How Do You Rate AirBnB for Customer Service?

[John1574]

Perhaps AirBnB should set up a ratings system for themselves so their clients can see, for the sake of transparency,  how effective their policies and their how effective they are in customer service as rated by their clients.

1. Communication
2. a) did they listen well?  did they understand your complaint?
3. b) did they respond in a timely fashion?
4. c) did they communicate their decision accurately in the context of their policies?

1. Resolution
2. a) did they resolve your problem satisfactorily?
3. b) if they did not did resolve your problem satisfactorily did they explain it adequately?

1. Policies
2. a) do AirBnB policies adequately support their customers?
3. b) is AirBnB doing their best to protect both guests and hosts?

I’m sure better minds than mine can come up with supporting ideas and suggestions.

What I’m not looking for here are long dissertations about specific incidents:  but rather to hear from people who have dealt with AirBnB customer service and can relate their experience to the rest of us.

The Good, the Bad, and the  . . . (Ugly)

[Green-Area-Apartments0]

Great idea.

[John1574]

@Alain0

Thanks. 

Let us know how your case is proceeding with Customer Service.

[Ute42]

.

Hi @John0 ,

at google adwords they do have such a rating system.

After a call with one of their first level phonereps You get an email

where You can rate certain criteria.

Some of the reps say at the end of the phonecall:

Pls don't forget to rate, it's important for me.

[Kathryn75]

Agreed- good idea!

[Christine615]

Customer service -  twice was positive (including billing guest for damage). Once was negative - long booking from new guest with no track record and a profile photo showing three men (guest was a woman). Ultimately turned out okay, guest was fabulous, but I'd tracked her profile down on FB.

Customer service in the latter case, read off a script, didn't put a supervisor on the phone, wouldn't tell me what they'd done to verify the guest. Simply told me to cancel if I wasn't comfortable.

Do policies adequately protect hosts? No. Not enough.

Hosts are the engine. Without us there would be no revenue for Airbnb.

[John1574]

@Christine0

That's great feedback.  It shows that they can do a good job but that a poor job by an uncaring employee can bring a negative feeling that shakes our confidence in them.

I once worked in customer service where I heard nothing but complaints.  No one ever called because my company did everything perfectly.  I only heard complaints leading me to think that my company was failing on a large scale.

Then it was pointed out to me that in several hundred thousand transactions our failure rate was only 2.7% which was well within industry standards, in fact much better than most since the aceptable failure rate in that industry was around 4%.

On this forum we hear a lot of horror stories because no writes how great AirBnB works for thousands of transactions or how helpful they were in solving problems.  That can cause a warped perspective for those reading these posts.  We tend to read mostly bad news on these forums.

That's not meant to let them off the hook or excuse them:  far from it.

AairBnB can really improve their customer service, and really needs to, because obviousely problems remain in their business model and especially in their customer service.

I hope this topic receives more feedback from  clients who have dealt with customer service so that both we and AirBnB can gain perspective on how we are doing and how we both can improve.

AirBnB can put out guidlines on how their customer service works and the best ways to approach them with a problem.

That would be helpful and pro-active on AirBnB's part.

More feedback, please.

[Huma0]

Of course you are right. We are more likely to hear the horror stories as people don't usually report back when everything is fine and dandy. 

My personal experience with CS so far has been great. I even posted a thread about it: https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/In-Defence-of-Airbnb-Customer-Support/m-p/684376#M160504

So, in answer to your questions:

1. Communication
2. a) did they listen well?  did they understand your complaint? - YES
3. b) did they respond in a timely fashion? - YES
4. c) did they communicate their decision accurately in the context of their policies? - YES
   1. Resolution
   2. a) did they resolve your problem satisfactorily? - YES
   3. b) if they did not did resolve your problem satisfactorily did they explain it adequately? - N/A
      1. Policies
      2. a) do AirBnB policies adequately support their customers? - Not sure about this one. Some policies do, some don't.
      3. b) is AirBnB doing their best to protect both guests and hosts? - Not necessarily. As a host, I feel that, so far, I have been proteced. However some policies e.g. the review/ratings system or pushing Instant Booking on hosts don't seem to have hosts' best interests at heart at all.

         Although all my experiences with CS so far have been positive, I have never called them before in relation to a claim. Until today.

         I've had plenty of damages caused by guests, mostly small, occasionally a bit more serious, but I've always just let it go, never asked for money, never called Airbnb about it.

         This week, however, has been hellish. I had two separate incidences of damage caused by two separte guests within less than 24 hours that are going to cost me hundreds of pounds. I cannot afford to swallow these kinds of costs. It would make hosting untenable for me. Whilst the guests are not flat out denying causing the damage, neither of them (both very nice people) are taking responsibility for it either.

         So, I called Airbnb CS just a few minutes ago to see what would be the best way foward. I don't want to start a battle with the guests, but neither do I think it's my responsibility to fork up for damage that, while not intentional, resulted from not listening to the clear instructions given on check in.

         I really didn't want to be in this situation, but knew it would probably happen sooner or later. Before I started reading these forums, I would have been less uncomfortable about it, just assuming Airbnb's claim that their Host Guarantee has our backs was true, but now I'm not so sure based on the experiences related here by other hosts.

         Maybe I'm worrying unduly. The rep was polite, patient and noted all of the details. He said he would do his best to help me get reimbursed, but needed to look into the options and would get back to me shortly, so let's see...

[Amy38]

So what happened, Huma?

[Rebecca181]

And any rep scoring consistently under 4.7 loses their job? (Just to make it equitable with us hosts....)

[Kathryn75]

Love it!

[John1574]

@Rebecca0

Now you're talking. 

How about designating good rcustomer service reps as Super Reps? 

And give them a raise!

still can't tag

[Kathryn75]

Super reps with badges!

@John0 I'm tagging for you plus going back and marking conversation as new each time a new comment is coming in as AirBnB has somehow blocked that too.

[Marilyn123]

I had/have the problem of  an unending “pending verification” status for two different payout methods I signed up for , one in late March and the other in late May.  With an earlier listing issue, CS was helpful, prompt and friendly.  However with my nonpayout concern, I found CS very frustrating!  All 4 I spoke with on Thurs May 31, told me there was nothing they could do.  One supervisor apparently closed my case without telling me.  Another would constantly respond to anything I said with complete silence.  I’d wait and and wait until I finally I’d say, “Ok, so you’re either not listening to me or you’re not even there” to which she’d respond, “I’m here.”  She was obviously waiting for me to get so frustrated that I’d hang up.  She told me she was the supervisor over the other supervisors , but had no way to contact the Airbnb management above her, nor could she communicate with the Payout department.  Donna had the worst attitude of any CS I’d spoken with. For next several days I sent feedback notes, asking for help. The only response was from Donna telling me the case was closed because I had agreed to try adding a payout method again. I had not. CS made no reference to any Airbnb policies regarding the holding of new hosts’ money for months and no attempt to explain what could be the holdup, other than I must be stuck in the system.  No advice other than “you have to add it again”.  I felt little trust in a CS system being unable to offer (1) a plausible explanation for the outrageous delays of 2 different payout methods, (2) some other avenues I might try to reach company decision makers, nor (3) any assurances about my plight being studied or resolved.  I was extremely upset by my 2 hr 40 min phone call with CS.  I felt helpless. 

I wrote “feedback” to who knows who, and I called CS a few days later to follow up. A very pleasant Lee ( ) let me know that my case had been closed. I asked for and got my new case ticket number and was told he’d keep it open until it was actually resolved.  I think that the problem does not originate in CS, but at a higher level of management. CS folks are not allowed to dig, find answers, resolve these serious payout delays. They take the brunt of it, while the management delays payments in order to use our money interest free for weeks and months on end.  

[Marilyn123]

John, I wrote about my CS experience, here’s the update. Last night I decided to add my bank, again, as my payout method. Today I had an email explaining the test deposit, I looked at my account and voila! There’s a tiny deposit! So in a few more days I’ll be in “ready” status. Deposit might follow in, what? 5 or 30 more days, depending on which set of policies and procedures they use. The other two methods never got out of the pending verification mode?