Can AirBnB Offer Tools and Settings That are NEEDED?

Lorna170
Level 10
Swannanoa, NC

Can AirBnB Offer Tools and Settings That are NEEDED?

I just received an email from AirBnB where I can now show off how fast my Wifi is.  While I appreciate that hosts and guests find this to be critical information, I am not certain that AirBnB should have (IMO) wasted their time providing this tool instead of the things that hosts have asked for for years.  Except for the ability to link the Wifi speed to the listing, this tool provides the same information that I can get by employing any number of Wifi speed tests from my computer, tablet or phone.

 

What hosts want:

 

1.  A REAL damage deposit.

2.  A PET FEE.

3.  AirBnB paid and trained CS -- NOT outsourced script readers.

 

Next?  ....

17 Replies 17
Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Lorna170 And posting the Wifi speed isn't even something a lot of hosts feel is a good idea, as it can open the door to complaints, refund demands, and bad reviews if for some reason the guest isn't getting that speed.

 

My wish- return our hosting pages to a more simple format, like it used to be, where the features we need to use are evident and not buried behind 10 clicks in an unintuitive manner.

Brenda328
Level 10
South Dakota, United States

I agree completely.  Another less than helpful feature that Airbnb has added is counting up how many beds they think we have described when identifying the bed configurations in our various rooms.  Unfortunately the bed options that Airbnb lists do not reflect common configurations in my area.  

 

There is no option for a full size bunk bed (full over full) or what many listings are now calling a pyramid bed which is a twin size bunk over a full bed.  When I originally entered my listing several years ago, customer service advised me to enter the full over full bunk bed as two sets of twin bunk beds when entering the bed configuration for the bedroom.  I then wrote a detailed description in the listing text to make sure that guests were aware of the bed configuration.

 

This weekend a guest checked in and then promptly contacted me that they couldn't find the six beds that Airbnb advertised on the header which used to just display number of guests, number of bedrooms, and number of baths.  I went to look at my listing and sure enough, Airbnb is now helping me out by adding how many beds they think I have.  When I explained the actual bed configuration and pointed the guest to the detailed description in the text, the guest promptly asked for a discount.

 

Airbnb, please stop trying to help us.  If we have to use your descriptions to indicate our bed configurations, please make sure all the common configurations are included.  And please don't take it upon yourselves to count up how many beds you think we have and display that information in the header.   I am happy to enter the number of guests, number of bedrooms, and number of baths and describe the beds in the text.  Number of beds is no indicator of the amenities actually offered; 4 king beds in a listing is in no way comparable to 2 sets of twin bunk beds even though both in Airbnb land are 4 beds.  I just saw another host receive a derogatory review because the guest felt that a murphy bed should not count as a real bed.  It is just one more item that guests can use to request refunds and discounts.

 

And please stop adding these 'helpful' features without telling hosts they are being implemented.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Brenda328  I also hate the way they keep adding things to the amenities list using terms that aren't universally understood. WTF does "pour-over" coffee mean?  Sounds like something a 5 year old would say. A French press is a very common coffee making method, and the one I use, yet it isn't listed. 

 

But it's somehow thought to be really important to state the brand of refrigerator you have. As if a guest is going to choose your listing because it has a Westinghouse fridge instead of a Samsung.

the brand of the refrigerator?  😄 😄 😄

@Branka-and-Silvia0  Yeah, have you not seen that on the amenities list? They actually have a line where you can fill out the brand names of your appliances. What can you expect when there are former Disney execs running the show? 

@Branka-and-Silvia0  I saw that, in the place for brand, I wrote, "Red". 😉

Ted & Chris

@Sarah977  I had to google "pour over" coffee. pour over.jpeg

Brian2036
Level 10
Arkansas, United States

@Lorna170 @Brenda328 

 

I have received several messages from Airbnb noting that “a guest has remarked that you provided xxx amenity. Would you like is to add it to your listing?”

 

NO! In one case it was something I do not have, “pool,” and the others were things I purposely left out to avoid refund demands if they break.

 

There is always a risk of accidentally clicking “yes” and being held accountable later.

 

 I don’t want to list WiFi speed for the same reason. I have a satellite provider, speed varies, and all they promise is “speeds UP TO 100mb/s.”

 

That doesn’t mean anything. 0 mb/s is “up to” 100 and sometimes that’s what you get.

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Brian2036  It's quite telling of their attitude that Airbnb tries to get us to list more and more amenities, when savvy hosts go by the mantra "Underpromise and overdeliver". It's like Airbnb wants guests to be provided with more things they can complain about not living up to their expectations.

 

The one that really cracks me up is Airbnb's constant "suggestion" on my dashboard that I add "Heat" to my amenities. Yeah, it has heat. Lots. Comes directly from the sun. Most people here try to find a way to cool off.

M199
Level 10
South Bruce Peninsula, Canada

We don't provide WIFI access because we are at the base of an escarpment.  This feature is no use to me, unless I  want to spend mega $$$.  This amenity is useless in rural areas.

Good luck with that.  They don't care or read these comments. 

Pjbk0
Level 2
Carlsbad, CA

What Airbnb needs most is Live Chat for simple questions that are not available quickly.  They could start with a bot and if the bot can't answer it goes to a real person.  They make billions but can't afford (Live Chat)?  That is my biggest frustration.

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Lorna170 It appears to beeves worse for non US hosts as the wifi speed just has to be typed in rather than tested automatically.

Branka-and-Silvia0
Level 10
Zagreb, Croatia

wifi speed varies, depending on a few factors, it will show one speed now and another a minute later, I get different results on different devices... it's useless to include it in the listing. Even internet providers don't guarantee the exact speed, they tell you it will be up to xxx and that's it. 

But the idea is clearly coming from digital nomads, it is very important to some of them so I can understand why Airbnb included it. 

 

Maybe the best would be if we could just choose from a few options:

no wifi

optic cable

mobile wifi

... ... or something like that