October 2017 Host Newsletter

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

October 2017 Host Newsletter

Hello everyone,

 

I hope you have had a great October! I am pleased to share with you this month's edition of the host newsletter. 

 

October Host Newsletter

 

Highlights this month include:

 

  • How does Search work–(this is my particular favourite highlight this month) the questions for this are based on frequently asked search questions shared here in the Community Center. We went directly to the Search team to get their responses. If you would like to take a look at the topic and get involved in the discussion, take a look here.
  • Know who's coming and why–when your guest books your Instant Book listing, you can now have them answer questions about their trip.
  • A new way for guests to pay–it's now easier for groups to book your space and split the bill! (We also have a conversation on this new booking option here in the Community Center, take a look here.)

We hope you enjoy this month's Host Newsletter and please do share to hear any thoughts you have.

 

Thanks,

Lizzie


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

13 Replies 13

@Lizzie:
Hate the new calendar hostage taking. While group pay may be a good idea, keeping a host's calendar hostage for FOUR DAYS is way too long. It should be 24 hours at most. This can easily prevent hosts from getting bookings if the group ends up not paying and the host does not have time left to get another booking before the event or time period. 

 

Good idea. Flawed process. 

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Great to hear from you @Tim-and-Holly0, I hope you are good. 🙂

 

Thanks for your feedback on this new feature, I am pleased to hear you like the idea of it. Other hosts here in the CC have mentioned the length of time that your calendar is blocked off for (in the thread mentioned above), so thank you for highlighting this too. I have been passing the feedback over to the team, so it is great to have yours as well.  

 

Do you think it will be a useful booking option for your potential guests?

 

Thanks again,
Lizzie


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

@Lizzie:

I think that some of my guests would have used it. It may make make a guest more likely to make an initial booking knowing that they do not have to put the entire amount of the reservation on their own card. Like I said, Good idea. Flawed process.

24hrs is what it should be !!

24hrs is what it should be !! Guest should figure this all out amongst themselves before they book.... Really

leave it alone !!! 24 hrs period 

thanks

I'm curious what constitutes a group for this new group pay. We have a max of two guests and it would seem absurd for guests to choose this option to split the bill, but it would not surprise me. I hope they cannot. Is there is a minumum number of guests for them to be able to do this?

Birgit0
Level 3
Long Beach, CA

I happened upon this newsletter post by chance.  I have never seen it before.  Do I have to sign up anywhere to get the newsletter?

Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Birgit0,

 

Lovely to meet you, thanks for asking about this.

 

If you go to your Airbnb 'Account Settings', then scroll down to 'Email Settings', you should see a box called 'General and Promotional Emails'. To receive this email, you will need to have this ticked.

 

If you see this is already ticked, but you don't see the emails in your personal email box, I would have a look in your 'junk' messages as it may have been going in there accidentially.

 

Please do let me know how you get on. Also, to let you know, I post a version of the Host Newsletters here every month, so you can also keep an eye out here. 🙂

 

Speak to you soon.

 

Lizzie


--------------------


Thank you for the last 7 years, find out more in my Personal Update.


Looking to contact our Support Team, for details...take a look at the Community Help Guides.

Robin129
Level 10
Belle, WV

I am also not a fan of the group booking for the same reasons already stated. Who in the world thought it would be okay with hosts to block days that long? Paying for the room isn't the host's problem. Put a hold on one of the group member's credit cards and let them work out the payments. 

Honestly, some of this stuff is just frustrating for me as a host. The host is taking the risk. Stop making it harder on us.

---> That's how I look at most guests, like cousins. And you know, some of those cousins are kooks.
Richard48
Level 2
Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

just leeve it alone . guests will do what THEY want

Some body know if we doing Airbnb we lost our homestead? 

Lydia94
Level 10
Cleveland, OH

I like to talk about the changes to the webside. After 4 years hosting with Airbnb with no problems I am having the worst time in my life and I need to know if I am the only one. I have a large house with 8 rooms and I mange from out of the country. My partner take care of the house and the guests. My most important tool was MY RESERVATIONS ( RECENT ) and this list is no longer available from the new webside. Today I had to discover another change what in my opinion is not for the better but the worst. I am no longer able to print the simple - one page - Itinerary it i taken out of the system. I have to print the 4 page Itinerary, what is important for the guest, but not for me as the host. I give my guests what I promise and more, I don,t need to see the pic of my rooms, I know my rooms.

Please help me. Thank you - Lydia

Chrisje0
Level 3
Antwerp, Belgium

Hi,

 

I believe it is a great idea to have the split group payment, but indeed the period takes too much time... certainly with 'last minutes/days' booking. It really should be shorter.