Post by High Priestess on Sept 27, 2015 14:30:22 GMT
www.airbnb.com/groups/content/content-127521
Tim shared 10 months ago on HOme sharers of SF
Great News! Chip is taking increasing IB to 3 reviews under advisement
I didn't want to take this role but after my assault by a guest, I am pushing for a revamping of the instant booking program. I will be meeting with Brian Jung at my home Friday. Chip was going to attend but he has meetings.
I strongly urge everyone to disable instant book and tell your friends to do so as well (especially if you have children). As Peter had mentioned, it is too risky. I am proof of this.
Personally, I think guests should receive 5 star reviews as well and a "thumbs up.
Maybe give hosts the ability to see more of guest's reviews? Any ideas?
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Len & Irina
Keith
Keith10 months ago
about 1/3 of my bookings are instant book. Ive had no problems with any of them and it accounts for a significant part of my revenue.
my price is also above mid range which may have an impact here.. people instant booking tend to be more last minute and if they're price sensitive they wont book here. It's not always true, but I think there are more trouble makers in the lower end of the price scale.
but IB is an option and one anyone can turn off.. I think they already let you choose what types of people can use IB.. I think the solution is to change this from 3 discreet choices to a few knobs:
"number of positive reviews: " choose 1-5
"require thumbs up?" yes/no
etc..
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Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
As of when I last checked, the "positive reviews" that Airbnb refers to, does NOT mean, good reviews. They use the word "positive" in a misleading way -- they mean "real" reviews (as opposed to fake ones?). So, a guest with three, negative , thumbs down reviews is counted by AIrbnb as having 3 positive reviews and is then eligible for instant book. THis has been written about numerous times on the forums. The "require all thumbs up reviews" would certainly help -- I would very much agree with Tim that hosts should be able to specify that they only want guests with all five star reviews to be able to instant book. But really, I don't believe we need instant book. If you, Keith, didn't have instant book,, and there was no instant book, do you think those guests who booked with you like that would disappear and not use Airbnb? No, they would still use AIrbnb, but would just have to get approved first for the booking, which in many cases takes less than 15-30 minutes, if guests come prepared with all vital statistics. So, in my view there is no need for instant book. Perhaps it's a symptom of our instant gratification society.?
Tim
Tim10 months ago
You may be right that the problem lies in the "lower end of the price scale" properties like my own and others througout the world. I have been hosting about 4 years now and if this can happen to me then it can happen to everyone. And what about some single mom with kids that relies on the income? She thinks, "maybe IB will get me more bookings and I will get ranked higher in the listings?" I have to agree with Peter and many others that IB is potentially dangerous and should be revamped. And at the very least, hosts should be given a "health type warning" like you see on cigarette packs. No Keith, Airbnb does not let you pick which types of people to use IB. There are 2 choices: a. anyone b. guests with more than 1 review Drew pointed out to me that all guests who stayed one time regardless of their reviews can use IB. We need more transparency. It's not about money nor amount of bookings; it's about trust, security, and safety. I did not approve my female guest to invite 20 people to my home to throw an alocohol-fueled party with dogs, motorcycles, numerous cars, and to assault me the next morning when they didn't want to check out.
Santa Fe International Hostel
Santa Fe International Hostel10 months ago
Instant book reservations ARE the majority of AIRBnB generated stays at this property. As many Santa Fe hosts prefer multi day guests, we seem to have become the default option for one night travelers. As a former motel, we are able to offer plain individual rooms. Safety in 30 so years of operation, has NOT been a issue. I do feel that IB needs be offered primarily as a "perk" for valued guests. Far to many, new to the concept, Equipped with a cell phone, credit card & unrealistic expectations make their first contact with hosts having little idea that home sharing assumes personal integrity & responsible behavior. AIRBnB as a tech side business attempting to "do" hospitality in this "marketing initiative" has strayed afar. Should Chip become the "gatekeeper" protecting hosts ... I envy not, his task ... Preston
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Deborah, thank you for pointing his out. You are absolutely correct! I wish this never happened to me because I don't relish being the spokesperson for trust and safety. I have a neighboodhood- police safety meeting tonight in the Ingleside District but maybe I should cancel? This issue is dear to my heart and I don't want this to happen to anyone else. I shudder to think what could have happened if my assault happened to a woman. I wonder if assaults are happening as we speak and they are not being reported?
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
My wife is Asian and a follower of Buddha who was kept up all night with her 3 young children. She avoids confrontation like the plague. She was too afraid to confront them. She was afraid to get me because she knew I would confront them and worried that the father of her 3 children would get injured and her 3 children would be a witness to this.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
We have to respect the culture of all hosts. Safety and Trust is the number one concern for me and should be for Airbb and all hosts.
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Peter
Peter10 months ago
I know the Superhost program is not perfect, but I've always thought there should be a Superguest program too. Additionally, Hosts can elect to only allow Superguests to Instant Book. Hosts who want to allow anyone or no one to Instant Book should also be allowed to do so. The resistance from Airbnb against this and all the other good suggestions posted here is that Airbnb has a "keep it simple" rule concerning changes to the platform. Giving users more choices is a good thing, but also necessarily complicates and too many complications will eventually deter users.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
I have been hearing this from Chip as well. Frankly, I don't care about numbers. I care about safety. I care about trust. Homesharing is about trust and safety and I belive this can be accomplished. Allowing "anyone" and any guests based on number of stays is dangerous.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
My son and his fiancé brought this up at the Roundtable discussions with Airbnb at the Open last year. Guests should also have a star-rating system too. At the moment, as hosts, we give the guests stars however these do not show up on their profiles at all. So, as hosts we have a star-rating that we are conscious to keep up, but guests do not have the same system that they feel conscious to maintain. Alas, nothing has changed despite the recommendation and the overwhelming agreement from other hosts to have this implemented. As a result, we started writing the stars for each category in the verbiage and if we would or would not recommend the guest so that other hosts can read it and make an informed decision before having the guests in their home.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
"So, a guest with three, negative , thumbs down reviews is counted by AIrbnb as having 3 positive reviews and is then eligible for instant book." wrote Deborah.
This is news to me and this is wrong. I had no idea! I thought they were favorable. I have to leave a review for my problem guest and I will leave a thumbs down. Will she be able to IB again?
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Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
One would really assume that "positive reviews" does actually mean positive reviews, but Airbnb has been quite misleading in this aspect of hte Instant book program. I wish I had saved the links to the forum threads on this issue -- but suffice to say that I and other hosts have experienced giving a guest who previously had no reviews, a "thumbs down " review, and then seeing our review on their profile page with the notation on the side that they had "1 positive review". ALso, hosts contacting Airbnb and wanting an explanation were told that positive does not mean what positive should mean. Airbnb really needs to be clear with hosts about this problem -- even if it were possible for Airbnb to screen out guests with thumbs down reviews, they could not screen out guests who had a thumbs up on the review, but the content of the review itself was not positive. Computers can't read.
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggie10 months ago
Tim, we are also a mixed culture house, part of what we both strongly believe, is the importance of keeping a good energy balance in our home. We will never use instant booking on any site. Why? Because a guest is someone we choose to invite to share with us, money cannot ever buy that right ! To my mind, instant booking goes against everything we are trying to achieve. We need the ability to choose to invite or not invite a guest into our homes, otherwise it cannot be called hospitality it's just space!
Don't get me wrong, money is part of the exchange, a very important part.
That Tims 'guest' should feel she had bought the right to bring people like that into his home, to frighten his wife and children , is an unspeakable insult! Need more caffeine it's early
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Thank you very much for your kind thoughts. I really appreciate it. We are feeling so very isolated now because we don't dare share what happened to us to our friends and family for fear it would be leaked to the press. Peter's Homesharing is the only avenue for us to share our fears, our frustrations, our concerns, and our hope for a resolution not to us but to all hosts. We too also want to keep a good energy balance in our home. We enjoy homesharing and we really love meeting new people, especially families.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
We had a two-time convicted felon and admitted prostitute instant book with us back in December. A quick Google name search yielded an article featuring her, with photos for proper identifying, about transgender convicted felons from Puerto Rico gaining asylum in the US. In this article she admitted to not only being a twice convicted felon (for theft and grand theft auto), but also a crack addict and prostitute. She didn't stay in the house at all for her 4 night booking but she made off with the keys to the house. We had to have the locks changed on X-mas eve. Needless to say, it warranted an email to Chip, which then got delegated to another lackey. My son's fiancé voiced concerns to Airbnb that felons were getting into the homes of children and families, and subjecting then to potential dangers via instant book, not to mention the dangers to everyone else. This conversation went nowhere with Airbnb and it was swept under the proverbial rug.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Thank you so very much for sharing this Ernest. This needs to stop ASAP and fixed. I am so sorry this happened to you. It was not a pleasant way to start the Christmas holidays. May I ask you a question? How many reviews did she have on her profile? Your son is so right about the potential dangers to families and kids.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I believe she was a first time user.
Drew
Drew10 months ago
Wow, this is just mind numbing. "Swept under the rug" indeed. Like so many other useful and important issues Hosts have brought up. Ernest, thanks for suggesting yet another necessity for my hosting. I'm googling every guest from now on!!
Tim
Tim10 months ago
I have confirmation that Bryan Jung and Laura Hughes will be coming for lunch at our home this week. Chip is very busy with meetings but he promised to meet again, possibly next week. Bryan and Laura will be meeting my wife and our 3 kids to discuss the instant booking dangers. My kids will share how their experiences of being kept up at night, witnessing the excessive alcohol consumption, and seeing the pit bulls. FYI, our kids also share in the responsibilities and jobs of running our family homesharing business. I am very hopeful that a solution will be found that will protect all hosts.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
I would greatly appreciate more personal stories how things turned out wrong with IB. You can email me. And you have my word of honor that I will keep your name confidential if desired. I never share emails without the writer's permission.
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Keith
Keith10 months ago
Tim. While I agree that the in system needs more flexibility I'm not seeing how you would have not had this guest but for ib. Maybe I missed part of the story. Ive had only good luck with ib. Your welcome to use my name. I'm supportive of an improved system but I think its beneficial to show all sides and not magnify individual events. If you secure a meeting time with chip I'm happy to meet him with you if you like.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I'd like to add that for the most part IB has been great for us. Just one or two instances of undesirable guests. Many times we've had great guests. Also, the traditional inquiry/reservation request process also yields a lot of bad guests too. So, in the end, we need to lean on our house rules. I state in my house rules that: "Any violation of the house rules may result in the immediate termination of the booking agreement. In these instances, all fees will be forfeited and, where appropriate, deductions from the security deposit may be made." We need to know that Airbnb will back us up when guests need to be removed in the event that violations are determined to require removal.
Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
Ernest, I dont' know if I got the idea from you or another host on these forums, but some host mentioned the language you use in your post above, and I added that to my house rules too a few months ago, to support me if I need to evict a guest. I only used Instant Book rather briefly, and only had two bookings from it, one of whom I had actually already sent a preapproval that had expired, and so she was already approved. The other one who instant booked turned out fine, but I realized that I didn't like to suddenly discover someone had instant booked without any prior communcation with me, so I deactivated instant book after that point.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I've highlighted this language before, but I must admit Deborah, I thought I got it from you! It just goes to show what a wonderful resource these forums are for all of us.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
Ernest, did you take notes on the round table discussion? I was unable to attend and I would love to get a copy or review of what was recommended by hosts.
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Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I didn't.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
Tonight I host a middle aged deputy sheriff (35 yrs) with young kids from Northern California. The father was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and is seeking treatment at our world class hospital UCSF. I bring this up because what is so unique about homesharing is that we get to meet people from all walks of life and we get to experience a brief part of their journey. Yesterday, my guest proposed to his future wife; today a new guest is fighting for his life. I think it is so very important that Airbnb returns to its roots of bringing the world community closer - one filled with trust and safety.Let's create trust not fear. Host incidents of assaults, criminals in their homes, and theft should be taken very seriously and everything should be done to stop this. A year has passed and Airbnb has not done anything to improve the safety of hosts. Remember, without us hosts, there is no Airbnb. Please, no more delays.
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Santa Fe International Hostel
Santa Fe International Hostel10 months ago
Tim, in all this remember ... you are but a humble "independent contractor". Expect the "firepersons" summoned to your home will arrive with a supply of oil to spread on the troubled waters and a extensive corporate approved vocabulary of soothing phrases ... Some small alterations of IB might be applied. The option apparently has become a significant income producer for AIRBnB and will not, go away ! As you seem to be coming from the heart. At all times the corporate "heart" IS the bottom line... I feel the best outcome possible might be that hosts opting out IB not suffer degraded "metrics" or listings placements. We here, have your back ! Preston
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Deborah
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older version
Tim
Meeting at HQ regarding instant booking and superhosts
Chip has kindly offered a meeting with me to discuss some issues I have with instant booking and the superhost program. I realize that this issue comes at a very difficult time but I feel very strongly about improving the safety of hosts. I don't want any host to go through what I had experienced. I do believe that some tweeking of the program can offer much improved protection of hosts.
Please send me your thoughts and ideas how we could improve the following areas:
Instant Booking
Superhost Program
Trust and Safety Issues
I am preparing a report to deliver to Chip and others at Airbnb and I would love to include your thoughts and ideas.
Abby:
A minimum of 3-5 5 star reviews should be required if hosts opt for the "has good reviews" option under IB
Tom:
It should certainly be more than 1 which is the current number. I don't think Airbnb should allow instant booking for anyone. There is too much that can go wrong and threaten the safety of the Airbnb host.
Francis:
Hi Tim - I spoke to Chip and to Bryan Jung about the Superhost metrics that I think are arbitrary. And how insulted I was that someone with only 10 stays could achieve the status.
Background:
I'm a high volume host (over 160 stays. ( I have 2 bedrooms available here in San Francisco and sometimes rent out the entire house. I also have a property in _______) I take Instant Book for the rooms as well. I consistently have first time Airbnb users. I don't have Superhost status ONLY because of the 80% threshold which is very hard to get to when you have a high number of guests.
Superhost
1. Increase the "trip" threshold - something north of 25 seems more fair
2. Review whether or not 80% is the right rating threshold - perhaps it can be weighted differently for hosts with multiple listings (can I be a superhost on one listing and not on another?); I'm sure you have data scientists who can determine whether or not hosts with many listings or more "trips" are making the cut
3. Provide detail on individual ratings given to host, Let hosts see the ratings for guests (level the playing field). And we might even know how to improve.
4. Give credit for hosting first time Airbnb-ers!
5. Give credit for registering with local authorities.
I take my airbnb business seriously. I've made several improvements to the home (electronic locks, better bedding and towels), now offer some breakfast food in addition to coffee and tea, provide detailed guidance on the neighborhood and the city. I often pick them up and drop them off. I encourage that they use the hot tub. I constantly fine tune my communications. I give them promo codes. I leave a light on.
Tom:
As it stands now, I don't feel that superhost status offers any real benefits. You get $100 for staying a superhost for 1 year. Also, you are supposed to get special service at the call centers. Well, I know this not to be true. Countless others have made this complaint as well. Fran, I believe your reviews are the real reason people are coming back to stay at your home. Trust me, being a superhost can be a curse and a little dangerous.
Ernest:
I have over 650 stays and I have achieved Superhost status. I don't believe the 80% threshold is too burdensome if you actually offer a great product.
A:
I second Fran's suggestion that hosts be given recognition in rankings for each first-time Airbnb guest they host. We all know it's far more than merely opening our doors; most times, it's walking newbies through the verification process, responding to a far greater number of e-mails filled with endless questions, etc.
Also, those hosts who have registered should be at the top of the rankings.
I want to see the guests' ratings! Why does Airbnb even ask us to rate them, when neither the guest nor subsequent hosts are able to see that information?! For our safety and well-being, that should be a priority.
Ernest:
All good points!
G:
A...when the majority of the hosts get registered (which I hope will eventually happen) , what matrix would you use instead for give top ranking to the hosts?
Vince:
I am a Superhost, but like most all my reviews are not 5 stars. So I was curious in which category guests found my place lacking. I contacted Airbnb, but they said that info was not available. If we are to improve our services, we need to know which area is not getting 5 stars.
Tom:
You have very good points regarding first time Airbnb guests. I wonder if a financial incentive would be a just reward for the hosts who take the extra time and effort to guide the first time guest? Perhaps a credit for a future Airbnb stay? That first experience for the guest determines if they are repeat customers on the Airbnb platform. A good measure is to track the guest and if that guest returns for a 2nd Airbnb experience, the original host gets a coupon? $10 off a future stay? Points?
What do you think of rewards for superhosts? Instead of $100 for remaining a superhost for a year and questionable customer service when there is a problem; how about a prize system?
Guests could earn points to redeem for goods and services. Prizes could be the following:
1. Free or greatly reduced tax service from sharingeconomy tax advisors?
2. Electronic locks for doors?
3. Free airline flight and stay at the Airbnb Open in Paris?
4. Luxury items for your home?
5. Free design services?
The idea is to reward, validate, and provide recognition to superhosts. Change the idea of a continuous year because things can happen out of your control causing you to temporarily lose your status.
A happy host is good for the entire Airbnb community.
D:
Tom....at the very beginning of your meeting with Chip, ask him - point blank - "is something finally going to change or am I wasting my time meeting with you?" The reply you get will dictate how the meeting will go.
Why am I so cynical? Because I've had multiple meetings/conversations with Chip and his staff about IB, star ratings and a whole assortment of items pointing out areas of concern around transparency, trust/security and providing ideas for improvement (which were welcomed "enthusiastically"). Here we are, almost a year later, talking about the very same issues...and now with a very disturbing incident supporting the*fact* that IB is a troubled (at best) program in its current execution.
Do any of you remember when a Guest was "positively reviewed" in their profile? The interesting thing there was that any review (even a bad one) was considered "positive." I pointed this out and, to airbnb's credit, they removed the word "positively." I'd bet the "Reviewed" designation remains the same allowing anyone reviewed (thumbs up and thumbs down) to use IB. So, think about some of you (using IB) may be hosting folks that may only have the one "thumbs-down" review. I'm not certain this remains the case, but we can't know without 360 degree transparency between Hosts and Guests. Why does this persist?
->Yes, allow us more Reservation Requirements (for, both, IB and bookings in general).
->Yes, reveal the star/thumb ratings for Guests.
That would be a meaningful start and demonstrate a sincere respect for Host needs. Of course, we've all outlined many more things we'd like, but if we could just get those two things it would be a huge victory.
As for Superhost....I'm rather ambivalent on the whole program. Until such time that it actually means something, I'm not going to sweat whether or not I'm able to maintain it. I've not once had a Guest say anything about it...ever. They look at the pictures and maybe a review or two....not much else (for better or worse). I can understand Fran's frustration though (Hi Fran!) and support the suggestions she made. But, like I said...until it actually has any value (i.e. airbnb actively *promotes* Superhosts as a marketing program, search ranking priority, etc), I really can't waste my time on it. I'm just going to continue to do my thing and earn 5-star reviews as a result. Most of us that are busy, already get the hosting game. Being given some obscure, mostly hidden badge ain't gonna make any material difference as to how we go about hosting. We're already awesome!
Anyway, best of luck Tim. I do hope you get somewhere instead of being 'hugged to death' for being such.a.great.host.
Ernest:
The super host badge should appear on the picture of the listing in the search.
G:
I think it would be a good idea that hosts get to review their guests by the number of starts based on the host's completed and accurate profile and photo. I love it when guest post a group photo and you have to guess which one is your guest.
Tom:
Thank you for sharing D. This is very shocking to me. I don't know what to think now. Am I wasting my time? This makes me angry and very upset. I have 3 young children ages 5, 8, and 11 years of age. My wife wants me to stop hosting because she was really frightened. Try to imagine this.....cars, motorcycles, dogs, loud music, drunkard men partying and a mom with 3 young kids unable to sleep and staying upstairs. No, I can't in good conscience stand by and do nothing. If someone seriously gets injured somewhere anywhere in the world then I would feel responsible for not doing anything.
Imagine my embarrassment when I go downstairs at 10:58 a,m with an 11 a.m. checkout and I see liquor bottles lined up against the wall, men and woman hung over at the table, and guests that I never approved cooking breakfast. Clothes and things lying everywhere. Then I see the dog and get a gruff "He's my service animal!" Then the assault begins.
Thank goodness that the iphone has motion control because my hands were shaking when I took pictures.
They are not going to intimitate this San Franciscan native. I may have come from a poor working class background whose parents couldn't afford to send me to fancy schools but I do have my dignity and my morality. They are not for sale and I will not stand to be patronized.
I am seriously thinking of canceling my meeting now. It was scheduled for Friday - our family day - and I don't want to waste it on preparing for a report that will fall on deaf ears.
Going to bed now and I suspect it will be another sleepless night. Not your fault Drew but this really makes me ill that Chip and Brian knew about this for over 1 year.
Damn! You know what? I am not going down to HQ. Chip and Brian can come out to my house for lunch! I want them to talk to my wife and see my young children then explain to me how they are going to prevent this from happening in the future.
Sammy:
Keep the appointment ... you badly need to get this off your chest ! While IB on phone apps are a large portion of this properties online bookings ... Phone apps do not, encourage the prospective guest to "drill down" to our customs ... Some few, are amazed at reception,to find they are joining a "intended community" of travelers ...
Tom:
I am not cancelling my appointment, I am changing the location to my home. I am going to introduce Chip and Brian to my children and wife. Then he has to look at me in the eye and convince me that this won't happen again. I want them to see the pain this causes when something horribly goes wrong.
This instant booking is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. We have a moral responsibility to stop this ill-conceived idea from harming other people.
Instant Booking belongs on Priceline or Expedia for hotels not for people sharing their homes. I agree with Peter that instant booking is simply too risky and potentially dangerous.
Many hosts who share their homes agree with me. Instant booking combined with superhost status creates a lethal cocktail. Changes must be made or a safety warning like you see on the side of cigarette packages given to hosts.
Tom:
I will keep you posted. I have to get ready for my next guest. He is proposing to his girlfriend today and I need to run to the store to buy some champaign and flowers as a surprise.
I am so pleased that my last few guests are bringing back positive energy to my home.
Anne:
I would like to see airbnb be more responsive to hosts when guests show up immediately breaking house rules. If you have specified no dogs, no parties or noise after a certain hour and a limited # of guests allowed on the property and they are violating all these issues, the most important thing is to get them off your property ASAP. The damages to you can be substantial. Don't count on airbnb to take care of things. You will be the one stuck with the lawsuit from a dog attack or angry neighbors who may report you if (in my case) guests were violating a local vacation rental ordinance. I have guests sign my own rental agreement that specifies- if they violate my policies their reservation will be immediately cancelled with no refund. You will probably have to fight airbnb to get them to support you. Even if you have to let go of the first nights income to get a bad guest off your property it's worth it to safeguard yourself, family and neighbors. House rules are very important and airbnb should understand the risk to hosts when guests blatantly ignore terms of their agreement with a host. Since I started hosting in 2010 I have seen an increasing lack of support for hosts. I never instant book and I think the superhost status is not important. Good luck, it's very scary having someone ignore your rules and threaten you. I've been there. Luckily it's only happened a couple of times out of hundreds of guests.
Tom:
Thank you Anne. You are so right. When Airbnb was small it was like a real community. I miss the old days when I could call the guest on the phone before they booked. Now that Airbnb has grown so large, it can no longer offer that personal service to hosts. I feel it is a big corportation now with a focus on the bottom line. It fails on us to offer personal service and we have to fight to get help when something goes wrong. I wish there was a way to separate the two - the corporation and the homesharing community. I love meeting new people and making new friends but not the corporate behavior.
Deborah:
I definitely agree with you Anne, as well, that Airbnb should be more responsive when guests blatantly and intentionally violate host's rules. I have read too many stories on the forums where a host wants to kick out a guest who is intentionally violating house rules, and Airbnb responds in a noncommittal way which seems to find fault with the host. I can understand that as the third party, and not being there to have seen what really happened, Airbnb has to hold out the possibility that there are two sides to the story and not come with a bias towards believing either hosts or guests. But when the host has lots of experience, dozens of reviews, it is likely that they can be believed. ANd certainly when the hosts' safety or property is at risk, there should be no delay in providing support to the host and being willing to provide assistance to help remove a very problematic guest or guests.
Tom:
I received another response from Chip and Brian Jung will meet with me Friday at our home. Taking a nap now will write more later.
Tom:
Just received word that my guest proposed and his girlfriend accepted. Congrats Brad! I already feel the postive energy returning ..... I need to get a pic of the happy couple! I will do it tonight.
Stan:
Sleep well :-) Maggie
Keith:
When's your appointment.. if you want company I'm happy to join you.
my position on all these things isn't to change fixed arbitrary settings but instead to give the hosts more variability and flexibility in the settings.
for IB: instead of choosing one of 3 pre-set options, have a few "knobs"... choose "minimum number of stars" "minimum number of stays" "minimum/maximum number of days" etc..
so each host can choose what's comfortable for them.
Tim shared 10 months ago on HOme sharers of SF
Great News! Chip is taking increasing IB to 3 reviews under advisement
I didn't want to take this role but after my assault by a guest, I am pushing for a revamping of the instant booking program. I will be meeting with Brian Jung at my home Friday. Chip was going to attend but he has meetings.
I strongly urge everyone to disable instant book and tell your friends to do so as well (especially if you have children). As Peter had mentioned, it is too risky. I am proof of this.
Personally, I think guests should receive 5 star reviews as well and a "thumbs up.
Maybe give hosts the ability to see more of guest's reviews? Any ideas?
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Len & Irina
Keith
Keith10 months ago
about 1/3 of my bookings are instant book. Ive had no problems with any of them and it accounts for a significant part of my revenue.
my price is also above mid range which may have an impact here.. people instant booking tend to be more last minute and if they're price sensitive they wont book here. It's not always true, but I think there are more trouble makers in the lower end of the price scale.
but IB is an option and one anyone can turn off.. I think they already let you choose what types of people can use IB.. I think the solution is to change this from 3 discreet choices to a few knobs:
"number of positive reviews: " choose 1-5
"require thumbs up?" yes/no
etc..
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Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
As of when I last checked, the "positive reviews" that Airbnb refers to, does NOT mean, good reviews. They use the word "positive" in a misleading way -- they mean "real" reviews (as opposed to fake ones?). So, a guest with three, negative , thumbs down reviews is counted by AIrbnb as having 3 positive reviews and is then eligible for instant book. THis has been written about numerous times on the forums. The "require all thumbs up reviews" would certainly help -- I would very much agree with Tim that hosts should be able to specify that they only want guests with all five star reviews to be able to instant book. But really, I don't believe we need instant book. If you, Keith, didn't have instant book,, and there was no instant book, do you think those guests who booked with you like that would disappear and not use Airbnb? No, they would still use AIrbnb, but would just have to get approved first for the booking, which in many cases takes less than 15-30 minutes, if guests come prepared with all vital statistics. So, in my view there is no need for instant book. Perhaps it's a symptom of our instant gratification society.?
Tim
Tim10 months ago
You may be right that the problem lies in the "lower end of the price scale" properties like my own and others througout the world. I have been hosting about 4 years now and if this can happen to me then it can happen to everyone. And what about some single mom with kids that relies on the income? She thinks, "maybe IB will get me more bookings and I will get ranked higher in the listings?" I have to agree with Peter and many others that IB is potentially dangerous and should be revamped. And at the very least, hosts should be given a "health type warning" like you see on cigarette packs. No Keith, Airbnb does not let you pick which types of people to use IB. There are 2 choices: a. anyone b. guests with more than 1 review Drew pointed out to me that all guests who stayed one time regardless of their reviews can use IB. We need more transparency. It's not about money nor amount of bookings; it's about trust, security, and safety. I did not approve my female guest to invite 20 people to my home to throw an alocohol-fueled party with dogs, motorcycles, numerous cars, and to assault me the next morning when they didn't want to check out.
Santa Fe International Hostel
Santa Fe International Hostel10 months ago
Instant book reservations ARE the majority of AIRBnB generated stays at this property. As many Santa Fe hosts prefer multi day guests, we seem to have become the default option for one night travelers. As a former motel, we are able to offer plain individual rooms. Safety in 30 so years of operation, has NOT been a issue. I do feel that IB needs be offered primarily as a "perk" for valued guests. Far to many, new to the concept, Equipped with a cell phone, credit card & unrealistic expectations make their first contact with hosts having little idea that home sharing assumes personal integrity & responsible behavior. AIRBnB as a tech side business attempting to "do" hospitality in this "marketing initiative" has strayed afar. Should Chip become the "gatekeeper" protecting hosts ... I envy not, his task ... Preston
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Deborah, thank you for pointing his out. You are absolutely correct! I wish this never happened to me because I don't relish being the spokesperson for trust and safety. I have a neighboodhood- police safety meeting tonight in the Ingleside District but maybe I should cancel? This issue is dear to my heart and I don't want this to happen to anyone else. I shudder to think what could have happened if my assault happened to a woman. I wonder if assaults are happening as we speak and they are not being reported?
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
My wife is Asian and a follower of Buddha who was kept up all night with her 3 young children. She avoids confrontation like the plague. She was too afraid to confront them. She was afraid to get me because she knew I would confront them and worried that the father of her 3 children would get injured and her 3 children would be a witness to this.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
We have to respect the culture of all hosts. Safety and Trust is the number one concern for me and should be for Airbb and all hosts.
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Peter
Peter10 months ago
I know the Superhost program is not perfect, but I've always thought there should be a Superguest program too. Additionally, Hosts can elect to only allow Superguests to Instant Book. Hosts who want to allow anyone or no one to Instant Book should also be allowed to do so. The resistance from Airbnb against this and all the other good suggestions posted here is that Airbnb has a "keep it simple" rule concerning changes to the platform. Giving users more choices is a good thing, but also necessarily complicates and too many complications will eventually deter users.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
I have been hearing this from Chip as well. Frankly, I don't care about numbers. I care about safety. I care about trust. Homesharing is about trust and safety and I belive this can be accomplished. Allowing "anyone" and any guests based on number of stays is dangerous.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
My son and his fiancé brought this up at the Roundtable discussions with Airbnb at the Open last year. Guests should also have a star-rating system too. At the moment, as hosts, we give the guests stars however these do not show up on their profiles at all. So, as hosts we have a star-rating that we are conscious to keep up, but guests do not have the same system that they feel conscious to maintain. Alas, nothing has changed despite the recommendation and the overwhelming agreement from other hosts to have this implemented. As a result, we started writing the stars for each category in the verbiage and if we would or would not recommend the guest so that other hosts can read it and make an informed decision before having the guests in their home.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
"So, a guest with three, negative , thumbs down reviews is counted by AIrbnb as having 3 positive reviews and is then eligible for instant book." wrote Deborah.
This is news to me and this is wrong. I had no idea! I thought they were favorable. I have to leave a review for my problem guest and I will leave a thumbs down. Will she be able to IB again?
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Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
One would really assume that "positive reviews" does actually mean positive reviews, but Airbnb has been quite misleading in this aspect of hte Instant book program. I wish I had saved the links to the forum threads on this issue -- but suffice to say that I and other hosts have experienced giving a guest who previously had no reviews, a "thumbs down " review, and then seeing our review on their profile page with the notation on the side that they had "1 positive review". ALso, hosts contacting Airbnb and wanting an explanation were told that positive does not mean what positive should mean. Airbnb really needs to be clear with hosts about this problem -- even if it were possible for Airbnb to screen out guests with thumbs down reviews, they could not screen out guests who had a thumbs up on the review, but the content of the review itself was not positive. Computers can't read.
Stan & Maggie
Stan & Maggie10 months ago
Tim, we are also a mixed culture house, part of what we both strongly believe, is the importance of keeping a good energy balance in our home. We will never use instant booking on any site. Why? Because a guest is someone we choose to invite to share with us, money cannot ever buy that right ! To my mind, instant booking goes against everything we are trying to achieve. We need the ability to choose to invite or not invite a guest into our homes, otherwise it cannot be called hospitality it's just space!
Don't get me wrong, money is part of the exchange, a very important part.
That Tims 'guest' should feel she had bought the right to bring people like that into his home, to frighten his wife and children , is an unspeakable insult! Need more caffeine it's early
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Thank you very much for your kind thoughts. I really appreciate it. We are feeling so very isolated now because we don't dare share what happened to us to our friends and family for fear it would be leaked to the press. Peter's Homesharing is the only avenue for us to share our fears, our frustrations, our concerns, and our hope for a resolution not to us but to all hosts. We too also want to keep a good energy balance in our home. We enjoy homesharing and we really love meeting new people, especially families.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
We had a two-time convicted felon and admitted prostitute instant book with us back in December. A quick Google name search yielded an article featuring her, with photos for proper identifying, about transgender convicted felons from Puerto Rico gaining asylum in the US. In this article she admitted to not only being a twice convicted felon (for theft and grand theft auto), but also a crack addict and prostitute. She didn't stay in the house at all for her 4 night booking but she made off with the keys to the house. We had to have the locks changed on X-mas eve. Needless to say, it warranted an email to Chip, which then got delegated to another lackey. My son's fiancé voiced concerns to Airbnb that felons were getting into the homes of children and families, and subjecting then to potential dangers via instant book, not to mention the dangers to everyone else. This conversation went nowhere with Airbnb and it was swept under the proverbial rug.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
Thank you so very much for sharing this Ernest. This needs to stop ASAP and fixed. I am so sorry this happened to you. It was not a pleasant way to start the Christmas holidays. May I ask you a question? How many reviews did she have on her profile? Your son is so right about the potential dangers to families and kids.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I believe she was a first time user.
Drew
Drew10 months ago
Wow, this is just mind numbing. "Swept under the rug" indeed. Like so many other useful and important issues Hosts have brought up. Ernest, thanks for suggesting yet another necessity for my hosting. I'm googling every guest from now on!!
Tim
Tim10 months ago
I have confirmation that Bryan Jung and Laura Hughes will be coming for lunch at our home this week. Chip is very busy with meetings but he promised to meet again, possibly next week. Bryan and Laura will be meeting my wife and our 3 kids to discuss the instant booking dangers. My kids will share how their experiences of being kept up at night, witnessing the excessive alcohol consumption, and seeing the pit bulls. FYI, our kids also share in the responsibilities and jobs of running our family homesharing business. I am very hopeful that a solution will be found that will protect all hosts.
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Tim
Tim10 months ago
I would greatly appreciate more personal stories how things turned out wrong with IB. You can email me. And you have my word of honor that I will keep your name confidential if desired. I never share emails without the writer's permission.
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Keith
Keith10 months ago
Tim. While I agree that the in system needs more flexibility I'm not seeing how you would have not had this guest but for ib. Maybe I missed part of the story. Ive had only good luck with ib. Your welcome to use my name. I'm supportive of an improved system but I think its beneficial to show all sides and not magnify individual events. If you secure a meeting time with chip I'm happy to meet him with you if you like.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I'd like to add that for the most part IB has been great for us. Just one or two instances of undesirable guests. Many times we've had great guests. Also, the traditional inquiry/reservation request process also yields a lot of bad guests too. So, in the end, we need to lean on our house rules. I state in my house rules that: "Any violation of the house rules may result in the immediate termination of the booking agreement. In these instances, all fees will be forfeited and, where appropriate, deductions from the security deposit may be made." We need to know that Airbnb will back us up when guests need to be removed in the event that violations are determined to require removal.
Deborah
Deborah10 months ago
Ernest, I dont' know if I got the idea from you or another host on these forums, but some host mentioned the language you use in your post above, and I added that to my house rules too a few months ago, to support me if I need to evict a guest. I only used Instant Book rather briefly, and only had two bookings from it, one of whom I had actually already sent a preapproval that had expired, and so she was already approved. The other one who instant booked turned out fine, but I realized that I didn't like to suddenly discover someone had instant booked without any prior communcation with me, so I deactivated instant book after that point.
Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I've highlighted this language before, but I must admit Deborah, I thought I got it from you! It just goes to show what a wonderful resource these forums are for all of us.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
Ernest, did you take notes on the round table discussion? I was unable to attend and I would love to get a copy or review of what was recommended by hosts.
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Ernest
Ernest10 months ago
I didn't.
Tim
Tim10 months ago
Tonight I host a middle aged deputy sheriff (35 yrs) with young kids from Northern California. The father was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor and is seeking treatment at our world class hospital UCSF. I bring this up because what is so unique about homesharing is that we get to meet people from all walks of life and we get to experience a brief part of their journey. Yesterday, my guest proposed to his future wife; today a new guest is fighting for his life. I think it is so very important that Airbnb returns to its roots of bringing the world community closer - one filled with trust and safety.Let's create trust not fear. Host incidents of assaults, criminals in their homes, and theft should be taken very seriously and everything should be done to stop this. A year has passed and Airbnb has not done anything to improve the safety of hosts. Remember, without us hosts, there is no Airbnb. Please, no more delays.
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Santa Fe International Hostel
Santa Fe International Hostel10 months ago
Tim, in all this remember ... you are but a humble "independent contractor". Expect the "firepersons" summoned to your home will arrive with a supply of oil to spread on the troubled waters and a extensive corporate approved vocabulary of soothing phrases ... Some small alterations of IB might be applied. The option apparently has become a significant income producer for AIRBnB and will not, go away ! As you seem to be coming from the heart. At all times the corporate "heart" IS the bottom line... I feel the best outcome possible might be that hosts opting out IB not suffer degraded "metrics" or listings placements. We here, have your back ! Preston
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Deborah
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older version
Tim
Meeting at HQ regarding instant booking and superhosts
Chip has kindly offered a meeting with me to discuss some issues I have with instant booking and the superhost program. I realize that this issue comes at a very difficult time but I feel very strongly about improving the safety of hosts. I don't want any host to go through what I had experienced. I do believe that some tweeking of the program can offer much improved protection of hosts.
Please send me your thoughts and ideas how we could improve the following areas:
Instant Booking
Superhost Program
Trust and Safety Issues
I am preparing a report to deliver to Chip and others at Airbnb and I would love to include your thoughts and ideas.
Abby:
A minimum of 3-5 5 star reviews should be required if hosts opt for the "has good reviews" option under IB
Tom:
It should certainly be more than 1 which is the current number. I don't think Airbnb should allow instant booking for anyone. There is too much that can go wrong and threaten the safety of the Airbnb host.
Francis:
Hi Tim - I spoke to Chip and to Bryan Jung about the Superhost metrics that I think are arbitrary. And how insulted I was that someone with only 10 stays could achieve the status.
Background:
I'm a high volume host (over 160 stays. ( I have 2 bedrooms available here in San Francisco and sometimes rent out the entire house. I also have a property in _______) I take Instant Book for the rooms as well. I consistently have first time Airbnb users. I don't have Superhost status ONLY because of the 80% threshold which is very hard to get to when you have a high number of guests.
Superhost
1. Increase the "trip" threshold - something north of 25 seems more fair
2. Review whether or not 80% is the right rating threshold - perhaps it can be weighted differently for hosts with multiple listings (can I be a superhost on one listing and not on another?); I'm sure you have data scientists who can determine whether or not hosts with many listings or more "trips" are making the cut
3. Provide detail on individual ratings given to host, Let hosts see the ratings for guests (level the playing field). And we might even know how to improve.
4. Give credit for hosting first time Airbnb-ers!
5. Give credit for registering with local authorities.
I take my airbnb business seriously. I've made several improvements to the home (electronic locks, better bedding and towels), now offer some breakfast food in addition to coffee and tea, provide detailed guidance on the neighborhood and the city. I often pick them up and drop them off. I encourage that they use the hot tub. I constantly fine tune my communications. I give them promo codes. I leave a light on.
Tom:
As it stands now, I don't feel that superhost status offers any real benefits. You get $100 for staying a superhost for 1 year. Also, you are supposed to get special service at the call centers. Well, I know this not to be true. Countless others have made this complaint as well. Fran, I believe your reviews are the real reason people are coming back to stay at your home. Trust me, being a superhost can be a curse and a little dangerous.
Ernest:
I have over 650 stays and I have achieved Superhost status. I don't believe the 80% threshold is too burdensome if you actually offer a great product.
A:
I second Fran's suggestion that hosts be given recognition in rankings for each first-time Airbnb guest they host. We all know it's far more than merely opening our doors; most times, it's walking newbies through the verification process, responding to a far greater number of e-mails filled with endless questions, etc.
Also, those hosts who have registered should be at the top of the rankings.
I want to see the guests' ratings! Why does Airbnb even ask us to rate them, when neither the guest nor subsequent hosts are able to see that information?! For our safety and well-being, that should be a priority.
Ernest:
All good points!
G:
A...when the majority of the hosts get registered (which I hope will eventually happen) , what matrix would you use instead for give top ranking to the hosts?
Vince:
I am a Superhost, but like most all my reviews are not 5 stars. So I was curious in which category guests found my place lacking. I contacted Airbnb, but they said that info was not available. If we are to improve our services, we need to know which area is not getting 5 stars.
Tom:
You have very good points regarding first time Airbnb guests. I wonder if a financial incentive would be a just reward for the hosts who take the extra time and effort to guide the first time guest? Perhaps a credit for a future Airbnb stay? That first experience for the guest determines if they are repeat customers on the Airbnb platform. A good measure is to track the guest and if that guest returns for a 2nd Airbnb experience, the original host gets a coupon? $10 off a future stay? Points?
What do you think of rewards for superhosts? Instead of $100 for remaining a superhost for a year and questionable customer service when there is a problem; how about a prize system?
Guests could earn points to redeem for goods and services. Prizes could be the following:
1. Free or greatly reduced tax service from sharingeconomy tax advisors?
2. Electronic locks for doors?
3. Free airline flight and stay at the Airbnb Open in Paris?
4. Luxury items for your home?
5. Free design services?
The idea is to reward, validate, and provide recognition to superhosts. Change the idea of a continuous year because things can happen out of your control causing you to temporarily lose your status.
A happy host is good for the entire Airbnb community.
D:
Tom....at the very beginning of your meeting with Chip, ask him - point blank - "is something finally going to change or am I wasting my time meeting with you?" The reply you get will dictate how the meeting will go.
Why am I so cynical? Because I've had multiple meetings/conversations with Chip and his staff about IB, star ratings and a whole assortment of items pointing out areas of concern around transparency, trust/security and providing ideas for improvement (which were welcomed "enthusiastically"). Here we are, almost a year later, talking about the very same issues...and now with a very disturbing incident supporting the*fact* that IB is a troubled (at best) program in its current execution.
Do any of you remember when a Guest was "positively reviewed" in their profile? The interesting thing there was that any review (even a bad one) was considered "positive." I pointed this out and, to airbnb's credit, they removed the word "positively." I'd bet the "Reviewed" designation remains the same allowing anyone reviewed (thumbs up and thumbs down) to use IB. So, think about some of you (using IB) may be hosting folks that may only have the one "thumbs-down" review. I'm not certain this remains the case, but we can't know without 360 degree transparency between Hosts and Guests. Why does this persist?
->Yes, allow us more Reservation Requirements (for, both, IB and bookings in general).
->Yes, reveal the star/thumb ratings for Guests.
That would be a meaningful start and demonstrate a sincere respect for Host needs. Of course, we've all outlined many more things we'd like, but if we could just get those two things it would be a huge victory.
As for Superhost....I'm rather ambivalent on the whole program. Until such time that it actually means something, I'm not going to sweat whether or not I'm able to maintain it. I've not once had a Guest say anything about it...ever. They look at the pictures and maybe a review or two....not much else (for better or worse). I can understand Fran's frustration though (Hi Fran!) and support the suggestions she made. But, like I said...until it actually has any value (i.e. airbnb actively *promotes* Superhosts as a marketing program, search ranking priority, etc), I really can't waste my time on it. I'm just going to continue to do my thing and earn 5-star reviews as a result. Most of us that are busy, already get the hosting game. Being given some obscure, mostly hidden badge ain't gonna make any material difference as to how we go about hosting. We're already awesome!
Anyway, best of luck Tim. I do hope you get somewhere instead of being 'hugged to death' for being such.a.great.host.
Ernest:
The super host badge should appear on the picture of the listing in the search.
G:
I think it would be a good idea that hosts get to review their guests by the number of starts based on the host's completed and accurate profile and photo. I love it when guest post a group photo and you have to guess which one is your guest.
Tom:
Thank you for sharing D. This is very shocking to me. I don't know what to think now. Am I wasting my time? This makes me angry and very upset. I have 3 young children ages 5, 8, and 11 years of age. My wife wants me to stop hosting because she was really frightened. Try to imagine this.....cars, motorcycles, dogs, loud music, drunkard men partying and a mom with 3 young kids unable to sleep and staying upstairs. No, I can't in good conscience stand by and do nothing. If someone seriously gets injured somewhere anywhere in the world then I would feel responsible for not doing anything.
Imagine my embarrassment when I go downstairs at 10:58 a,m with an 11 a.m. checkout and I see liquor bottles lined up against the wall, men and woman hung over at the table, and guests that I never approved cooking breakfast. Clothes and things lying everywhere. Then I see the dog and get a gruff "He's my service animal!" Then the assault begins.
Thank goodness that the iphone has motion control because my hands were shaking when I took pictures.
They are not going to intimitate this San Franciscan native. I may have come from a poor working class background whose parents couldn't afford to send me to fancy schools but I do have my dignity and my morality. They are not for sale and I will not stand to be patronized.
I am seriously thinking of canceling my meeting now. It was scheduled for Friday - our family day - and I don't want to waste it on preparing for a report that will fall on deaf ears.
Going to bed now and I suspect it will be another sleepless night. Not your fault Drew but this really makes me ill that Chip and Brian knew about this for over 1 year.
Damn! You know what? I am not going down to HQ. Chip and Brian can come out to my house for lunch! I want them to talk to my wife and see my young children then explain to me how they are going to prevent this from happening in the future.
Sammy:
Keep the appointment ... you badly need to get this off your chest ! While IB on phone apps are a large portion of this properties online bookings ... Phone apps do not, encourage the prospective guest to "drill down" to our customs ... Some few, are amazed at reception,to find they are joining a "intended community" of travelers ...
Tom:
I am not cancelling my appointment, I am changing the location to my home. I am going to introduce Chip and Brian to my children and wife. Then he has to look at me in the eye and convince me that this won't happen again. I want them to see the pain this causes when something horribly goes wrong.
This instant booking is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. We have a moral responsibility to stop this ill-conceived idea from harming other people.
Instant Booking belongs on Priceline or Expedia for hotels not for people sharing their homes. I agree with Peter that instant booking is simply too risky and potentially dangerous.
Many hosts who share their homes agree with me. Instant booking combined with superhost status creates a lethal cocktail. Changes must be made or a safety warning like you see on the side of cigarette packages given to hosts.
Tom:
I will keep you posted. I have to get ready for my next guest. He is proposing to his girlfriend today and I need to run to the store to buy some champaign and flowers as a surprise.
I am so pleased that my last few guests are bringing back positive energy to my home.
Anne:
I would like to see airbnb be more responsive to hosts when guests show up immediately breaking house rules. If you have specified no dogs, no parties or noise after a certain hour and a limited # of guests allowed on the property and they are violating all these issues, the most important thing is to get them off your property ASAP. The damages to you can be substantial. Don't count on airbnb to take care of things. You will be the one stuck with the lawsuit from a dog attack or angry neighbors who may report you if (in my case) guests were violating a local vacation rental ordinance. I have guests sign my own rental agreement that specifies- if they violate my policies their reservation will be immediately cancelled with no refund. You will probably have to fight airbnb to get them to support you. Even if you have to let go of the first nights income to get a bad guest off your property it's worth it to safeguard yourself, family and neighbors. House rules are very important and airbnb should understand the risk to hosts when guests blatantly ignore terms of their agreement with a host. Since I started hosting in 2010 I have seen an increasing lack of support for hosts. I never instant book and I think the superhost status is not important. Good luck, it's very scary having someone ignore your rules and threaten you. I've been there. Luckily it's only happened a couple of times out of hundreds of guests.
Tom:
Thank you Anne. You are so right. When Airbnb was small it was like a real community. I miss the old days when I could call the guest on the phone before they booked. Now that Airbnb has grown so large, it can no longer offer that personal service to hosts. I feel it is a big corportation now with a focus on the bottom line. It fails on us to offer personal service and we have to fight to get help when something goes wrong. I wish there was a way to separate the two - the corporation and the homesharing community. I love meeting new people and making new friends but not the corporate behavior.
Deborah:
I definitely agree with you Anne, as well, that Airbnb should be more responsive when guests blatantly and intentionally violate host's rules. I have read too many stories on the forums where a host wants to kick out a guest who is intentionally violating house rules, and Airbnb responds in a noncommittal way which seems to find fault with the host. I can understand that as the third party, and not being there to have seen what really happened, Airbnb has to hold out the possibility that there are two sides to the story and not come with a bias towards believing either hosts or guests. But when the host has lots of experience, dozens of reviews, it is likely that they can be believed. ANd certainly when the hosts' safety or property is at risk, there should be no delay in providing support to the host and being willing to provide assistance to help remove a very problematic guest or guests.
Tom:
I received another response from Chip and Brian Jung will meet with me Friday at our home. Taking a nap now will write more later.
Tom:
Just received word that my guest proposed and his girlfriend accepted. Congrats Brad! I already feel the postive energy returning ..... I need to get a pic of the happy couple! I will do it tonight.
Stan:
Sleep well :-) Maggie
Keith:
When's your appointment.. if you want company I'm happy to join you.
my position on all these things isn't to change fixed arbitrary settings but instead to give the hosts more variability and flexibility in the settings.
for IB: instead of choosing one of 3 pre-set options, have a few "knobs"... choose "minimum number of stars" "minimum number of stays" "minimum/maximum number of days" etc..
so each host can choose what's comfortable for them.