I don't know why I've missed most or 90% of this thread while it was going on (maybe while taking a break from CC trying to get a life LOL), but stumbled upon it now.
As a regular (no Andrea, you're an addict, admit it!...) on the forum like the others here I've seen so many different complaints and situations of pure drama. Often, but not always, the problem could have been avoided had the hosts themselves been less naeive and more pro-active in taking measures to ensure they weren't simply handing over their property to unseen and unidentified guests. Other cases sadly, were more unforeseeable kind.
Even with only renting a room I really try to think like a lawyer in case of any later problems and to be prepared and hopefully covered in case of any dispute. Other than that I have things under control, and the only wild card is those damned reviews.
While a more substantial income from an independent unit somewhere else away from my own home would be lovely, I'm not sure I'd want the stress of not having as much control over what's going on with it. Besides the fact that such rentals aren't legal here in Amsterdam.
Let's face it, Airbnb is selling a product and trying to whip hosts into shape with tips like Chip's. Sure, he's good - I love his tips about naming your minus points and flaunting the positive ones. Did Airbnb have to employ him for tons of money instead of buying his book and hiring him for a couple of stints? probably not,. Yet don't we all know a company gets a much better reputation by being able to sell the fact they actually have somebody like Chip on their team and not just his dog-eared book on their shelf and his number on speed dial.
So far Airbnb is the best platform I have up to now to rent my room, and I'm still a fan. No, I haven't gotten myself an Airbnb logo yet for the same reason I never felt I needed to get one of any guy I was ever smitten and together with. As long as I'm offered a great platform to make an income wit my little cash-cow room, I'm on board. Doesn't mean I'm blind to what irritates me, like all those sneaky changes - as in how 'ID verification' can now be optionally replaced with some personal questions instead of a govn't ID - I will continue to remain critical and the guardian of my abode using those tools I have available. The more lenient Airbnb becomes with protecting hosts, the more I will probably become with cracking down on my own guest checking. Who knows, in future I might have to have them sign a check-in register with agreement to cover damage they cause...
Let's just say I'm happy to sit around the Airbnb hospitality table and enjoy the company, but when the Koolaide is passed around, I'll pass and continue drinking my water. And if I'm told I'm sitting on a wonderful and safe chair I'll still glance down to check it's on at least 4 legs and not 3.
And why should I be surprised that Airbnb is no different than some people in my professional network who sound so amazing when they talk about themselves and what they offer, but turn out to be just better at talking... Look at so many tutorials telling you to do exactly that in varying degrees!
Yes, I do have a beef now and then with some of Airbnb's attitudes and esp. the constant and irritatingly unproductive fiddling around with website functions, the efficiency of which completely eludes me. Why not implement some real improvement to make a real difference to those actually using the site daily.
And yes, their helpdeskers aren't always the most experienced. However, I've never encountered any who were not friendly or at least sounded as though they wanted to help. And after I, an experienced host nota bene, managed to **bleep** up how I attempted to resurrect a guest cancellation yesterday made 12h earlier I still bask in the helpful fuzzy thankful glow of my new hero Mick from the Dublin office with the slight Irish accent who set everything straight only hours before my guest arrived.
(Oh and BTW, the guest about whom I was starting to have misgivings over turned out to be absolurely lovely! Who's ever heard of a French-speaking Chinese accordion player?!)
So Chip, are you listening? Please, please, please, could you pass on some advice to the techies to quit fiddling around with inconsequential stuff on the site and finally concentrate on what really matters - making the job easier for hosts instead of regularly wasting our time having to figure out where what went for the next week and a half, before it all reverts back to how it was!
Also Chip, could you communicate to whoever decides stuff like this, that if hosts don't feel forced into things they'll probably feel much more relaxed and happy to become even better hosts. I'm talking about for ex. feeling forced to accept IB for better placement and thus losing control and having to accept even terrible guests/spammers/criminals without proper ID check. I KNOW there's this thing about non-discrimination yada yada. But ever notice that despite all politicizing, not all humanity out there is wonderful and wants our best at heart? Some only plan to rent our stuff to trash it in parties or even steal our stuff because they don't want to pay or can pay to get stuff like it. Let IB be used by those who don't care, but let the algorithms not make a difference between IB and non-IB,
Oh yes, and Chip, while I've got your ear, do tell me you're not unaware of the huge burn-out potential of those Airbnb-mandatory 5-star reviews? I think I'm speaking for many of us great hosts when I say that **bleep** star corsett is taking quite a bit of fun out of hosting.
