We’re friends, but please back off a bit and let me do my job! Thanks. :)

[Cathie19]

Dear @Airbnb  and @Catherine-Powell   💐

I know it’s the computer bot… but please change the settings………..

Seriously, we really are friends, but please don’t hustle me ……

-  At 3:17pm I received a TRIP REQUEST via message notification ping, mobile messages and email.

 Noting - the pending guest couldn’t “instant book” as they hadn’t met my criteria requirements. 

                - No Govt ID and out of four reviews, quite a poor one in the middle of them.

But I do allow people to make contact, because I’m professional.

 -  I looked at the request immediately and set about investigating what was the reason for there not being an instant book.  4 reviews, one a red flag. Marked down by at least one host for house rules and cleanliness.  The guest sent a one liner comment, including “see you soon!”

Hmmmmm……….

So once again, adjusting yesterday’s script to a guest wanting to book with absolutely no verification or profile, I tailored it to this guest’s  needs. I also asked and explained the poor review would have stopped them being able to instant book, plus no profile information. I asked the guest did they want to let me know about the poor review, for I could see the others were good. You see, I want both sides to the story before I make any judgement.

This….. takes…. TIME, especially when being professional and tactful! 

At 3:46pm I hit SEND to my message.

…. And walked away from my iPad.

At 3:47pm I hear a ping notification and go back. I’m thinking that’s quick, they’re  telling me where to go….  But no! 

Airbnb have sent me a second email, pushing me to accept the trip request. This is now exactly 30 minutes from the arrival of the initial request. I actually responded immediately and sent back in 29 minutes.

So, with my documented response rate of 100%, why are you hustling and hassling me? Let’s BOTH be professional…. Maybe remind me in 12 hours or at 23 hours, just before the 24 hour expiry time.

I’m going to continue to stay  professional in my dealings with guests, so please, please let me do my job.   Thank you for taking this on board…... 🙂 

[Cathie19]

My mistake. They had one verification - a phone number.

[Michelle53]

@Cathie19  It's actually the guest that needs the reminder !   How many times has it happened that someone lobs in a request to book, and you respond almost immediately, when it isn't in the middle of the night, and they've vanished into the blue !

I've often had to reach out to the guest three or four times within the 24 hour period to get my screening questions answered. 

[Colleen253]

@Michelle53 Exactly! Airbnb would do well to prompt guests to turn notifications on and require them to respond promptly to questions from the host. The guest shoulders zero responsibility. Why must the host face that ticking 24 hr time bomb and the reminders, alone? And how about those times when the guest doesn’t end up responding, and the clock runs right down? Then the host has to take more time out to contact CS to intervene, or decline and then face the finger wagging and the hit to acceptance rate.

[Michelle53]

@Colleen253    "Then the host has to take more time out to contact CS to intervene" - yeah, in the days when the CS person was actually competent enough to solve the problem 😉

Last time this happened to me (a couple of months back), I called CS, and explained what I wanted, and she just sounded confused. While I was on the phone to her, the guest actually started typing a response. I told CS not to worry, I could see the guest finally typing.  CS sounded relieved that she no longer had to do anything. 

[Cathie19]

@Michelle53  🤦🏻‍🤦🏻‍🤦🏻‍🤦🏻‍🤦🏻‍🤦🏻‍

[Cathie19]

@Michelle53  & @Colleen253  & @Emilia42.
I sent a second message of query to the guest this evening. Eventually I saw that he was typing. 
Long story short, he admitted to poor communication as he avoids screen time away from work. By the end of the conversation, we were chatting away and he stated he has communicated more to me tonight than he has with his past four hosts……..

So sometimes, it’s not what you say but the way that you say it!

Or pure luck! 
lol…………

[Colleen253]

@Cathie19 “he admitted to poor communication as he avoids screen time away from work.”

This is probably common with a lot of people. Regardless of the reason, lack of response from guests is common enough that Airbnb should be fixing this issue. A basic primer on guest etiquette for new members should be a thing. This primer should pop onto the screen at sign up, and the guest should have to read and click accept before continuing. It should include asking guests to turn on notifications, and be attentive and promptly reply to questions from a host at booking.

While we’re at it, the same should happen with a listing’s unique house rules. They should pop onto the screen also, at booking. Most especially since Airbnb recently removed the house rules banner from the top of our listings!

[Cathie19]

[Emilia42]

@Cathie19 These annoying reminders and alerts seem to only be troublesome on the app. I'm so glad I don't use it!

Side note: Do you have this box checked?: https://www.airbnb.com/hosting/requirements

You shouldn't be fielding requests from those without a government ID if your instant booking settings require it. Clicking that box will make the guest go through the verification process before they are able to instant book/request. 

[Cathie19]

@Emilia42 , thanks for the reply.   I’ve always had every possible layer of security checked for Instant Book. Guests can still make contact, which is totally okay. I’ve taken in guests without all criteria met, but this has happened when the communication stepped up a level or two, or when they have uploaded the required information.

I have a laptop, but as I’m usually on the move doing other things, I carry either my phone and/or IPad. So really, the issues of constantly receiving notifications, shouldn’t increase with the App. However, we know it does, and as they continue to improve and update, this is something that should be looking at.

I don’t even mind getting a reminder just before the first hour is up, to let me know with my response rate, had I seen the initial message?
But I take exception to being asked: “go on, accept the booking we sent you 30 minutes ago”, at the 30 minute mark. Especially when “I’m in talks” already…… 

[Christine615]

Exactly. Airbnb pinged me out of a good night’s rest after a local guest who admitted to being 18 requested a same day checkin at midnight.

First off they’re supposed to be blocking clear indicators for parties. Next, reminding me to not miss out at 12:30am is ludicrous. 

We brought up the asinine notification problem again at the last Zoom. They said they’d work on the algorithm. These new platform changes meant to pack in more guests have made things worse. 

[Cathie19]

@Christine615, I hear you!             I also missed the Zoom. (My bad ….) 

I’m glad this came up in the meeting, for a bit of sensitivity in their strategy would go a VERY long way. It’s like being harassed or bullied by an over zealous real estate agent, chasing  the commission. 

I get it’s a business, but seriously….. AIrbnb needs to calm down, settle down, take in a slow breath  and let super-hosts who are going about their business, for themselves AND AIrbnb, do just that.

I know I have a limited tourist season and don’t have the big tourist turnover. But in Oz, we have all been facing cancellations and lots of messaging with Covid19 lockdowns etc. But as I’m into my sixth year as a super host, with a 100% response rate and sitting on a 4.99 average, I think I’ve generally, worked it out….

🙌🏼However, as an aside: I have to admit with no international travel happening our way (with the exception of New Zealand) I’ve started to switch my phone to “night”, restricting any notifications from anyone other then those in my personal “favourites” contacts.  No middle of the night messages from UK or France, has been kind of okay….. 😁😁😁

[Christine615]

@Cathie19 

We missed you. And honestly, Superhosts with multiple years of performance don’t need the reminders, especially when there is clear evidence of contact in the inbox.

Nothing says “babysitting” and lack of trust like reminding a host to be “available” for a guest right after you’ve done that. 

Turn it OFF for experienced hosts. We don’t need testing wheels and a helicopter parent chasing behind us.