How can I get more bookings?

[Susan17]

The current incarnation of Superhost has only been around for 19 quarters, so nobody has reached 20 yet. 

19/19 here too. Not that it's worth a tupenny d*mn. Still can't get bookings on Airbnb for love nor money, no matter how hard I try. (And at this point, there's nothing I haven't tried). One of my listings has had 3 bookings since last August. That's the reality of hosting on Airbnb - the longer your service to the company, the more they'll try to push you out. 

[Susan17]

Thanks for the suggestions, @Alon1! 

As regards the compensation - in an ideal world, where global corporations are accountable, and take responsibility for their own negligence and incompetence, that would be the route to take. Unfortunately, that's not the reality. When you have to fight tooth and nail to even get paid out from your own "security deposit", battling Airbnb for compensation would be a one-way ticket to the psychiatric unit. 

Trust me Alon, I've taken this to the very highest levels, and spoken with everyone there possibly is to speak with about it - over several years - and still, even the top techies in SF could never figure out the source of the issue. It took @Ben551 and @Robin4"'s help to do that, after all this time, and all that potential income down the drain. Unnecessarily. 

Regardless -  I may be down, but I'm certainly not out. There's always more than one way to skin a cat. You can bet on that. 

[Alon1]

@Susan17 @Ben and @Robin

Susan, thanks for reply.

The point is that it took a non-Airbnb employee, Ben, to unravel a seeming  mystery.

Ben's intercession transformed this from a possible Witch-hunt as you seem to fear for being such a staunch critic of the company, rather to a quite complex technical issue which as you say not even Airbnb IT could properly detect and address.

Consequently, what have you got to lose by at least formerly making a compensation claim?

I would only add, if Airbnb actually learn something new from Ben, then they should seriously consider to employ him.

[Susan17]

Yeah, it did cross my mind a few times that maybe I was being penalised for telling the truth @Alon1 - and I certainly did consider that the fact that my bookings stopped dead for months on end after I fought them on the €2400 refund just a little too coincidental for comfort, but that was really only in the absence of any other rational explanation.

But really, I've been speaking out about Airbnb's hypocrisy, unjust practices and policies and lack of transparency for years, (as you know!), so if they were going to shut me down, they've had plenty of opportunities to do so before now. Besides, nothing I ever say about them is false or fabricated  - it's all out there already, if you know where to look, and I can back up every word. And then some. And it really wouldn't look good for them to bounce me, after 9 years and 19 times superhost, simply for being honest. Because that would make them look like tyrannical dictators with something to hide, wouldn't it? 

From what I understand from Ben, I'm not really sure the issue itself is a very complex technical one. Seems to me it should have been a very simple fix all along, if only one single Airbnb employee I spoke with in all this time had even a fraction of Ben's smarts. (That's the most depressing, frustrating and infuriating part of this whole debacle). But yes, I agree - they should hire him immediately. He'd wipe the floor with the whole lot of them. 

As for claiming compensation - yes, I probably could give it a try. I'm too pissed off right at this moment to make any final decision on what I'm going to do about it yet though. I have a few options up my sleeve, but I'll wait a few days until the red mist clears before I decide my best plan of action. lol 😉

[Alon1]

@Susan17 

In any case, write and finish your book! 

[Susan17]

Working hard on it, @Alon1! On the advice of those who know a lot more about these things than I do, it's taken a rather different route than the one I had planned originally though. Never realised how much hard graft is involved in writing a book! Have to say, it's whipping up a nice bit of interest though. My cousin is with a PR & Media agency in London, with offices in the US and SA, and there's a possibility of another very different, but related, project too. So who knows - maybe Airbnb did me a favour after all, even if it doesn't feel like it right now! Every cloud.... 

[Alon1]

@Susan17 

It's difficult to erase a decade of hosting on Airbnb. Judging by your record it seems to have been mostly favourable, and now provided you with a new challenge to channel your thoughts and energy.

You are evidently describing the creative process.

You know the saying?

1% inspiration, 99% perspiration.

The process of transformation is always interesting to behold - what's in one's head and how to get it down on paper (or whatever medium) is the initial challenge; and then when there's something concrete, the next stage are the different paths that emerge to get it out into the world.

I 

[Sarah977]

@Susan17  It's not just that Ben has the smarts, it's that he actually cares.  The caring part is what is missing from most interactions with the company. Lots of empty words about how much they care, no actual caring. Your problem may have been worked on a bit by some Airbnb techie, then he lost interest and moved on to something else. They don't really care about anyone's problems, hosts or guests, or sticking with it until they come up with a remedy, they just basically practice damage control. That's why they never return promised phone calls, and try to close cases which are obviously unresolved.

[Susan17]

That's very true, @Sarah977, and if ever there was an instance that proves your theory correct, this is it! 

The thing is, it doesn't matter two hoots if Airbnb cares about its hosts as people - despite their happy-clappy, lovey-dovey narrative, their actions speak very much louder than their words, and very few are buying into their sweet-talk any more - but it does matter that they keep to the terms and conditions they drew up, and provide the service they contractually and legally agreed to provide. Which in many, many cases - including my own - they fail to do. That matters very, very much. 

[Helen350]

LOL re the desire to knock Ed out with a stone! 

I hope you get a permanent solution to your visibility problem @Susan17 & I'm so glad there are people here like Ben & Rob who can diagnose the problem.. now let's hope airbnb can fix once & for all!

[Susan17]

Thank you @Helen350! It's great to finally have a solution to the problem, after all these years! Just a great shame that Airbnb has failed - repeatedly - to diagnose it for so long. Now we just need to hope and pray that Irish hosts are not put out of business on June 1st anyway! 

As for Ed - I kinda feel bad about having wanted to do him damage, because I hear he's an absolute darling - and to be fair, he's a talented guy - but after a week of local traffic disruption, soundchecks, rehearsals and feeling like Ed was belting his songs out in my own living room, I never wanted to hear another Ed Sheeran song again as long as I live 😉

[Sharyn-and-Colin0]

Hi Susan,

Sorry to sound silly, what are the new regs coming in?

[Susan17]

@Sharyn-and-Colin0 

Sorry guys, I should have clarified - just the new Regulations due to come into force here in Ireland on June 1st (though at this stage, we're in limbo because neither our own Govt, Dublin City Council, nor Airbnb will clarify whether or not they're going ahead, and if so, exactly what form they'll take).

So we're all totally in the dark here, with a lot of people depending on their Airbnb earnings, but nobody knowing for sure whether or not that income will be suddenly cut off,  with only just over 4 weeks to go to deadline. We're all just being played as pawns in other people's political games.  Fun times. 

[Susan17]

Jesus. Bit disconcerting to get an email telling me that I moved this thread - and renamed it - when I did no such thing. I'd have renamed it, "How Can I Stop Airbnb Screwing Me Over?", not "How Can I Get More Bookings?" 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Susan17 

Jesus. Bit disconcerting to get an email telling me that I moved this thread - and renamed it - when I did no such thing.

??!!!!!!!!

[Susan17]

Lol! This convo was obviously separated by the admins from the original thread it was part of @Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 - well, most of it anyway! (Still a couple of comments hanging incongruously in the other thread that should have been moved too though)

I've no problem with it being separated, but was just a bit of a surprise to get an email saying "Susan moved this thread to Hosting", when I wasn't the one who moved it! Even more of a surprise, as I  rarely ever receive notifications at all, even when someone tags me! 😉