A new way for guests to show you appreciation and encouragement

[Airbnb]

Hello everyone,

During this challenging time, we want to rekindle connections within our community and evoke memories of travel. Many guests have also asked for ways to support their favorite hosts. We’re delighted to share a new way for eligible guests to show appreciation or encouragement by sending personalized cards to past hosts who provided excellent hospitality during a stay or an Airbnb Experience. There is also an option to add a financial contribution that goes entirely to the host; Airbnb will not charge any fees.

How does this work?

There will be two parts to this program. 

The main part will be giving past guests the ability to send a virtual card with a personal message to prior hosts from stays or Airbnb Experiences they've rated 4 or 5 stars. In the coming weeks, eligible guests will receive an email from Airbnb informing them the feature is available. We hope these cards will make hosts smile, and bring a little joy to the guests, too. Here’s an example of a few cards hosts may receive.

The second part is that guests can attach an optional financial contribution to their card. 100% of the guests’ contribution goes directly to the host. Please note that the guests will not see any personal or financial information about the host other than their name, location, and dates of the past stay or experience. 

We heard from some hosts that they were concerned about the financial contribution element, so we've updated the program so hosts can opt-out of future contributions by going to their payments settings and turning the ‘allow contributions’ toggle to ‘off’. If a host receives a contribution they do not wish to keep, they have the option to donate an equal value to nonprofits, including those that are supporting COVID-19 responders. If hosts choose to decline future contributions, they may still receive cards if guests choose to send them. 

For more information - including how to automatically opt-out of future contributions, refer to our Help page. 

- Airbnb

*Have you received a card from a past guest? Share your story below!*

[Petra602]

where can i find the option to send money for an ax host of mine?

[Helen427]

Thank you @Airbnb .

It's also nice for Hosts to reach out to the Guests they have hosted to see how they are in these challenging times.

Those that I've reached out to, including ones who made enquiries to me as New Zealand and other countries were having borders blocked, have all sent a message of appreciation for my message to follow up they were safe and not stranded.

We never know when we may cross paths or may meet again in future and are all linked together one way or another.

Keep safe, smiling and remember the sun shines somewhere in the world every day.

We also all sleep under the same stars and moon in the night skies.

[Robin4]

@Airbnb 

Yeah great idea, we do all need to reach out to each other!

When I have overseas guests, I always make a point of getting their addresses so that we can keep in touch. So, having this pool of addresses,  I am actually going the other way and have been sending these cards to my overseas guests. 

I have been sending these cards out for birthdays that I knew about, but I have altered the text inside to read I hope they are safe and well and that we are thinking of them.

It's nice to keep in touch and particularly at a time like this, we need let others know we are thinking of them

Cheers......Rob

[Stephanie]

Lovely stuff @Robin4 !

I remember speaking to a wonderful London host a few months ago about how her guest crafted patchwork blankets (the guest was from Oz too, no less.) They ended up writing to each other, sharing swatches and ideas for the creation. In the end the guest sent over a beautiful blanket which contained the colours and patches of specific likes and hobbies of the host contained in the piece. I wish I had a picture to share but the host is a pen and paper lady. 

Thanks,

Steph

[Helen427]

@Robin4Are you sending your cards standard Australian Post with a stamp on?

You are very fortunate if you either have a local Post Office or agent open, or a stock of stamps.

Fingers crossed mail that travels by aeroplane is still in transit and traveling between Australia and New Zealand  - we have Qantas, Air New Zealand, Virgin Atlantic and Singapore airlines all in the the air either departing or arriving from Auckland International airport today so all going well some mail sent in traditional post will get to it's destinations.

[Robin4]

@Helen427 

Yes Helen, the post office have card postage rates to just about anywhere in the world. I can't be accurate about time delays in transmission just at the moment, but I will generally get an acknowledgement via email or text within a couple of weeks. 

From what they are telling me Air mail, along with most air freight, is largely unaffected by Covid-19 

Cheers......Rob

[Margaret132]

Rob,

I love this kind of inspiration and appreciate your post

What a lovely gesture - ha ha ... I went to write that the gesture was so 'above and beyond' and accidentally  wrote 'love and beyond' which is what it is really.

Have a wonderful day

Margaret

www.airbnb.com/h/historic-cottage-in-central-albany

[Susan17]

And the award for Tackiest, Worst Taste, Most Wrong-Footed, Most Ill-judged, Most Disgusting Stunt Of The Century goes to... yet again.. Airbnb!!!

Seriously.. who thinks this *bleep* up? Leave our guests alone, and stop going to them with begging bowls in our names, when most of them are probably every bit as strapped for cash as we are. Dress it up with your "kindness cards" any way you like, but most right-thinking people will see this for what it is - a sick, cynical attempt by a multi-billion dollar global corporation to get our guests to make up for some of the shortfalls and hardships imposed on us solely by Airbnb's own unilateral and questionably lawful actions.

And you didn't listen - what we said, loud and clear, is that we wanted no part of this at all - NOT that we still want you to approach our guests looking for handouts in our names, only for them  then to be told, "Actually no, the host doesn't want your charitable donations after all"

And what's the story with the toggle to "receive contributions" being set to "ON" by default?? How many hosts are going to be totally oblivious to the fact that this hare-brained scheme even exists, and the first they know of it is when they suddenly get notification that the begging bowl has already been sent out in their names, and their past guests have already sent them "donations". The majority of hosts will be absolutely mortified by that.

Any of us who've had close connections with our guests have already been in touch with them weeks ago, and we don't need - or appreciate - Airbnb's utterly inappropriate interference in our relationships with them. Airbnb is merely a booking platform, is it not? Or is that only when it suits you?

Truly, a company on a suicide mission. 

*offensive language hidden in line with the Community Guidelines*

[Stephanie]

Hiya @Susan17 ,

In relation to your comments regarding not wishing to take part in this initiative, the bottom of the topic contains a link to how you can opt-out:

"For more information - including how to automatically opt-out of future contributions, refer to our Help page. "

We absolutely heard from the hosts on the CC asking for the option to do so and have ensured it is in place. There are also hosts that do want to take part and so they have the option to do so. 

Many thakns,

Stephanie

[Louise0]

Perhaps Susan's response was a mite intemperate, but I do agree with her in the most part. 

Airbnb saw the outpouring of negativity at this initiative, and yet still they set the default value to 'On'.   Surely a more appropriate tactic on Airbnb's part would have been to email all hosts to notify them that the option was being added to their profile and give the hosts the option of accepting it should they prefer to opt in?  I only found out about the default setting through a FB group of which I'm a member.  I promptly went to my profile and switched it off.  I just hope it was in time, and none of my past guests were led to believe I was begging for alms.  

We're ostensibly part of a community, so why oh why do you never, ever, give full (or any) weight to our views?  Once again, Airbnb has demonstrated their knack for turning lemonade into lemons.  This crisis, whilst it has dire financial ramifications for Airbnb, also delivered a wealth of opportunity to do a deep dive into the 'herd mind' and should have/perhaps still can, deliver a plethora of information and ideas to drive the company forward.  Why don't you get it?  I'm baffled.  No one builds a $30bn+ company without a modicum of intelligence, yet in your ham fisted response, Airbnb have managed to mutate into a unicorn on its way to the abattoir.  I despair.

[Robin4]

@Louise0 

Thanks for the heads up, for those who may not know how to isolate yourselves from this gratuity debacle, here is where you will find it ...

God, how far will this company stoop to make  basket cases out of their hosts!

Cheers.........Rob

[Donald28]

thanks ROB. I just opted out using your info. I would have been screwed without it. They had me opted in of course!

[Mike-And-Helen0]

Thanks @Robin4 

Has anyone managed to opt out using the app?

That option did not appear from me, perhaps I am not eligible.

[Sarah977]

@Mike-And-Helen0  I don't think there's any eligibility involved. It should be somewhere there, but I don't use the app, so couldn't say where. You don't have any access to a computer?