Letter to Airbnb

[Robin4]

I would ask the company to consider something.

I am never going to be able to host more than one booking per night, I do not have that corporate structure that the company’s philosophy and strategy appears to be driven towards…

I am a core host, one of the few million who got you going, and where you are today!

My desire is to welcome every guest in the best way I can, and make them feel at easy and comfortable with their decision to book, not only with me, but with Airbnb. I welcome every guest in a different way....... sometimes efficiently, sometimes with humour, sometimes as a host, sometimes as a hotelier.

I can only do this if I can see who I am dealing with. I can’t do this when I am only provided with a name. I open a conversation stream with a guest couple in their 50-60’s entirely differently than I would with a pair of friends in their early 20’s, or a young family. A photo tells me how my contact should be opened, a blank sentence does not!

A photo does not influence whether I host a guest or not, it tells me how to get this hosting off to a good start…

And surely, isn’t that what Airbnb wants?

Please allow me to do my job to the best of my ability and give me back those profile photos that I need to be able to do that!

Cheers.....Rob

[Jenny662]

@Robin82 Well, in my opinion, this is not an accident. There will be a very well considered strategy behind it. I suspect they are wanting to squeeze us out, or worse, play a part in social engineering. It's all rather nefarious if you ask me. I have altered my profile description and picture as a result of this censorship. I don't like it at all. I shall be looking for an alternative platform. There are a few out there.

[Jenny662]

I just checked to see if the surname is listed too before booking is confirmed. And it isn't. And there's a reason I ask. Myself and 3 of my women friends, who all live alone, are airbnb hosts. We have all been subject to one particular man who books in at the last minute and who ends up masturbating very loudly and stomping up and down the landing all night. Now, I have been lucky enough to have taken his booking, and for him then to not show up. However, we have all compared notes and we now know that we have 'hosted' the same man. My friends have reported him. But if there's no surname, and no picture, how can we insure ourselves against this happening again? Suggestions please Airbnb.

[Robin4]

@Jenny662

If you have reported him then he cannot book with you, he cannot open message contact with you, so you can feel safe there Jenny.

I have just been asked to take part in a face to face interview with the development team so it looks like they are taking the backlash to this photo business here seriously.

I will keep the community informed!

Cheers......Rob

[Clara116]

@Robin4 wow....cool news Rob, I'm anxious to hear what they actually say, ask and tell you about this photo black out.

For me the no photo is so personal - I discovered my dear friend murdered brutally 2 yrs ago. I put the fellow away for his life BUT not before I was threatened by all his family and friends...I'm doing well now but PTSD does much to the mind and my feeling safe is critical.....And so I could never have a stranger in my own home - so we offer the cottage out back - I can not do IB as I need the exchange of info so NOW it seems to all be changing for me.

Yesterday I got a request for 1 person - just Tony - coming for spring break.

I began the dialogue of many questions - where I discovered he was coming with a girlfriend and she had an acct with Airbnb and they had stayed in Vegas - finally I booked them but then one quick look and its clear they are NOT 25 or older. 

I had a young couple trash my place and I wish to avoid it again and so I told them .... So she's 21 and he's 22. They promised to be respectful. I got last names of them both and went online to look and oh my she is certainly NOT very respectful on twitter and I will be anxious during their stay. also, I will NOT be using my best linens and such for them.  I dislike very much that I had to do a 2 hr. dance blindfolded for this booking. And it is not the way it was just months before.....And I will be surprised with the outcome. Because I don't have reviews, she didn't use her account.....Seems such a waste of my time and energy to have to go through all this when the photo from the start would have saved much time and effort. I didn't discriminate but lately seems the hidden pics are all folks of color???? What's with that....its reverse discrimanation as I see it.

Maybe you can share some of my plight.

Also, did you follow the post yesterday about those that are gay and the fears of them landing in a hostile home..........yes, its real, especially where I live, there is such racist, bigoted and homophobic mentalities here in the south and the danger for them is VERY REAL.  I hope Airbnb understands that!!!! They MUST think OUTSIDE the (cash) box - if they truly care about our safety, and security they MUST address the WHOLE picture.  Thanks for being my sounding board Rob.  Blessings to you and Ade................cheers, Clara

[Jenny662]

@Clara116 I hope it goes well for you. I've had a few guests who have not been very respectful. I wouldn't say they'd trashed my house, but they have left curries and food on plates in the bedrooms and bags full of oil dripping on the kitchen floor, left front door open, and generally not been considerate. I'm sorry you had to go through this with your recent booking. Fingers crossed it goes ok. I've altered my profile to tell people what I expect from them now that I can't see their picture, nor their review history. This is a terrible state of affairs.

[Jenny662]

@Robin4 That's fantastic. Good luck. I didn't report him as I had nothing to report but I think one of my friends did. Keep us informed. And Thanks for your representation.

[Diane291]

I agree a picture and general profile is paramount.   I am a single female who hosts in my home.   Access to the available space is through the front door and the accomodations are not seperate.   I want to make sure that when I open my door (or look through the peephole) the person standing on the other side is at least similar to the picture.    People who are not valid are more likely to not take the time to complete this requirement.   My profile clearly states I do not accept 3rd party reservations and will hold fast to that policy if someone else were to show up. 

[Jenny662]

I have hosted people of all different cultures with as many different religions and personalities. If a person is disrespectful in their communications with me, (which absolutely bemuses me considering they want to be accepted into my home) then they do not stay as  I will not allow it. I am fortunate in that I can usually spot such a potential guest simply from their communications. However, It is hugely aided by their photo because you can intuit whether they are simply having a bad day, or whether their energy gives out an altogether more negative impact. I always give the benefit of the doubt. I have noticed cultural similarities between different races of people in their communications and, for example, some asian cultures want to squeeze two or three people into my single room. That sounds like a generalisation but it has happened perhaps 3 times in the last 8 months and of course, I can't allow that. However, I have to say, these are exceptions and not a rule and I judge each case for what it is and not because I have some kind of grudge against asians. I say to Airbnb, grow a pair and stop nannying us, and let us be the ones in charge of who we host. 

[Eamon10]

I once had a guest trying to book my place who had a photo of himself engaging in illegal drug use as his profile photo.  

[Anonymous]

Rob

I have just accepted a booking, I am not on instant book.  There was no photo included, no reviews? So I sent  message asking for some info, such as short bio, age, if they (at this point I had no idea if male or female) were coming alone.  I explained I needed this information for security reasons as this is my home n I must feel safe hosting n to please supply a recent photo

  I was quite prepared for them to perhaps not want to do that.  I said accepting the booking was dependant upon their acceptance.  The guest did all I asked n then I accepted her.  If Airbnb cannot look after me then I will do it for myself, knowing I will probably lose some but have peace of mind.  Of course it wont work for some.  I dont know what else to do?  Please give me any  feedback about what you have done.

Thank you all

Lynn

[Alon1]

@Anonymous

Lynn, 

I also don't do Instant Book, so I can at least inform you how to deal with this issue within the current parameters.

We are entitled to request photo which will only be shown after a booking is made.

Go into  your Dashboard: 

1) EDIT LISTING

2) 'BOOKING SETTINGS'

3) see GUEST REQUIREMENTS

4) scroll down to PROFILE PHOTO:

       Click to activate this requirement.

    (Profile Photo is just above House Rules)

The Guest should receive an automated notice that they can't book this listing without loading a photo.

[Robin4]

@Lynn

Sorry Lynn, I have only just come across your post, 

You are right, it won't work for some and, it won't work for you every time! But firstly, you do have to feel comfortable with who is entering your home.

Most people around the world have 'peep-holes' in their front door to assess who is standing the other side of it before they open and communicate. It is just a basic human society rite that we have the opportunity to see someone who we are going accept to come face to face with. Phone and email conversations present a degree of remoteness that is not threatening, but contact on an arms length person to person basis is......... and for the company to take that rite away simply because they might be missing out on a few dollars by hosts exercising their basic rite...... is wrong on a number of levels!

I don't support it in any way and it does disturb me that the company considers this is a positive trust building exercise......it is not!

I hope that the number of internet sites who specialize in statistical data collection are keeping an eye on this, I think we are going to see a new trend here!

Once again I stress, the lack of a guest photo will have no affect on whether I accept a guest or not. More than 85% of my bookings are IB where the reservation is confirmed before I know anything about the guest. I want that photo to start the trust building exercise with the guest once they have booked.

But I do understand there are a high percentage of hosts out there who do not use Instant Book and for whom relevant guest identity information is really important.

This is not an alteration to the booking procedure to be appluaded and as a community we need to make Airbnb aware of the sensible reasons why it is not to be applauded!

Cheers......Rob

[Cor3]

Hi @Robin4,

A couple of years ago, I received the inquiry displayed below.

Back then the profile pictures were still visible obviously.

The answers to these questions can also very easily be derived from my listing.

The prospective guest was a ‘newbie’ to Airbnb too. With hardly any profile info too.

 Inquiry, over 2 years ago

I can assure you, my reply today would have been completely different (tone-wise) from what I answered back then! Due to the current unavailability of guest profile photos on an inquiry.

As the profile picture showed an older couple and the woman seemed to be using a cane.

As a picture simply tells more than a 1,000 words.

[Sue102]

My understanding was that a host would be shown a photo of the guest only after a booking was made. That poses many challenges to hosts, as has been discussed here on this forum. But just this morning I received an instant booking and although all appears well, I am not able to view the host's photo. Nothing. 

[Robin4]

@Sue102

Sue, it is probable that the guest does not have a profile photo! A few years ago Airbnb de-listed users who did not have a profile photo that was an identifiable match with  their current drivers licence or passport photo....now it appears a profile photo is not required any more.

We simply go from one risk to the next with Airbnb's blessing!  

Cheers.......Rob