Post by High Priestess on Nov 13, 2015 4:50:51 GMT
Donna shared Nov 12 2015
Heads up
So I received a call from customer service about a last minute one-night cancellation a few days ago. The guest cancelled AFTER check-in time via text, saying she understood cancellation policy, but that something work-related had come up. Customer service called me to ask about any refund I was offering, and I said I wasn't. I guess I'm just saying I'm confused as to why there was something to discuss, unless airbnb routinely refunds their fees when a guest doesn't use the service. That's on their end. But why have a cancellation policy if it's got to be discussed when there;s a cut and dry cancellation? The rep decided to pay us, AND refund the guest; which I think is a great outcome for the guest, until she cancels the next time and doesn't get the same result. I think it's confusing to sometimes refund and sometimes not given the same parameters. The rep said she wanted the guest to be happy because she was a new user. But yikes! Wouldn't it be better to have the new user understand how the system works? If anything, cut a little slack for the long-time user, right? By the time check-in time rolls around, I've heated the hot tub, harvested salad items and any fruit in the grove for the guest, bought fresh breakfast bread. Many of the other items we provide can roll forward, but those can't. Surely it would be better that the guest learns with a no-refund, one night. I'm a new(ish) host, and have never had a cancellation like this. Can anyone explain the real policy?
Queenie & Ted
There are hundreds of hosts, at any given point in time, who are trying to reach a customer service rep. It's disheartening to find that the reason they're so busy is that they are calling hosts to see if you really mean your cancellation policy.
Deborah
:-))) Great point, Queenie!!!
Ernest
This poor use of valuable resources drives up the costs for all of us.
Deborah
So....the Airbnb policy on cancellation is...that cancellations are cut and dried and follow the cancellation policy you've selected for your listing, unless the guest contacts Airbnb and hopes for more of a refund. Airbnb tends to want to soften the blow of a guest having to cancel and losing all their money, when possible. So, one of the things that AIrbnb will do, or guest will do, is contact the host to see if the host is willing to offer any refund. If the host says no, that is usually the end of it, as it is optional for the host to offer a refund, unless there is some problem that the guest experienced at hosts' place and Airbnb is believing their story.
I also dont' think it's in general a good idea for Airbnb to offer guests a refund if that is not in accordance with the policy, as this sets up guests to expect that the cancellation policy they agree to, in making the reservation, is not actually binding on them. THere may be some cases where offering guest a refund makes sense, but for the most part I think it's better not to teach guests that they wont' actually be held to the contract terms they agreed to. We are already having that problem with guests, in terms of their thinking that they won't actually be required to follow the house rules they agreed to -- so we don't want to add fuel to that fire.
Susan
I'm with you....guests aren't held to the same standards as hosts? If I offer wifi and it's not available, I eat it? If the guest cancels without notice, I eat it? Sorry, that doesn't work for me.
Ernest
I agree entirely. Even had you not made the preparations that you did, you had an agreement between host and guest and that should be honored. Furthermore, should the guest be refunded by you, you would lose out on the opportunity to let the room to a guest that would not have cancelled. All around, bad form by Airbnb and a losing proposition for the host. I believe that Airbnb should never call a host asking to discuss a refund. Airbnb should honor the policies that all parties have expressly agreed to and should refund monies only according to the cancellation policy in place subject to the extenuating circumstances listed in the terms and conditions to which we have all agreed to abide. Additionally it creates improper expectations to a new member of the community which increases the likelihood of undesirable behavior. Also, should that guest ever become a host, his or her confidence that Airbnb will support them should one cancel a reservation with them would be somewhat eroded.
Heads up
So I received a call from customer service about a last minute one-night cancellation a few days ago. The guest cancelled AFTER check-in time via text, saying she understood cancellation policy, but that something work-related had come up. Customer service called me to ask about any refund I was offering, and I said I wasn't. I guess I'm just saying I'm confused as to why there was something to discuss, unless airbnb routinely refunds their fees when a guest doesn't use the service. That's on their end. But why have a cancellation policy if it's got to be discussed when there;s a cut and dry cancellation? The rep decided to pay us, AND refund the guest; which I think is a great outcome for the guest, until she cancels the next time and doesn't get the same result. I think it's confusing to sometimes refund and sometimes not given the same parameters. The rep said she wanted the guest to be happy because she was a new user. But yikes! Wouldn't it be better to have the new user understand how the system works? If anything, cut a little slack for the long-time user, right? By the time check-in time rolls around, I've heated the hot tub, harvested salad items and any fruit in the grove for the guest, bought fresh breakfast bread. Many of the other items we provide can roll forward, but those can't. Surely it would be better that the guest learns with a no-refund, one night. I'm a new(ish) host, and have never had a cancellation like this. Can anyone explain the real policy?
Queenie & Ted
There are hundreds of hosts, at any given point in time, who are trying to reach a customer service rep. It's disheartening to find that the reason they're so busy is that they are calling hosts to see if you really mean your cancellation policy.
Deborah
:-))) Great point, Queenie!!!
Ernest
This poor use of valuable resources drives up the costs for all of us.
Deborah
So....the Airbnb policy on cancellation is...that cancellations are cut and dried and follow the cancellation policy you've selected for your listing, unless the guest contacts Airbnb and hopes for more of a refund. Airbnb tends to want to soften the blow of a guest having to cancel and losing all their money, when possible. So, one of the things that AIrbnb will do, or guest will do, is contact the host to see if the host is willing to offer any refund. If the host says no, that is usually the end of it, as it is optional for the host to offer a refund, unless there is some problem that the guest experienced at hosts' place and Airbnb is believing their story.
I also dont' think it's in general a good idea for Airbnb to offer guests a refund if that is not in accordance with the policy, as this sets up guests to expect that the cancellation policy they agree to, in making the reservation, is not actually binding on them. THere may be some cases where offering guest a refund makes sense, but for the most part I think it's better not to teach guests that they wont' actually be held to the contract terms they agreed to. We are already having that problem with guests, in terms of their thinking that they won't actually be required to follow the house rules they agreed to -- so we don't want to add fuel to that fire.
Susan
I'm with you....guests aren't held to the same standards as hosts? If I offer wifi and it's not available, I eat it? If the guest cancels without notice, I eat it? Sorry, that doesn't work for me.
Ernest
I agree entirely. Even had you not made the preparations that you did, you had an agreement between host and guest and that should be honored. Furthermore, should the guest be refunded by you, you would lose out on the opportunity to let the room to a guest that would not have cancelled. All around, bad form by Airbnb and a losing proposition for the host. I believe that Airbnb should never call a host asking to discuss a refund. Airbnb should honor the policies that all parties have expressly agreed to and should refund monies only according to the cancellation policy in place subject to the extenuating circumstances listed in the terms and conditions to which we have all agreed to abide. Additionally it creates improper expectations to a new member of the community which increases the likelihood of undesirable behavior. Also, should that guest ever become a host, his or her confidence that Airbnb will support them should one cancel a reservation with them would be somewhat eroded.