Dear Airbnb...what on Earth are you thinking?

Dear Airbnb...what on Earth are you thinking?

Dear Airbnb. My apartment is 9 rooms including three bedrooms. YOU  want me to pay $25/hour to clean a space that takes 4 hours to flip. My neighbor rents a small studio apartment for $79 but you send me this email to drop the price to that level on a space 5 times larger...(Hint..you already know what type of guest I would get at that price. And according to other hosts you don’t side with hosts or honor the guarantee on damages). 

 

so...drumroll...in advance if your IPO I respectfully decline this RIDICULOUS suggestion.

 

PS...I am almost fully booked for the next two months at my original price. What extra days in the next 30 days are you looking at to come up with $715?

 

 

.....

AirbnbFill up your calendar and make more next monthIn the last 6 months, 29% of the available nights on your calendar were booked.Smart Pricing already helps you get booked when demand is low, but you could make more money overall if you’re willing to host at a lower price only on those less popular days.Your current minimum price is $125. If you changed your minimum price to $88, you could make up to $715 more in the next 30 days.Update your minimum price
 

 

 

 

 

31 Replies 31
Linda108
Level 10
La Quinta, CA

Some hosts find this type of information helpful, especially those who are not as successful as you.  @Christine615  complaining about a system generated message, while warranted, is a waste of your valuable time.  Most of us have learned to ignore this stuff. 😛

Since this is not the first time a host has complained I find your admonishment both condescending and short sighted. Airbnb is trying to grow bed nights in advance if and  in light of the failing Lyft and Uber IPO’s. 

 

They talk in articles terms of how how many nights “they” have hosted rather than hosts who own and manage the inventory.

 

We have repeatedly asked not to be spammed this way. It was bad on the app but humorous. It’s not welcome as a personalized email.

 

So it’s fine if you don’t agree, but not fine to suggest my opinions are unwelcome or that your opinion is universal among hosts. 

 

Since I addressed my concerns about Airbnb’s inconsistency and unsustainable suggestions I see this as a warning to new hosts desperate to get more revenue and not having Airbnb tell them what type of problematic guests other hosts have reported as a result of following these low ball suggestions or that the rent would be lower than expenses but also....,

 

I’m a Superhost, don’t need algorithms coaching me without looking at the property size or implying that I’m in need of    lower rent to fill days that are...drumroll, already full at the higher price point.

 

But good luck to you. Airbnb is counting in hosts to fuel an IPO that benefits them and not you.

 

I for one think we should be allowed to opt out of this stuff. They’re a booking agency, not my life coach.

@Christine615 

 

I completely concur with your evaluation.

It would be easy for a database developer to write some SQL code to eliminate hosts fully book from this ridicules email, It would also be easy to write some code to compare your average nightly rates and occupancy levels to suggest a realistic price deviation for those few nights you may have available.

The problem with Airbnb software as I see it is, Airbnb are neither doing things right or doing the right things.


Marginal pricing suit business that have their cost covered, not so much business that have no realistic expectation of what their cost are going to be from one guest to the next.

I am constantly getting suggestions from Airbnb to lower my prices as low as $18/night. At that rate if they ruin one towel with bleach (it happens), I'm operating at a loss. I learned early on that the cheaper you rent your rooms, the less appreciative your clientelle are as well. The more you give, the more they criticize.  I rented a master bedroom suite with in room master bath to two people for $15/night with kitchen priviledges and use of laundry and got  only a 4 star rating because of location - they chose it but it brought down my 5 star rating.

@Christine615 @Gordon0 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Zappa0 @Ute42 @Sarah @Cormac0 

 

"Airbnb is trying to grow bed nights in advance if and  in light of the failing Lyft and Uber IPO’s"

 

@Christine615 100% correct. What we need to realise, is that Lyft and Uber's failing IPO's are the writing on the wall, and the apparent shift/decline in market confidence gives us a whole lot of power now, and manoeuvres us into an unprecedented position of strength. Without the backing and full support of its traditional small host and homesharer base - on whom Airbnb sells itself and its entire brand image to the public, media, local governments and most crucially, potential investors worldwide - the game is up and the IPO is doomed. 

 

For the first time in its history (or at least since its infancy), Airbnb needs us, more than we need Airbnb. Now is the time to utilise and strategise that truth to our advantage, by demanding the fair, equitable treatment and adequate, competent service we signed up for, and are legally, morally and ethically entitled to. 

@Susan17I could not agree more!  We need to keep complaining and flood this forum with posts  about the many issues/problems with Airbnb.  Maybe, just maybe someone will eventually realize that it would behoof them to listen to us hosts.  After all, no hosts, no Airbnb.  😛

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Christine615 I also hate those emails. What really irks me is that they have zero problem sending these out on a regular basis, yet somehow can't manage to send us an email notification when they change something on the platform or the format.

And I always respond to those emails. "Was this useful?" NO. Then I tell them exactly why. Which is basically that their "tips" and messages are insulting and that their algorithms are totally flawed.

@Sarah977   Exactly!!!

Ute42
Level 10
Germany

.

Hi @Christine615 ,

 

airbnb suggests, if you changed your minimum price to $88, you could make up to $715 more in the next 30 days.

 

I looked at Your calendar. In the next 30 days You have only 3 nights to rent out, these are may 19, 21 and 22. All the other dates are already occupied.

 

If You wanted to make another $715 in the next 30 days, You'd have to sell these 3 nights at a nightly rate of $238 while airbnb suggests to set Your price to $88 to make the extra $715.

 

I don't understand how that works.

 

@Ute42  I don’t either. Those dates have been booked for months. So I’m concerned this is a broader issue about the poorly created algorithms. I worry about inexperienced hosts who take this advice without investigating further. These emails make no sense!. 😞

Zappa0
Level 10
Key West, FL

If you think these emails are bad, my turn off airbnb notifications is BROKEN. I've called tech a gazillion times over the last 3 years. They trouble shoot "notifications are all turned off" and escalate to case tech manager and they tell.me they will contact immediately. They never do. I get around 30-40 emails a DAY from airbnb during busy season. 

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

@Christine615 @Ute42 @Sarah977 

 

Onse, I have set a price for one particular day to 10€.

My normal price is 50€ and all other future days were set to 50€

I received notifications suggesting me to lower my prices to 7€ per night even though 10€ is the lowest we can set.    😄 😄 😄

 

Airbnb "algorithm " is:   Your lowest price minus X %

 

 

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I recently attended an event at Airbnb in London and this subject came up. It got the overwhelming thumbs down from hosts. Airbnb said they were working on fixing it. We live in hope. 

Jeannie9
Level 2
Inverness, United Kingdom

Oh, I hope they do - it irritates me beyond words to be told to drop my price for a large and (guests say) pretty luxurious double room with en suite bathroom to one that's lower than the backpackers' hostels in the nearby village charge for people who sleep six to a room on bunk beds, the showers are broken and breakfast isn't included!