I am taking Calendar issues to the top!

[Robin4]

I think enough is enough, and time has come for the hosting community to become pro-active.

Contributor Nikki from London reported in a post on January 20th 2016 that her booking calendar was randomly unblocking dates that she had blocked!

Since that post there have been over 300 posts in this past year reporting exactly the same issue….and these are just the tip of the iceberg, these are the ones that have come to the forum! The common thread in almost all of these instances is the use of Instant Book where the rolling calendar window is concerned. The Airbnb program is unblocking dates a host has blocked. And what is totally reprehensible is Airbnb are punishing hosts who cancel bookings as a result of dates they had legitimately blocked and which the system has, behind the hosts back, unblocked. Superhosts, who strive to do so much good for Airbnb, are loosing their status through an Airbnb fault.....not their own!

Here is a typical example.....

Chris

Level 2

in

Lawrence Township, NJ

‎03-10-2016 07:02 AM

I have my listing set so it won't receive reservations more than 90 days out. Every day, it unblocks a day at that borderland. It seems like when they release the day internally because it's no longer more than 90 days out, that unblock overrides the dates I have manually blocked in the calendar.

Because I have limited availability, this pattern has become obvious to me.  If you only blocked dates occassionally, it would be a huge mystery.  I've brought the issue to the attention of AirBNB and they told me to clear my browser data. I've explained in more detail and am providing screenshots, but they haven't even been willing to tell me the status of my ticket."

There are dozens more just like this one!!! This fault….and that is exactly what it is….it’s a fault, has been reported to Airbnb staff on numerous occasions and the complaints just keep growing and growing! More reports come to this forum daily. Obviously nobody is taking the slightest notice.

With all due respect to the Community Centre moderators, I am not convinced that posting on ‘Host Voice’ does any good whatsoever. I have not seen a solitary change as a result of any topic raised through Host Voice.

I am going to send this post to brian.chesky@airbnb.com  and see what happens. I would like as many other hosts as possible to paste this post into an email and do the same thing.

This issue has been with us for more than a year, If we can’t get those responsible for sorting this mess out to take action, then we have to go further up the chain until someone does!!!

Cheers....Rob

[Robin4]

I have my listing set so it won't receive reservations more than 90 days out. Every day, it unblocks a day at that borderland. It seems like when they release the day internally because it's no longer more than 90 days out, that unblock overrides the dates I have manually blocked in the calendar.

Because I have limited availability, this pattern has become obvious to me.  If you only blocked dates occassionally, it would be a huge mystery.  I've brought the issue to the attention of AirBNB and they told me to clear my browser data. I've explained in more detail and am providing screenshots, but they haven't even been willing to tell me the status of my ticket."

There are dozens more just like this one!!! This fault….and that is exactly what it is….it’s a fault, has been reported to Airbnb staff on numerous occasions and the complaints just keep growing and growing! More reports come to this forum daily. Obviously nobody is taking the slightest notice.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Crustt0

Superhost gives you better ranking in the search results, in areas with fierce competition and price dumping that counts !

[Robin4]

@Crustt0....Gee whiz! I know full well that is the normal Airbnb Australian number @Crustt0!! It is the only number available to contact Airbnb in this country.

Hadn't really thought it neseccary to go right into the nitty gritty and, @Louise will no exactly what I was getting at, but it looks like some things you really do have to spell out in certain directions!! I thought I made it clear in the post....

If you are an Airbnb user and have the need to contact Airbnb when you call, the automated phone gateway it will compare the number you are calling from and match that number with your registered Airbnb phone number, and put you in the queue!

If you are calling from another phone number the gateway will instruct you to "insert your registered Airbnb phone number followed by the hash key"!

If the two numbers match you will go into a queue to be answered by the next available consultant!

If you are a registered Airbnb superhost, the system recognisesd your status and does NOT PUT YOU IN THE WAIT QUEUE...it chanels your call straight to help in another area....In my case on the two occasions I have called , that has been San Francisco.

I really didn't need to have the bleedin obvious pointed out, which I once again have to respond to, I was just trying to tell fellow host @Louise help was quickly on hand to sort out her problem! Maybe I should have just sent her a direct message, I wouldn't have had to go through this.

Rob

[Crustt0]

@Robin4 Yet by your own admission you have been put in a wait que. I,m not a super host but have never been put on hold, luck of the draw me thinks 🙂 Everyone always get diverted to San Francisco, nott just superhosts. Airbnb marketing is working a treat though, they give you little aknowlegments to make you feel special , in return you bend over backwards doing things you would not normally do in the fear of losing your superhost status. Reminds me a little of religion, replace "god fearing" with be a good "guest fearing" host and you'll go to airbnb heaven as a superhost. :-)))

[Robin4]

@Crustt0 Sorry, I just have to give up on you!!!. I said I DO NOT get put in a wait queue.....WOW!

I suggest you include me in you 'ígnore correspondents' and I will do the same to you. That way neither you or I will have to waste time like this.

Rob

[Crustt0]

@Robin4, WOW!! Your really up yourself aren't you. Sorry mate, just pointing out the bleeding obvious. 😉

[Huma0]

Oh come on @Crustt0, be fair. @Robin4 was just pointing out that superhosts get priority treatment when phoning the call centres. Does it make a big difference? I don't know, as I am lucky enough to be in the UK where we seem to get through pretty quickly either way. However, I hear it's not that quick to get through (or to get through at all) in some places like the USA. I don't know what it's like in Australia, but @Robin4 has said that he has noticed he gets to speak to someone must faster.

As, by your own admission, you have never been a superhost, how on earth can you dismiss this as rubbish? How can you know, if you've not experienced it for yourself? Do you know for a fact that superhosts DON'T get seen to quicker when they call?

[Huma0]

PS, he's not the only person who has mentioned they get through quicker as a superhost...

[Robin4]

@Huma0....Hey Huma, leave it. You can show some people an ocean....that doesn't mean they will see water!

I did post an update on that email to the CEO, you may want to have a look at that!

Cheers....Rob

[Crustt0]

@Huma0, I'm not a superhost huma nad have never been put on hold, so I don't think it makes a difference, I just see the whole super host thing as a marketing ploy to make you go above and beyond.

[Huma0]

@Crustt0 you may well be right about the marketing ploy. I've not been a superhost long enough to make a judgement on it yet (and I will probably not keep the status for next quarter anyway). However, @Robin4 is right that the system recognises that you are a superhost when you call. The first time I called after getting it, I was immediately greeted with a "hello superhost!"

Whether that means you get that priorty speedy service, I don't know. As I said, I've managed to get speedy service anyway.

It would be interesting to hear from superhosts in the USA though. You often hear American hosts complaining on this forum that they are put on hold for ages or don't get through at all. I guess the American superhosts would be able to give us more insight.

I, for one, make the most out of my superhost status by using it for my own marketing, e.g. in my profile, I say "I'm a superhost and that means..." I am sure most guests don't notice it otherwise, but once you bring their attention to it, they are impressed and that doesn't hurt.

[Huma0]

PS I think we have gone a bit off topic...

[Aquila0]

I'm having the same issue as well. Every time I put my 3 month blocking period, I have guest messaging me about that time frame? So annoying! Everyday I have to remind myself to check the calendar and block the day(s) all over again! Something really needs  to be done.

[Crustt0]

@Aquila0 Open the calender up, so there is no rolling calander and block the dates manually, then check you calander weekly to make sure that all dates are right and open the dates you want opened, it may seem more hassle,but you are keeping a finger on the pulse of your business.

[Rosemary48]

Hi Community

If I write the names of the guests my calendar can protential customers see my writing?Thank you!

[Lawrene0]

Do you mean the "Add note" you can add to dates, @Rosemary48? No, guests cannot see what you write. A good way to check something like that for yourself, though, is to log out of Airbnb, do a search for your property, and click on the calendar. Then you will see exactly what prospective guests see when they do that. Hope that helps.