"Basic requirements need [my] attention" ... for a listing I just added!

[Susan653]

I just made an extra bedroom available in my space and created a separate listing for it. Then I went to my dashboard, where I found an alert (in red, of course) informing me that I "need to work on basic requirements" for the listing I just posted 30 minutes ago. I'm an experienced host, so it certainly didn't throw me into a panic--it just really irritated me. Thanks, but I don't need an auto-message telling me I'm failing before I even start. I wish Airbnb would figure out how to make their nagging . . . less naggy? Or scold-y? Or whatever.

I have to contact customer service anyway, because the linking calendars function isn't working. If I'm still feeling cranky, I may well complain about the "basic requirements" thing. Does this bother anyone else, or am I just turning into a pants-hiked-up-to-my-chest/get-off-my-lawn variety grump?

[Letti0]

@Susan653  It's a computer generated thing. I have a listing going live next week and I am sure I will get the same. Just ignore the messages they are ridiculous and sent to all new hosts about their listings. AirBnB has hired the worst programmers I know of. Of course your basic's need work. Hello! what about just listed do they not understand lol...

[Kimberly54]

Hi @Susan653,

When you call customer service, be as nice and kind as you possibly can.  These people get people calling in all the time who are completely annoyed/angry/fuming pissed-off.  Avoid the word, "You."  The person on the other end is not the problem--it's much bigger, and it's not their fault.  Often both their knowledge of this LABYRINTH is more limited than you might imagine, and their ability to do something about some system quirk may be nil. Thank the person in advance for helping you with your troubles.  Seriously.  You will get sooooo much better service if you play this card.  

Good luck!

[Susan653]

Hi Kimberly,

Thanks for your advice, but I do know how to speak politely to all manner of people--specifically customer service people who are, I agree, on the front lines doing one of the most thankless jobs out there.  I worked in customer service for many years, so I'm particularly cognizant of this. It so happens that I received stellar customer service just this week from both my car insurance company and Airbnb (this morning). I was gracious in both situations . . . because I'm a respectful adult who knows how to speak to other humans who are helping me.

I suspect the tone of my original post was too acerbic and made it sound like I might take out my frustrations on innocent Airbnb employees. Not to worry,  I was only venting and would never do that. I did find out from Mia at customer service that Airbnb was doing some site maintenance, which was why the linking calendar functions weren't working. She took care of that for me, and I never even brought up my "basic requirements" complaint from the original post, since (a) there's nothing customer service can do about it except to pass along my complaint; and (b) it's really not that important in the grand scheme of things. 🙂

Airbnb would do well to cover basics such as notifying users when maintenence is going to slow down or disable functions on the site. They also might re-examine the alarmist tone they sometimes employ on the hosting platform.

Having said all that, I do, in fact, really enjoy being a host!  

[Rebecca181]

I alerted customer support to this months and months ago. They know about it but obviously think that this is wonderful way to 'manage' brand new hosts. Put them into 'fear mode' early on so that they can be molded and psychologically conditioned to respond in the manner Airbnb seems to like best: Anxious and subservient, and willing to please. Kind of like Pavlov's dogs. So, my advice: Roll your eyes and ignore it. It will all go away when you get your first review. 

[Susan653]

Yes, exactly! I don't remember getting that alert when I started hosting two years ago; I wonder if it's a more recent development over the past year or so? I'm more or less used to this tone by now: the worst was losing super-host status for an entire year when I had to cancel ONE customer's last-minute reservation because of a medical emergency--post open-heart surgery--with my mom. My sister, who was my co-host at the time, explained to Airbnb, but they didn't waive the penalty, so proceeded those ever-present alerts on my dashboard to remind me how close (far) I was from regaining my former "status". Also, the reminders about how I'd get so many more reservations if I'd just low-ball my prices aren't particularly appreciated.

Knowing you mentioned this to Airbnb has made me rethink NOT mentioning it in my call. I think I'll drop them a polite line today to give them feedback on it. The more they get, the better, methinks! 🙂

[Rebecca181]

@Susan653 Yes, I noticed it for the first time a few months ago, when I added a new listing. I have been a super host since after my first quarter hosting- I found the notice concerning / alarming as well. At this point I am pretty convinced that there is a Psychologist on staff who likes to experiment with behavioral strategies to increase Airbnb's control over hosts. What they fail to understand is that any host with insight and brains will see right through these strategies and either be angered by them or ignore them - or both. These sorts of petty strategies only work well on very green hosts or hosts that have anxieties and histories that can be played upon to 'keep them in line'. At least, that's how it seems to me. Airbnb excels in putting hosts into 'double binds', which are crazy making - as is the case with your issue here: You just posted the listing, yet, you are receiving warnings because you have no reviews. And this is apparently intentional, as they have had over 6 months to fix it. 

Guess the shrink on staff couldn't cut it as a compassionate human being working with people in an office environment; so they hide behind a curtain like the Wizard of Oz, pulling levels to create images to scare us.

Pathetic.