Punishment for Declining Requests

[Allison111]

Hi All,

I'm actually very frustrated with Airbnb and their attitude towards Hosts.

Everything seems to be geared towards the Guests and all about their needs.

I mean without hosts you have no guests we are both in this together.

So the latest email threat I received from Airbnb is regarding me decling 3 requests.

1. Ok so first of all Airbnb are not the only platform available, we use multiple platforms to advertise on.

It's hard to keep all the various calendars in all the platforms up to date at times. It's almost like a full time job in itself some days.

Airbnb seem to be think they are the only ones out there.

2. A lot of the times when we receive a request we are asleep. depending on the time zone of course but I also have a Full Time Job, I am not sitting in front of my Mac waiting for a request to come in etc. We do have lives to live. With the extremely odd exception I always respond either way to all guests. The whole 24hour limit is at times stupid becuase if a guest leaves a vague request or response etc. and I need to request further information from the guest and they don't respond it all falls back on the host. Me. I either take a chance or decline, in which case I'm losing out financially or punished because the guest walks all over us or is ignorant and Airbnb don't get the bigger picture.

3. We get multiple requests for the same dates or similar overlapping dates, it's never just black and white with requests. So if I get a request for 1 night and an hour later get a request for 2 weeks I'm 100% sure I'm taking the booking for 2 weeks so I then have to decline the other guest. What happens? I'm punished for making money with Airbnb.

4. Because we use multiple platforms it takes time to login and respond to all guests whether they send a request or an inquiry it all takes time. Trying to see which guests suits us best, time of check in as some guets only come late at night. We have a family with 3 young kids so we have to take a lot of things into account when guests request to stay with us, some come for a night of drinking with friends and need a placee to crash others here to study and work etc. it's all different so at times I have to prioritise my bookings based on my family etc and what suits us as a family. So I may decline and what happens? Punished again.

Can anyone out there please let me know if there is any way we can try get through to the thickos at Airbnb? obviously by reading the forums here I am not alone.

With the Government in Ireland and around the World making it more difficult to use Airbnb as a form of extra income etc, you would think Airbnb would be bending over for both Hosts and Guests instead of just guests.

All replies welcome.

Thanks.

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[Linda108]

Wow, @Allison111, you have a lot going on!  I don't know how some hosts juggle so much.  Is Air BNB that essential for you?  Does it generate enough income to compensate for the various policies that don't fit in your circumstances?  I have seen postings by many hosts that find Air BNB doesn't work for them.

[Allison111]

Hi Linda,

You may have a point there, something I'm asking myself a lot lately too.

[Jonathan6]

Maybe hosting isn't for you.  It's unfair to guests and especially to other AirBnB hosts that want their guests to have a great experience with AirBnB so they come back and rent again (or even for the first time).  If you can't be responsive to reservation requests (you feel 24 hours is unrealistic) then you shouldn't be doing it.

I respond to all guests within an hour at the most, I maintain multiple sites and multiple calendars as well as cleaning schedules.  Based on the volume of your reviews that shows about a rental a month across 3 properties (rooms) you should be able to manage this.

It looks like you have also not set your policies to be consistant with what you want.  If your willing to rent for single days, but tend to get requests for longer stays you should set minimums and stricter arrival dates.  Getting a single night request and then not accepting waiting on a better offer is unfair to your guest.  

This is a business and it's based on customer service, for you it's an after thought.  Please consider having a co-host if it's too much for you or removing your listing since you are sheading a bad light on the rest of us that are responsive to our guests (customers).

[Allison111]

Jonathan,

I'm not new to the whole hosting world, Airbnb not so long but as much as I like the idea of Airbnb and what service they provide I think there are many downsides to it also. I have no issues with responding, whether I take an hour like you or 10 hours I still respond. most of the time I am able to respond in less than an hour but at times depending on Time Zones etc it's obviously longer for obvious reasons.

Havent a clue where your getting "Based on the volume of your reviews that shows about a rental a month across 3 properties (rooms) you should be able to manage this." madness:) not accurate at all and I'll say no more on that.

I think you are right I may need to review my policies.

But I'm not declinging single night requests hoping or waiting for longer ones. I decline because I get booked on other platforms. So then I have to go back on the remaining platforms and reject, delcine, update calendars etc. that's what I am saying it take up huge time. Also this isn't our only property we have others too, alot more than 3 rooms Jonathan.

"This is a business and it's based on customer service, for you it's an after thought.  Please consider having a co-host if it's too much for you or removing your listing since you are sheading a bad light on the rest of us that are responsive to our guests (customers)."

I'd rather not comment on your last statement, you don't know me personally or any of my circumstances so please don't make these rather silly comments your leaving yourself down. You sound like your an employees from Airbnb too.

But I will take your comment on policies on board and review. Thanks.

[Tim368]

If you have listings on other platforms, you should be syncing calendars. I list on other platforms, and all my calendars are synced, so when i get a booking on one site, it automatically blocks me on the other sites. I am surprised that not everyone is doing this, it's very easy. Just search for "synchronized calendars".

[Marit-Anne0]

@Allison111

I think I have an inkling on why airbnb clamp down on frequent declines and I will illustrate with personal experience.

Husband attending a 4 day conference, spouses welcome, activities arranged for us during daytime. Would you like to come and how should we travel ? My suggestion, we take the car and make it into a holiday and a road trip.

Since I am an airbnb host already registerd and verified, I go to the site looking for an apartment. Find the perfect spot, send a request. Request declined (for a very valid reason), nothing else available, plans upturned, I ended up not going.

This decline created a bucketful of negative feelings.  I felt frustrated, rejected, angry, resigned. A happy holiday planning suddenly turned into something negative.  This is what airbnb want to avoid and I believe also one of the reasons why they push Instant Book so hard.  Being rejected is a very strong, negative feeling.

[Allison111]

Marit Anne,

I think where possible it's best to book in advance, for me I never had an experience of last minute booking I always plan in advance.

I can see your point to a certain extent but if the reason as you say is valid then what can you do? having the feelings of frustration etc is not the hosts fault and they certainly shouldnt be punnished because they can't host you that to me is just childish behaviour it would be in my opinion down to plannig a trip last minute and taking a risk or a chance that you will just get accommodation. You sound like you would take being rejected very personal and I can understand that too! some people do take it like that other keep going and try another place, move on it's part of life, I might look further into Instant book as you say.

Thanks.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Allison111

Where did I say anything about last minute ? It was actually months away and nothing else suitable was available, not on airbnb and not on booking.com. I kept looking for another month, then gave up on the idea. 

I have seen reports from guests on this forum complaining about being declined several times by different hosts, then given up and booked a hotel. Most of all lately, it has been on host cancellations though.  

I did not take the decline personally as the host had a very valid reason and was apologetic. It is just that a decline creates negative feelings by default - it is just human nature. 

[Allison111]

Marit Anne,

Apologies by the way you were talking I assumed it was a last minute thing you tried to book.

You must have been extremely unluck to not get a place months in advance, that is extremely rare.

But in any case for me I still don't think declining someone would by defaukt leave them with negative feelings, I think that one is down to the persons own attitude and personality.

[Linda108]

@Allison111  There are some guests that just sweep through the search process, inquire multiple places and just hope to get a good deal.  There are some guests that thoroughly read each listing and get their hopes up for the reservation to be accepted as the place really fits into their plans.  Therefore being declined is experienced in various ways.  

I have not travelled that much using Air BNB and have not been declined.  My daughter uses Air BNB for both business and personal travels and stays in an Air BNB listing several times a year.  She complains about being declined when the issue is a host error as she puts a lot of work into finding the right place to fit her needs.  She is always booking an entire house.

I have no problem with Air BNB being guest experience oriented.  As hosts, we are running a business and I want my partner, Air BNB, to support the professionalism in the hospitality industry.  Because hosts can join up without knowledge of what constitutes professional, I think some of the "rules" address their learning curve.

[Russell68]

@Allison0 Sorry to hear of your experience.  But I dont understand why being declined should be seen as so bad.  There can be many reasons.  We all decline offers/requests every day.  I should be able to decline requests especially if I the guest is vague, has no pic,  has little info on his profile, does not answer my questions,  may misbehave or might fail to follow my house rules.  Hosts take large risks in accepting people they have never met into their homes.  Just look at the news coverage on this topic.  Airbnb is well aware of the risks and encourages hosts to ask questions until they feel comfortable with the request.  For me, the money is not worth taking chances.

[Joel211]

And worse if you decline a guest based on their bad reviews then you get penalised. 

There are occasions where if I’m working on away like on Glastonbury and Wimbledon which takes me away for three weeks then it’s literally impossible to host three weekend bookings so I have to decline them and hope I get a longer one. I take the time to explain to the guest exactly why it’s maybe not possible but I still get penalised by Airbnb. Because I have declined. 3 guests on bad reviews ( as I don’t want them trashing my house and contents ) and 8 guests because I’m not here to do the turnarounds I’m being treated by Airbnb as if I’m accepting and then cancelling. As usual if you ask them how they justify this policy they are completely incapable of coming up with an answer. They do not deserve to be so big..... Joel 

[Fabienne208]

@Marit-Anne0

do you believe that airbnb hosts owe you a reservation? my understanding is that you could've easily booked your trip but potentially not with airbnb.

conflating your negative feelings about a failed trip with airbnbs punitive policies for hosts seems irrational.

[Svetlana-And-Jimmy0]

Yes I agree. In the early days I could understand being rejected, because it was more personal, but now abb is basically like a normal bed and breakfast, so it feels insulting/disciriminatory to be rejected.