In Defence of Airbnb Customer Support

[Huma0]

There are many threads on the forums complaining, and often despairing, about Airbnb CS. Everyone's experiences are different and I am sure that most of the hosts who have had less than satisfactory interactions/outcomes with CS have good reason to complain, but I wanted to relate my experiences, which have been really positive. 

Firstly, I have never had a problem reaching CS on the phone and have never been put on hold for more than a few minutes (usually I get through to someone in seconds). This has been both on the Superhost hotline and the regular UK number, where I have been directed to a lovely team in Ireland. In fact, getting through when I wasn't a Superhost was even quicker!

Secondly, every rep I have dealt with has been super polite, understanding and helpful and taken the time needed to deal with my query or problem.

Here are a few of the things they have helped me with:

- The first time I called for help was when I had problem guests who were very loud in the early hours of the morning as well as breaking other house rules. Although they apologised when I brought any of these issues up, they continued with their behaviour. Airbnb immeditely called the guests and told them that they needed to follow my rules or leave without any refund. It worked. The guests even left me a positive review.

- I needed to track down a future guest who was totally non-responsive and due to check in shortly. Airbnb got hold of him and explained the importance of replying to his host's queries. After that, he responded to everything very promptly.

- A guest accidentally left me 4 stars instead of 5. Airbnb contacted her to confirm this was the case and then changed the review to 5 stars.

- I needed to cancel a reservation because I was uncomfortable hosting the guest. Airbnb did this for me without any penalties.

- I needed to cancel a reservation due to extenuating circumstances. This was dealt with swiftly and easily and I was alowed to cancel without any penalties.

- A guest told me last minute they were going to cancel and didn't turn up for the booking, but never actually cancelled it and seemd to expect some kind of refund. Airbnb reassured me that they would not honour any requests for a refund from this guest and that if she left a review, they would remove it.

- Today Airbnb agreed that a bad review was unfair and retalitory and removed the review and ratings. This is what has prompted me to write this post.

There have been a few other occasions that I have needed to contact CS and everytime my issue has been dealt with swiftly and satisfactorarily.

I understand that everyone's circumstances are different and that it may depend on the country you are based in. It probably depends a lot on the individual rep you deal with, but I have dealt with many and they have always been fantastic.

If I was to offer any advice on this subject, I would say:

1. Make sure you have a very clear listing and house rules. Airbnb will check these before deciding if it is the guest or the host who is the problem.

2. Make sure everything is documented in the message thread with your guests. If you have a verbal discussion with them about any problems, or they text or message you outside of Airbnb, make sure you include a response in the Airbnb message thread anyway. Keep all correspondence polite and professional. Airbnb will check this also.

3. Always be polite and calm when speaking to the rep. Try to explain your case in a rational, not emotional or hysterical, way. You might be upset about a situation, but don't take out your anger on the rep!

4. Use the telephone. Speaking to someone in person is a much easier and quicker way to get an issue dealt with. Although Airbnb claim to usually answer email queries within 24 hours, I don't think this is necessarily the case. When you call them, they seem to get straight on it!

I'm sorry if hosts have tried all of the above and it still hasn't worked, but for those that haven't perhasp give it a go. Admittedly, I have never tried to claim from a security deposit or using the Host Guarantee, so I can't comment on that at all.

[Rebecca160]

@Huma0This is encouraging to see! Thanks for the words of advice. I am just now revising my house rules, to make sure they are clear and concise, to hopefully avoid any future issues and make it easier for Airbnb to support me, if needed.

[Huma0]

@Rebecca160

Thank you! Yes, this is the tricky part. We don't want our house rules to be a massive essay. Many guests simply don't want to read. However, I believe it's necessary to have everything spelled out as a back up, if nothing else.

When I called CS about the noisy problem guests, the rep said she personally thought it unreasonable for them to make that kind of noise (included loud arguments) at 3 or 4am, but that she needed to double check what was in my house rules. Because I had put that noise had to be kept down after midnight, that box was checked.

When deciding if the bad review from another guest should be removed, the rep checked the complaints in her review against my listing description and house rules and the message thread with the guest and agreed that she was either complaining about things clearly stated in the listing, or contradicting herself.

If none of that information was there, perhaps the reps would have come to different conclusions? I'm not sure, but it's better to be safe than sorry!

[Alexandra316]

@Huma0I have actually found the same thing. I have had a few issues I've had to contact them about since I started hosting, and they have always been resolved quickly and painlessly, and to my satisfaction. I do understand that's not the case for everyone who contacts them, but I have found them to be professional and efficient when I've spoken to them. I have had to wait on hold for a rep for 15 minutes once: all other times, service has been quick. I also find the @airbnbhelp Twitter account to be excellent if it's a non-pressing issue. 

I love these forums, but I think if you spend time here, you run the risk of getting a skewed view of support. Most people only complain when things go wrong: few take the time to say something positive when things go right. That being said, I am still really scared of what's going to happen if I ever have a damage claim. I guess I'll cross that bridge if I ever come to it.

[Huma0]

@Alexandra316

I've never tried the Airbnb Twitter, but might give it a go next time.

As a regular user of the forums, I have learnt most of what I know about hosting on here. I think that if Airbnb was a bit more proactive in educating hosts and especially guests, perhaps less people would need to call or email CS with questions and issues, thus reducing waiting times etc. Those seem to be longer in the US from what I have heard.

Also, perhaps being a Superhost does help. A recent American guest had an issue when another host she had booked with asked her to cancel her reservation at the last minute (not an extenuating circumstance). Unfortunately, when she asked me about it and I said DON'T CANCEL! it was already too late. She had tried emailing Airbnb with no luck. I gave her the UK number, told her to explain the situation, ask for her fees to be refunded, any mention of a cancellation to be removed from her reviews and for them to help relocate her.

Although she did get through straight away, they just said she would 'probably' have her fees refunded and even though they said they would call her back about finding another Airbnb, she eventually had to book an expensive hotel. This is the same number that I have always got a great response from. Maybe they are not as helpful to everyone...

[Alexandra316]

@Huma0Even before I got Superhost, I had good experiences. I feel like the reps do have some leeway on how they deal with problems, so I think it can make a difference who you get. I had a situation at New Year's with an instant book guest who seemed super sketchy: they kept asking weird questions, but not responding to questions I asked them. I called in, and the rep had absolutely no issue cancelling: the call took all of a minute, and I had no penalties. Definitely documenting everything through messenger was of benefit there because they could see the conversation. The final chapter in that story is that the guest booked with someone else, and the guests ended up with a horrible review because they were destructive and disruptive, so bullet effectively dodged there. 

I definitely think that you're correct about your behaviour dictating what type of service you get also. If you stay polite, calm and factual, things will be more likely to go in your favour. 

[Huma0]

@Alexandra316

Good to hear you escaped some guests from hell. I think sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling and obviously yours was right. What were the tell tale signs for you, out of interest?

In the beginning, I felt like I needed to accept guests unless they had totally misunderstood my listing, e.g. thought they were getting the whole house, didn't realise there were cats, wanted to bring children. I didn't turn people away just because they seemed a bit weird or flaky. I learnt my lesson though with that horrible guest whose review as removed today.

I didn't really want to accept the booking in the first place because she and her friend were arriving on Christmas afternoon and I needed to get to my family dinner. I didn't need it financially either as Christmas/New Year is always busy. Still, the guest begged me and really, really wanted to stay, so I accepted. Then she wanted to bring extra people, which I said no to (it's not a huge room), but her response to that was really weird, over the top and passive aggressive. I had a bad feeling about it and should have listened to that. The guest turned out to be a nightmare from beginning to end.

The next time I had a similar feeling about a booking, I called CS and the rep agreed straight away to cancel the reservation penalty free. I think sometimes we forget that as hosts we DO have some power over who stays in our homes and now I also realise that it is also worth fighting an unfair review.

Maybe the results won't always be in our favour, but so far I have found the rep's responses along the lines of, "You are a Superhost. You are doing really well and we appreciate you. We will always try to support you." So far, they have.

I think having a good track record goes a long way. When I asked to cancel the guest that made me feel uncomfortable, the rep mentioned that she could see I had accepted a lot of bookings recently. That went in my favour. She could see that I was rarely turning people away so must have good cause to on this occasion.

[Alexandra316]

@Huma0The guest had no profile info, and their picture was of a girl with a bunch of Snapchat filters applied, even though it was registered under a male name. He had no reviews, but the account was verified with government ID. He said that he wanted to bring his girlfriend to Niagara Falls for New Year's Eve, but nothing else. I immediately responded, thanking him for his booking, but letting him know that the Falls are about 35 minutes away on a good day, and on New Year's Eve, probably a good hour and a half to two hours. Also, I mentioned that cabs/Ubers are about $75 to get there on a normal day, let alone NYE.  The Falls is where the big countdown takes place here. There is always a major rock band and massive crowds, so getting there on New Year's isn't easy. Hotel rooms nearby are generally $400-500, if you can get one. He never responded. I tried calling. No answer. I wasn't feeling great about it, but gave it a few more days: not everyone is always checking their email, and I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. I was expecting him to at least acknowledge it. 

Then, his girlfriend got on his messenger and started asking questions about how far from the Falls we're located and other questions about the area. I explained again. Her messages were very rude and terse, and she never responded saying that she understood but they were okay with it or anything else. She made it very clear that she wasn't happy with the accomodation her boyfriend had chosen - and rightly so, if she was hoping to stay in Niagara Falls. At that point I would have been happy to refund them: I just didn't want them as guests. They seemed like they were going to be high-maintenance troublemakers.

I decided it was time to contact Airbnb, and I let them know what was happening and that I wasn't comfortable hosting. They agreed right away and cancelled the reservation instantly with no penalties at all. 

I also often accept new people, young people, and people who seem a little differnt/flaky: I just knew these people were going to cause trouble. Maybe the rep looked at that too, I'm not sure.

Good for you for getting the unfair review removed. Good to know that Airbnb does have our backs. 

[Fred13]

   I have only been involved with CS personnel concerning account hacking, but I surmise it must one of the toughest jobs in the world. For two reasons: the nature of the Airbnb STR arrangement, we are talking about total strangers coming to people's private homes and then so many things have to go 'right'. An incredible tall order.

   Secondly, some of Airbnb's policies forces their CS people to deal with so many issues that really they shouldn't have to, if Airbnb was wiser and more flexible.

   I hope they are paying them well. They always been great.

[Lizzie]

Thanks @Huma0 for sharing this little gem of positivity here regarding our Support Team and for sharing your experience as well too @Fred13 and @Alexandra316. It is fantastic to hear you are updating your House Rule based on Huma's great tips here. 🙂

I do  agree with you Fred though, it is a difficult job. There are so many different things to know and possible questions that could arise on the spot. I am slightly in awe of them–I think I would need a handy watch that could stop time whilst I have a think!

[Helen427]

Hi Lizzie

Would you please be able to contact me, I'm having a nightmare time trying to get any sense out of the Customer service team my complaint has gone to, not Ireland, and would appreciate some competent assistance.

thanks in advance

Helen in NZ

[Katie201]

@Huma0 I've never heard of reps removing star ratings. In the year that I've been hosting I've heard probably hundreds of stories of hosts receiving reviews that ultimately had to be removed because they violated terms and conditions but the rep said they could not remove the star rating. I'm curious how you got star ratings removed when so so many reps said that was not in their power to do. Do you know why that is, @Lizzie? 

It is interesting to hear your experience with customer service, but since it was posted at the same time as a similar post from another member, it seems like they were both posted at the prompting of an Airbnb rep. 

[Huma0]

@Katie201

I am not sure about the star ratings as this was my first and only experience of having a review removed. Personally, I think that if a review is deemed unfair, then surely the star ratings are also unfair, but I guess it depends on the circumstances.

In my case, it was the star ratings that first caught the rep's eye (I had called to ask about some disparity in the stats, not about having this review removed). The guest had given me some seriously low individual ratings, but when the rep reviewed the correspondence, he could see that these did not reflect what happened during her stay.

For example, she had given me 1 star for communication even though I had promptly and thorougly responded to all her queries. It was her communication which was questionable. She had given me 2 stars for cleanliness, but the rep could see that it was actually the guest who had caused problems in that area, not the other way around. Perhaps the ratings were removed because they were so obviously out of whack with reality and clearly retalitory.

Also, I can assure you that I did not post this at the prompting of a rep. I'm a regular poster on these forums and will complain along with the rest of us, but I have genuinely had a very good experience with CS and I wanted to post something positive for a change!

I never discussed the forums with the rep. It was only after the review was removed and I posted this thread that I mentioned it to him (I said there was currently a discussion on the topic and it would be interseting to know if the guest would be informed, to which he responded no).

I have never been prompted by a rep to post anything on the forums. It's simply not a subject that has come up when they've been dealing with my queries.

[Inna22]

It seems that the reps have a number of things they can easily take care of such as cancellations and they happily do. For anything more complicated – in my experience they have a choice of simply disregarding you. They will say they will call back and never do. They take demeaning tone and it is like a stone wall. Even if eventually I was found to be absolutely correct, it sometimes took days to get to person who would choose to hear me out.

 Saying it is a difficult job is not an excuse for doing it poorly. You would not have excepted it from any other profession. If your doctor made a mistake, would you shrug your shoulders and say: well – it was a difficult job, they did the best they could. There’s so many diagnosis to pick from, they just picked the wrong one this time!

Here is a list of more complicated and  rare issues that customer service either never took care of or took weeks to settle. Even though all are more rare, all could happen to any of you:

1.  Guest claimed she wanted to stay longer and would not leave the house however would not make a payment either. Customer service just kept talking to me like I was a crabby child calming me down saying she will pay eventually,  she told us she would 

2. I had a cohost while on the trip and after removing him, he continued getting paid from my listings. It took weeks for somebody to stop saying it was somehow my fault. They still cannot stop the payouts, but it least it is documented now that this money is mine

3. One guest assaulted another and there was a police report. Customer service said they do not deal with legal. The guest is still on the platform with active account 

4.  While dealing with another issue,  a customer service rep with extremely heavy accent accused me of taking payments outside platform and threatened removal. When pressured, she admitted that she misunderstood an exchange  between me and a guest and let it go. 

 On the bright side, I do also find that they answer phones quickly. Most of the time. 

[Huma0]

@Inna22

Wow, it sounds like you have had some really cr*ppy experiences, both with guests and with CS. I do wonder though if the teams vary greatly from country to country. I have noticed on the forums that the majority of bad experiences of CS reported on these forums are from US guests. Is it the team in San Francisco that is a problem? I don't know.

I have never been disregarded or spoken to like a child, but then I've not experienced the sort of problems you have. I've also either gotten a resolution straight away or been called or emailed back very promptly. The only time I wasn't emailed back super fast was after a rep sorted out my original problem, but then something else came up (guest I cancelled booked again using IB!). The rep did get back to me after a couple of days, and apologised for the delay, but I'd sorted out the problem myself by then.

As our experiences differ so much, I can only assume that the CS teams differ wildly in their approach depending on location.