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

[Mariya24]

I don’t think they (Airbnb) are reading our posts. They genuinely don’t care....

[Janet983]

I’ve just received an email from a Lucy Milio , Airbnb, telling me to unblock some dates, after I complete a survey. As the survey wants me to key in my identity, I am treating the email as a scam. 

[Till-and-Jutta0]

To check if the sender's address is a real Airbnb address, see https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/971/how-do-i-know-if-an-email-or-website-is-really-from-airbnb

[Tim-and-Kari0]

@Catherine-Powell Your support for superhosts is still bottom of the barrel.  We reported Illegal and menacing activity by our current guests and it has been nearly 24 hours and no response from Airbnb. I would grade your host support as failing when two years ago it was A+ 

[Kate637]

I've waited 4 days for a response from host support.  I have had 3 "lower-level" support people literally tell me they can't help me with my problem and will no longer assist me in my situation, but I will "hear from a higher team" soon.

[Kate637]

@Catherine-Powell @Catherine-Powell   Given the recent updates reported in this article (which I stumbled upon looking for alternate resources), I would have expected more support than I've received this week.  I have a situation that would impact my guests' comfort, I needed assistance from Airbnb to ensure my guests received the care they deserved, and it's been 4 days since I was told my issue was being escalated to a "higher team for further assistance."  I've been a host for 3+ years and I have never had such poor support from Airbnb before.  I'm incredibly discouraged by these changes.  And now that I've read the close to 100 responses to this article, it sounds like this article is just a cover for the terrible care we as hosts are still receiving.

[Mariya24]

The customer service had actually gotten worse over last couple of years, but right now the deterioration is intolerable- more and more totally lost “ambassadors” have no clue how to operate “system” and no comprehension of how this business functions AT ALL !!! 

[Lucy747]

Agreed.  All I got yesterday to every question - even my "do you have a formal complaints proceedure" was - "you will need to wait for Airbnb to get back to you".  Its like a form of water torture.  Appalling business who ought to now be able to write the book on "how to deliver the worst customer service in the world!"

[Peta7]

Airbnb Client Support takes between 12 and 25 days to respond wrongly to urgent messages, surely this is unacceptable to any standard. We believe an Ombudsman is desperately required for this infamous and apparent independent Help Desk?

[Mariya24]

I spent on the phone today already 3 + hours and still listening to this annoying music … urgent matter due to customer support “accidentally” wrongfully canceling one of my guest’s reservation…

this is totally disrespectful and an acceptable for both - hosts and guests. Please anyone help to find a way to get customer support…

[Sarah977]

@Mariya24  Don't phone. Try them on Twitter. Start your message with "Urgent". State the issue as super simply as possible. 

[Mariya24]

THANK YOU 🙏 

[Lucy747]

That's such a good idea. 

[Skyline-Hideaway-Cabins0]

I had an Issue where it looked like AIR bnb Took a DOUBLE BOOKING FOR TODAY... I spoke with Mario at about 6pm to 620 EDT...He Assured me that The issue was resolved and that the First Two Representatives Mis Read the the reservation as for jun when it was really for July 23 to 25th....Mario Listened, understood the potential gravity of the situation and acted well. .....TOO many Air bnb reps just rattle on, on and on WITHOUT CHECKING THE FACTS...... apologize for the inconvenience...etc....THE FIRST SKILL IS LISTENING... Please Train you Reps better...ALSO Give the representatives the ABILITY to check the Basic facts..... This could have gone bad in Many ways....and all I got for an answer was "its in processing someone will get back to me"...in a potential very bad TIME Sensitive situation....someone will get back to you; does not cut it. ....When Jameni...got back to me SHE WAS CLUELESS to the situation....Constantly talked over me and would not listen and ANSWER simple basic questions....WHY did she even call? TIME IS of the essence in this situation and all Jameni did was WAIST TIME. I am a Host, traveler, and an OWNER of this company....Customer support needs to serve the operation and SOLVE Problems that occur....HAVE your reps CHeck the Basics About the issues....WHAT TIME DID THE RESERVATION COME IN....WHAT DATES....WHAT BUILDING...is THERE ANY Customer contact....Asking questions and getting answers, and communicating those answers, Solves problems creates satisfaction and DECREASES support Contacts....I CONTACTED SUPPORT 5 times BEFORE I GOT Mario who did ask questions and look for answers....AND RESOLVED THE PROBLEM.....

SUPER HOST scoring...1) Please give a waited Credit for Owners who Take on NEW travelers....Owners taking the risk on new travelers in air bnb EXPAND the Community....market etc....SOME CREDIT IN SUPERHOST SCORING NEEDS TO BE GIVEN FOR THIS EFFORT

2) Weighted credit Needs to be Given to Owners who DON"T cancel at all... in a Year...

3) Reviews that have clearly false statements, AND ask for money back should be removed....As an Owner I ;make a lot more money for Air bnb then most travelers...We have a lot of oney into our buildings, we take a lot of time Maintaining Our buildings....That effort needs to be not punished by a traveler with an agendas and False statements.

4) My Cabins are next to a National Park in a Rural area....Some data base, has Tanners Ridge road as Going through to the Skyline Drive. Tanners Ridge Road DOES NOT. ACCESS is only for employees and has been that way for 90 years....if a guest gets lost using a third party data base ....the guest still blames me.....that is not right and not fair....this should be a reason to take down a review....

AIR BNB IS A VERY GOOD PLATFORM. AS A HOST I WANT TO BE A GOOD PARTNER....Please consider and Implement the above...Thank you

[Lucy747]

I agree with most of what you have written with one caveat.  The credit for owners who take on new travellers.  I would just warn that I did that and ended up with a drugs gang moving into the property.  I wasn't able to get rid of them without police support.  The property was trashed and the fall out continues.  But what makes it even worse is that Airbnb have behaved in the most irresponsible way ever.  So I would really warn anyone about taking on a new guest because the protection that Airbnb promise just isn't being delivered  in my case.