Just a Little Segregation?

Nancy67
Level 10
Charleston, SC

Just a Little Segregation?

If you are listening, ABNB, I would like to propose a bit of segregation on the boards to perhaps (?) clear up some miscommunications and get straight to the heart of some hosting challenges.

 

We have lots of Hosting Board categories--And the General Hosting Board is great! However, maybe by creating a sub category hosting board for "On-Site" Hosts and another for "Off-Site" Hosts might help Hosts seeking quick advice or those with experience, giving it, to make the posts a little more relatable?

 

Many issues & challenges I face as an on-site host are completely different from my friends on the other side of the aisle who are "Off-Site" Hosts. As an experienced host who has faced many challenges by guests, my questions and issues may be slightly different. Conversely, Off Site Hosts face a many issues I and possibly other On-Site Hosts can’t relate to—Get it?

 

We are all important to the community,  and I love hearing everyones ideas and stories. I understand we all have our place, agenda and niche. However, I would love to share ideas with fellow On-Site’ers and maybe strictly Off-Site’ers would want to do the same in the name of expediency and realtability?

Thanks!

20 Replies 20
Lizzie
Former Community Manager
Former Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hello @Nancy67,

 

It is great to hear from you, I hope all is well with you. 

 

Ooo I love hearing ideas on how we can evolve the Community Center and specifically around making things easier for the community to find and easily respond to.

 

It would be great to hear more about how you think this could work, what type of things/topics you think would be more relevant for "off-site" host and "on-site" hosts and how they would be different. 

 

Plus, I would love to get more of a discussion going around this, so if anyone else has any thoughts on Nancy's ideas, it would be great to hear them. 

 

Thanks again Nancy, this is fantastic.

 

Lizzie


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Ben205
Level 10
Crewkerne, United Kingdom

@Nancy67@Lizzie

Here's how I use the forum. I go to the 'Community discussions' page where I ignore the 'Top' list (because god sending me guests isn't my thing, and how that's 'top' with 5 replies I don't know). I look at 'Unanswered' to see if there are any I can help (which often means suggesting people use Google to find a relatively simple piece of information - so many think Airbnb staff read and reply). I then check 'Recent' to look for interesting topics that might give me ideas or solutions.

Would be interesting to know how others use the boards. My point is, though, that I don't check which category the original post was in. And don't think I've noticed whether hosts are onsite or not.

Hmm, maybe it does make a difference. I'll pay attention!

I do the same, @Ben205, and I have an added dimension in that I don't know what I am. 

Guests are in my house for breakfast and showers (and two or three have stayed overnight in extreme weather), but lay their heads down in a treehouse that is on my property, but 1 km away from the house. Onsite or offsite? @Nancy67, will there be a third segregation of misfits? I find valuable information posted by both onsite and offsite hosts. Will I be allowed access? Or will it be just us treehouse- and streetcar- and oil tank-renting weirdos hanging out together on our own board, manufacturing conversation awkwardly because, really, we have nothing to discuss? 

"Do you give them firewood?"

"Yup."

"Me, too." 

"Worry about them burning the place down?"

"Sometimes."

"Me, too."

I think the 2 would be enough-- Honestly, I am a bit of a misfit too-- I have a space inside my home and a Vintage remodeled Airstream on side of the house, which is totally private....So I guess I'm both, but I honestly consider myself on-site. I interact with the guest’s daily-- They come in for breakfast-- we chat, they let me know if they need anything. This is a full time gig for me and not a side hustle. 

 

I have friends who have condos that they ABNB-- They tell me all the time I'm working too hard-- They never even meet their guests and have management and housekeeping services taking care of everything-- totally can't relate--  Our issues and concerns are different financially, tax-wise, from a maintenance, amenity and accessibility standpoint. Theirs is more of an investment where our motivation includes the experience of getting to know our guests from all over the world and literally working from home.

I'm with you...!

I have a treehouse too...

I often think that locations like ours drive people to airbnb due to the unique nature of our properties and the fact that people see images of them in magazines, social media, etc... I'd say that 90% of my guests are using airbnb for the first time...

But i have had a real hard time with airbnb and communication over issues... I'm beginning to feel the things they rightly expect from us - things like graciousness, flexibility and generosity - do not fit their algorithims.  Its too bad as I am very grateful to airbnb and would love to have a better relationship with them.

Thanks @Lizzie—As I go through the Host Board, It seems to me that there is occasionally confusion and a wide difference of opinion when it comes to newer Hosts asking/venting/commenting on a variety of subjects. Some of this confusion is exacerbated when for instance, an experienced off site host makes a suggestion to a newer on-site host.

 

Splitting the Hosting Boards (That, of course, included a swanky photo of an on-site host, sharing a laugh and coffee with a guest—And another of a posh urban loft with no other humans in sight) might not be a bad experiment?

 

In many places, Off and On-site hosts face different challenges legally in thier cities and States. 

For example, I would venture to say that most Off-Site hosts dont face things like guests coming down for breakfast, not wearing pants? Most On-Site hosts dont spend weekends wringing thier hands wondering if the "All Girls Weekend" in their condo will result in all the wine glasses needing to be replaced on Sunday night for a Monday Check-in.

 

Obviously the learning curves and experiences, goals and motivations are completely different when a host is dealing with guests in groups in their non-resident property, vs a host who accepts people into their own space. The experience is completely different, and both types of host are presented with their own set of challenges, joys, responsibilities, etc.

 

Again, I am in no way saying one or the other is more important, easier, harder, or special. I understand we are one community all working towards the same goal, but if we could take for granted one thing only, that when we need help or want to share something, that we are probably in the right place to begin with, and our audience immediately relates—it could take half the time to get a response and possibly alleviate some frustration and resentment.

Lisa658
Level 10
Hervey Bay, Australia

@Lizzie

 

I also think that a category for co-hosts and for hosts with multiple properties would be good as well.  There are specific features on the listing for these groups and I have seen a number of incorrect replies from hosts who are not familiar with using the platform for these purposes.  If they are not co-hosts and / or do not have multiple properties, they may not be aware that the system is different for these types of users and that questions may require answers relating to features that they have not seen or used.  This just makes it harder to keep replies accurate and true.

 

Thanks @Nancy67 - this is a great idea, Lisa

@Lizzie I've been wondering what percentage of hosts are actually sharing living space with their guests. Do you know? To me this seems like the most challenging variation. 

@Cathy172 That would be an interesting statistic, but it’s probably fluid. I’m also interested to know the percentage of hosts who require previous reviews as a criteria for stays vs those who don’t. 

As an aside, your profile photo is a flower. Doesn’t this violate terms of service? Aren’t we required to have a real facial shot?i know this has been an issue in the past and many hosts refuse to rent to people with non-human profile photos. 

@Nancy67

 

@Nancy67   

 

I beat you to it by actually sending @Cathy172  a private message on the DM yesterday morning letting her know that while I appreciate that she wants to stay with me on her first visit to Hawaii, I don't allow flowers to book.  LOL!!  Yes I explained to her the ABB policy for both hosts and guests.  She understands she needs to upload her facial photo.  

 

But I did tell her she could bring pink flowers with her if she wants and I will serve her one of my delicious Momi's Marvelous Mango Margaritas in return. 

 

Great discussion by the way on the thread about off site and on site hosts.  I for one am an ON SITE host,  who also spends a lot of time with my guests, picking them up at the airport, making and serving breakfast, driving them to the beach as my gift to them, picking them up at the luau so they can drink and not drive, taking them on a Native Hawaiian cultural tour around the island, going out to dinner with my entire family (doing that in 30 mins with our current guests because we like her a lot)....and we dont' want her to eat alone.  We love spending time with our guests as you can probably tell, but the most important thing for all guests to remember, is be respectful, honor the house rules and enjoy the service of a Superhost. 

 

SIDE NOTE:  Guess who just got a cancellation from an IB (as I write this post) because I asked them why didnt' they read the House Rules as required by Airbnb?  Their excuse:  "We never saw it, can't find it, and don't think we want to stay with someone who thinks we should read House Rules!"

 

Whew...dodged another bullet I think.  (by the way, they IB last night my listing for December, and cancelled this morning when I told them their booking was NOT confirmed until they followed protocol to read our house rules.  I KNEW they hadn't.  Sadly, I gave them 3 chances to read my house rules, thanking them for choosing our home and replied back by cancelling. Oh well. 

If you feel that me or another host have helped you, feel free to click on the "thumbs up" button at the end of any post. Thank you so much.

Aloha, Momi

Great way to contact Airbnb or via Twitter at AirbnbHelp / Facebook


@Cathy172   Sharing one's home was the original model for Airbnb.

Andrew458
Level 3
Seattle, WA

I think splitting out Whole Place vs. Shared Place would be helpful. I am an Onsite Whole Place host (duplex) and am dumbfounded by some hosts. Of course I would have a different perspective, if I was just renting a room in my home.

 

Andrew

Fred13
Level 10
Placencia, Belize

Great idea @Nancy0. Many posters are hard to follow, thus help, because it takes some detective work to comprehend what indeed is their hosting reality for starters.

 

 

> On site

  With this boards I would suggest to posters ~define your reality up front~, meaning start with, for example: "Single (or Shared) Guest Offering".

 

> Off Site

   With this boards I would suggest to posters ~define your reality up front~, meaning start with, for example: "Single (or Shared) Guest Offering".

 

> Airbnb issues

   I would first point out that posting rants or demands on THIS board, doesn't constitude 'talking to Airbnb'. List of contact numbers at the very start of this one.

Karen313
Level 10
San Clemente, CA

@Nancy67 maybe hosts & guests on separate forums? or just any random person not being able to google & read all the ways to scam hosts? not that anyone would do that of course.