Hi @Lizzie,
I cannot improve anything, as it is not in my hands 😄
But the suggestions are pretty easy:
- Withdraw the change! (It is my – and many with me – impression: It does more harm than good, to both hosts and guests).
When that is (politically) no longer possible:
- Make a setting available to guests, so they can control this particular system behavior themselves.
Make “Hide” even the default setting (but with a warning, this may lead to declines by hosts). - Charge a small uplift to guests, that require more privacy or those that prefer not to reveal their identity. So all involved, share some benefits.
- Be honest! Inform the host on an inquiry: Whether the profile of this guest does or does not (yet) hold a facial profile picture.
- Enforce the provision of facial profile pictures, upon confirmed bookings.
- Allow guests to have a public available profile picture, and a privately shared facial profile picture with the host (of course, they may and can be the same).
All of this, shouldn’t be that hard for Airbnb to do.
I appreciate your efforts, for us to digest this bitter change in policy.
As the whole change looks like shooting with a massive canon at to what seems to be a mosquito.
Actually, I don’t know what triggered, the sudden blast of reactions to another thread on this topic (that thread went viral on Tuesday 15 January 2019, while the thread was already around for close to 2 months and posted by Airbnb itself). I even had to go in, and switch off e-Mail notifications to that particular thread. As all of a sudden, reactions were coming in at a pace of about 1 or more per minute 😄
That particular thread, currently has over a 1.000 reactions!
We can discuss whatever we like here. But as far as I’m concerned: It’s already a done deal (for months already). Even including a released press-statement, back in October already.
Just imagine when Airbnb would now publish a statement, like: “We’ve evaluated the new policy, and we have therefore decided to withdraw it or to make it less strict or something”.
This would immediately lead to very loud protests by organizations like: the Washington, D.C.-based Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
As these are organizations, you typically don’t want to get into a public argument with (as a business). A battle impossible to win without any damage. And therefore usually very bad for business.
What happened to the original idea of trust? I.e.: Hosts accepting total strangers into their homes and properties.
I usually try to bond a little with our guests, as in: You pay me, you treat our property decently. And we will do our utmost best, to provide you with an excellent and problem-free stay. Preferably resulting in an excellent review.
I’m convinced, Airbnb performed extensive analysis on the decline rate by hosts, based on the guest profile picture. Most likely, they are still analyzing the decline rate by hosts – at this very moment too!
Just to get an idea on the possible monetary benefit made by this change (as well as a notifiable decline or increase in discrimination).
Personally, I think it is about the worst decision a company can make: Introducing a change in policy and making it political too.
And on top of that, Airbnb gave this feature away – free of charge – to guests as well!
Whenever the Airbnb App ‘chimes’, 1 of the first things I do, is checking out the guest profile.
As knowing how much effort a guest has put into completing their profile, will give me some impression about the main guest.
My experience is: The lesser effort guests have put into their profile. The lesser the whole experience will be. It usually already starts with a lack of communication. Resulting in me, having to start nagging to the guests for information, before arrival.
Even the fact, guests are sending in inquiries (rather than reservations), already tell a story in itself!
With me: Only 25%-30% of all inquiries, do finally result in confirmed reservations.
And in 95% of all cases, I can already predict, whether the inquiry may possibly result in a reservation or not.
Most common reasons for inquiring:
- Haggling (I really never understood, why especially newbies tend to think, this is common practice). As commonly, haggling will almost immediately destroy the whole experience, before it even started.
At least for 1 or even both ends of the deal. - Silly or even funny requests.
- Just inquiring, for whatever reason (typically no reaction anymore, after my reply).
In short: Very bad idea – to introduce this policy, and not much to gain for anyone involved! Even more chance to bad guest behavior. And when such stories make it to the headline news, it’s very bad advertising for Airbnb.
Oh, and by the way: You stated, when you switch on the requirement of a guest profile picture.
And the guest does not provide an identifiable picture of themselves, upon booking. Hosts can contact Airbnb CX, to have the reservation cancelled, penalty-free.
Reason: Because Lizzie said so :-D!
Where did I hear something similar before :-D? I even once witnessed Clara Liang, sitting right next to Mr. Brian Chesky himself, making a statement. Which was apparently overruled, just a couple of weeks later?
Reason given: Apparently, it was not that easy.
