Seeking Your Thoughts on AI Chatbot for Guest Support 🌟

[Hasan132]

Hey there fellow Airbnb hosts,

I hope this message finds you well amidst your hosting adventures! 😊 I am reaching out to all of you wonderful hosts to get your honest opinions.

We're in the early stages of exploring the possibility of introducing an AI chatbot to assist with guest inquiries and support. The idea is to provide quick and efficient responses to common questions, ensuring our guests feel well taken care of, even during odd hours.

Now, before anything solid takes shape, I truly value your insights and concerns. I'm not here to make a sales pitch or anything like that – I'm genuinely interested in understanding your thoughts on this. What do you think about the concept of an AI chatbot as a supplement to our existing support system? Are there any potential pros or cons that come to your mind?

I know that the personal touch and human interaction are key aspects of the Airbnb experience, and I totally resonate with that. Our aim would be to strike a balance between the convenience of quick responses and the warmth of personal assistance.

If you have a moment to spare, I'd love to hear your take on this. Please feel free to share any concerns, ideas, or suggestions you might have. After all, it's the collective wisdom of hosts like you that will shape the future direction of this endeavor.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and for being an amazing part of our hosting community. Your feedback means the world to us as we embark on this journey to provide even better guest support. 🙂

Warm regards,

Hasan

[Bhumika]

Hi @Gaelle167 , You've asked an interesting question. Since you've commented an older thread, I was wondering if you were interested in starting this discussion with experienced Hosts by 👉starting a new conversation by clicking here 👈. 

Also, have you also explored AI suggested quick replies in Airbnb Chat? Find more about it in this article here : 👉Using quick replies to save time 👈 😉

[Michael-and-Tamara0]

As a host of a small property I would never use it. Our guests really appreciate the personal real-person contact. We ourselves have stayed in what we’re pretty sure have been two places that were using an AI virtual assistant. That’s fine with sending automated information with checkin details, etc., but Airbnb already has that built in. Otherwise I found it cold and off-putting. The most recent stay outright gave us wrong information about parking and tried to send us to a paid parking garage that was “only a 5-minute taxi ride away” when there was plenty of street parking and also told us there was no loading area when we found there clearly was. (This location was a restored vintage motel). It’s just “ick,” sorry. Don’t do it. It took all the charm away from what otherwise was a great place. 

[David13092]

I'm doing very well with chat bots to serve my guests, I see that most chat bots to serve guests are very expensive, from 40 to 50 us for a single property, it's very high, finally I found this solution in Colombia that works very well for me, it's called digitraAI **  it's very well priced and they have a first-class service and I can train the bot myself with the information from my Airbnb property, I recommend them. 

**[Link removed in line with the Community Center Guidelines] - Please note that it is not allowed to advertise on the Community Center. 

[Helen427]

Alternatively, Hosts already generally have required information in their listings that Guests can take the time to read so have all the knowledge they need beforehand.

Why bother with AI bots @David13092 @Michael-and-Tamara0 @Maria23162 @Hasan132 ?

[Nazar99]

there are few handy tools that can do that for you. the established PMS like Hostify  (**) do the job and if you just look for messaging support inside AirBnB messaging SnappyReply (**) can help with that. 

but yeah, would be cool if this feature was built into airbnb interface, eh?!

**[Link removed as per the Community Center Guidelines]

[Vito22]

It is not maybe exactly what you meant, but I recently used a GPT driven chatbox for airbnb search:

nomadomia**

It is not perfect, but the ability of follow up with question to refine your search in a chat version seems really the future of the way guest interact and search in the vacation space

**[Link removed - Community Center Guidelines

[Maria23162]

I just faced an unbelievable abuse of guest cancellation policy and AI did not detected anything.I am a super host for 4ywars with 5 star reviews only.Guest that supposed to stay for 2 months left after 1 days because his friend invited him to stay for free in his apartment (I know this because we are small community located in DR and know all workers in condos around).So we he claimed free cancellation fabricating false accusation of a cleaning issue in the apartment that didn’t have any base, he never send any proof of that,the apartment was cleaned deeply same day of his arrival. But he was sending a message to customer service using key words like “mold” ,”dirty”, “dust” and etc. AI cancelled the reservation without reviewing any of my proof or without calling, when I asked based on what proof,it forwarded me the pictures he send. It was plastic bottle of water, my rustic ceramic caps, little bathroom window that was not clean from outside (it’s a 4 floor without an access to this window), that was nothing to do with the inside and a little crack of a paint.

We lost US$4k rent for this bul**bleep**. So with an AI you can literature send a homeless persons dirty feet and get the refund. 

[Helen3]

Call Airbnb - demonstrate they cancelled with no proof of issues guests complained of and without giving you a chance to respond .

presumably you've provided them with video and photo evidence . 

tell them they still need to honour your payment for one month because they didn't follow their process .

leave a very honest review @Maria23162 

[Bilguun2]

I built a tool that has this functionality. It continuously learns from your messages and listing information. You can try it at ***

**[Link removed for privacy reasons in line with the Community Center Guidelines]

[Olga207]

Hi Hasan and fellow hosts,

I'm a host in Santorini with many years of experience in hospitality. Like many of you, I used to hate robotic responses – the cold, generic messages that make guests feel like a number. That’s exactly why I decided to build my own AI chatbots, based on real guest care and personality.

I’ve created custom bots for my properties that guests love — some even mention them in their reviews! They answer in the guest’s language, help with check-in, local tips, WiFi, you name it — but in a warm, friendly way, just like a real host would.

They’ve saved me hours of messaging and my guests actually enjoy chatting with them. It’s been such a game-changer that I now offer this as a service to other hosts as well.

If anyone’s curious, I’m happy to share more about how it works!

[Patricia5178]

My interaction just now. Terrible and nonhelpful.

Airbnb Support12:55 PM

Hi Patricia,

Thank you once again for your continued patience and understanding as our team works diligently to investigate this matter.

We understand that this isn’t the outcome you were hoping for, but your cancellation is subject to the cancellation policy for the listing when you booked unless you agreed to an additional refund directly with your Host.

Just checking in to see if there's anything else you might need assistance with at this time. We're here and happy to help.

1:05 PM

So the host was misrepresenting your Travelers insurance providing coverage for the remainder of our refund?

We are out $900 and we gave 10days notice when all we wanted was to push the reservation due to Disability\Sickness.

Your website has a section on disabilities... does this apply?

We did everything we could and it seems the host was pointing to you and you are pointing to the host while we lose money.

Airbnb Support1:11 PM

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for your response — we truly appreciate your time and patience.

Upon reviewing your reservation, we’ve confirmed that it does not include travel insurance. Because of this, we’re unable to apply insurance coverage toward the remaining refund through Airbnb.

We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and we sincerely empathize with your situation. Please note that any refund beyond the Host’s cancellation policy is at the Host’s discretion.

If there’s anything else we can assist you with, please don’t hesitate to reach out — we’re here to help.

Learn more about how to find your Host’s cancellation policy for the reservation in the Help Center:

airbnb.com/help/question/149
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/3443

1:21 PM

AirBnb provide says it provides Reasonable Accommodation disabilities. This is the real question here.

We asked 10days prior for the host to move the date. They would not. They forced us to do a refund and lose $900.

We are on fixed income. I cannot imagine whoever runs AirBnb wants this to be the outcome.

We also don't think the host should be considered a "Superhost" by not accommodating a very reasonable and timely request.

We have had mostly good experiences with AirBnb until now. Perhaps you can ask someone else if this is how you want to treat disabled\special needs situations.

Airbnb Support1:32 PM

Hi Patricia,

Thank you for reaching out, and please accept our sincere apologies for any inconvenience you've experienced.

To answer your question — Airbnb is committed to supporting guests with accessibility needs, and we strive to ensure accommodations are inclusive and welcoming.

Regarding the refund, any amount beyond what is covered by the Host’s cancellation policy is at the Host’s discretion. Please note that the cancellation policy was provided prior to booking, and is part of the terms agreed upon at the time of reservation.

Since the remaining refund has already been included in the Host’s payout, we would need their explicit authorization to process the full refund on our end.

We’re more than willing to assist you with this, and to move forward, we kindly ask that you reach out to your Host and request their confirmation. Once we receive that, we’ll be able to proceed accordingly.

Thank you again, Patricia, for your understanding. We’re here to support you every step of the way.

1:38 PM

"Reasonable Accommodation". The whole point is for situations like this.

I get contracts, business, money...blah blah. This is about he human situation that happens. The struggles disability have beyond able bodied. This is Patricia's partner (Walter), who has to run blocker because she does not have the energy to do so. There are very few wins and added losses for those with disabilities. Chalk up another loss.

We only to support businesses that understand this. We thought you did. Please pass this on to others and we hope positive change can happen.

Airbnb Support1:45 PM

Hi Patricia,

Thank you so much for your time and patience as our investigations team carefully reviewed your concern. We truly appreciate the effort you’ve made and the information you’ve provided throughout this process.

After a thorough evaluation of all the details, we regret to inform you that we’re unable to proceed with the refund request. We understand this may not be the outcome you were hoping for, and we want to acknowledge the care and effort you’ve shown as a guest on our platform. Please know that you are genuinely appreciated.

Airbnb is committed to applying our policies consistently across all users to ensure fairness and transparency. That said, we deeply value your feedback and want to make sure you feel heard and supported. If you’d like to share any thoughts regarding this issue, our policies, or your overall experience, we encourage you to do so at airbnb.com/help/feedback. Your insights are incredibly valuable as we continue to improve our services.

You’ve been a part of the Airbnb family, and your relationship with us means a great deal. We hope your future travels are filled with joy and unforgettable memories.

Thank you for being a valued member of our community. If you have any questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to visit airbnb.com/help. We’re here for you and look forward to supporting you again in the future.

1:47 PM

Is this a person or AI?

Airbnb Support1:52 PM

Hi Patricia,

Thank you again for staying in touch — we want to assure you that you're speaking with a real person, and we’re here to support you.

As mentioned, we’re more than happy to process the remaining refund on our end. However, since the amount is part of the Host’s payout, we’ll need their confirmation before we can proceed.

If your Host is willing to approve the refund, they can simply confirm this directly in the messaging thread. Once we receive that confirmation, we’ll be able to take the next steps.

We appreciate your understanding and patience, Patricia. Please let us know if you need any help reaching out to your Host — we’re here for you.

1:55 PM

What is your name please?

Airbnb Support1:57 PM

This is Queen, your Support Ambassador, Patricia.

2:03 PM

??? Hmmhhmm Well, Queen, if you read above you would know this is Walter, Patricia's partner. Can you please send this dialogue and our request, suggestions and complaint to the owner\representative that can actually do something about it. Thank you.