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. 

[Robin4]

@Susan17 

Possum, we are all trying to help!

Ben has the computer know- how, I have the legs and the stamina! I don't understand the dots and dashes, but I do understand what I see, and I am prepared to keep looking and observing!

We just hate to see such a stellar host as you Susan, like this in the pits of despair over something that is not your fault. 

A lovely host here, Michelle is having your exact problem. Search pages in her area of Wollongong yields nothing, while search pages for Mt Kiera, Southern Highlands 40 Kms away brings her up loud and clear. She has provided documentation, including council rate notices to show where her listing is actually located, but.....all to no avail.

I went down to Ade one night when I was working in support and said...."I am not going to log-on in the morning, I am really starting to doubt what I do"!

That's when I came back to the CC, here I feel I can help, and I really hope there is something I and others can do here Susan!

We are a community, mate!

Cheers.....Rob

[Susan17]

@Robin4 

Well after feeling like I'd been hit by a ten-tonne truck, I retreated to my cave for 24 hrs, licked my wounds, howled at the moon for a bit, and now I'm back on my feet and back on the prowl! No point in crying over spilt milk. A new day, a new adventure... 

I'm smiling here to myself as I write this Rob. I'm still not sure that this would fit my personal definition of "community", but for sure, there are some lovely, supportive people who do genuinely care, and for that - especially over the past few days - I'm hugely grateful, and appreciative.  

The most ironic (but uplifting) part for me is that, of all people,  I've had my fair share of head-to-head clashes with you, @Alon1 and @Ben - probably moreso than with anybody else on the forum - but you've all been my knights in shining armour in helping me sort this mess out! I can assure you, it means a great deal to me, and won't be forgotten. So thank you all. You're my heroes right now! ❤

[Susan17]

PS... just as long as y'all know that I haven't gone soft, and we'll probably have plenty more spirited disagreements along the way! Besides, how boring and tedious would life be if we all had the same perspective on everything :))

[Susan17]

@Robin

Thanks for the PM, Rob. Tried again and again to respond to your message, but it just won't send. Then had a brainwave and thought I'd try just sending a new message, but you didn't come up in the 25 "@Robin' options available to click. Finally, came back here to this thread, copied an '@Robin' from here, back to the PMs, pasted it in the search bar, and it's just saying "No matches" now. Please don't think I'm just ignoring your messages - or anyone else's! I'm definitely not - I just can't respond! I'll keep trying. Seems to work, the occasional time here and there 😞

[Stephanie]

Hi @Susan17 

Sorry about that weird message, I too got the message you moved the thread. This is an issue with the Lithium platform used for this forum.

Thanks,

Stephanie

[Julia0]

Hi Susan, as an original member of a fairly short lived Facebook group (can't remember what it was called, Rebecca, Jane, you, me and a couple of others), I had a look and Temple Bar comes up in search, so maybe it is location? I have the same deal sometimes although you'd think Wimbledon Tennis should be good enough to search.

Plus there are so many filters now that it's easy to lose the will to live while searching for anything..

I wonder how anyone can find anything - best of luck though, and although you're a bit pissed off now, I know you'll be back with your gloves up.

Shame  though, it used to be so good, now it seems like running a bloody marathon every day..

[Julia0]

And, have you tried "we are your Airbnb hosts" forum? A bit USA, but worth a read.

[Susan17]

Haven't seen that forum. I'll look it up! 

Andrew also posts on here sometimes. Remember him from Global Hosting Forum group? 

[Susan17]

Hi @Julia0!!! Thank you for the message and so lovely to hear from you! How's life been treating you? 

Rebecca is still hosting and pops in here every now and again, and as far as I know, Jane packed it in. I believe Rebecca is finding the Edinburgh market quite challenging too these days - like everywhere else, grossly over-saturated long ago, and now swamped with commercial operators. 

I'm actually situated about 10-12 mins drive from Temple Bar, but was advised by a CX agent to put that in my listing title - he reckoned it might help. (It didn't, unfortunately!) But even though I am so close to town, I might as well be situated on the moon, as far as the Airbnb search function is concerned! 

And yeah, everything is so much more difficult, and convoluted, on the site now, even for guests. Way too much faffing about. I used to use Airbnb for travelling all the time - probably had about 45-50 stays over the years - but I gave up using it in the summer of 2016, after 3 consecutive stays were cancelled by hosts, when I was travelling with my sons. But at least searching as a guest was pretty straightforward back then - now it's a confusing mess. That's progress for ya! 

Have you managed to get bookings for Wimbledon this year yet? I hope so! 

[Julia0]

Hi Susan,

Have a couple of bookings for this year, but as you say, listings around here have increased tenfold. Luckily I have some long standing guys here for work and I must say that I prefer them - no demands or silly expectations, just out for work early, home, eat and then to their rooms for the night! Perfect.

I do hope you sort this mess and wish you the very best. I'll keep my eye out for Andrew, although I don't come here often, will also look for Rebecca, she was sooo funny!

[Alon1]

@Julia0 

Since the deluge in London my Guests are almost exclusively limited to those searching in my area:

Hampstead, Belsize, Swiss Cottage, Finchley Road. And the vast majority of those who find me do so via the map. -- In sum, it feels like being on an island called NW3

[Julia0]

@Alon1 @Susan17 

We all seem to be on islands nowadays!

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Susan17 

On page 2 of this thread You wrote:

"This time alone, for one of my two listings, I've had just 3 bookings in 7 and a half months"

So You say You have 2 listings, but Your profile shows 4 listings, two of them are marked "NEW"

Do You have 2 or 4 listings?

Also: Are all of Your listings under the same postal adress or under different postal adresses?

I have the same geo-problem that You have and I am using a dead stupid and simple solution to avoid geo-problems. Answer my questions and I'll get back to You.

[Susan17]

@Ute42 

I have 2 listings. When I phoned up a few weeks ago, a CX agent advised me to try duplicating my listings, but with a lower maximum number of guests, to see if that would help. It didn't. Neither of the duplicate listings have had a single inquiry either. They're under exactly the same postal address as my original listings. 

[Ute42]

.

Hi @Susan17 

I've just sent You a private email.