OK, so I've read how many hosts are raising issues to do with pressure from Airbnb - to drop prices, to aim for superhost status, to tolerate invisibility of guests until they've booked, etc etc the list goes on. This all comes down to one thing, in my opinion. And it's the natural consequence of a fledgling IT company, Airbnb, reaching supernova status, globally. It was bound to happen. What Airbnb and Hosts do about it is another Thing.
I've had a career as a marketing specialist and studied new ventures and entrepreneurship, as well as the life cycle of a product. Airbnb is reaching the "maturity" stage. And this is where they are having a conundrum. Because their sheer size now, over 800,000 members and Lord knows how many Beds - is putting them at odds with their Hosts, the source of this enormous inventory.
We, the hosts, have an inventory of say, less than 6 beds. Usually. We market that inventory very carefully. We don't play with bulk marketing because we are boutique vendors.
Airbnb on the other hand has an inventory of let's assume, half a million beds and every night the sun goes down on that inventory, the unslept in beds represent - to Airbnb anyway - lost $$$. They realise this and pressure the Host (the source of this huge inventory) to drop their prices more, in order to out-compete the commercial market, the hotels and motels. Never mind that the host has calculated that to host just 2 guests, means hours of cleaning and prep. A shopping trip to the mall for the freshest bread and produce. A cancelled night out. Showering and dressing in nice clothes and waiting for the door bell to ring. And then the cleaning, the laundry, the tidying away. And returning by courier the left items of jewellery, laptops, kindles, clothing etc etc etc.
So there is a tension between the two stake holders, the Host and the Sponsor (Airbnb). Because the more beds on Airbnb's system, the more they are compelled to apply whatever pressure on the Host that they can, to milk every last possible booking commission.
The Host shoulders REAL COST. Airbnb's costs on the other hand are pretty much fixed - probably 90% of their expense sheet is fixed. IT and admin staff. Fixed. Not fluid like the host.
Until (or unless) Airbnb claws back their Mission statement of 5 years ago, I predict what will happen is this: Airbnb's supernova status will make their helicopter fly so darned high, that they perceive their Hosts as Ants. To be controlled, persuaded, punished, motivated, praised, manipulated - whatever it takes to fill those million beds before the Sun sets on Planet Airbnb.
