Post by High Priestess on Jan 4, 2019 14:47:24 GMT
This is an old story, from 2011, but I came across it recently and think it is important because it shows evidence of a possible problem at Airbnb.
mashable.com/2011/07/29/airbnb-pr-crisis/
THe host's story:
a San Francisco resident known as "EJ," wrote about an incident where Airbnb guests stole her property and vandalized her home. Here's an excerpt from her post:
Later on she wrote:
One of the conclusions from this Mashable article is:
4) Serve the customer, not your own interests. The greatest mistake Airbnb made in this incident was reportedly asking EJ to change her blog post or take it down. That approach is certain to backfire, as it did with Airbnb. Focus entirely on the customer's concerns during a crisis and disregard self-interest. The first thing on Airbnb's mind should have been helping the customer, not containing the potential damage. If you go above and beyond the call of duty, the customer will reward you. If you don't, the customer will punish you 10 times harder.
mashable.com/2011/07/29/airbnb-pr-crisis/
THe host's story:
a San Francisco resident known as "EJ," wrote about an incident where Airbnb guests stole her property and vandalized her home. Here's an excerpt from her post:
"They smashed a hole through a locked closet door, and found the passport, cash, credit card and grandmother's jewelry I had hidden inside. They took my camera, my iPod, an old laptop, and my external backup drive filled with photos, journals... my entire life. They found my birth certificate and social security card, which I believe they photocopied - using the printer/copier I kindly left out for my guests’ use. They rifled through all my drawers, wore my shoes and clothes, and left my clothing crumpled up in a pile of wet, mildewing towels on the closet floor. They found my coupons for Bed Bath & Beyond and used the discount, along with my Mastercard, to shop online. Despite the heat wave, they used my fireplace and multiple Duraflame logs to reduce mounds of stuff (my stuff??) to ash – including, I believe, the missing set of guest sheets I left carefully folded for their comfort. Yet they were stupid and careless enough to leave the flue closed; dirty gray ash now covered every surface inside."
Later on she wrote:
On June 29 I posted my story, and June 30 thus marks the last day I heard from the customer service team regarding my situation. In fact, my appointed 'liaison' from Airbnb stopped contacting me altogether just three days after I reported the crime, on June 25, for reasons that are unknown to me. I have heard nothing from her since."
"And since June 30? On this same day, I received a personal call from one of the co-founders of Airbnb. We had a lengthy conversation, in which he indicated having knowledge of the (previously mentioned) person who had been apprehended by the police, but that he could not discuss the details or these previous cases with me, as the investigation was ongoing. He then addressed his concerns about my blog post, and the potentially negative impact it could have on his company’s growth and current round of funding. During this call and in messages thereafter, he requested that I shut down the blog altogether or limit its access, and a few weeks later, suggested that I update the blog with a 'twist' of good news so as to 'complete the story.'"
"I am not clear here if Chesky is trying to convey the message that Airbnb was involved in securing my safety, but the company was not. My safety was secured by my own efforts."
"And since June 30? On this same day, I received a personal call from one of the co-founders of Airbnb. We had a lengthy conversation, in which he indicated having knowledge of the (previously mentioned) person who had been apprehended by the police, but that he could not discuss the details or these previous cases with me, as the investigation was ongoing. He then addressed his concerns about my blog post, and the potentially negative impact it could have on his company’s growth and current round of funding. During this call and in messages thereafter, he requested that I shut down the blog altogether or limit its access, and a few weeks later, suggested that I update the blog with a 'twist' of good news so as to 'complete the story.'"
"I am not clear here if Chesky is trying to convey the message that Airbnb was involved in securing my safety, but the company was not. My safety was secured by my own efforts."
One of the conclusions from this Mashable article is:
4) Serve the customer, not your own interests. The greatest mistake Airbnb made in this incident was reportedly asking EJ to change her blog post or take it down. That approach is certain to backfire, as it did with Airbnb. Focus entirely on the customer's concerns during a crisis and disregard self-interest. The first thing on Airbnb's mind should have been helping the customer, not containing the potential damage. If you go above and beyond the call of duty, the customer will reward you. If you don't, the customer will punish you 10 times harder.