Suggested improvements to make the Website and app less awkward for both guests and hosts

Suggested improvements to make the Website and app less awkward for both guests and hosts

After hosting for almost four years now, and being Super Hosts for multiple years, my husband and I have compiled a list of improvements we feel would make both the hosts’ and the guests’ experiences on the AirBnB website much more enjoyable and less frustrating.

  1. The price per night on the listing page should say “starting from” and then the starting price. Too many guests assume that the price listed there is the flat price; then, as the host I have to spend quite a bit of time explaining why the price may be different.
  2. Guidebook should be in a sidebar link, easily seen and accessible, not all the way below the reviews. If you have hundreds of reviews, people never find it without me telling them where to look.
  3. The updated Dash on a PC is frustrating in that there is no direct link by a guest’s upcoming reservation to message them. I have to click their reservation, a new window opens to their itinerary, and then I have to find “message guest” on their itinerary. This is too many steps. Direct link to message guest on the Dash page needs to come back.
  4. When I changed my calendar to smart pricing, I had to go through and change all of the holiday/ special pricing that was previously changed before activating Smart Pricing. This is very time consuming and frustrating. Any changes to pricing that was made before changing to smart pricing should stay.
  5. I waited four days to be able to update our listing’s guidebook. When I sent an email to customer service asking why I could not update it, they told me there was an update going on and it would take a few days. Alert hosts, especially Super Hosts ahead of time before an update like that occurs.
  6. The calendar oftentimes will not update on an Ipad and iphone; it requires a restart before the calendar will update.
  7. Apps are horrible to search with. You need a desktop, and even then, searching by your most important criteria is awkward.
  8. Hosts should not be required to disclose their phone number. I have had several frustrating situations late at night that could have been communicated just as well through the AirBnB messages. If a phone number is required to get alerts, the number should NOT be shared with guests.
  9. Many FAQ by guests can be answered in our listing’s profile, however, even with encouragement, guests often do not read the entire profile. Add a FAQ area to each listing to be completed by hosts so I do not have to spend a considerable amount of my time answering the same questions or referencing the area in the profile to read.
  10. It is currently a very cumbersome process to add a pet fee, and the guest must approve the change to the reservation even though this is a requirement for our rental. AirBnB needs to add in a pet fee automatically just like the cleaning fee, etc.
4 Comments
Amy38
Level 10

@Sarah1061. Excellent points.  I would emphatically add , bring back the easily found Map search....which has gone from just there, to hidden and not intuitive to as of today, completely gone.

Bonnie10
Level 2
Where on earth is the host button to click on to get to your site/calendar/messages? It seems to have disappeared.
Amy38
Level 10

It sucks...

go to dashboard, click  ‘your listing ‘ and then you will have the calendar option.

From the dashboardyou can go to messages directly.

 

Most awkward billion dollar company site in the world.  Airbnb should be embarrassed, deeply embarrassed. To say nothing about the fact that it often change with no improvement.

That frequently accessed features are not part of an easily found drop down menu is just plain demented.  Isnt San Francisco somewhere near Silicon Valley?

Tammy24
Level 2
I love being a host but have you ever had that one guest you just wish they understood what house rules actually mean! I try to give positive reviews to all my guests but I think it would be very helpful to have a note taking area on the website for hosts to jot down little likes/dislikes about a guest (private notes/not to complain to Airbnb) and if they are a repeat guest what to help them with so they do better with other hosts. They forget things like making sure all the lights are off when they check out, make sure to lock up when they check out don't leave the door wide open. Who leaves their house and don't do these things apparently many do cause I have had it happen on 3 occasions recently with different guests! I could list many things but I don't want to sound like I am nit picking. But a host area for notes about each guest would help us remember things about guests to help their next stay more comfortable!