Customer service updates, payments, and more in the latest Host Update with Catherine Powell

[Airbnb]

The past few months have been a tough time for all of us, especially hosts and guests. We’ve been listening closely to your feedback in all its forms and working tirelessly to create solutions because we know that encountering delays—especially when it comes to customer service or payments—is incredibly frustrating. 

In the latest Host Update, Catherine Powell sits down with Tara Bunch, our new Global Head of Operations, to offer transparency about how we’re strengthening our customer service team and to explain more about our payment process for hosts. Once you’ve watched the video, we’d really love to hear from you. Please let us know what you’d like covered in future Host Updates with Catherine. As always, thank you for sharing the topics that matter to you.

Visit the Resource Article

[Jc16]

@Catherine-Powell I just watched your video and I am VERY pleased. These are some awesome developments with your customer care team, and exactly what Airbnb needs now. Vacation rental business has surged in our area and we now have 40% market share (by revenue), up from 23% pre-Covid. This is great news for our hosts, but puts additional pressure on Airbnb support. 

My husband, Jackson and I have been using Airbnbs for almost 10 years. We’ve stayed in over 100 Airbnbs in dozens of countries on 5 continents. And, I'm a Superhost for over 5 years at our Homestay in Asheville, North Carolina.

We love the Airbnb company and have everything but the tattoos.

As a sideline, we lead a Homestay industry group in our city with 764 permitted hosts who each have a single Homestay in their primary residence. We support each other in our quest to provide the absolute best (read authentic) guest experiences we can.

We have been operating as a network for two years and have forged a solid bond with city leaders, including government, tourist industry officials, mom & pop businesses, and neighborhood advocates. And now the pandemic has brought us even closer together.

We surveyed our hosts a couple of months ago and 92% said they have Airbnb as their primary listing platform. So although support has dropped recently, we remain committed to working through this transition.

We have our first Hosts Zoom call since the pandemic scheduled for September 16, 6-7 p.m. EDT. We would be thrilled if you, or one of your team, could be our special guest to explain more of the new customer service plans and answer some of our host questions. 

BTW, a couple of years ago, Airbnb issued a press release that said Asheville was the most hospitable city in the U.S. based on guest reviews. We love hosting, and we love Airbnb!

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Jc16 ,

Thanks so much for your comment, and it's great to hear your positivity, I really appreciate it.

It sounds like you are doing a great job and really supporting your fellow hosts. I would love to have your perspective in our host workshops - I will ask a member of our team to reach out to you.

Thanks again,

Catherine

[Ann443]

@Catherine-Powell  Probably about a year ago airbnb had a feature where you could create a link with check in details including pictures.  We did that.  Soon there after, airbnb stopped supporting it.  Hosts are no longer able to update/edit the information on that link, yet guests still have access to that link, even though the info is old and incorrect.  Which is frustrating.  I called airbnb support  and was told the techs are working on it and was sent links to "Directions" then "add self check in" which doesn't in any way address the issue.  

[Rebecca912]

I have been a host since Airbnb first started, a superhost for more than 2 years, and have nearly 95% occupancy on my property; meaning I make a lot of money for Airbnb. Nevertheless, as I host, I get minimal to no customer support. When a guest broke the house rules and smoked on my property (which I had photographic evidence of and screenshots of texts with the guest confirming they had), it took Airbnb 34 days to get back to me - long after the guest checked out! - and then told me they couldn't force the guest to pay the cleaning fee because "the guest said they didn't smoke on property." 

I had another issue with a guest pop up a few days ago - took Airbnb 5 days to even get back to my message, which of course by then it was too late. 

I hosted folks from the CA fires for free, and was told there would be a dedicated line to reach customer support. Of course, issues came up on that reservation, and there was no number to call, let alone a dedicated line. As with every other time, I was left as host to figure it out on my own. 

Airbnb customer support for hosts has VASTLY deteriorated over the last several years and it's not just because of Covid. It's a genuine lack of care for hosts, and a full commitment and focus on guests. 

[Donna1015]

I'd like to suggest that if a refund to a guest is sent that it follow the same payout routing rule for that listing.  I have had issues with two listings (one a payout and one a refund to guest) being merged onto one payout rule.  The payout rules are present for a reason and any refunds to guests should follow the same for that listing.  

[Saj74]

What I would like to know is why there is no way of making direct contact with anyone from Airbnb?  Unless I have missed this somewhere.  I had someone come to stay 25th August to 1st September and I still haven't received payout for this?  Can someone help as to why this is happening and who I can chase for this payment as I know the visitor has definitely paid a whole lot more for the booking than I will ever see!

[Mike-And-Jane0]

You can find phone numbers in a post pinned to the top of the help section in this forum. Do let us know if you can actually speak to someone as wait times are reputed to be long

[Michelle2386]

I'll state the obvious.  The best tool you have in your toolkit to improve customer service is to prevent the calls from having to happen.  On the host side, you can do this by having very clear guidelines from Airbnb on what it takes to be an exceptional guest. We, as hosts, call usually because of a guest incident.  I did find one buried document with a few good tidbits but feel far short of what would be helpful.  Helpful means less frustration for guests -- knowledge is power; less frustration for owners -- we can relax and feel more confident in our guests; and, finally, lower cost and higher c-sat levels for Airbnb.

What does it take to be a great guest?  Most importantly, take care of my house.  So basic isn't it?   Nevertheless, I'm always surprised by what we find after a guest leaves.  I often find myself wondering if the guest believes a cleaning fee is really meant as a gift to them to take me up on my offer to let the kid in them come alive!  I didn't mean eat cheese curls in every one of my beds or to leave your trash all over the house to leave every one of the two sets of 12 dishes on the counter.  Run that dishwasher -- it's amazing tool!  

Don't get me wrong.  I love most of our guests.  I love their stories about how the house brought generations of families or long-lost friends together and for some for the last time.  Beautiful stories.  

So I guess what I"m asking for -- finally -- is a refreshed "Here's how you can be a five-star guest" doc that can be shared with first-time renters and any renter who scores less than 5 stars in any one area.  I implemented this methodology at my company and we saw a 38% reduction in incoming calls.  My goal, for work, which is an online marketplace, is that our customers (demand or supply) call us only when they want to.  This may be a cool goal for Airbnb.  I bet there are a bunch of other self-serve, preventative type ideas out there that could help service levels while reducing your costs.  

[Ann72]

@Michelle2386  Brilliant!  @Airbnb - especially Tara - take note of this amazing host.

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Michelle2386 ,

Thanks for your message. I love your your perspective.

I understand that not all guests understand the nature of staying in someone's home, and I agree that it is our job as a company to educate and reinforce this for them. We are already working on ways we can improve guest education and make our standards clearer. i will take your thoughts into account.

Thanks,

Catherine

[Bianca437]

 Please could you advise the contact number/telephone number that can be called to speak with an Airbnb help consultant and resolve issues in a timely manner? 

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Bianca437 go to the contact post pinned to the top of the help section in this forum.

This will give you phone numbers - getting them answered and sorting problems in a timely manner may be a bit harder

[Bianca437]

Hi Mike-And-Jane0, thanks so much for your reply. I tried to look for it but it keeps redirecting me to a chat function, I still cant seem to find a contact number to call?

[Anna-Magdelena0]

How do you do,

My name is Anna Harding

My email is **.  I have two listings now, I have put holds on the other two until the problems I'm having get solutions.

I thought Catherine was just the type of person to take on such an enormous undertaking and seemingly so knowledgeable and welcoming in such a short time.  I have been a consistent 5* host since 2014 and thought I could get help from the Help Center.   I have been in a similar position and know the demands of the job.

Every contact I contact through the Help Center or Resource Center gets worse and worse.  There is a long thread, I'm sure, some very detailed, being very explicit about the serious problems I am getting NO support from either the Resource or Help Center, I'm sure bombarded.  But I am a customer too, who made over $14,000 this year to date.  I stopped booking several requests as I can get no help from anyone in your Company and deserve to be treated the way I treat my guests. 

I am not in this business for you to take 1/2 my payouts with 21% taxes in a 7% Jurisdiction, to have an unsubstantiated withdrawal of a transaction $905 taken from my earnings while I was in the hospital for 8 weeks undergoing two surgeries and 6 weeks in isolation being given IV injections into my heart 3 times a day of Cepholaxin to stop the Septicemia in my blood that almost killed me.... Hardly able to host or to be penalized for it.

I've said enough... so that I am ready to stop hosting unless these are addressed.  I only wish I could speak with Catherine and see how she would handle my three listings and the problems that have arisen.about a multitude of issues, that have become so serious, unable to get any answers, what is the point? 

**[Personal information removed in line with - Community Center Guidelines]