Airbnb Answers: Easier access to Customer Service

[Airbnb]

You asked: Can Airbnb make it easier to contact customer service?

You’ve raised this important question at each Global Host Q&A, and we hear you loud and clear. Easy access to support when you need it, with quick and straightforward resolutions, is important. And we haven’t always made it easy. But we’ve made major improvements and are committed to more. So, what’s been improved?

Easy access, especially when you’re hosting

We’ve created a new way for hosts and guests to contact Airbnb Customer Service. The feature is available during active trips beginning 48 hours before check in and ending 48 hours following check out.  

To quickly contact Customer Service using this feature, follow these steps:

On your desktop computer:

• Log in to www.airbnb.com, click on “Help” at the top right corner of the screen
• Click on “Visit the Help Center” button
• Click on the “Contact us” button at the bottom of the screen

On your mobile phone:

• Via the Airbnb app
• Tap on the “Profile” tab on the bottom right of the app
• Tap on “Get help”
• Tap on the “Contact us” button at the bottom of the screen
• Via the Airbnb app
• Tap on the “Trips” tab at the bottom of the app screen
• Tap on the specific trip you are interested in
• Tap on “Help” at the bottom of the screen
• Tap the “Contact us” button at the bottom of the screen

When you click “Contact us” you’ll be able to select the reservation affected (if applicable) and the type of issue you’re experiencing.  After that you can select how you prefer to receive support from Airbnb, including self-service, online messaging, and/or by phone.

So far we’re finding that over 90% of hosts are able to easily find and contact Customer Service using this new feature. Currently, it’s only available during active trips beginning 48 hours before check in and ending 48 hours following check out.  But, stay tuned - we expect to make this feature more widely available in 2018.

Faster help once you’re connected

If you’ve used the steps above to call us, we’ll automatically send your Community Support Specialist the relevant information about your reservation and reasons for calling. This way you don’t have to explain your situation multiple times and your issue can be resolved more quickly. We’ll also allow you to easily confirm who you are prior to speaking with a Community Support Specialist so you can skip time-consuming security questions during the call. We’ve found that this saves between 1-2 minutes per call.

If you have less urgent issues you can always email us, find answers in our Help Center, and seek advice from your fellow hosts in the Community Center. Superhosts always have access to our dedicated Priority Support line.

What’s in the works for the future?

While we aren’t ready to make big announcements, we can say that we’re investing in self-service tools and instant chat to allow both you and your guests to easily and quickly remedy issues that come up. Our goal is to make sure you have the help you want at your fingertips.

As always, we appreciate your questions and feedback and look forward to the next global Host Q&A!

The Airbnb Team

In the latest Host Q&A, CEO and Head of Community Brian Chesky answered top-voted questions during a livestream event. For questions he didn’t have time to address, we’ve introduced the Airbnb Answers series. View the latest Host Q&A, here.

[Larissa79]

They say there is no way to speak to someone directly which makes u frustrated and meanwhile ursula doesnt understand  basic English and responds not answering the questions    and says my decision is final  

[Larissa79]

It's insane that u cant speak to someone and when they finally emailed me after 40 attempts   yes 40    u want to hear what the supervisor said ? 

 He said my name is Paolo and i will calling u between the hours of 3am and 6am est    ok ?   

Can u believe it ?

[Colleen47]

This is fantastic! Keep up the hostcentric improvements! @Airbnb

[Janice163]

This is my 3rd season with Airbnb. I am a Superhost for 3 years now. This year I am finding it much more difficult for hooking up with an Airbnb representative when I need help. In the past I was pleased with quick connection and help. However this year I have seen a major decline with this. I realize Airbnb is growing beyond leaps and bounds and I attribute the difficulty in great service to this. Not appreciated. I find all over the site they are promoting for new hosts, incentive for hosts to share with their friends to become hosts and earn rewards yet they appear to have more than they can handle already. Right now I have an issue with June reviews not showing as the most recent. I’ve called twice about the problem over two weeks ago and it’s still not rectified. Planning on calling again today but my time is valuable and again not appreciated having to wait for help and then not have the issue rectified.  Bigger does not mean better Airbnb unless you continue to take care of your hosts as you originally have!

[Jeff400]

I called the Superhost number to ask a simple question.  Searching as if I was prospective guest and entering my small town name as a search filter my listing did not come up.  It was not way at the end of 60 properties.  It was not in any of the homes listed that in nearby cities.

I have asked friends to search and they could not find it either.  My question was why it did not come up under a city search.  The Airbnb phone representative was of little help and quite frustrating.  Her suggestion was to clear cookies, cache, enter my street or add my city name to the title of the listing.  When attempting to explain my question I was constantly interrupted and "talked over" by the representative.

I love Airbnb and you have been a great partner in our large world, but I still have the question.  Where is my listing?

[Robert1032]

Here's a classic.....

A guest who was offended by comments by  a neighbor about her neglect of her poor son, checked out early, attempted to extort me into giving a refund or getting a horrible review, and looking to harm me wrote a completely untrue list of issues.

I was provided the text to my property manager with the threat from the guest, and the review was taken done after a few days.  Good job, but SLOW.

She then complained about "surveilence cameras," and suddenly I was in sheer hell, dealilng with an airbnb "customer service" guy named "Rae" in India.   I explained that I was away from my home, that I was in full compliance with standards, that the cameras were noted on my listing, and on the  contract guests signed, that all cameras were turned off on guest arrival, etc

"Rae" then gave me the assignment to write that I had read the standards, like a naughty child's assignment.  He then told me that until I added some additional words in my listing, that my account was "suspended."  After multiple attempts to edit my listing with no success, I returned home to discover that not only did the "suspension" prevent inquiries and bookings, but it PREVENTED ME FROM MAKING ANY EDITS.

After contacting "Rae," I was suddenly able to make the minor listing edits.  He then told me it was my fault and if there were any more complaints that I could be reviewed for potential censure and cancellation.

Wow, incompetent, stupid, and rude.

So, two weeks later, through the incompetence and bureacracy so common in India, I have no idea how much my suspended listing cost me....and abnb.

[Scott228]

I am seeing some improvement in the CS experience. Two months ago, I had a instant booking on a day that was blocked for preparation. I researched in community and found the contact sheet that suggested twitter and email. I reached out to AirBnB both ways with no response after a couple of days. I dug deeper, found a contact number, waited on hold for 15 mins, spoke to an native english speaker and had the issue resolved successfully immediately with good follow up.

Last week, a simular instant booking on a day I needed for preparation. Reached out via email (both from my hosting account and my travelling account). Again zero response after two days. Found a contact phone that was answered quickly but had connection problems. Associate called back, same problems. I called back after 20 mins on my cell. 2 min hold. They recognized me as a super host immediately. Worked with a non native english speaker who was easy to understand. Issue resolved. Resonable follow up. 

Take aways:

1) Old calendar was suseptable to allowing bookings on blocked preparation days (hopefully fixed with new calendar)

2) Twitter and, more importantly, emails are not answered in a timely way (or at all). Dont waste your time.

3) Contact number is easier to find. Save it and use it first.  

4) If you have a poor connection or communication issues with you initial associate, simply hang up and call back. 

[Chinenye0]

Well 

Your customers care service is good. I just want Nigerian host to be able to cash out with their local bank account.

[Chinenye0]

All the same, it's my first experience as a host, and I am loving it.

[Jackie229]

Well after days of the endless circle of the so called "Help" Center, I eventually googled for help outside of Air BnB and I got hold of the phone number because other people post it after going through the same experience. Now I always call whenever I have a problem. No more Help Center run around! I'll give you the number but they'll probably screen it out . The number is 1-855-424-7262. Good luck!

[Kelly-and-Darren0]

I’ve only had to contact support once, and it was a very simple issue that flowed from my Superhost status being incorrectly removed. A ticket was raised, then support messaged me and said the issue was being referred to someone else who could deal with my problem. Ticket closed, no contact from anyone else and problem not resolved.

I contacted support again asking to re-open my ticket because my issue hadn’t been resolved. No reply at all. No reply is not good enough. There are alternative platforms to Airbnb, and more emerging. If Airbnb don’t address the support issues of hosts, I expect many propoerties will only be able to be booked via other providers.

[Mahinui0]

I hope you are actively monitoring the responses from your top hosts here. What we need are dedicated people to answering our questions and giving us place appropriate help. It surely cannot be efficient for hosts to wait and grow grumpier while talking to peole in Sri Lanka and Barcelona when we are in Hawaii.  Especially here in Hawaii, on Hawaii island, we need customer service dedicated to help on our island. We hosts are doing the very best we can in highly unusual circumstances, and Airbnb is quite literally all over the map in responses. I recently had a problem take over three weeks to resolve. 

Jusging from the responses here this "new" protocol designed to save two or three minutes is woefully inadequate. Maybe what is needed is a panel of hosts to help you find your way. 

[Cindy373]

I have had terrible problems getting issues resolved.  I NEVER get reimbursed for damages, I won't use this site for my high season rentals because of their host unfriendly refund policies.

[Chas7]

Call-backs are an issue. I'm still waiting on one I need to complete a bad incident.

[Roman103]

I just got off the phone with Airbnb from the number provided in the app. He was certainly phillipino but pleasant as could be. Didn’t have all the answers off the top of his head but made quick work of finding out.