Supporting new hosts

[Lizzie]

Hello everyone,

Since I've been sharing a lot of your feedback with the Airbnb team, some of them reached out and asked if I'd get your input on how they can support new hosts, in particular. Many of you have been hosting successfully for a while now, and they want to find out how they can help others do the same.

Do you know people—a friend or neighbor, maybe—who's considered hosting on Airbnb but never gotten started? What do you think their main hesitations are? What are one or two things that Airbnb could offer to better support them as they get ready to become hosts? Would resources like free storage, a discounted cell-phone plan, or a coupon to claim a smart-lock device help?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this. Thanks so much!

Lizzie

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[Rebecca181]

@Lizzie I agree with @Sarah977's comment, above. I find this post about how to support new hosts (and Corporate's great interest in making things nice and cozy for them) to be somewhat macabre and jarring, given what has happened to David in CO, a long-time super host and valued community member whose account was closed with no explanation after hosting over 1000 guests and maintaining a 4.7 star rating. And he is not the only host in good standing that this has happened to. This has been going on for years, but most hosts understandably have difficulty believing it. Until it happens to them.

Us 'not new' hosts have been pleading (practically begging) for the review system to be revised in a meaningful manner; this was not done. Instead, it appears to have been revised to make it even more damaging to hosts, i.e., a 10 page review with built in 'spy' features  is being rolled out without hosts' knowledge (e.g., "Was there toilet paper?" "Was there an oven in the kitchen?") that many guests admit to being too tedious to fill out when hosts later inquire why they did not leave a review. And of course, we need 50% of our guests to leave a review to maintain super host status.

Then there's the fact that our listings can still be devastated by a malicious, retaliatory one-star review, with no apparent recourse. And the security deposit is a 'phantom' deposit that rarely can be received when there are damages. And the 'Host Protection Guarantee' that rarely brings 'Peace of Mind' when a larger claim needs to be filed (a process that is so convoluted and bizarre that most hosts give up and pay for the costly damages themselves). Where is the concern from Corporate about this?

Regarding new hosts: I reported many months ago that when a new listing goes up now, hosts receive red-lettered warnings that they are failing to meeet minimum statistical standards. As an experienced host, I could just roll my eyes and go on with my day; new hosts have already come on to the CC, frantic and confused, wondering why they, as new hosts, are already receiving warnings and being told their listing may be removed. How welcoming and encouraging is that?

As I've mentioned elsewhere, I have been treated wonderfully by Airbnb C/S, historically. But anyone who reads the posts on this CC (this past year, especially) know that many, many hosts are not treated so well, and it seems we are hearing more and more stories that end with the C/S rep saying "It's all computerized now and there is nothing that I or anyone here can do". This mechanized, computerized process fueled by stats and algorithms is fast becoming one that results in the dehumanization of the host; and this bothers me enough that I am reconsidering my relationship with Airbnb, despite my great success on the platform. And I am not the only 'not new' host feeling this way.

I'll look forward to Airbnb Corporate being equally curious about that. (But I won't hold my breath).

[Oomesh-Kumarsingh0]

@Rebecca181 Wonderful reply! Concerning the dehumanization of hosts, i believe they want us to act like robots without expressing any feeling or emotion.But in reality things do not work like this.Airbnb should support and respect older hosts for the great job they have accomplised.They should focus on quality instead of quantity if not they will pay for this mistake in the future.

[Kenneth12]

I thought their goal was to make a public offering and exit with cash 🙂 ?

[Kenneth12]

@Re0 .. oh,  we can't tag.
A little side note:    it's almost certainly the case that ABB needs to show a high growth curve of hosts and users (guests) to attempt a planned IPO-- likely an unreasonably high curve.  Doing that is in tension with many of the reasonable suggestions you just made.

[Mary996]

@Rebecca422in Florence Oregon

I'm alarmed and concerned to hear about colleague David in CO (is that Colarado? I'm from UK). Do we have some kind of Union to assist?

Mary

[Syl11]

@Lizzie  These experienced hosts have provided decent honest feedback, seems weird that airbnb keeps triving for new hosts when they can't seem to look after their broad hosts, great hosts in general. I'm glad airbnb has finally put in place a new CFO since their previous CFO left, hopefully will revisit issues and improve the bottom line.

Firstly, anyone offering an entire apt/ home should be understood as they have relinguish a long term stable rental income and yet I don't feel its adequate the support provided in selling these spaces. Why we do it, probably an experiment but is it profitable in the long run?, Whilst you still have these properties to use for short term accomodations, I seriously think this company should utilize the offerings in a better way because its under sold. Its like sharing the demand between properties, but not fully occupied.  As some of us offered our properties as an experiment, many guests also booked these as an experiment. a try as oppose to staying in a hotel. Possible they had a few hit and misses, as some guests wrote in the forum. 

I understand some hosts are more generous, some offered a lot less, some offered nothing except a space, (no offence to anyone), but everyone in their own way of hosting.

(As @Kimberly54 explained, there needs a few fixes in the current system.)

Personally I'm not interested in migrating to any other platform, should i reconsider any other way, it would be to return to stability of long term rental incomes. There needs to be a FIX to make these opportunities worthwhile. While you corportate types insist on selling airbnb plus, these few properties are sold out, but yet you have thousands of properties not sold........WHY?

[Syl11]

This week, agorithim says dropping prices...WHY? 27% less people looking Why? 29% more listings

!!!!!!!

[Emily352]

Supporting old hosts

I hope that the tone of my post is not perceived to be overly keen on preaching because I will speak badly of AIRBNB. My hate-love towards this portal will seem to turn to a negative feeling: hate, now I see it written there, in print, it seems to me a strong word.

But I know that I must have loved AIRBNB once, but I don’t anymore. It set me off completely. It lost its poetry a very long time ago and I do not know if it will find it again. Can you explain why a love ends?

AIRBNB has raised a generation of fearful yes-hosts, most of which are condescending executors of the company's dictates. It is an angel fallen from the sky that is making plans with the force of the innocent by modifying the sense of real perspective, creating an illusion of “normality" which is only apparent, and in particular producing distorsive effects in those who keep on the narrow and straight path of linearity.

But the valiant and bold hosts lift their heads and rise above this mortifying spider's web, they are antibodies in defense of hosting because true hosting (which is much more than a bed for a fee) still has corners of true beauty, but AIRBNB has exchanged informal and imperfect sharing a house that tells a story about a city and its people for a sophisticated algorithm, for the vanity and the cunning, for "the glitter and the rouge”.

I do not know if this message will come to you or not. I’ve got half a mind to throw it to the wind, like the words written on it, and the disappointed expectations that have ended up into it.

[Rachel0]

@Lizzie Oh, so Airbnb have "reached out" (horrible, pointless phrase, words  cannot convey how much I hate it) to we experienced hosts, asking for our help in supporting new hosts.  Fascinating.  Many hosts are already doing that day in and day out on this forum, answering questions that CS cannot be bothered to answer or if they do, often get wrong because it is not on their script and thinking outside the box is beyond them.  When is Airbnb going to start looking after the hosts it already has? Sarah ( I cannot tag her) got it right as she so often does.  When are AIrbnb going to stop allowing guests who have never set foot in a property to write a review, when are Airbnb going to insist on guests providing a profile photo, when are Airbnb going to stop penalising hosts for not using IB, when are Airbnb going to actually LISTEN to the experienced hosts that they profess to value so highly?  When they start helping the hosts who have been their loyal ambassadors for the past many years, I would consider helping them but if they can't get their act together there's no chance.

[Mary1162]

as a new host myself, having just had my first two guests, i dont feel support is there in any way at all.  

 getting the site up and running was a nightmare as you could not go back and edit the basic wording until it was launched - but noone told you that. 

pricing was a nightmare becasue you could not sort out how you charged for extra people until you had launched - but noone told you that. 

 using the webvsite is a night mare because you can never find your way back to something crucial without going all round the houses first.

now i have had two reviews.  1 was 5 stars and  all was good. 1 was 4 stars because the cheapskate guest thouught that she did not get good value.  She paid $45 NZ$ for bed and breakfast, her own private bathroom and use of 17 acres of land with bush and stream to walk over.   Try getting that for less than $75 per head  anywhere else.  i set the price on air bnbs advice, but it was bad advice as it attracted a  cheapskate guest who  didnt recognise the value she had..   She compained that the place was not suitable for someone who wanted time to herself as she had to intersact.  she was here for 36 hours during which time we interacted 4 times in the kitchen and once in the living room when i was foolish enough to offer her a glass of wine   .  She wanted a private excape but only wanted to pay back packer prices.  

i have no recourse that i can see, instead i get scolding email from air bnb telling me to up my game. 

I AM VERY SORE INDEED.  Maybe airbnb would like to give me some 'support"????

[Linda108]

@Mary1162  Many experienced hosts, especially those who are frequent participants on this site, have strongly suggested that before a host could have a live listing, there would be a "test" about the basic hosting on this platform.  Do you think you might have had more warning about how this platform works if you had to take a short test before you could make your listing live?

As you have noted, very critical aspects of the listing and of hosting are learned by doing and making mistakes.  Some mistakes are costly.

Managing guest expectations is at the heart of hosting.  Best to always "over deliver" in that the guest is surprised by what they get.  The other art, is choosing those guests whose expectations are in line with what you have to offer.  I always ask guests to confirm their understanding of what my listing provides and that this will meet their needs.  On occasion, I get a message that helps me understand the guest has misunderstood the listing.  

Consider making sure your guests appreciate what you offer!  Good Luck!!

[Mary1162]

thankyou Linda.   I have no doubt that i over delivered.   GOrgeous room, exactly as in the picture, lovely bathroom, exactly as in the pictures, lovely setting exactly as in the pictures.  I let her know in advance that my chickens are not  laying so that free range eggs would not as hoped be on the table at breakfast.      tea and coffee facilities in the bedroom - not specified in the listing.  Pletny of towels, heater etc etc and a glass of wine .   

The real answer was that she did not want to be in a homestay, she complained that she had to interact with me.  How can you share someone elses kitchen  and living room and not occasionally e=interact and exchange normal civilities!   If she wanted the kitchen and living room to herself in a house furnished with antiques, art pieces and a piano which she was keen to play, she would have paid more lie 350 $ a night not 45!!!

her expectations were clearly totally unrealistic for what she booked.  

I say in my listing that i work full time with my horses and will tend to be a hands off host, but this was a sunday so i was not working.   I made her a coffee.  When we are not working surely it is not unreasonalbe to be in our our own home!!!

I am sore as i have no comeback and because i misunderstaood the nature of the resoponse to the review so i had pressed go and then found i could not alter it.

i feel that one cheapskate dreamer here for just one night has done profound damage to what i have worked very very hard to set up.  All for $45

A test drive MIGHT have helped, but i think that in htis case really i am the victim of an unrealistic young woman who i went out of my way to help  but has no idea of value.  And i would be glad of help from air bnb to get it back, instead of getting scathing emails that tell me i am not doing well enough and may be struck off

[Mary996]

Hi Mary

Mary here! How do you charge for extra guests?

Did you work it out?

xxxx

I ask as I may be getting myself in a mess. A mother has booked for her daughter. She now wants the daughter's boyfriend to be able pop in too. Ha!

As above I see this is a 3rd party booking. But if I ask her to cancel and for the daughter and boyfriend to register and to join instead... I'll risk cancellation penalties???   Is that correct ?    HELP!!

[Rachel0]

To Mary in Swansea, I can't tag you as the limited system will not allow it.  Yes, this is a third party booking and as such it is against Airbnb's policy.  Tell the mother this and ask her to cancel but DO NOT cancel it yourself or respond to a request to cancel as you will be penalised.  When you set up your listing and your pricing structure you would have been given the opportunity to set a price for an extra guest - eg I charge £45 per night but an extra £10 for a second guest.  Do not allow the boyfriend  to "pop in" as he may never "pop out" and you will be stuck with 2 guests for the price of one.  Just tell her that her daughter will have to set up her own profile and make the booking herself, for two guests.  Don't take any sh*t from them and if they do not cooperate get on to Airbnb, pointing out that you are not happy with the booking and stress that it was made by a 3rd party.  Sorry if this is a bit muddled but I hope you get the point.  

[Helen427]

Hi Mary,

Many of have been "stung" by airbnb pricing suggestions.

I had an Instant Book guest pay only $22 per night, including breakfast and making meals, in Central Remuera who exploited my new to hosting on Airbnb due to "smart pricing and airbnb suggestions on what price to charge" so can empathise with you very much.

I'd factored into account a number of expenses I incur prior to going live so was mortified and very annoyed at there suggestions to lower my price.

Be aware that they also cut out rates with suggesting a further discount on top of introductory rates as new hosts so that guest had a double discount which I believe would be in breach of our NZ laws.

There's much in here at CC about pricingand Instant Bookings that I suggest you scan through that I wish I knew was in here prior to accepting guest.

All the best