Shockingly Bad Service As A Host?

[Kanokkan0]

Just wondering if I am the only one who has experience bad, if not biased services recently. I have 5 well reviewed listings and a long history of successful bookings with Airbnb. Recently I have had a lot of trouble with guests seemingly not understanding how Airnbn works. Often they will book 1 or 2 persons and show up 6-8 persons or they will expect to check in way outside our check in/check out time as listed. What is worst is when Airbnb customer service calls. They always seem to have already made up their mind as to what happened. Recently one of them was really adamant that I apologize to the customer for something we had nothing to do with and claimed I was in the wrong before even hearing my side of the story.

But the last straw is what happended today. Our villa in Bangkok has a nice big pool, but as anyone dealing with pools know, if there is adverse weather, it's not possible to keep it 100% clean or clear. Adding chemicals or getting the PH right after rain can take a couple of hours. Today the guest complained that there was a slightly green hue to the pool and that it did not look EXACTLY like it showed on the listing pictures. Mind you, the listing pictures we obviously taken on a clear sunny day. The pool however, was clear and one could see the bottom. I explained this to the customer and said, that since they had requested we clean it an extra time and adding the extra chemicals it would take a little while for it to get 100% back to normal. Nevertheless, the customer succeeded in checking out early and getting a FULL REFUND from customer service based on one picture, which actually showed the water as clear but a little dark because of an overcast day and it had been raining !!! I explained all to no avail to customer service. They said I had to write in my listing description that if it rained or was overcast the pool could look a slightly different color. Oh dear. After discussing this for a while they started ignoring me and are not answering the messages. The last message stated, that because the guest had requested I completely change the water, I should have done that. Anyone who knows about pools, knows that is not the right course of action.

I am so so disappointed with Airbnb. It seems clear that they had already decided to refund before EVEN discussing it with me. In fact when they called the first time, they basically said they had already accepted the refund without ANY feedback from my end.

I think I am taking my business elsewhere, because you can never be sure you have a booking, if customers can just cancel at a whim.

[Kelly149]

no, it is not just you. This is completely true and common. ABB will not pay for people who do not stay and they seem willing to take fairly any reason given by a guest to cancel. Your cancellation policy does not have to be enforced. Reason does not have to prevail. And this guest who arrived and then left also gets to review you and leave you whatever ranking they like.

This is a significant concern

[Ute42]

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Hi @Kelly149 , these certainly are significant concerns. They can only do this as they feel they are dominating the market right now. Let's see how far they can drive this policy.

And let's see if and when Amazon enters the VCR market. Amazon has the bankaccount an performance data of houndreds of Millions Customers worldwide. The can exactely say how much and what their customers buy and what their interests are. They can custom-tailor trip offers  to their customers the way no other company can. As soon as amazon enters this market, airbnb will be  in trouble.

[Ute42]

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@Kanokkan0, change the water in the pool? I need 2 days to do that.

How old are the guests? Do they know what a gallon is an how much 10,000 gallons are?

[Kanokkan0]

Ermil from customer service say I have to add to my listing that if it is raining or sun aint shining pool have different hue...

[Claudiu-Nicolae0]

Try to reach AirBnb via Twitter. It seems to me that the quality of the support depends a lot on the local offices. 

[Kanokkan0]

Great idea! I have done that. And yes I agree. I had a shocking experience with someone from the China office I suppose. I had allowed someone to check in outside the check in window IF they used a taxi service we happened to know. Not to make money on it, but to ensure they could find the house without calling us, since they were arriving late at night. They started complaining about it and then we just said fine, then you have to respect our check in window. 

Shocking really.

[Melissa550]

True 

[Kanokkan0]

Guest ask us to clean when the water is already clear as he states himself, so we add additional chemical because it's raining and bad weather. The he doesn't like that while it works, the color changes and it takes some time to settle as can be seen below. But can use it and can see the bottom. Listing picture is of course more blue because it is sunny and taken in the morning. This is after a lo of rain and after 4pm without sun.

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Kanokkan0

ABB is known to be pro-guest, even in the most outrageous situations, just like @Kelly149 says. This is why I would never want to be dependent on ABB for any significant amount of money or for my livihood. I also eagerly wait for some other major player to jump into this market like @Ute42 - I'd switch over in a heartbeat.

Please come back to let us know how things turn out.

[Ute42]

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Hi @Kanokkan0 ,

I wanted to take a look at the picture of Your pool in Your listing, but there is no listing.

Did airbnb suspend Your listing?

[Kanokkan0]

I delisted. I am so furious right now.

Their customer service have NO knowledge of what they speak. Two times it has happened. They don't listen and have made the decision before they even get in touch. I would even say they coach the guest in order to make a request and then when you deny it, they have the reason immediately to refund. Like in this case, the more I think about it, it's very strange how the customer phrased, "so the final thing I will ask you is to change the water in the pool". And then later when I discussed the situation with the customer service the repeated this phrase and said "I could just have changed the water so atleast I did something". Completely ridicoulous statement

[Kanokkan0]

And they are still not answering me at all.

[Cassandra22]

It is ridicilous, must we write an 'Idiots Guide' to everything. Anyone over the age of 18 knows pool/water colors change depending on weather, much like oceans and seas!

How many idiots guides must we write for every little thing?

I already have what I deem an embarassing amount of Instructions/How To's everywhere in my properties. More than hotels do!

Where does it end. How long to House rules have to become - there's not enough characters allowed anywhere to put all the Idiot Guide Info into the initial listing.

Change the water...really? On what planet is that a good idea!

I was once told I should have videoed a violent guest - Is that good customer service advice?

Like its a good idea to pull out a phone camera when someone is already drunken drugged up violent?

Let alone its againt the laws of most countries to make videos of people without their permission, such as in the coutry AIRBNB was at the time of telling me to do this.

They came down on the side of Mr Violent of course, gave him a refund after he trashed my apartment and got himself evicted by Resort Security. All my fault for not making a video of him while he was spitting abuse 2 inches from my face. And I mean literally spitting.

[Cormac0]

@Kanokkan0

The gig economy is enslavement and it would appear the only way to break the chains of this abuse is to leave Airbnb, which is really ironic as they place so much emphasis on the “community”, which to be quite honest is a smokescreen for how authoritarian and abusive of Hosts Airbnb have become.

Airbnb has rested from Host the wright’s of property ownership and has subjugated that wright against the will of the mighty Airbnb and it must seem even to a casual observer as completely wrong.

This injustice will only last so long before even the dumbest of Hosts (the ones that think a multi-billion Dollar corporation needs to be defended against the weak and vulnerable) wake up and realise they're been taken for a ride.

Empty the pool and remove all mention of it from your listing and obviously take all the necessary safety issues into account.

 Kanokkan you wide awake now!