Catherine’s Host Update: Upgrades to Community Support

[Catherine-Powell]

 

Hi everyone,

I’m thrilled to be sharing this Host Update with you, which has exciting news about how we’re up-leveling our Community Support team and policies. 

Some of the top concerns you’ve shared over the past year include having difficulty reaching an Airbnb Support Ambassador, and then not receiving a tailored response to your individual situation or the follow through you needed.

Because of your feedback, our Head of Global Operations, Tara Bunch, and VP of Community Support, Brent Potts, are rolling out major improvements to Community Support and significantly increasing the size of our support team around the world. This will ensure that we can respond to your situation quickly and thoroughly. 

We’re focusing on more personalized and empathetic responses to the experiences you report to us. This is so important. Every circumstance is different, and the team is going to work with you to better understand what you’re facing and then resolve it. We’re also simplifying Host and guest policies to better manage your expectations, and offering personalized “Smart Solutions” in the Help Center. 

And starting in North America on September 30, 2021, we’re rolling out Dedicated Superhost Support. This program will continue rolling out globally throughout 2021 and will offer you exclusive access to tenured Support Ambassadors who can handle situations efficiently. 

As always, thank you for sharing the topics that matter to you.

I’ll be in touch again soon with more news! 

All my best,

Catherine

[Harriet4]

I document everything by texting my guests through the Airbnb platform of a problem. I always send a message politely asking that the House Rules be followed and document the rule being broken prior to or just after speaking to them. It is my hope that Airbnb will take issue when a host contacts you prior to a guest even leaving because breaking House Rules and Reviews seem to go together and that is unfair.

That should inform Airbnb of a possible retaliation so they are prepared to stand behind their hosts. Unfortunately, Airbnb does not stand behind the very people that make it possible to stay in business. 

I remain a Super Host because I love meeting so many wonderful people from all walks of life but also because I have a husband with kidney disease and we live on a modest income so the hosting does help pay a few bills.

I am wondering if Airbnb would provide a platform where hosts can post the names of people who have violated house rules, resulting in damaged property, police involvement and retaliatory reviews, that could be shared with hosts. Hosts would then have some warning of the people that can create problems within our homes and make an intelligent decision based on accumulated information. 

Yesterday I made the decision to decline anyone that has no prior reviews as those are always the problem people. I have a group in my home now, with no prior reviews, that have not followed the House Rules even though they confirmed they would. My husband and I are seniors and neither of us have had much sleep but only have one more night to go before they leave. This morning I asked politely that they please quiet down because we live in the house and now I am expecting a bad review.

It would be great if Airbnb would finally recognize that we are important to their success but there are so many of us now, a few loses doesn't make any difference. SO SAD

[Mariya24]

I am so sorry you have to go through this particularly that you are hosting in your home. Shame on Airbnb for their ignorance and wrongdoing !!! 

[Amy76]

Yes, most not all of my troublesome guests are first timers... But the worst guest I've ever had was a Superhost who has an expensive AIRBNB house need Disneyland. Unfortunately another host in my town hadn't posted her review yet when I accepted his reservation... He left the place filth & stained some items & refused to pay the $55 I requested from him..  AIRBNB did pay thankfully & I mentioned there were 2 hosts in 3 months that had horrible experiences with him. Both of us had to pay over 8 hours to our cleaning crews. The most important thing is getting hosts to give honest reviews.  I had 2 guests that were noisy in my attached but separate AIRBNB... all I said in there review was it would be best for them to book AIRBNBs that were remote so they could make noise & not disrupt the neighbors. 

[J-Renato0]

Thank you @Catherine-Powell  for the update.
As a quick feedback, I have to say I am happy with support. So far, I have never had an issue with the support team.

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @J-Renato0, Thank you for sharing this feedback. It is so nice to hear about your positive experience with our CS team.

Best,
Catherine

[Liz193]

@Catherine-Powell ....

I am a superhost and have been suffering from Airbnb's Support system for almost a year.  I've had a claim since July 2020 where a guest threw a party at my property, trashed the place, and ended the night in A SHOOTING ON MY MY PROPERTY.  Guns, gangs, drugs...you name it.   Airbnb has continued to grossly undervalue the claim, pass me off to the 3rd party adjuster who Airbnb refuses to authorize to share information with me, provide unsubstantiated numbers, and delays the process for months on end. 

As a host, we rely and trust Airbnb to properly vet guests, and then support us with the host guarantee when there is an issue.  If every host knew airbnb does not stand behind any of their promises, and would be treated how I have been treated over the last 10 months...nobody would put themselves at this kind of risk and there would be no platform for Airbnb to make billions off of. 

I continue to wait patiently and optimistically that airbnb will treat my claim properly, but they continue to disappoint me with every exchange.  I am at my wit's end as I have not heard back from Airbnb for the past two weeks, despite my consistent and cooperative followup with their demands and timelines.  As we reach the 1 year mark of the incident, a full year's of income loss...my next step is taking this to the press and alerting every host I can of the risk they are truly putting themselves in in this "community of trust" we are all misled about.  I am hoping these new support changes will immediately turn the handling of my claim around, because after a year of airbnb's evasive nonsense,  I cannot afford or tolerate anymore delays caused by Airbnb's current "support" practices.

[Mariya24]

Thank you for sharing your nightmare story. I am empathizing with you. It’s not how true  partners treat each other. It would be nice if every host who suffered such negligence and betrayal would come together....

[Harriet4]

I am so sorry for your tragic experience. This is a perfect example of why Airbnb should take action (NOW) to illuminate guests who indulge in party's instantly. That alone would stop many problems from continuing to give Airbnb a bad reputation.

[Catherine-Powell]

@Liz193 Thank you for sharing your experience, and I'm truly sorry to hear about the issues you had with this booking. Due to the sensitive nature of the case, I will follow up with you via DM.

[Lucy747]

Hi @Liz193 

I've just had a very similar experience  to yours  although minus the shooting.  Yours sounds truly horrendous and I'm so sorry for you. .  I can start to  understand what you're going through.  You're a year in which has really shocked me. I'm only two weeks in, so your email is hugely depressing.   Already I am being blocked at every turn.  I've had a drugs gang get through Airbnb's vetting process (is there actually such a thing I have to wonder) and take  over my flat for a week and then refuse to move until I was able to get police involved.  The mess and damage they left behind is just awful and yet the supposedly $1000000 of insurance that Airbnb boasts about seems to come with all sorts of caps and limits that there is absolutely no transparency about on their website and I have a horrible feeling will make it almost redundant.  Have you been able to get any kind of policy details? Any kind of understand about what limits are applied to what as you would in any other insurance claim? If so would you be able to share at all? I have drawn a blank here.  Airbnb just avoid the question or say someone will get back to me - which they never do.  

I'm so early in the process compared to you but am so shocked and appalled by Airbnb's response to my situation that I too believe one of the only ways to get Airbnb to listen is to get this into the national or international press.  I am also writing to London Council advising that unless Airbnb seriously lift their game in terms of their responsibility to hosts and guests, they should have their license to operate in London terminated.  London very nearly revoked Uber's license on grounds of safety so it is quite within their reach to do such a thing and given the lobbying from Hotels on the council, it really wouldn't take much.   It would be great if we could keep in touch somehow and compare experiences incase one can help the other.   I have been told by Police here that criminal drug gangs here are using Airbnb to create temporary bases out of.  I am going to begin to write something myself (I usually write for TV) and therefore am submitting a Data Information Request regarding how many instances have there been where criminal activity has taken place on Airbnb property or specifically how many have been taken over by drug gangs.  From your story, it doesn't sound as if our stories are that unique which is very sad. 

[Moti16]

Thank you Cathrine, I am a superhost and on airbnb plus and out of 57 reviews I have 56 

5 star and 1 bad review 1 star as I caught the guest booked for 3 people but we're actually 5 guest and then threaten me with a bad review. All the rest of my guests were 5 star too.  It is a shame that airbnb don't see that and take that review of automaticly and ban that guest from using airbnb ever again.

I do think most good people do see the common sense behind a bad review.

I always read the review of all my guests when they book my place.

[Lucy747]

This is so true.  It puts Hosts off writing a bad review incase they get one back which then gives a false impression of bad guests. 

[Mariya24]

Dear colleagues 

Is there a way to connect with Regulatory Response Team or some sort of Damage Control department in Airbnb?
The cases of cyberbullying by guests who hosted illegal parties in our properties and than retaliate against hosts who kicked them out is intolerably high. “Ambassadors” have no training to deal with such instances and only can brush us off with copy-paste replies
Any suggestions?

[Mariya24]

For references:

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through text and apps, or online in social media, forums, or gaming where people can view, participate in, or share content. Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. It can include sharing personal or private information about someone else, causing embarrassment or humiliation. Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

Source: StopBullying.gov

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Mariya24 ,

So sorry to hear you're dealing with this situation. Could you let me know when you last talked to customer support on this was?

Thanks,

Stephanie