End 'Guest 2', all guests need profiles

[Scott424]

Knowing exactly who is in your home is a legal requirement in many places these days. AirBnB, please stop authorising bookings that tell me I'm hosting 'Guest 2'

Covid has changed our work, lives and business practices worldwide. A new concept we've been introduced to is Contact Tracing, a significant tool that ensures public health.

I argue that change is needed to ensure safety of hosts and bookings into the future.  Do you want anonymous guests in your home?

Will you be able to assist public health officials when you are asked.. Who is Guest 2?

Please drive our brand forward in this new Covid world, every guest should have an AirBnB profile!

[Gordon0]

Wouldn't you simply contact the lead guest to get full details of who's coming along with them, @Scott424? I can't see a party of eight (or more) all signing up to get a profile to appease hosts, pandemic or not.

I appreciate you've got lots of listings, and it'll mean more work, but it shouldn't be a big deal for the more traditional host. 

[Scott424]

Yeah mate.. I already do that now!

I am required by law in Australia. I am serious about the health of my family.. why aren't you?

I've another recent post that describes the problems I'm having with enquiries and achieving lawful compliance

My customers are happy to comply because the world has changed, they respect professional behaviour. AirBnB needs to change, the old model of only a customer's email.. is not enough, covid!

[Helen350]

I see where you're coming from @Scott424 , but I'm conscious of the fact that even lead booker profiles don't currently tell you who someone is. You can call yourself what you like. I hosted a same day booking from a "David David" When he arrived, I asked if that was him real name. He said "No, it's David B***", & said he didn't know why the profile was as it was. I suggested he change it to his real name but he never did. He & his girlfriend seemed  pleasant enough, rock climbers, so I did not panic about the false name, but obviously knowing a guest's true identity is a good thing! 

[Scott424]

I only accept guests who have Government Identification on their profiles, my policy long before this crisis.

I average 1000 guest nights per year, for several years now.

No system will be perfect, but the status quo can no longer be accepted, it is not lawful in my country.

Guests will accept and comply with the rules the platform imposes, but our platform prefers volume, over safety.

[Gordon0]

@Scott424 I always confirm details with my guests and - like yours - they're happy to oblige. But I'm perplexed as to why you'd suggest I'm not serious about my family's health. Care to elaborate?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Scott424 

I don't see Covid as a catalyst for the no Guest2 details. I see the whole guest anonymity a problem and it just seems the problem specifically exists on Airbnb. Try hosting anonymous guests 2,3,4,5,6,7 and 8. The drive on Airbnb over the last few years has been to remove guest identification as much as possible, hide guests real email addresses and provide no living address. The guests are almost completely anonymous.

The anonymous guests are the ones who cause havoc, as has previously been seen in multiple threads on this CC and media throughout the world. Airbnb deciding breakages, damages and claims to the guests benefit doesn't go unnoticed, so the anonymity is a greater issue.

Airbnb have a "Add guests to Itinerary" option. Start by using that, and put it in your House Rules as a requirement for booking. This aside, I would agree that Airbnb should be promoting this to guests anyway. It should be part of their SAFETY POLICY.

@Scott424 Under the Airbnb "Off Platform Policy" you are allowed to ask guests for their details. (And you are also greatly restricted with what you do with them).

https://www.airbnb.co.uk/help/article/2799/airbnbs-offplatform-policy?_set_bev_on_new_domain=1581970...

Asking guests for contact information after a booking or misusing contact information provided by Airbnb

This includes asking for or using contact information for any reasons unrelated to a guest’s stay, or in a way that compromises the quality of a guest’s stay. Guests should be able to communicate directly with hosts about their stays through Airbnb or via phone calls and texts. Soliciting additional contact information (email address, residential address) should be avoided unless needed for legal or compliance reasons (such as local laws or HOA rules). This includes, but is not limited to:.....

@Gordon0 

Getting up to 8 guests to register is possible (almost):

[Scott424]

Yes, I'm well aware of these issues, and have tried various methods in the past. None have worked very well and it creates a bad customer service experience. If the platform compelled every guest to have a profile.. sorted!

If identification is required and attached to every profile, then guest behaviour will improve.

If guests can only ever get one account.. do you think they'll look after your home more.. or less?

[Debra300]

@Scott424,

Have you reported to the appropriate agency in your country that Airbnb isn't/hasn't yet implemented systematic requirements to list all guests and provide valid government identification?

[Scott424]

Yes, @Debra300  I have, I implore every  host reading this to do the same, only public pressure will change our business partner.

The Police Service in my state investigates, sanctions or closes business who do not operate in a Covid safe manner.

I've a meeting tomorrow, Monday morning, with my state Member of Parliament and have been communicating with my political representatives (2 State MP's, 2 Federal MP's & Federal Senator)

My state member has forwarded the matter to the State Health Department. I have tweeted the State and Federal Health Ministers directly.

AirBnB support provided a 'no change' answer after 5 days of messaging. I must admit this forced me to involve the Press. I have tweeted the National broadcaster and a commercial TV network.

I don't want to damage our brand, I want legal and safe operations.

[Debra300]

@Scott424,

Thank you for taking these extra steps.  Unfortunately, companies are often slow to implement changes until they are forced to do so.

[Scott424]

Today, I had a face to face meeting with my elected representatives and this issue is now before the Minister for Health. I cannot promise what actions my government will make, but I will say that a "Public Health Direction" was proposed as a likely option.

In Australia, morning news programs have been live broadcasting Health Minister announcements, 6 States, 1 Territory and the Federal Minister. Eight press conferences with coordinated timing so none overlap, the result is almost 2 hours of continuous press coverage, politicians being seen to do their jobs, get re-elected after all.

This will guarantee an entire news cycle that damages the AirBnB brand. If I can offer a prediction, the trashier TV channels will then use the next day publishing stories of hosts who ignore existing health directives, creating a second day of brand damaging coverage. This is not an outcome that will drive guests onto the platform to book our homes.

Staff of these forums, Support staff and AirBnB Management, please act now! If you change this system before real brand damage occurs, you might retain your jobs. This is not a threat..only an unwelcome prediction, brand damage will reduce service fee income and result in more AirBnB staff being dismissed.

Honestly, I feel awful because I have started this process, bad press will result in fewer enquiries, but I'm left with no other option. I've tried and tried to get support staff to help, but there appears to be no willingness to understand the problem, they just keep giving me the the link for feedback, after 8 days of messaging this is a very insulting, repeated response.

We might yet have time, my fellow hosts... please help prevent brand damage, I urge you to contact support and help our business partner understand the need for change.

[Gordon0]

I admire your belief that Airbnb are anything but a (very successful) listing platform for us (and it) to make money, @Scott424. To suggest they're a 'business partner' is, in my book, wide of the mark. Business partners don't make unilateral decisions, unlike Airbnb's most-recent (and almost universally-bemoaned) policy changes.

I think your argument that Airbnb isn't acting in a covid19-compliant way is a little thin, and there are bigger fish to fry (from hosts' perspectives), but I admire the passion and vigour with which you're attacking the perceived issue.

Oh, and btw, I'm still interested to understand why you suggested I didn't take my family's health seriously. Feel free to share your rationale.

[Debra300]

@Scott424,

I suggest that you not worry about hurting Airbnb's brand.  Two things come to mind:

1. By ringing the alarm, you may have actually highlighted a delta in the Health Ministry's portion of the country's re-opening plan.  It is their responsibility to not only communicate and publicize the new regulations to the STRs providers and OTAs, and ensure that their policies and platforms are updated to support the new laws.  Also, any formal communication to these entities regarding the steps to lift the travel ban should have also been easily accessible by your local representative; and, 
2. Airbnb is already in the process up making the required changes, but has not made a proper announcement about the updates.  This would be similar to them not making a specific notification about the Cleaning Protocol quiz and badge that they rolled out on June 4 with no fanfare.  All the while, there were many community conversations inquiring about the new guidelines. 

[Scott424]

G'day @Zoe88 and other Australian hosts ^^

I've developed a process to avoid several of the problems created by AirBNB.

There is the censorship of messaging I've discussed, the second issue is AirBNB claiming "Privacy Protection" and refusing to disclose a guest's address. It really astounded me to have support staff say that they will not provide a guest's address because of privacy rules! 

Honestly, I gave up using AirBNB messages to obtain the identity and address details of guests. No-one within AirBNB recognises Australia's laws and the rules around COVID safety.

In my first message to guests, either at Enquiry or Confirmed Booking, I send a template message..

G'day Guest-NAME, thank you for choosing my apartment. Please review the check in guide, with pictures, instructions and the code for the key safe, to self check-in like pro. I hope you enjoy your stay at the hilltop and sleep well.

Warm regards, Scott.

The most important tracking tool I can provide in the home is the Covid Safe Log. When you've arrived please complete this paper log, providing your Full name, Date of birth, Phone number and Address. For you and any guests or visitors, etc.

Questions, per the health management plan for accommodation, please answer for/on your check-in date..
1) Have you returned to Australia from overseas, in the 14 days?
2) Have you been in contact with someone who has had Covid-19?
3) Have you been in a Covid-19 hot-spot as defined by the Chief health officer?
4) Have you had a fever, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath or other cold/flu-like symptoms in the last 72 hours?
5) Have you been previously diagnosed with Covid-19?
6) Please provide details of locations visited and accommodation details for the last 14 days.

By referring every guest to the "check in guide" I significantly reduce the calls or messages requesting assistance at check in time, it creates a superior experience for guests and less work for me.

Using an in-home, paper based COVID Safe Log to record the details for guests is not foolproof, I've had 3 bookings in the last month that have not complied and recorded every guest. However, this places compliance onto the Guest, if they fail to record everybody, it is the guest who is breaking the law [Confirmed by the Queensland Health Department and reportable to Queensland Police Service]

The health questions you may already be familiar with as many government buildings have security staff asking a similar battery of questions as you enter. They are taken verbatim from the "Health Management plan for Accomodation" produced by Qld Health at the beginning of the crisis. Initially the rules in Queensland only compelled generic Bed and Breakfast operators to ask these questions and exempted BnB operators whose customers came from an online booking platform. I have AirBNB customers and non-online customers so I've always followed the rules for generic BnB operators. The rules changed in late June and their scope was broadened, I strongly suggest all Queensland hosts ensure they comply.

The utility and usefulness of these health questions cannot be overstated. I cannot compel answers and guests who do not respond are exceedingly rare, but I can tell you I've appreciated the responses given by my guests. They appear to respect and understand the need, it has sparked discussion around isolation and quarantine and I've had a huge number of interstate guests these last few months, yes, even with my State borders closed! Some "Yes" answers are reportable to the Health Department, however the management plan does not prevent a guest from staying and and paying for my listing.

Question 6... initially, it felt like an overreach asking for this and guest answers are generally brief, "At home and local shops in Gladstone" for example. But, the crisis has continued, spots go Hot and then not.. it's the most useful question of them all.

Let AirBnB bang on their new favourite drum of "Enhanced Cleaning Protocol", they can fill half our reservation screens with logo's and reminders. While you as a host, who's keen on safe stays.. ask your guests, Where have you been the last fortnight?