Airbnb contact details

[Robin4]

Over the past year I have been amazed at the number of hosts who write into the forum stating they can find no way to contact Airbnb directly and asking for help in making contact.

One would have thought, as a host, one of the first things you would do when listing your property is establish what contact details are available to you should you need them.

It seems a pointless exercise for hosts putting Airbnb's contact details on the forum because every day somebody does just that and the next day there will be another half a dozen posts from people asking for the exact same information.

I know, if you search through your booking information you will find it but, it is a little obscure! Maybe Airbnb should be asked to include on every listing page a prominent Tab entitled "Contact Airbnb in your country or area" and have that tab list the various options for getting in touch with Airbnb......What do other hosts think?

Cheers.....Rob

[Andrea9]

@Robin4

Definitely have Airbnb be more transparent. The phone # used to be on the  booking confirmation but now the link sends you into the contact merry-go-round on the site. 

Why don't you simply put this post on the Host Voice too. The suggestion is already on there several times, but since Airbnb is using it as a way of pulsing host suggestions, it can't be on there enough!

And honestly, re-sending the contact info to about a third of all the posts on CC as a host trying to help fellow hosts has become slightly soul-deflating some days... 😞

[David126]

I am sure it the sheer volume of questions from people who have made no real attempt to resolve the issue and basically are expecting everything to be done for them. Perhaps there should be a gold plan, they pay a fee for help?

[Andrea9]

@David126

Brilliant idea, the paying bit, haha!

Airbnb takes what they save on helpdesk salaries and reward hosts on CC!

Yeah, that would probably turn out to even be quite lucrative 😄

[Eloise0]

Andrea,

Excellent suggestion and information.  I too am somewhat disappointed at how many times I see the same question being posted every single day.  I see it as an unsettling sign; at how frequently new Hosts just are not doing their homework in listing their site.  In the long run I wonder about the cumulative negative effect on the airbnb brand name.  If that many new Hosts are not taking the time to research what it takes to be a Host,  I really don't want to think about what kind of Host they actually are.  Not good business by any stretch of the imagination.  To me it comes across as just being lazy, taking short cuts, wanting other people to do your work for you,  and/or just plain ignorant of what it is to be prepared to run a business.  The Hosts that don't want to put in the work of being a responsible airbnb Host  are very similar to the Guest who believes that the rules apply to everyone else but them.  This type of Host is just as responsible for the various headaches that hardworking Hosts have to put up with as are undesirable Guests.

The Host that won't take the time to add the airbnb phone number to their contact list on whatever device they use to communicate with their Guests  are usually the very same Hosts that  don't think twice about breaking their rules and airbnb rules.  Then they immediately post to this community site wanting someone to help them.  It does nothing but give airbnb a bad name and I would not want to be a Guest  through that kind of Host as well as not wanting to have them as a Guest.  I know this sounds kind of harsh, but really! What are these people thinking when they decide to undertake this kind of a business venture because that is what it is.

 I have to keep an open mind as I learn something with every Guest good or bad and I appreciate the time that people take to post very good information here on the Community Center.  I am also not pointing out any specific person.  I don't have to, they all too frequently call themselves  out by the very nature of the kind of help they want all the other Hosts to help them with. I wish something could be done about the huge number of Hosts that have jumped on the airbnb platform ill prepared to be a successful Host and wanting to take every short cut they can at the expense of the whole concept and essentially ruining it for so many others, Guests and Hosts alike.

Every time I read the post that says "How can I get in touch with airbnb, I can't find the number and...."  I just want to yell DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND READ HOW TO SET UP YOUR  LISTING.

Eloise at Happy Trails

[Sandra126]

@Eloise0, I posted a suggestion on Host Voice at the very beginning (buried under all posts now...) about new hosts having to correctly answer several questions as a tick box exercise before their listing could go live. Wrong answer means no live listing. I agree, it hurts the brand enormously having hosts who do not know how to drive this thing. It is such a simple exercise, if you like the idea, head to the beginning of Host Voice and tick it.

They wait until something happens (I had a booking I didn't confirm, Why? I have not been paid (100 fine) why?, on and on. )

Just the most important rules. Do you understand the basics? Good, well done, your listing is LIVE.

I quite like the idea of a paid helpdesk for non urgent issues. Are you prepared to pay the subscription? Could be an annual fee, or pay per service. Could be a new host option for the first year.

[Robin4]

@Eloise0.......That's a very good point Eloise, you very rarely see a good experienced host come to the forum with a problem of their own making! In most instances they have taken a lot of these scenarios into account before they even list, so are not in need of the type of help we are seeing so many request for.

How many times have you seen Deborah, or Clare from California, Dave & Deb from Canada, Raymond & Elaine from Paris, Monica and Eileen from Canada, Kelly from Seoul, Donna from the Netherlands, and more latterly yourself Eloise and dozens of others I could name craving help from the community?? You have all done your homework and spend countless hours giving out advice which as another experienced host Louise has said, will, in all probability, lead to the trashing of the Airbnb brand!

Airbnb needs hosts like yourselves, not hosts who will throw their hands in the air and deride the brand and all associated with it simply because they tried to take a short-cut.....and it didn't work. They do not just do themselves a dis-service they do all other Airbnb hosts and guests a dis-service too.

I like to help....that is all I ever wanted to do throughout my life but, there are too many who expect someone to be their personal 'dustpan' and follow them through life cleaning up after them and making it right.

Eloise, you were not being to harsh with your comments....you are correct but......that doesn't solve the problem of how get Airbnb to stop 'hiding behind a curtain' with their contact details!!   Cheers.....Rob

[Jeannine14]

I want to ask if I can be paid as a host once a month instead of after each person stays, as the money will be sent as an international transfer.  Transfers are quite expensive, especially for each small transaction, so it is not viable to have these paid to me on each individual stay.

Secondly, I have had information regarding my first stay next month.  There are three people coming, requiring three rooms, but the total stated by Airbnb is just $54, which includes breakfast.  Do you mean for 1 person or is this for the three adults?

[David126]

Jeannies post is a good example, having looked at her listing I am pretty sure the way she has set it up is not the way she want to operate.

Best to snooze it and work out what you want to do before going live again.

[Donna15]

@Jeannine14, you’re inviting disaster.

TURN OFF INSTANT BOOK. I strongly advise you not to use it - if at all - until you've had experience of several guests.

You really need to remove – or at least snooze – your listing until you’ve worked out how to present the accommodation. If you actually live in the house (hence you would be sharing it), you’re going to have to prepare a listing for each of the five rooms.

• You need to list each room separately. As it stands, the description of the space is very confusing. It reads as though the 5 beds are in one room. And of course, it’s clear why your pending guests must be jubilant that they’re getting all that space for only $54! For each listing (room), state the desired price per night and clarify whether it’s for two people or for one person with an extra charge added for a second/third guest;
• Change your cancellation policy from flexible to moderate or – even better – strict.
• Provide a list of comprehensive and VERY clear House Rules, in particular with regard to use of the pool;
• Require an appropriate Security Deposit – one that will cover the maximum amount of damage you might anticipate could happen;
• State clearly whether the house is a shared space (with you living in it), or an entire house. If it’s an entire house on offer, then of course you’ll only need the one listing – but you must be very, very careful and accurate in the way that you describe it;
• If it’s a shared listing, state clearly whether you offer breakfast;
• Your icon photo is lovely, but a guest will want to know a little bit about you. Give us a few details – doesn’t need to be many. Maybe mention interests that you have or travels that you’ve done.

I strongly suggest you look at the listings of a number of other hosts here to see how they've presented their accommodation, and what sorts of rules they've set up. 

Essential reading for hosts - new and even experienced.

Also contains a link with several international phone numbers (‘Contact AirBnB’).

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/General-Hosting/Community-Help-Guides/m-p/23100#U23100

And just in case you're thinking of cancelling the pending guests, you should read this.

https://www.airbnb.ca/help/article/990/how-do-host-cancellation-penalties-work

In your shoes, I would contact AirBnB and ask if they'll waive the heavy penalties, and let you remove your listing so that you can start afresh. If they refuse to, however, simply move on and chalk the beginner's mistake up to experience.

So many other things I could mention, but perhaps others will step in to add to the above. 🙂

[Andrea9]

@Jeannine14

Somehow my answer to you disappeared... so here again in short:

Each unit you set up (bedroom) needs to be set up as separate listing.

Don't cancel - too high host penalties.

You could contact Airbnb about how to proceed, but I wouldn't hold my breath too much.

Tell guests you made a mistake, but don't want to take it out on them (charging more after booking is bad business).

but don't let them walk all over you when they are there, just because they got it for next to nothing.

Chalk it up to unpreparedly listing your accommodations.

Some must reads:

https://community.airbnb.com/t5/Community-Help/Community-Help-Guides/m-p/23100#U23100

https://globalhostingblogs.com/2015/12/04/dont-be-an-airbnb-baby/comment-page-1/#comment-267

as well as this community for helpful learning through 3rd-person experiences.

[David126]

There are management companies that will everything for you, I was thinking of someone who for say $100 whatever you could send your information to and could set up your listing to do what you want and who you could say talk to for 30 minutes discussing your options.

If this board is reperesentative, the demand is there.

[Andrea9]

@David126

My guess -  those same hosts who could use it most that wouldn't even think of investing the money.

[Ange2]

I suggested Airbnb put 'Contact Airbnb' on the community page with all the information hosts had provided, right under the 'Start a Conversation',  same red background so is obvious.  No idea why they don't, eventually people are going to find a way to contact them and this would alleviate the stress of asking the community, especially when it is an emergency, and then waiting for a reply it would also save time and frustration for hosts and guests alike.

[David126]

They do not want people to contact them.

And I wonder how many never make it this far, most I assume.