I agree with you completely, @Helen0. Having been involved with large organizations before, I am so clearly aware that the success of any organization has to do with every player - from CEO to worker bee, considering themselves a valued and valuable part of a team. I also know, from experience, that communication is the key to empowerment and success.
I have admired your style of communication, @Helen0, because I have found it to be articulate and supportive, not derogatory and confrontational. I also have tried to communicate in these forums in the same way, because I feel that it's through communication that change will occur. And who knows better than us - the ones who are in the field.
I have been loving the Airbnb model, and the richness it has added to my life, in addition to the financial rewards. But the one aspect that has been the most disappointing, the most disturbing, and actually the most alarming, has been the seeming lack of communication, and interest, between admins and us worker bees in the field, a lack which you mention as well, @Helen0.
I started reading these forums because I was so excited to be part of the Airbnb experience as a host. I was stunned to discover the pervasive frustration, anger, confusion, resentment, and powerlessness that is communicated through posts over and over again. I can't recall ever being part of an organization that had such pervasive negativity as part of its underlying core. And the part that is so disturbing to me, is that what seems like a lack of interest in responsiveness from admins, is the exact opposite of what we, as hosts, do our best to uphold.
It's such an easy fix! Communication is one of the easiest and least expensive fixes to deploy. Because I also know that the cost of negativity is beyond what can be measured in monetary terms.
Organizations succeed based on the feeling tone of those whom an organization serves. Excitement and satisfaction builds more success - because customers and clients are the best asset any business has. But in the same regard, negativity snowballs into an avalanche of destruction, and I would hate to see the decline of the Airbnb model based on something so easy to fix.
I realize this is a bit off the thread of making instant booking mandatory for all hosts, but I believe @Helen0 uncovered a more pervasive problem through her comments, one highlighting communication issues between Airbnb admins and those Airbnb serves. I think if you look at almost any of the suggestions that have been made, they all have at their core a lack of responsiveness on the part of Airbnb.
I, too, like Helen have had my comments forwarded to non-identified others with never a response. To me, that response translates as thank you for contacting us, there's nothing we can do. And that flies in such contrast to my outstanding experience offering hospitality to guests, which causes me to feel less than confident about the organization that brings guests to my door.
If someone were to create a similar concept, but one based on good communication models, I would flock to that organization, as I believe would many other hosts. I don't feel respected by Airbnb, which makes it difficult for me to respect Airbnb in return.
However, I'm not looking to jump ship, as Airbnb has an infrastructure that already works in many regards. I would much rather see channels of communication being opened, in a transparent and encouraging manner, rather than exploring alternatives to what has worked for me in other regards. I'm all about communication that uplifts, not complaining meant to take down. Were a model of open dialog created, I'd be one of the first to support its growth, in a positive, collegial, and co-creative way. Because if Airbnb succeeds, so do I.
And so I ask (again) - is anybody listening, and does anyone care?
Jude
