Why is this website SO SLOW?!

[Isabelle-Gerry0]

Airbnb's website/platform is one of the worst I've experienced. 

It feels like every time I click on something I have to walk away for coffee and by the time I come back, I forget what I was doing! It's SO slow. The calendar is a mess. The pricing is a mess. I have to click through a bunch of things to get to something so basic. And sometimes... I'll update prices and availability... and hit save and..... IT WON'T SAVE.

😐 You'd think a billion (??) dollar business would be able to have a website that works. And the burden of the torture is on the hosts which is probably why they don't care to fix it all these years.

[Amarilis9]

Does anybody have a workaround to improve the performance? 

[Brewster0]

The worst part is that the AirBnb "community experts" continue to pretend that they have never heard of the problem. That's preposterous! The site is literally never usable; no matter what computer I am on, or what platform, navigating the AirBnb site (or app) always feels like using dial-up modem from 1998.

Also, they literally don't care. Their response was:

sorry that is out of my control. Is there another topic I can assist you with?

[Brewster0]

You can do a simple test to see how unresponsive their site (and their tech support staff) is at bytecheck.com. Note AirBnbs two star rating.

[Sarah977]

@Brewster0  Yes, it's absurdly slow. But I don't really understand what you expect a customer service rep to do about it, or what kind of response you expect? All they can do is log complaints about it and pass those on to the tech team. And since they've been receiving complaints about it for years now, they obviously don't care.

[Brewster0]

@Sarah977 You answered your own question. I expect them to professionally acknowledge the complaint, log it, and pass it on to the tech support team. Whether they care or not is no reason to stop complaining (see Netflix's recent decision to end the auto-streaming of content after years of ignoring users).

[Sarah977]

@Brewster0  Then specifically ask them to do that. If I have an issue that needs to be looked at by the tech team or the trust and safety team, I don't waste my time engaging in some useless dialogue with a CS rep. I write a message like "Please pass this to the tech team: .......".

That's the method that has worked for me. I'll usually get a message back (not necessariy right away) from someone on the tech team, in that case.

[Brewster0]

@Sarah977 I'm confused as to why you think the tech team doesn't already know about this issue?

[Sarah977]

@Brewster0  Yes, you do sound confused. I said in my first response to you: "And since they've been receiving complaints about it for years now, they obviously don't care."

So obviously I know that they know about it and don't do anything to remedy it. 

What I was trying to explain was that I don't waste my time talking to a CS rep about something they can do nothing about. If I feel an issue should be passed on to another dept, I'll say that in my message to the CS rep.

You appear to believe that Airbnb tech is well aware of this issue, too. So I can't understand what you want a CS rep to do about it.

" I expect them to professionally acknowledge the complaint, log it, and pass it on to the tech support team."

" I'm confused as to why you think the tech team doesn't already know about this issue?"

You seem to contradict yourself, or maybe I just don't get your point.

[Brewster0]

@Sarah977  Are you okay? **The community is here for you. **

[Sarah977]

@Brewster0  What a totally bizarre thing to say. A meltdown? I need help? What kind of condescending thing is that to say?  

You post screenshots of a conversation with a CS rep about their incredibly slow website, you say you want the CS rep to pass on your concerns to the tech team, then indicate that you know the tech team is aware of the issues and does nothing to remedy the problems. You are just wanting them to add your complaint to the probably 10,000 other complaints they've had about their slow website?

[Tiffany434]

In particular, I find that loading messages takes a very long time, on the order of ~5 seconds per network request, which is extremely slow for a modern web app.

[Melodie-And-John0]

No doubt, its not the fastest or most responsive site and at times its a bit like watching paint dry.  I think the sluggishness is more on the hosting side than guest lodging search and reservation side.  At least the guest experience seems pretty good.   I do have to say I sometimes think Hosts have higher expectations of what they should be getting for their 3% +/- processing fee than what we receive.  Keep in mind, retailers usually pay anywhere from 1.5% to 2.5% per transaction to just transfer money. 

15 years ago when Melodie and I embarked on the purchase and renovation of our monster 200 year old home, I was fully prepared for and enjoy the construction part (12 years worth) but had no experiences as Inn Keeps!  We weren't naive and completely expected to have to make a web page, advertise, market, pay for signage, handle cash and credit and all of the other true hosting things that I actually do today.  I'm not saying I don't want more and better like everyone, Im just saying we feel incredibly lucky to all the services we do from Airbnb for the relatively small fee they charge us.   

I do hope they find ways to improve the site and the Ap cause faster is better and who doesnt want better?  Im just thankful that its not like the dialup network I grew up on called a Party line where our nosy neighbor Jean L would listen in for the juicy bits of the day to spread around the county like Covid and the only data you could send was Morse Code!   Stay well all, JR