Problem with 90% Response Rate for Superhosts: Airbnb needs to change this! Please support;)

[Christa110]

Dear Hosts and in particular Superhosts

I am facing the cancellation of my superhost status as Airbnb pretends that I did not correspond with the 90% response rate requirement. However, this is not correct, I did answer more than 90% of the requests within 24 hours, which is also established through my answer rates of 90% and 92% for my two listings. But for reasons Airbnb cannot explain my overall responses rate is at 89% and Airbnb is now threatening to cancel my superhost status (whereas all other requirements are totally fulfilled). 

This is not only unfair but also technically wrong, the way Airbnb calculates the answer rate is nonsense and they need to change it (see arguments below). 

If you had similar issues, please share your stories and support this request by voting thumbs up for it, thank you!

Christa 

The current response rate approach of Airbnb is heavily flawed and unfair for the following reasons: 

1. NO EXPLANATION / NO SUPPORT / NO DATA AVAILABLE
   
   I discussed for several hours with Airbnb Support how our response rate of 89% is calculated (how many responses in total, which ones did count / which ones not, how many do we need to improve from 89% to 90% to keep the Superhost status) but Airbnb was not able to provide such information.
    
2. THE SYSTEM CALCULATES THE PERCENTAGE WRONG
   
   I have two listings on Airbnb, one shows an answer rate of 92% and the other of 90% for the last 365 days. It seems very clear that the overall answer rate cannot be under 90% but no, not with Airbnb: My overall response rate is at 89%. Again, I discussed this for hours with Airbnb support, but nobody could explain why these figures deviate, and how (90%+92%)/2 can result in an overall answer rate of 89%. The only explanation here is that Airbnb's system is faulty and has a bug. Which would be ok if support helps, but support does nothing to clarify or change this faulty calculation. Their answer simply was: We see, this is strange, but it is your problem, there is nothing we can do here for you.
   
   
3. THE CALCULATION IS STUPID AS IT ONLY TAKES INTO ACCOUNT ACCEPTED RESERVATIONS
   
   As probably most other users as well I was of the opinion that the response rate counts the answers to all messages and mails I am sending to my guests. And those are a lot, I try to answer all requests and questions as quickly as possible, and would easily have an 24 hours response rate of more than 90%. However, this is not what is counted here. The response rate totally ignores messages and answers to your guests, it counts only acceptances (or if you decline) of reservation requests. But this is stupid for several reasons: First, it totall ignores whether you are overall responsive to questions and requests of your guets (and isn't this what ultimately should matter, that you are always there for your guests, write back, and not whether you simply click a confirm/cancel button?). Second, it ignores that it is Airbnb's policy to push its hosts to accept automated reservations (which I have for my listings). However, if you have activated automated reservations, you do not receive any requests that you may answer within 24 hours and that do count towards your overal response rate. Only in few exceptional circumstances one receives such requests, e.g. if a guest does not correspond to the minimum requirements. As a consequence, and this is what happened in my case, if you miss out only one or two such requests, this might already be enough to jeopardize your superhost status.
   
   
4. EVEN IF YOU ANSWER WITHIN 24 HOURS AIRBNB PUNISHES YOU AND COUNTS THIS AS A NON-ANSWER
   
   I was faced twice with the situation that guests who already have booked a stay with me submitted a new request through a different account. I did not confirm / cancel such request within 24 hours as I assumed that the guests made a mistake and wanted to avoid that they incur any issues. I answered within 24 hours, on both accounts, the original and the one through which they submitted the request, but with a messag only, without klicking the confirm / cancel button (not knowing at the time that clicking this button is the only thing that counts for the response rate). It is obvious that I did respond within 24 hours, but Airbnb does not care, the support agreed with my arguments and apologized but informed me that they cannot cancel past requests or correct this in the system. I am now penalized and face the cancellation of my superhost status, simply becaues I have chosen to first answer by message only instead of klicking the confirm/cancel button.  

[Alon1]

@Jocelyn82 

I also don't twitter. Short of that the best attempt seems to be phone-call.

But phone is a bit of a lottery as I'm sure you've discovered.

In the case I described above (for which you gave thumbs up) I had to go to the extreme of going to the London HQ. I'm at least lucky in this respect as we have an office in London (though they no longer formerly deal with Customer Services, now nominally farmed out to Dublin). I was lucky again in that someone was willing to talk with me in London, and as described she put me on the path to find someone who would deal with the issue. 

A lot of unnecessary stress! 

[Deborah614]

I once got quite excited about the prospect of becoming a 'superhost', but it didn't seem to be a rational system, as I've always responded within 24 hours.   So I should be a superhost?    I haven't got a clue.    I'm not going to get all upset about it, I just don't care.   It's not a system which has much logic in my view.   

Airbnb began sending suggestions to drop my rate from $79 to $65.    When I dropped it to $69, they are now suggesting it should be $54.   So if I drop it to $54, I expect I would get another 'suggestion' to drop it to $44.  And so on.   No.  The system is mostly run by computers and I'm not going to waste my time arguing with people whose boss is a computer.   

[Ben551]

@Deborah614 You’ve got Deb’s, Airbnb pricing is almost entirely driven by AI (Artificial Idiocy). Best to smile and wave at the stupid pricing suggestions as they pass you by...

No computer generated digits are ever going to know your business better than you do. Not to mention, Airbnb pricing tips are no substitute for outstanding hospitality... and I don’t see it giving any tips for that!

[Deborah614]

@Ben0Laughing like a drain here. A.I.   Beautiful.

A bit like the local authority rateable value calculations.   Their computer calculates rateable values, blind to my sea view, the non-consented improvements, landscaping, planting.   And also the mistake that computer made in the square metre size of my house.   It's almost double the size they think.   (Pssst!   There is an upstairs!) 

"Review Weary Guests".   Hmmm.  A new terminology I've picked up yesterday.   OK, well if guests are not going to bother helping me with glowing reviews of the beautiful bed linen, exceptional service, fresh ground coffee beans, my home baking, home cooking, "happy hour nibbles platter and complimentary drinks" and the "go-bag" of sandwiches or 'something' to take away with them.    All those things will go.     I've never yet had a repeat guest, even the really  happy ones.   Most guests are experience junkies.   They stop at your watering hole, eat, drink, sleep, and are gone.   For ever.   

Note to Self:   Stop being a People Pleaser.   

[Sarah977]

@Deborah614  I don't provide any of those lovely amenities you do, there is no way I could do that at the price I charge, and I actually don't want to raise my price- it seems to be working just fine to attract the type of guests I want. They get a comfortable, immaculately clean room with a private bath, full use of my kitchen, and I offer them coffee or tea in the morning, plus I pick most of them up at the bus station, an 8 minute drive, and drive them back there again when they leave. I don't mention the coffee or tea or the bus pick-up in my listing info at all, so it ends up making most guests feel I've gone out of my way for them and that they got more than they expected. In fact, I wouldn't want to be held to the pick-up, maybe my car is at the mechanics or something, I wouldn't want to have to refund a guest something because I was unable to do it, or have them grouse in the review.

I've done or provided other extras for guests who are lovely people who are forthcoming with appreciation. And those who were thoughtful and generous enough to show up with a "hostess gift". The first time someone did this, I was so surprised and touched, it never occurred to me a guest would do this, but several have. But we'll be disappointed if we expect all guests to notice or comment on all the extras, the quality linens, the fine china, so yes, don't bend over backwards to give guests an over-the-top experience unless you're just doing it for your own pleasure, rather than acknowledgement.

What I've often done with the guests who I get on well with, is invite them along on some day excursion I'm taking with friends, take them to some beach, if I have time, that they couldn't get to without a car and which the average tourist would never know about, etc. I think guests are more appreciative of little experiences that they didn't expect, if you feel like doing it, than they are of extra amenities or high quality furnishings or other "stuff".

[Deborah614]

@Sarah977  

Your place looks like a dream from a story book!     

On the other hand, my little cottage is ordinary.   It was downright ugly when I first bought it, but now I've added the porch and done improvements, it is now in the "homely & rustic" category. 🙂  

The bathroom is tiny, and guests share it with me.   I can't offer full use of a kitchen because it's my own kitchen and the fridge is usually crammed full.   (I had guests arrive with wine and cheese and food galore, and just couldn't cope with it all).   

My selling points are the proximity to the beach, my horses, home cooking, and any other pleasantries I can add to their experience.   My positioning is peaceful sleep at the beach and personal service.   So comfortable bed and heavenly linen is important.    

But you're right  - I have to dial back the very expensive bed linens and fine bone china.   That's not in the right humble price bracket.   It belonged in the "affordable luxury" B&B I had with my Red Rabbit Countryrest B&B.   

[Deborah614]

@Sarah977   

You are the ultimate hostess, Sarah.   Wow!  having guests arrive with something for you?   That's just wonderful.   Yes I would definitely bend over backwards.    I had people arrive over Christmas from overseas, and they came with a beautiful gift for me.    I took them on a 600km drive to sea a seal colony, a whole day trip complete with picnic basket too.    No extra charge. 

[Sarah977]

@Deborah614  And I bet they'll remember that trip to the seal colony forever. Whereas they won't remember the thread count of the sheets, only whether the bed was comfortable or not. I don't necessarily think hosts need to scale back on what they provide, if they enjoy providing it, and it's not making hosting financially unviable, but if expecting all of those extras to be noticed, acknowleged, and mentioned, we will likely be disappointed.

Thanks for the nice words about my place. I designed the house myself, and was on site for the whole building process, plus I did most of the finish work myself, like all the tiling and painting. It was exciting to design exactly what I wanted in a home, my past experience, like yours, was fixing up old, not so nice, places. And I had no intention to Airbnb the guest room- that was for family and friends. But while some did come, the room sat empty the majority of the time, which is why I decided to STR it. 

But if I had decided to Airbnb host when I lived in Canada, as my daughters grew up and left home, meaning I had extra rooms, all would have had to share the one tiny bathroom that 100 year old house had, just like yours. That house was also an ugly dump when I bought it, but over the 25 years I lived there, it got renovated little by little until it was pretty decent. But it still only had one tiny bathroom. Which me and my 3 daughters managed to live with just fine. It kind of cracks me up how newer homes these days have as many bathrooms as bedrooms, if not more.

[Deborah614]

@Sarah977 

Thank you for your kind words.   I'm in awe of what you have achieved!    I've retired from my career, which is really a magnet for young people and no place for 60+ (in my view).   And when I bought this shabby little cottage near the sea, I had no idea I would Airbnb.  Until a friend in the UK urged me and kept on urging me until I did it.     I put a profile up and had no guests for a very long time, then suddenly a booking!    I was like a puppy with two tails, and the excitement of getting a new booking has not faded.   , Everything I do with the place now, is with hosting guests in mind.   

I converted the dusty old garage, which was the original 'bach' - just a small building with an oven in the room and a bathroom at the back it was - into a divine little 'parlour'.   With antique furniture, huge comfy sofa, and a little dining table for 6.    That's where I set the breakfast table before I go to bed, and then come down and get breakfast ready the next morning.   

I just love hosting guests, and hope that Airbnb and Hosts can together provide 'boutique' (not necessarily rock bottom competitive pricing), accommodation and experiences for a long time to come.   

[Deborah614]

@Sarah977 

Yes, my guests just LOVE to go visit my horses when I go to feed them.   They get their cameras out and take selfies with them and my mares,  Bo & Charlotte.   

Thanks, everything you said is very informative and good advice.   

[Adam645]

That's really good feedback! Thanks for breaking it down and grabbing stats there.

[Yoh124]

It's 2020 now and I believe this issue remains unsolved. Airbnb should let the host know when they are approaching 90% respond rate, like what has to be done, how many respond needed to reach 90% response rate and etc. because we are totally clueless with the response rate calculation system.