We are struggling with Airbnb. Seems that no matter what we do, we cannot emulate our well performing advert on VRBO using the same media and content. As a longterm owner and advertiser, forever updating and improving our property offering, this alone is frustrating on Airbnb. then I'm sure I'm not alone in feeling like there a secret sauce to a computerized algorithm, that has nothing to do with the quality of your offering. Rather, it's a self fulfilling gimmick that gives most exposure regardless of price or quality to the listing willing to offer 2 or 3 night stays, any day of the week, and really doesn't care about the hosts optimization of available time or revenue optimisation.
My latest gripe is the enquiry on the platform that demands 'accept' or 'decline' but makes no recognition of a 'regular Airbnb Booking Guest' who on being asked key questions in order to allow you to make those binary decisions, goes incommunicado. Where's the option for 'pending reply to a question asked of the enquirer'? The given is that by not accepting and letting it time out, the hosts response is negatively impacted. If you decline, same thing, on the algorithm, the host’s response is negatively impacted.
We tried the sensible option of asking Airbnb support to actually talk with the enquirer, (a booking client) and ask them to respond, after our own prompt was again ignored. Airbnb Support says we cannot talk to the enquirer. I've had so many poor interactions with Airbnb where it seems they are only interested in closing out a ticket as quickly as possible, not actually addressing the core issue.
Why can Airbnb not support hosts with one to one manager’s when there are problems.
I do hope that this post gets picked up by the higher ups in Airbnb. Far removed from the day to day issues of being a supply partner, at the coalface, A.I. and the absence of proper personalised engagement leaves me cold.
