A thumbs up to customer service and a thumbs down for me

[Sam397]

With all the negative things that have been said about AirBnBs customer service in this forum, I feel its only fair to point out when they do good. 

Yesterday I had a guest cancel a few hours before he was supposed to arrive due to weather over the pass(mountain highway between Ca and Nv) I have a strict refund policy and received notice that I would get paid in full for the stay so I thought that was the end of it. Well after a very long hectic day I get home around midnight completely exhausted and I check my emails and I have an email saying that the guy wanted a refund because he had to cancel due to weather and since he couldn't control the weather he should get a refund. So I clicked on the deny/approve button and it took me to the resolution center page and was told I needed to write a message to the guest stating the reasons for denying the refund. And then there was another spot where I was to list the reason why customer service shouldn't give the guy a refund.  Up until that point, I thought this was an open and shut case and it was a no brainer. Now I thought that this was going to be just like all the post I had seen where BnB puts the guest over the hosts. I then proceeded to go off, saying how disrespectful they were being and how they were putting the guest ahead of the host, and my final statement to them was basically telling them that if they found in favor of the guest I would quit using them immediately. As soon as I woke up this morning I started thinking about it and realized that I shouldn't have gone off the way I did. I still thought they were going to put the guest over me, but this could also be a formality that they do whenever a guest makes a claim. I then checked my email expecting to see an email telling me that my account was going to be suspended or maybe find my listings wouldn't come up in searches, instead, I had an email from customer service that said the guest was not entitled to a refund and his payment to me would be unfrozen. I replied back thanking her and apologized for going off the way I did and she came back saying that it was ok and she knew I was just venting and it was better to vent on her than with the guest. I wouldn't have blamed her if she would have been less understanding about the whole thing. Which makes me wonder if they really are the cold-hearted, uncaring people that some have made them out to be. Maybe they are just doing their job and should be cut some slack. 

The thing that disappoints me was my actions, just the other day I was on this forum saying how it was better to not do something and wished you had than to do something and wished you hadn't of done it, and then I didn't even practice what I preached. I guess I still need to work on that some more. 

There is something I am thinking about doing that I would like peoples opinion on. I also got an email from the guest this morning saying he was sorry about trying to get the refund but he thought since BnB gives the option to request a refund that he may as well try, but he would not pursue it any farther. Even though I think the guest shouldn't have received a refund I do feel bad because it wasn't his fault, I am thinking about offering him a 25% discount if he wanted to rebook. But if he has a grudge about this he could rebook then turn around and give me a bad review. I imagine the smart thing to do would be to not take that chance but I am still debating it. I would love to hear what other hosts would do 

[Emiel1]

@Sam397,

The guest could have tried to approach Airbnb and opt for "I need to cancel because of an emergency or unavoidable circumstance:", as severe weatherconditions can be considerated as extenuating circumstances , as mentioned in here

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/1320/

And then receive a full refund.....

best regards,

Emiel

[Oad0]

Solution: Airbnb should offer insurance against inclement weather, and other such circumstances (like any other online booking do).

And @Sam397, If you don’t repay the guest in full - you stand getting a low review from the disgruntled guest. A fun fact, even if you repay in full — Airbnb will still keep its cut of 15% or so. LOL

....Airbnb always comes first, then the guest, and leastly the host

[Ann72]

@Sam397, you're so cool to write this post!  I'm really glad you had a good experience.  I've had excellent interactions with customer service (oh, once or twice I was a little frustrated, but overall very good), but the positive stories (just like positive news stories) don't make for as much drama as the negative ones, I guess.  But yours made for good reading!  🙂

I would totally go for the 25% offer upon rebooking.  Even if he never comes back, you've sent a really positive feeling out into the world and it will come back to you in other ways.

[Ben551]

@Sam397I tip my hat to you sir. That you can admit your wrongs is pure quality.  Thank you for posting a positive story too; many wouldn't bother, which is why I suspect we hear only of the negative ones!

PS:  I'm glad you stuck to your guns, because I have a bit of a beef about guests who don't book travel insurance.  I've never booked any hotel or flight or... anything, without paying the $5 (or whatever) it takes to insure the booking.  I will never understand people who don't do this, it's irresponsible.  That they expect hosts to be their insurance company is the icing on the moron-cake...

[Robin4]

@Sam397 Thanks for bringing this up Sam. Most people do not know how thankless being in a customer support role is! Everyone who come to you has a problem.....and just like you, most of them are angry and demand validation of their issue. It got the better of me in the end and I gave it away!

But as to the nuts and bolts of this issue here, I have a flexible cancellation policy but that is not the point!

I know many hosts will not agree with me with what I have to say here, and that is their rite....we all host a different way and I understand to suddenly lose a 7 night booking with no compensation in the height of season is a big blow which many can't afford!  

But from my point of view, I do not feel comfortable about receiving money for something I haven't done. My listing has to be prepared whether it is for this guest or the next one to come, so my out of pockets, is zero! Sure I may have lost a night or two payout but by getting the guest a full refund I ensure myself that this guest will come back.....and Sam, they do every time. I even end up getting a review like this!

That guest was due to arrive within a couple of hours and I was entitled to keep the hosting payout, but to me, whenever this happens, it doesn't seem right!

It is all very well saying all guests should have travel insurance! You only have to look at the product review websites to learn that that is rarely succesfull. On one of those sites a particular travel insurance company has over 940 reviews, of which 915 of them are....Terrible....one star! When the time came to access the insurance it was gone in a tangled web of exclusions!

When a guest simply has a change of heart and cancels and wants a refund, that's different! But when a guest is in the throws of trying to follow through on a booking but the forces of nature have made it not possible for them to arrive, I think nailing them to the wall as far as a refund is concerned is a bit hard.

I feel at the very least a partial refund would have been in order.....and if I had still been a support person and been on the end of that support line I think I would have been more than a little annoyed at a raised voice on the other end of the line!

Cheers......Rob

[Marie21]

@Sam397, honestly glad u had a good outcome, I believe also the CS service is improving they now avoid taking  fast decision and side with guests and tend to communicate as much as they can in both side to make a better decision, just hope they will keep improving

[Susan151]

@Sam397. Yup. Emotions can get in the way of being a reasonable person. I think that all customer service reps, not just AirBNB ones, are the convenient vent. I am sure that this one appreciated your apology.

[begging here] Please, please, please, in the future, a few more paragraph returns would help me read your posts. My eyes are getting older, and you almost lost me at paragraph nº 5.

[Rubén16]

@Sam397And a THUMBS UP for your post 🙂

[Lawrene0]

Thanks for this, @Sam397. Thanks for the all-sides perspective. Of course the guest tried it on - it is offered to him!

"Do you want a refund?" the system asks.

"Sure!"

I would say yes to the 25% credit. If he doesn't come back, you aren't out anything, and if he does, he is a bit happier. I always give a credit for a future stay. I do advise the guest that a review is against policy, since he has not seen the place, and I stick to it by not reviewing that guest myself. I tell him we can legitimately review each other once they have come [and used that credit]. 

It's working. 

[Michelle-And-Michael0]

@Sam397 We have had 2 last minute cancellations by our guests due to unforeseen circumstances in the past. Both bookings were for 2 nights.

We felt for them, so It was our choice to offer them 1 free nights accommodation with any future booking. Both were extremely grateful, but neither have rebooked as yet. 

So, yes to the 25% off. 

[Cathie19]

Well @Sam397, you need to be a bit more forgiving of your own human frailty. We all have them, whether hosts, guests or Community Service staff. If we all remember that venting is normal, that we do get upset, then we can be see the bigger picture and move forward.

When you have a strict refund policy, a 25% offer in this case is a nice gesture. But like Robin said, with a moderate refund policy, guests do get back some of their monies, which makes me feel better! (Maybe one of my frailties)

But what I admire here is your ability to search your own actions, positively review them and then act upon rectifying them. A great learning experience. Congratulations and  thanks for sharing and validating your experience.

[Sam397]

I would like to thank everyone for their opinions and the nice things that were said. 

@Susan0 I do apologize for my grammar,  it does appear I must have missed the day they taught punctuation in school doesn't it. ( I did try to fix them but the system wouldn't let me edit it.)

Update: I did end up offering him a 25% discount if he rebooked, but haven't heard back from him.

[Mary1393]

Thanks for writing this Sam.

We've had 2 last minute cancellations - one person was in an accident on their way to us and the other cancellation was due to a family member situation.

We gave full refunds to each and wrote a note expressing our concern for their well being.

It seems a very nice gesture to offer a discount for the future.

Good for you! Thank you.