandchildren or a joke.  He just arrived to day and is expected to stay a couple of weeks.

 

It does seem the policies are bent towards the guests yet we take all the risks allowing them into our homes.  Glad to see Airbnb is taking the host's experience into consideration

 

Just an FYI I insist that the guest has a photo that clearly shows their face. If they don't I let them know that I will cancel their reservation if they don't post an appropriate photo before they arrive.  They always comply but I am prepared to do that. I also insist on a govt ID and again I wont even approve a request unless it is uploaded.  I wont use instant book for this reason.  I try to respond within an hour but since I only rent when I am on the premises I try as much as I can to know who is coming to stay.  One last thing, I never let someone make reservations for someone else (a friend). If they are staying they must have their own profile. Interestingly enough it is other hosts who try this more than random public requests. 

i prefer to get a profile photo of the person being booked, not their wife or their boyfriend who might be dumping them, which happened to me. A week long stay from some guy in Arizona was his girlfriend having a nervous breakdown over her son being taken by his father (another boyfriend) and she drank hot beer in her room hiding it under her bed, puking in the trash, then was too broke to go anywhere. I suggested she call a rehab center for alcohol abuse and check in with social workers there to help get her life back in order. Really, people who are homeless, jobless and just out of drug rehab come here with no reviews and no income, and no idea what the house rules are because a relative with an account books it for them. I insist your organization lay down the rules...No second-party bookings without photos and full explanation of reason for trip. Otherwise, the host should NOT be penalized for canceling their stay.   New guest to airbnb, should not be allowed to instant book until reviewed by someone who may take a chance on them...but  I want to see a photo that will match the ID of the person who arrives.  My safety, my home, my choice. Put photos back on the inquiries, PLEASE!

Agreed!

I ask questions also. I check their responses and if I don’t feel good I simply disapprove. I’ve had to call support about single review or zero review customers especially younger persons expressing they want to come use my house to meet up with friends “they haven’t seen in a while.” 

Absolutely! There is no excuse for AirB&B to stop hosts from seeing guest pictures prior to confirming their stay?!!

Let’s face it, AIrBNB only makes money if we rent rooms to guests. So why should we expect AIrBNB to make any changes with regard to seeing photos (which is a normal request), when they don’t have to? The big question is, would AirBNB rent their own house to a person they have never seen a. Picture of...lol?

End of story!!!

Agreed.....that it why other hosting platforms are just as good, and more considerate to the host...that makes them profits at zero risk.

 

Also, If a host cancels or declines guests ( bad reviews..etc..) ..the HOST suffers either by cash penalty, demotion in host status, exposure etc,,,,NOT FAIR!

Hi There,

I totally agree - The HOST should not be a "floor mat" it is THEIR home that everyone is running on and taking advantage of - the HOST should be able to decline if they WISH!

Trish - NIAGARA FALLS< CANADA


@Pedro-And-Laura1 wrote:

Agreed.....that it why other hosting platforms are just as good, and more considerate to the host...that makes them profits at zero risk.

 

Also, If a host cancels or declines guests ( bad reviews..etc..) ..the HOST suffers either by cash penalty, demotion in host status, exposure etc,,,,NOT FAIR!


 

I am both a host and a guest, and it's my opinion that a host who cancels more than once within 14 days of a stay should have to compensate the guest for any extra cost the guest has to bear because of the cancellation.

Not sure why a photo is important when often there's no profile. What good is that? How about background checks? 

Pre-booking photos are the reason AirBNB is so white.  This cuts down on hosts who only want whites refusing 'others'.