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. 

[Austin30]

Catherine,

You have no idea how much I appreciate your personal response and your latest video update.  I am struck sometimes at how rapidly a tense and unhappy situation can be ameliorated or at least somewhat calmed by an infusion of respect and understanding.  That is exactly what you provided here and in the video.  Given the depth of my frustrations and recent experiences with Airbnb your response was unexpected but so very appreciated.  I fully realize that change takes time.  I respect that.  I am more hopeful than I have been in several years with Airbnb and you are directly responsible for that.  Thank you. 

-Austin William Davidson- 

[Duli-Apt0]

Congratulations on your new work , much appreciated your transparency. 
During the pandemic everything is changing so fast and one of my concerns is involving all the host in your new project. Airbnb is created to have more and more hosts, which is wonderful, but letting us know that you’re taking action for just a differentiated hosts, this is what’s happening lately. Please organize that every workshop comes to every single host, because we want to keep up our good work as host. Thank you and keep safe! 🙏

[Patricia2834]

I am new to hosting and have had a lot of interest in my property because I live in one of those rare areas where COVID is low. But it would be nice to have someone or some way to get questions and concerns answered. The website is impossible to navigate when you have a problem and there is silence when you try to reach out to CS. I did finally get a response a month later which was simply to ask if my problem was resolved.  NO!!!!

[Catherine-Powell]

Hi @Patricia2834 , if you can let me know the type of questions or concerns you have, I can see if I can help,

Catherine

[Patricia2834]

You see?  This is the exact issue.  It has taken almost a month for anyone to respond to my call/text/emails for assistance.  I think my problem is well documented, so I will not waste both of our time rehashing it.  

I am new to the AirBnB family so I did not know how to respond to the guest's request for a refund.  I surfed your website for 3 days, emailed customer service, and read every post, and blog I could find.  Eventually, I found a link to "Conflict Resolution" buried  deep in an article somewhere on the website (I would be hard pressed to find it again).  

The thing that makes this particularly frustrating is that the guest is also a host and neither of us knew where to turn.  I was one good review from earning Super Host status and now I am starting all over.  

Here is my constructive suggestion:  Your website is a  web of disconnected, generally unhelpful,  and verbose articles.  The customer service email is dead.  If you really want to  improve your business model start by overhauling your website and customer service response.  

[Leelee0]

I live in a community where everyone and their dog is renting out rooms to people. You spoke to hosts and refered to their businesses. Can you please help support actual businesses that are paying their business license and have all the permits and certifications. Cant you promote us before the joeblow that is not taking it serious. Cant you show all municipalities that you want to work with them as well and protect the tourism laws instead of offer a way to black market business. 

i am abiding by every law, following all municipal and federal protocol and promoting to safe, strong , reliable clientel but instead of  helping me promote this business joeblow who is renting his space for 10 bucks gets all the reviews therefore the top page. something is seriously wrong with this picture. 

[Ajay-K0]

Lee Lee,

We've been trying to pull Airbnb's attention to this exact point for quite some time now.  Hopefully, with a renewed focus on hosts and quality the point will reach home. Looking forward to positive changes from Airbnb on this front soon!

All the best 🙂

[Fred13]

@Ute42 You are a hoot!

@Catherine Powell. The best of this new journey for you. You are well spoken. The post-Covid-19 era presents some new opportunities for Airbnb and one objective I hope they aim for is to simplify its business & responsibilities, and there are a myriad of ways and areas it can/should do so.  Good luck.

[Catherine-Powell]

hi @Fred13 - thank you for your note. If there is a recognised need at the company at the moment, it is to simplify, simplify, simplify. From the top down.

I will be doing my bit!

Best, Catherine

[Linda1161]

@Christine615 

The Airbnb Platform was established with the mindset that it is  "All about the  Guest Experience".  Our World has changed and will continue to change not only with  Covid, but various other massive concerns.  So many people have lost confidence and live day to day with a negative outlook.  We are living in a Guest doggy dog world now.  Airbnb needs to seriously consider a change to  a mindset reflecting the  "Host Experience" because without Hosts, Airbnb has no Platform.  There are way too many Guests who have no respect for Hosts.  Nothing will satisfy them, the lies and deceit are horrid.  Our nightly and monthly stays rates have declined excessively.  Airbnb has to mandate no rate bargaining in their platform, Guests are simply wasting our time as they pressure Hosts to reduce prices even more.  Guests hold off on their bookings hoping for a desperate last minute Host, then they play the price war game which in turn only forces other Hosts to take less.  Guest full name, existing address/location and government ID needs to be mandatory to force accountability and to avoid damages and anonymity and damages.  I have had to remove instant book because the Covid Risk is too high and too many Hosts need to be private detectives when they receive requests because few Guests provide the truth and/or divulge that they need to be in quarantine. They also misrepresent the number of guests and reasons for their stays. Local Residents requesting stays seem to be hidden traps for illegal activity and party houses, I have had a few who also try to book 3rd party.   

Airbnb needs to take full payment earlier to protect the Host.  They own the property and the risk level is too high to trust all Guests.   I had a Guest who purposely booked 2 months with no intention to pay the second month.  Payment failed to go through up to and including 6 days after due date. As the Guest lived free in my apartment, Airbnb did nothing to help.  I was forced to call the Police who needed to see a cancelled on the reservation so I then lost my payment guarantee of 24 days plus Airbnb didn't cover the massive damage to my floors even though I filed my claim with full receipts, explanations everything required to include I also had video recordings of the Guests  illegal acts.. drug dealing and prostitution off the exterior cameras.  I am still trying to have my case reopened to no avail.  The Airbnb Claims person blamed the Airbnb Accounting Department, advising me they didn't approve the paperwork and closed the file.  What happened to my so called insurance policy.  This Guest made extensive damage.  Airbnb Claims and Airbnb Safety Team dropped the ball and refuse to process my claim.     

Ms. Powell, Airbnb needs to desperately change their mindset.  Condominiums have huge restrictions, in most buildings rules are in place for minimum of 28 day stay and no less.  There is a battle between the City guidelines and the buildings allowances.  Hosts are harassed by their Property Management and Boards.  Airbnb needs to make Guests accountable, you have the Power to Do it and the sooner you do, the better the situation will be.  Hosts are exhausted, we need Airbnb to understand a new approach to force Guest Accountability is not just important but in fact it is urgent. 

[Patricia2063]

Every point was valid. Total agreement. Owners need to be paid earlier than they are now protection. 

[Catherine-Powell]

hi @Linda1161 , thank you for taking the time to share the detail of your experiences. We will look into the case you mentioned to understand why it was closed. We will be back in touch with your directly. 

best, Catherine

[Judy726]

Thank you Catherine.  It sounds like you are passionate, and I look forward to hearing from you.

all the way from Australia!

[Catherine-Powell]

thanks @Judy726 !

[Matt291]

Hey Katherine, 

My humble suggestion is that Airbnb as a whole stop trying to create new "Experiences" or "online Experiences" and focus all your time and energy on fixing the existing issues with the hosting/customer service side of things. Owners and host like us spend lots of time, money and energy into Airbnb and I ONLY host on Airbnb platform. I have recently started to look at moving off the platform after 8 years and over 6,000 reservations hosted due to the lack of care/assistance from Airbnb Customer Service. I know that my revenue generated for Airbnb is a drop in the bucket but it all adds up and I know I am not the only host feeling the neglect from Airbnb.

When we see our damages get rejected simple because they were submitted 15 mins after 3pm (next guest check-in time) even with the time stamped photos showing the damage was photographed before check-in. Seasoned host know it is always a battle to collect damage reimbursement so we start to lose faith in Airbnb

When we see bad reviews from guest that Airbnb refuses to take down even when you provide proof the review was a lie and guest was upset you charged them for damages, we lose faith in Airbnb.

When we have a no review, sign up same month as booking, guest call you after being inside the house for 5 hours and say that it was "dirty" and send you a few blurry pictures of some cheerios neatly placed on top the vacuumed carpet. Then you give them a full refund, then block our calendar so nobody else can rebook and ignore the Superhost of 8 years who sends you time stamped photos of how the house looked 1 hour before they arrived, yet you trust a first time guest... We lose faith in Airbnb. 

When you give host a false sense of security with your "security deposit" option only to hear from customer service when we go to collect it for house rules violations, (Bringing 8 guest to a 4 person max house, bringing pets, checking out hours late) that you can not charge their deposit without the guest permission and we need to work it out with the guest... We lose faith in Airbnb. 

When we have a guest bring a none "emotional or service dog" to our "no pet" home, chew up our furniture then we are told by Airbnb, even though my house rules state "no pet allowed" and a $250 pet fee if guest is caught with a pet, Airbnb can't enforce house rules and charge guest. Then proceeds to deny my host guarantee claim from the pet caused damages saying "your host guarantee does not cover pet damages".... We lose faith in Airbnb

When we have "strict" cancellation policy and guest says they can't get up the mountain but there are safe and passable ways to come up, they just don't want to buy snow chains and you cancel the reservation claiming "extenuating circumstances", then give them a full refund... We lose faith in Airbnb. 

When we message you on the help online portal and it takes a month to get a response from anyone... We lose faith in Airbnb. 

The list goes on and on.

I am not trying to be negative Nate here, we also all love Airbnb for the abilities it has provided for us to grow a business and help travelers with accommodations. At the same time, we as host need to know that you are devoted to us as host and not focusing all your attention on the guest. You site has become the google of vacation rentals, you don't need to try to improve guest experience. You need to focus on improving host experience because this is a free market and the best will flourish because they provide top notice service and great properties and the weak will get weeded out. Provide host the top notch service we deserve and we will continue to give guest the best experience. You don't have to provide that to guest. We will do that when we know you have our backs and are partnered with us on this journey. 

I hope we can move forward from this and you take the time at actually hear our struggles and make the corrections needed before it is too late for Airbnb. 

Best,
Matt

DoorMat Vacation Rentals 

Big Bear Lake, CA/Joshua Tree, CA