Customer Support

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Customer Support

I have had a problem because our listing could not be found by anyone doing a search for the town in which we live. Somehow I managed to make contact with AirBnB and was assured my issue was being looked at and addressed.

 

But nothing was done.

 

Completely frustrated, I made my way to this forum and after sifting through all the chat have discovered that I need to update my profile daily in order to retain visibility. Why could I not have been told this by the consultant I was dealing with? It is a simple solution and would have avoided all the time I have wasted.

 

I understand what AirBnB is trying to do. I am not sure whether it is going to work for me. But I understand.  

 

The question I have is why when we are the only venue in the district that is listed on AirBnB do they want to penalise us for not editing the listing every day. The fact that they list properties over an hours drive away in preference to ours does not work for the visitors using the site. Surely the search routine should give preference to all properties within a 10k or 20k radius of the search area before listing those that are nowhere near the destination a visitor is looking for?

13 Replies 13
Clare0
Level 10
Templeton, CA

 @Jono0 Having found many listings that hosts say are not appearing in search results, I have come to the conclusion that updating a listing is not the solution and in fact may be somewhat of a myth.  I'm sure that's why support did not mention this as a solution.

Reality is that the search function is designed to match guests with listings that match their preferences.  If a guest is looking for a place where you are located, and your listing has the amenities they prefer, can accommodate the number of guests, then your listing will be shown to him.  

Here's more information on how the search function works: 

http://blog.airbnb.com/how-search-makes-the-best-matches/

If you woud kindly tell me which of your listings you feel is not appearing in search results, I would be happy to take a look for you. 

Let me know!

Clare

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Clare we are the only listed establishment in the Nong Prue District, Kanchanaburi Province in Thailand. And we dropped off the map. AirBnB were listing properties in Kanchanaburi and Sai Yok which are an hour to an hour and a half out of the way.

 

I say were, because the first thing I changed was to switch on Instant Booking. After which up we popped.

 

Only to disappear a day or two later. I raised it with Customer Service who assured me that they had done all they could and suggested I contact the neighbourhood team. Which I did.

 

However nothing happened. I found the posts suggesting one updates the listings daily and made a few changes. Up we came for the first listing. This morning I edited the listing for Overnighter Prasopsuk. And up we came. So I don't think you are correct. It does have an effect.

 

Neither listing shows up for a search on Nong Prue District, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. All the properties listed are remotely near us. This is the bit I do not understand. Why if a visitor is looking to break journey in Nong Prue on the way to Mae Hong Son does AirBnB think they are doing both us and the guest a favour, by listing properties that are in Si Sawt overlooking the river and nowhere near the route they are taking. 

Ok @Jono0 please tell me which listing you'd like me to search.  I'd be happy to take a look.  Keep in mind, that I can only look for your listing in the location listed on your listing.  Let me know!

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Thanks. Nong Prue, Kanchanaburi, Thailand and Nong Prue District, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The two listing are the Nong Prue Homestay and Overnighter Prasopsuk.

 

Neither showed for the district search when I searched the morning.

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

@Clare0 I am not sure if you tried the search. But I have just changed Prasopsuk to Instant Booking and it now pops up for a search on Nong Prue Kanchanaburi Thailand. However still no sign of it for Nong Prue District, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The other room Nong Prue Homestay appears for both but gets pushed into third and fourth position by properties nowhere near the Nong Prue District.  

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Both of our listings are coming up for a search on the 24th using Nong Prue, Kanchanaburi as a search term. But not on the 23rd. Suspect thats my settings. However Prasopsuk is not listed if one searches for Nong Prue District on any date. Whereas listings for places in Bangkok (two and a half hours away) do come up.

 

This is obviously wrong.

 

The search should show all listings In Nong Prue District first, irrespective of how how many times one updates or how bad the reviews are that one has had. Similarly a search for Nong Prue should display all listing in Nong Prue first, Nong Prue District next and everywhere else thereafter.

 

Surely this business is about offering the visitors what they are looking for rather than wasting their time flipping through listings that are nowhere near where they want to be?  

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

This morning our two listings rank at the top of the results, where they should, when searching for Nong Prue. But on a search for Nong Prue District one of our rooms is preceded by two properties in Kanchanaburi (an hour away) and followed by a listing in Bangkok (two and a half hours away). Our second room is at the bottom of page two where it wpon't be found. 

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

I have had a response from Customer Service essentially saying there is nothing they can do. However our second room is now appearing on the first page of listed properties for a search on Nong Prue District. They have been doing something and I will wait to see how long it lasts. In the interim we still have a problem. The first property listed is located in Suphanburi. That is not the Nong Prue district, it is not even the Kanchanaburi Province. It is an hour and a halfs drive from the search area. And the question that must be asked who in the back office actually believes that this is what AirBnB's customers are looking for?

 

As I wrote to CS, my point is:

 

"If there is nothing you can do about that, there is something seriously wrong with the policies and procedures at AirBnB. You are aware of the problem. But you can do nothing?

 

Have you searched for Nong Prue District? Our listing for Overnighter is currently on page two. That has climbed from nowhere, after activating Instant Booking and updating the profile.

 

It could be solved by ensuring that the search filters list all properties in a particular town first, all properties in the specified district next and the filler thereafter. If you then want to give preference to hosts that are more active than others, do so. But within parameters that are simple common sense. Whoever makes these decisions is overlooking the fact that in outlying areas, you don’t want to apply “rules” that have been dreamt up as an incentive for hosts to update their details regularly.

 

The fact that AirBnB cannot provide the guest with the information they are looking for, except in high density traffic areas, means that the site is a bad choice for anyone travelling the road less travelled. That being an emerging market that AirBnB does not apparently cater for."

 

Hello

 

Can anyone tell me how do I get support and contact from Air b&b directly...?

 

 They seem to be invisible..... 

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

It is not easy.

 

Click on the Help tab top right. You will get an option for the Community Forum or Help Centre. Select Help Centre. You will see a menu on the left of the page with a Contact option right at the bottom. Click on that.  The options given are the Help Centre, the Community and right at the bottom Still Need Help - Contact AirBnB.

 

You get asked to describe your problem and some choices will direct you to the FAQ's in the Help Centre. They would prefer you to exhaust the first two resources before seeking direct help which is sort of understandable. 

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Both our listings are still on the first page of the search results. They do jump around, rising and falling, seldom getting to the top of the page. This is the part I do not understand. Why does AirBnB believe that visitors to the site want to view properties that are 150k's out of their way in preferance to listings in the district they want?

 

It's muddled logic.

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

Now you see us, now you don't. Our one listing has dropped off the radar. All it took was a couple of days. The only two listings in Nong Prue and the one has dropped back to page four if one searchs for Nong Prue District. Visitors looking for accommodation in the district have a choice of properties in Bangkok, Kanchanaburi and Suphanburi. Nowhere near the destination they want. AirBnB is not doing themselves, the hosts or the visitors to the site any favours by applying the current search criteria. 

 

Jono0
Level 2
Kanchanaburi, Thailand

I added another listing making it three in Nong Prue town and three in Nong Prue District. The newest listing shows up where it should. One of the older listings appears half way down the page. It is preceded by properties that are nowhere near the requested destination. The third listing appears on page four where it will never be found by visitors who do not have the time to wade through all the options they are not looking for.