Introducing Catherine Powell, our new Global Head of Hosting

[Airbnb]

At Airbnb, we started out with a close working relationship between our employees and hosts. Lots of our best ideas came directly from you, and we’re returning to that type of collaborative partnership that can help make each other better. 

Today, we’re excited to share a video featuring our new Global Head of Hosting Catherine Powell, who outlines her plan to rebuild our business around hosts like you. Her main focus: more transparency. 

Once you’ve watched the video, we’d really love to hear from you. Please let us know what you’d like us to cover in future Host Updates with Catherine. 

Thank you. 

[Brian883]

Hi Catherine! Hope all is well!

My co-host/girlfriend has been frustrated with the head office/customer relations response to hosts needs to the point of getting us to pull out of this form of house rental. I enjoy the 24/7 platform EXCEPT I don't feel that hosts should have to pay a host fee to  Airbnb when our blood and sweat make them money! That is like working at a hospital and have to pay to park there! Another reason is that to resolve any host issues takes a lot of hoops to jump through and a DECADE [lol] to resolve!

An example is when I go to a casino and play poker I am usually paying a professional rake to play. If that dealer is a rookie they make mistakes that cost the players time [hands/hour] and money [wrong $ calculations] then I lose trust! When you have an experienced dealer the game runs smoother, no mistakes and trust is earned!

Airbnb should be that experienced dealer! Right now I feel I'm paying for an inexperienced one which I feel I shouldn't have to pay at all!! Frustrated! 

[Mark116]

Not bad.  She's right that once a company defaults on its brand promise...which Airbnb is very, very close to doing...it's hard to rebound from that.  It's good that she acknowledges the CS current debacle.  But, then, Airbnb is always good with the one way messaging, what they're not very good at is the implementation and execution, of turning ideas into policies and making those policies consistent.

I'm not sure what someone who comes from a theme park background brings to the table beyond an understanding of branding, but that isn't her issue really, and I will say that the Airbnb she talks about sounds like the company circa 2015 or earlier, not the company as it exists today which does not cultivate host individuality AT ALL, but desires to meld everything into a guest centric hotel type policy that occurs in an IkeaPotteryBarnRestorationHardwareWestElm type of space with white walls and edison bulbs.

[Huma0]

@Mark116 

Not sure I would describe Airbnb as very, very close to defaulting on its brand promise. I reckon it did that some time ago, as far as many hosts are concerned. Although we are hearing from the new Head of Global Hosting, I suspect this concern is much more to do with the guests' trust in the brand which, less face it, Airbnb is always going to prioritise regardless of any spin they try to give hosts.

Agree totally that Airbnb has for sometime been promoting the exact opposite of the ethos they claim to, e.g. Plus, which was marketed from the start as being about unique, exceptional places but was almost entirely focused on the cookie cutter, bland, hotel like spaces you mention. Then there was hotel tonight etc. etc. 

So, welcome Catherine, but, if Airbnb is truly trying to return to its roots, I would like to know HOW? Oh, more focus groups of some kind, by the sounds of it. Really? Again? I have only been an active host for about four years now, but the entire time there has apparently been this attempt to garner feedback from hosts and what has it amounted to? There have been one or two very minor changes, whilst the important issues (repeatedly brought up on this CC) continue to be ignored and, meanwhile change after change brought in undermining hosts in their ability to host safely in order to enable the worst kinds of guests to book unhindered. Look, if Airbnb doesn't even care about our safety, you can be sure they don't give a monkeys about any of our other concerns.

As for experiences, online or otherwise, I have no beef with experience hosts and wish them the best, but for the rest of us, it's completely irrelevant. Yet, Airbnb continues to focus on this area in all of its communication designed to appease hosts. Why? Well, clearly it's a diversion tactic, but not a very clever one in my opinion. I honestly couldn't care less how quickly new online experiences were added, but I do care that Experience hosts seemed to be prioritised over many, many long-term Superhosts for the Superhost Relief Fund. Why was that, exactly?  Were they in more dire financial need? How?

Accommodation is the bread and butter for the vast majority of hosts and those hosts are not being supported. I have yet to hear anything from Airbnb as to how they plan to remedy that. 

[Emilia42]

Catherine, who are the hundreds of hosts you are speaking with? I hope you talking with some regular contributors to this forum. I can suggest a few . . .

[Michael2861]

Agree.. NO one contacted me.. 

[Brenda220]

Ditto!!

[Sally16]

Yes, you talk of transparency, so please demonstrate by sharing who these hosts are you're talking to? would be fascinating, interesting and useful for us all.

[Matt291]

I agree Emilia, I have been hosting for 8 years, hosted over 6,000 reservations and been a Superhost for 6 years straight. Nobody has reached out to me either... 

[Sherry24]

Great point.  No one contacted me either.  How do they make these decisions?

I had cancellations due to COVID-19 and was told they don't qualify because they didn't check a certain button, yet in the messaging, it is clear they need to cancel due to COVID-19 and travel restrictions.  I received zero support.

I also have been a consecutive SuperHost for almost 5 years and received no financial support.  I wasn't "selected" as having a need?  I put my two apartments on AirBnB (my choice I know) and 100% of the income goes to paying the mortgage, expenses, etc.  No matter how many times I reached out, I got nowhere.  I received zero dollars.

I have thankfully had few challenges, however when I did, like others posted here, there is no real support for the hosts.

I wasn't even aware of this video until I stumbled upon it.

[Patricia2063]

Two different issues that were unfair happened to my customers. The first one was that the gentleman canceled within the allowable time. To get his money back and not a credit and Airbnb refused to give him his money back and said that he chose a credit. He had spent a lot of time on the site and by calling and somehow the button he pressed only allowed him a credit and after several calls from myself, I was told that he could not get his money back. At least he knew I fought fir him 

The following situation was that a woman was canceling her reservation very early July to go to my property in New Hampshire which had barely opened and the amenities were not open on property and neither were anything in town so I allowed her to cancel but they kept telling her that she could only get a credit and I had to keep calling and calling because I knew that was not correct. Especially since The governors orders had to be followed and she Would be stuck in the rental and not able to leave because nothing was open. These two situations took up several hours on my part and also on theirs. One finally resolved and one never resolved. Very unfortunate. I can tell you that these two people will not use Airbnb again.

[Helen427]

@Sherry24 

You can opt in to receive news & other information updates under  your account info on your listing, it's in the "Notification" section.

I wish though they would  send these things out in more than just a video format, eg pdf or standard typed version to read as and when we see fit as one version doesn't fit all types of differently enabled people.

 It's great they have a video for visually impaired to listen to.

Maybe they can include the transcript at the base for those with hearing impairments.

Thanks @Catherine Powell

@Airbnb 

[Catherine-Powell]

@Helen427 

hi Helen, thanks for that suggestion re sending a transcript. i will suggest to the team,

Catherine

[Helen427]

Thanks @Catherine-Powell I hope others also appreciate our efforts to improve communication means for everyone, regardless of "sensory means" one may have.

[Catherine-Powell]

Lovely to meet you @Emilia42. We have been meeting hosts through listening sessions and webinars since COVID began. Obviously I have focused more on experience hosts but since taking on the new role I have started meeting Host Leaders (these hosts run their own local community groups) and also some active contributors from the Community Center.

This is by no means a short term thing and as we plan ahead we want to connect with a larger range of active hosts in our community.

[Brian883]

Hi Helen! How are you?

I am a host in central Canada. I know you are very busy. I would love to chat with you away from the platform about some issues on a positive note. My email address is ** or call me at **. Hope to hear from you soon.

    Sincerely Brian

**[E-mail address & phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines] - Please note that it is not allowed to share any personal details publicly. You can message each other privately instead.