How to encourage new participants

[Mary996]

How can we encourage newcomers to participate in the Community Centre? 

There are probably many seasoned Hosts who have never been here or have visited and been put off for some reason. It can be a tough environment and I do not appreciate this.

I was thinking that new Hosts might be directed here as part of a their 'inset' or orientation where they will have the opportunity to learn more and to ask questions or to make the kind of suggestions that fresh faces and fresh perspectives can bring. But I do feel that an element of self-help and of reciprocity is warranted with an expectation that everyone will take their turn. How would it be if Hosts were allocated periods when they are 'on-duty' and expected to respond to Guests and to other Hosts?

In the long run having an element of self-help makes good economic sense. It also contributes to shaping the organisation in the way we would like it to be. An appreciative and supportive place. Any thoughts??????? 

[Pat271]

I’m trying to understand what your issue actually is. Is it that you think the same hosts are responding to posts here and you feel that they many times they are not supportive? I haven’t had that experience with this group so please clarify.

[Mary996]

Hi @Pat271 

Thanks for coming in.

I would love to see more participation here since Airbnb has such a large number of Hosts yet we only have a few responding. I wonder if there's a way we can encourage more Hosts to get involved? They may come because they have had a problem and may or may not stick around to help. But it would be good to encourage more to join in. Do you have any suggestions on how to encourage others?

There are quite a lot of help requests coming in and I've taken time out to help but its almost really a full time job. 

[Mary996]

I just think we need a broader range of participants so the really harsh types don't hold sway and are diluted down with the end result of a differing range and greater number of Hosts taking part.

The ascerbic types have their place (and can often be really helpful to others) I  but they don't (I hope) represent the full extent of membership of Airbnb Hosts.

Personally I'd like more interaction with the friendly sympathetic types and wonder how to encourage them ??? Does this better answer your question @Pat271 ?

I'm perfectly happy to ignore harsh language if that what questioners want (though I doubt it) but if its all the time it gets tiring. I'm worried that gentler people are being drowned out. However if we had more participants there would be less negative impact. In fact I have noticed that more people do seem to be coming on board so perhaps the spectrum of advocates on here is increasing? I do hope so.

[Ute42]

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@Mary996    

You said

• How would it be if Hosts were allocated periods when they are 'on-duty' and expected to respond to Guests and to other Hosts?

What does that exactly mean – hosts from different parts of the world have timewindows in wich they can post but outside their timewindow they are not supposed to post? I think that could generate dangerous situations.

Example: A hostess from texas posts at 6:30pm, that she has a dangerous guest inhouse who is attacking her. I'd like to help her and want to post „call 911“ but I cannot post bc my timewindow only starts at 8pm and meanwhile she gets killed in her listing?

While I agree with You that it would be nice to have more new participants on the CC, I think Your timewindow idea is a bit hazardous. Also if someone tags me on here, in worst case I may have to wait 23 hrs to respond until my timewindow opens. That would generate a lot of hold time on the CC, we are having enough hold times already when calling CS.

[Mary996]

Many thanks indeed @Ute42 for responding and in engaging to tease out how we can encourage others.

Oh gosh... the time frame idea wasn't intended as a prohibition ... not at all. The more on here the better!! I'm trying to explore how to create more of a sense of obligation and responsibility for the forum and for representation of Airbnb to be the best that it can be... siince we are invested in its success! So how to draw in other Hosts who have come here but have not stayed or who have never looked in as yet and need encouragement/inducement to do so. How can we draw them in???

I think its already changing and improving with more diversity of respondents. Its important that we correctly represent the policies and proceedures of Airbnb and some members are just really great at this. I think I have different skills and that we complement each other (to the questioner) by proffering such a fabulous variety of responses and thoughts in reply. I'd like to see that increase more and I wonder if this is something we might ask of the Admins.... so on joining an expectation of participation is clarified as being part of Host responsibilty.

So the time frame thing was an add on .... if there was to be a sense of obligation created how could additional people be factored in? Not less people but more at times that might suit them.

That was rather more what I was getting at. Do you have any ideas? How to attract other Hosts to come on board and to help with answering Enquiries???

[Fiona256]

We don't need to fix the forum. It's Airbnb that needs to fix itself - its policies and operation. As constantly illustrated on this forum.

[Mary996]

@Fiona256 

Many thanks for coming in. Re: Airbnb fix .... we can be a part of that. A respectful part. 

Seems to me that the notion of this organisation was a pretty good idea and we can help to tweak it and have it operate well. 

[Fiona256]

@Mary996

You are still optimistic about this company. Many hosts have had totally unreasonable treatment and knockbacks and do not share your positivity.

[Mary996]

Understood. But whilst I feel good about it I'm happy to participate here and I really hope that your experience improves. Scotland is such a beautiful place and you have loads of horsey people up there. I'm a fan!!

[Mary996]

@Fiona256 

I hope you don't mind ... I had a little peak at your Listing. What a truly beautiful place. My mother was Irish and I nagged her to teach me some gaelic. So I can count and greet people. I realise the languages are edifferent but that there is a connection. May I ask how is your gaelic?

[Fiona256]

@Mary996 

Tha beagan Ghàidhlig agam.

[Mary996]

Thank you so much @Fiona256 . I am honoured to receive your reply in gaelic, and I note you are a speaker and am both impressed and overwhelmed as I am way off from where you are with the language but thank you very much for responding with this beautiful sample of the mother tongue x

[Mary996]

Hi @Ute42 

Many thanks for your original question:

"What does that exactly mean –"

Thanks for asking. I'm sorry for the confusion. I was proposing some arrangement to integrate NEW Hosts .... if we were going to have an influx due to promoting the CC.

"...how to draw in other Hosts who have come here, but have not stayed, or, who have never looked in, as yet, and need encouragement/inducement to do so. How can we draw them in???"

The drawing in of Hosts  (ie New Hosts) is what I was wanting to talk about. Goodness I had no intention to suggest that we re-arrange ourselves and the idyllically random way we all pop in and out. Heavens...  No. Eeek!!! Totally outside remit. I meant if we do have an influx say if it became an obligation for Hosts to take a turn here then some scheduling might make that workable.

I had been getting involved with the CC and slowly dis-involved when I had a cry for help and 

responded to see some pretty outrageous attacks on another member here. The whole thread seemed to disappear however presumeably due to Admin interventions. But then a short time later another attack was launched clearly criticising the style of a participant and so here I am back again and calling for solutions.

In short it was my idea that increasing the number of participants here might dilute the aggressive types and there would be more folk around to jump in to defend those operating in a differing style .

Does this help?

[Mary996]

But just for the NEW INTAKES .... re: any kind of rostering. No changes for existing people just if we wanted to pull in MORE NEW HOSTS (as in trying to find a way to integrate and train them up... which maybe too great a burden on existing brain boxes cos I would be useless at that)

But anyway I think this whole idea may have been thoroughly scuppered.

Think I want to go and play with Ute @Ute42  in that motel car park....