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

[Jewel--KJ-And-Aaron0]

@Christine and @Catherine

Wow!

One thing for certain Airbnb got right is having this Community Center.  I now know that I am not alone in my frustration.  It truly seems that we have no support for guests that break rules, particularly in regard to extra guests.  I recently had a guest that brought in 14 people and I provided video evidence and I am not certain that Airbnb will support me.  This was the response I received from Airbnb Support when I mentioned I required a deposit and the guest violated my house rules.

" Please know that the deposit can only be used for damages and stolen claims. "

So what's the meaning of having house rules if Airbnb will not support you on your rules?  Has anyone had this problem and it was resolved to your satisfaction?

[Fiona360]

Totally agree!

[Thomas-and-Molly0]

Hear, hear! And it's practically October. Where is the new empathy for us hosts? Nothing is happening..

[Colleen253]

Increasing the size of the support team isn't going to make a difference unless it's accompanied by good training for new as well as current, at all levels. The overwhelming majority of support ambassadors appear to be completely unfamiliar with Airbnb policy, and many times give nonsense answers and incorrect information. That's at best. At worst, you get situations such as,

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Airbnb-Cancels-Reservation-on-Host-behalf-without-Host-c...

@Catherine-Powell @Airbnb 

[Bruna-and-Andrew0]

EXACTLY - I stopped asking for CS help because I am more knowledgeable then them and it's been EXTREMELY frustrating to deal with these "Ambassadors" who give these nonsense answers and incorrect information. QUALITY of service and TRAINING is what's needed, not just more.

[Bronwyn11]

I agree with your comment about support ambassadors being unfamiliar with policy or solutions. In the last two days I got 5 replies to a booking issue I lodged with them, 3 made no sense at all, so I assumed maybe Google translate was involved, 1 didn't address the issue and the fifth offered a solution which fortunately worked. I couldn't believe it when it sorted.  It's like dealing with robots on a company website.

[Belinda270]

I agree that you need people who actually know the rules and the system,  and you need a way to get answers to hosts.  I am currently dealing with an airbnb issue - a glitch in my home page where guests are given the WRONG CODE to get into my house.  As you can imagine this causes me a headache, and I have asked for help.   It was forwarded to the engineering team.  I asked to be kept updated on the progress in fixing the issue.  Instead of helping me they keep closing out my issue with NO resolution.  Your team says and I quote " When we sent info to the engineering team they only fix it, but we don't have any response from them because we don't have any option to be in touch with them". 

Really, I have an issue and the teams can't even talk to each other, so no one knows, no one can tell me if my issue is fixed.  Meanwhile you give my guests the wrong code and simply close out my issue and say "it's solved"  Ha.  What a joke.  You team says "Every Tursday they make an update" but you can't communicate with the engineering team to see if my issue is fixed.

I really suggest you change this.  I have asked to talk to the engineering team and no answer.  Crickets.

Thanks!  Belinda Waterman

[Colleen253]

@Belinda270 ” .....but we don't have any response from them because we don't have any option to be in touch with them". 

It appears that Airbnb outsources it’s CS. These third party contract workers are overwhelmingly unfamiliar with Airbnb and it’s policies. I would imagine this outsourcing is also the reason why you were told that. MANY hosts and guests have heard the same line.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/An-article-on-Airbnb-s-outsourcing-of-CS/m-p/1356988#M32...

[Bronwyn11]

That explains it!

[Lauren338]

I had the same issue when I was not given a payout for a guest that had booked for 6 weeks!  It took me 3 weeks to finally get paid and every time I called (which was pretty much every day) they told me engineering was working on it and "no one can talk to engineering".  Apparently they aren't allowed to talk to their supervisors either.  I agree with an earlier comment that said CS used to be fantastic;  Real people ACTUALLY doing something to help you and communicating in a way that you felt actually understood.  Not so much anymore.

[Sarah977]

@Catherine-Powell  When hosts contact CS, we aren't looking for "empathy" we aren't looking for placating robot phrases like "I hear you" or "Thank you for being such a great host". 

We are looking for customer service staffed with reps who are well-versed in Airbnb policy, well-trained and who give on point answers and solutions to our issues. Doubling the number of clueless CS reps who give out incorrect and misleading advice and information isn't helpful.

You were also thrilled to announce that hosts would be able to get revenge reviews left by partiers who trash hosts' homes and get thrown out, removed.

Yet daily posts appear on this forum who are struggling to get those revenge reviews removed to no avail.

"Up-leveling"??? Please save your new-speak terms for your corporate board room. We are real people here.  Is there something wrong with the word "improving"? Or does that sound too much like there was something that needs improvement? 

[Mariya24]

I second under each and every word I read in this response.  
We, hosts, are the ONLY reason Airbnb exists. Because of us, hosts who takes all the risk and provides the keys to our properties, Airbnb is collecting the fees from the guest. I am both - host and the guest - on Airbnb platform and I sure have more options to travel without Airbnb as a guest. But can’t Airbnb corporation survive with no place to offer to host? 
Abusive, entitled guests are very frequent and “support” for hosts is nearly non-existent. What kind of partnership is that? 
please undo wrongdoing, Airbnb: each and every guest who is reported to do illegal activities at our properties should NEVER allowed to place ANY reviews. 

[Harriet4]

It’s so refreshing as a host to hear another host tell it like it is. There’s an old saying “action speak louder than words”. I think that is what we are all looking for - some action.

[Deirdre2]

This!  If I could like Sarah977's comment 1000 times I would.  Not only are the "empathy" lines unhelpful, I actually find it enraging to be sent  "what a great host you are" messages while my issue is being completely ignored or worse, handled with incompetence by an untrained (and probably underpaid) agent that lacks real fluency in English.    

About 20% of the time I feel that I get solid, professional support when I call (even if the agent can't provide the solution I want, at least they can clearly understand me and explain their reasoning).  The other 80% of the time, I feel support is either useless or actively makes the situation worse.

[Dwight20]

What @Sarah977 said is spot on. Nice phrases are all well and good, but they become totally frustrating when they are not accompanied with ACTION. Airbnb must do what they say they're going to do, or risk losing their best assets—quality hosts.