Why I 'Snoozed' My New Listing - Why Can't This Be Fixed??

[Rebecca181]

Last month I decided to advertise the Studio section of my Cottage separately so that I could fill up the one night gaps during the High Season when the minimum stay for my Beach Cottage is two-plus nights. My strategy was successful, as I got an Instant Booking nearly immediately (guest arrives tonight). However, a few days later I saw the following notice (see image below) telling me I needed to 'improve'. The area I needed to improve in was 'Reviews', because I didn't have any. Well, of COURSE I have no reviews - My guest has not stayed here yet!

I called and spoke to Airbnb Customer Service and they told me they'd research it and get back to me. A few days later I received a message telling me "not to worry about it", just ignore the message and it should go away once I received my first review. However, I am aware that the Airbnb Computer Algorithm in  charge of issuing such notices of failure on my part is not a rational actor at all times. In fact, one Super Host here shared that she had received the same notice for the same reason (she had posted a second listing), was told not to worry about it, and then BOTH her listings were de-activated due to her not 'improving' (like me, she had not yet received her first review yet on the new listing because the guest had not yet stayed at her place). 

When I was new to Airbnb and published my first listing, I am not sure what I would have thought if I had received a notice telling me to improve something I had no power over - Obviously, I can't get a review until the first guest stays (AND hopefully writes a review).

I wonder, why can't this be fixed? I'd rather see something like this addressed and corrected than a new 'Home Highlights' box above my listing highlighting things that are not necessarily advantageous to me or my listing, given I write my listing in a very specific way to attract mature-minded, responsible guests. I find it both disconcerting and also ironic to be receiving notices like this about my shortcomings as a host when I am a Super Host in good standing - To be seeing a notice that I must 'improve' every time I go into my Hosting Dashboard was annoying enough to cause me to 'snooze' this listing until my first guest (hopefully) reviews it. Also, I don't want to take a chance that BOTH my listings will be deactivated, as this other Super Host's was (it finally was corrected, after alot of time and effort on her part). 

I think it's time that the Airbnb Computer Algorithm that controls much of our lives here as hosts be sent a notice telling it that it is falling short of expectations and it must improve it's performance, or else. In the meantime, my listing will remain snoozed until further notice, which means lost revenue for both me AND Airbnb. That's just bad business, in my book.

[Robin4]

@Rebecca181  @Sarah977

Rebecca......No the Bot is single minded....a sort of a current day 'Terminator'........It has only one duty, one purpose in life, it is interested in one thing only....messing with Airbnb's hosting structure!

These dates that it wants me to unblock are dates that are already blocked for other hosting that I do outside the Airbnb platform....I am still a bit of a tart, where hosting is concerned, I do sleep around! Oh gosh, even that's not a good way of putting it....I host around, ok Rebecca  ;-(

The Bot considers that a blocked date that does not have an Airbnb profile  attached to it is to be.......terminated and re-alocated to an Airbnb booking.

Now Rebecca you have to start watching that medication of yours....the only time I ever remember my brain behaving like that and jumping to wild conclusions was 50 years ago when we used to give the 'pot' a bit of a nudge!

Cheers......Rob

[Rebecca181]

Oh, yes, I know what you are talking about, @Robin4. I also 'host around' (although I am mostly booked via Airbnb and prefer the community vibe most of my guests embody, given that, like you, I live on-site); yet, the other booking companies do not try to get me to cancel my many Airbnb bookings the way Airbnb tries to get me to clear my calendar so I can populate it only with Airbnb guests. I guess the bots here at ABB are 'Uber Bots' - They present as merciless and determined. They take no prisoners, that's for sure!

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Rebecca181

I wouldn't worry to much about the automated warning message - I've been seeing "Your performance has fallen below the average for hosts, and it's important to focus on improving it." one for the past year  every single time I log on because I clicked on "accept" for a "Guest requests that you cancel" message close to 1 yr ago. My very first review is "The host canceled this reservation 139 days before arrival. This is an automated posting."

[Rebecca181]

Ugh, Jessica, how terribly annoying that must be! I appreciate your post and words of reassurance, yet also remain cautious, given a super host here had BOTH her listings deactivated by the Computer Algorithm Replicant BOT that seemingly controls all things at Airbnb. Oh, the humanity...