March: Host Advisory Board Spotlight‌‌

[Stephanie]

Hiya everyone!

We've been seeing more of the Host Advisory Board members in the Community Center and it was great to meet some of them at our social meet-up the other day too.

It's time for us to share the March Spotlight member and their update from the Host Advisory Board’s activity: the wonderful @Merrydith0  from Tasmania, who is representing the group this month. Take a look at this article in the Airbnb Resource Center for more details of her journey to Hosting, joining the board and what the board members have been up to last month.

So you are able to start a conversation, we made this thread so you can reply below. 

Many thanks,

Stephanie

[Mary996]

"Rome wasn't built in a day"....  comes to mind.

A good relatonship with the Exec hasn't been achieved so far but might become possible now through mediation via HAB. I'm excited about it. I'd like to give this intermediary group a chance and am willing not only to be patient and friendly but also supportive. Now is the turn of @Merrydith0 ...I'd love to hear more from you Meredith  as to the priorities here that you are becoming aware of. I believe that all our wishes will be granted but not only that. I also believe that as an Organisation we will reach much further than our own petty concerns and that we will have such impact as none of us may have dreamt. xxxx 

Ooops @Ute42  this isn't the thread in which you mention Eric Clapton, or someone else refers to Santana, but reviewing your post it seems to me that we are both saying similar things and proposing ways in which, here at the CC, we could organise ourselves to make the lives of HAB a little easier. Am I on the right lines about your intention?

I am taking a guess that HAB folks are trawling all our posts for operational ideas. That's demanding on them. Surely we can organise ourselves in order to better co-operate with their efforts?

[Merrydith0]

@Mary996  I like your positivity. Yes the HAB are looking at posts in the CC because we want to know your concerns as well as the concerns of our own country’s community groups. I don’t want to get into arguments in the CC, so sometimes I just have to say nothing. 

I have all the same concerns as you all. I agree there are lots of issues with Customer Service and Reviews etc. However, while I can sympathize ad a host, I can’t comment on whether or not the HAB are working on certain things. I can only talk as a normal host.

In regards to the process for collecting information fron the CC - that is totally up to the CC Managers and Airbnb. Not the HAB. The HAB is an advidory board only. 

This is as much clarity as I can give you. I’m sorry I am just a host like you, but for 1 year I have the privilege of advising Airbnb staff of the mood of the host community. I represent Australia and New Zealand, but I care about the hosts of the world. 

[Dale711]

@Merrydith0 

You’re Awesome!

Thank you very much, to clarification again. 

I surely @Ute42 @MikeAndJana0 have the answer they’ve  been desired. 

[Mary996]

Wonderful @Merrydith0 .

Thank you so much.

[Mary996]

"How do people behave when they are argueing with each other, do they shout with each other, do the become insulting, are they relaxed, can they see the point the other side is making, do they respect the integrety of the other person? In onlinearguments people are reveiling their own personality, I get to know them better than I did before. Sometimes after having read an argument I'm thinking to myself: Oh, ok, that's how You are. I believe that arguments are an interesting element in this community center of ours."

Thanks for this @Ute42 . Its helpful. I hope I will be forgiven by any one who feels that I may have transgressed .... I do think that I'm pushing YES. But, and I don't know why, I feel things have declined from how they were in the CC.

But.... things can only get better....!!!!!!!!

[Stephanie]

Hiya everyone,

I can see there’s a lot of passionate dialogue in this thread and some very valid questions regarding Airbnb, the HAB and how the Community Center functions as part of that process.

I’d like to explain a little bit more about how the Host Advisory Board works alongside the Community Center. As many users of the CC know, our community management team diligently read every single post that’s shared here. We also digest top topics of discussion and deliver that as feedback to internal Airbnb teams so they are aware of Hosts voices on those matters. Like any business, this doesn’t guarantee an immediate change to the discussed product or policy but it does ensure the CC feelings, sentiment and possible solutions are made known.

This has been the way we have worked since the Community Center started in 2015. 

The Host Advisory board is made up of Hosts that have volunteered to work with Airbnb, taking similar information as we do on the CC, but from other sources of Host discussion too. Facebook pages, groups, blogs, even WhatsApp groups - the members are listening everywhere they have interaction. This makes their active listening less obvious than a question/answer feedback system but assuredly it is happening around the clock. 

It’s important to remember that as @Merrydith0  has explained, due to the nature of the topics they discuss they cannot always share the exact details of the work they have been doing. To coin the phrase "don't shoot the messenger", please try to take a moment to acknowledge this when asking them questions. Their presence here is a great benefit to the whole Community.

It's also important to note that the way that you behave represents the CC, so please bear this in mind when contributing. Just like you, the HAB members are first and foremost hosts, and they deserve to be treated with the same respect as any member of the CC, old or new.

Kind regards,

Stephanie

Some tags for your visibility @Colleen253 @Mary996 @Dale711 @Ute42 @Mike-And-Jane0 @Robin4 

[Ute42]

.

@Merrydith0  

I just learned from @Stephanie  that the CC mods „diligently read every single post that’s shared here“ and then deliver top topics of discussion „as feedback to internal Airbnb teams“.

Also Stephanie said:

• The Host Advisory board is made up of Hosts that have volunteered to work with Airbnb, taking similar information as we do on the CC, but from other sources of Host discussion too. Facebook pages, groups, blogs, even WhatsApp groups

I didn't know that, did You?

To my defens I have to say that in all the announcements airbnb ever made about the HAB, there never was a mention of this division of work between the mods and the HAB members. And: Every HAB member that has come to the CC so far always mentioned that they are „listening to us“, whereas their real assignment is to listen to external forums. Had I known all this, I would not have contacted You.

I'm under the impression that airbnb hasn't finetuned their communication concept regarding the HAB yet.

@Colleen253 @Mary996 @Dale711 @Mike-And-Jane0 @Robin4 

[Mary996]

Yes I agree @Ute42 .

I think its a work in progress. It may well be dependent on our own resourcefulness (the more economic option...!!) and co-operation . If all parties will communicate ... or at least give it a go... HAB won't have to ask the Mods to mediate for us in a level 4 scenario... rather than just 3 as at present with HAB (because the Mods may have to intercede for us...currently due to disorganisation and apparent need to visit the Monty Arguements Deptment!! )..

Ideally once HAB have demonstrated a methodology for working with the Exec I imagine we would be able drop to only 2 levels. The CC and the Exec by being able to co-ordinate through our elected reps from here who are sufficiently tactful and pruposeful as to be effective and helpful from all perspectives in working with the Exec direct from the CC. Lets hold that vision. What do you think @Ute42. If asked would you do it as a direct Rep in due course??? I know they couldn't really afford you but hey maybe you'd do a special offer...!!!!!!!! xxxxx

[Mary996]

And in addition co-ordinate all this with other groups as you mention who are probably facing the same concerns... @Ute42 .  I'm glad you spoke to @Merrydith0 

[Merrydith0]

@Ute42 

it’s ok I am new to the CC so I wasn’t sure of the way communication works on here. I am learning though. 
the HAB are definitely listening to all hosts on all the various platforms, mainly because we are interested and want to keep all hosts interests in our minds while doing our work. I am happy to talk, but sometimes I’m not sure what to say as I don’t have the answers you are seeking. 
as this is the first HAB ever,  nothing is set in concrete. If something doesn’t work, we try a different way. 

[Ute42]

.

@Merrydith0 

Good luck with Your HAB project. I think You have the best of intensions.

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Regina114 ,

Welcome to the Community! I think it makes sense for me to move your question to a new topic so that it gets more visibility and more answers from other hosts. I'll share the link in this post.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Has-any-of-the-host-encounter-a-decline-in-the-guests-qu... 

Thanks

Stephanie

[Regina114]

Thanks

[Merrydith0]

With many voices together we are better heard

I wanted to share a little bit more about my journey.

12 years ago, when my first grandchild was born, I retired from actively working outside the home. I love being a grandparent, or ‘yiayia’, and thought my life would naturally continue to slow down in the ensuing years. How wrong was I?

6 years later my best friend told me about a platform called Airbnb, where she had listed her ‘ex-teen retreat’ apartment. It was a fantastic idea that we could also utilise our unused teen retreat to make extra income.

It took a little time to convince my husband, but he was used to us having guests in our home, and was eventually receptive to the idea. In the past we had often hosted ( for free) friends, family and strangers from all over Australia and the world. We are both of the opinion that ‘strangers are the friends we haven’t met yet’ and the ‘pay it forward’ movement is dear to us as well.

So we listed on Airbnb, and from day one we met lovely people from all parts of the world. The little island of Tasmania, where we live, was in the middle of a Tourism boom. However, almost as soon as we listed there were rumblings that the State Government wanted to regulate short term rentals. So, being a ‘get involved’ kind of person, I got involved!

Advocacy suited me, and the group of interested hosts grew. Together we wrote letters to government and media outlets, and spoke to whoever would listen, so much so, that we soon won some of the fairest home sharing regulations in Australia.

More than that though, my quiet retirement was gone. I was now setting up and running one of the first Host Clubs in Australia and the subsequent Facebook page. We are a busy group, offering mentoring, advocacy, small business expos, community projects and charity work.

I love the concept of Airbnb, but hosting can be a solitary job, so being part of the host community, helping hosts find answers to problems, share ideas and tips, or join together to be heard is an important role. I believe with many voices together we are better heard.

My proudest moment though, was being chosen to represent Australia and New Zealand on the 2021 Host Advisory Board.  I take this position seriously and am working hard, alongside sixteen other amazing HAB members, to represent our host communities. We want to make hosting safer, fairer and more fun for all hosts.

Merrydith Callegari

Host Advisory Board Member

[Dale711]

@Merrydith0 

Hat off! I love your hosting journey.

                                 “You’re really good at cheering everybody up!”

"together we wrote letters to government and media outlets, and spoke to whoever would listen, so much so, that we soon won some of the fairest home-sharing regulations in Australia."

                                                                                           “Fantastic work!”

 "I take this position seriously and am working hard, alongside sixteen other amazing HAB members, to represent our host communities. We want to make hosting safer, fairer and more fun for all hosts."