Airbnb Support

[Kathy502]

I have been an Airbnb host for 10 years and have had mostly good experiences.  I don't use instant book as I feel I need to know something about guests before they arrive.

I was very disappointed by Airbnb's response / support to a recent issue which is similar toTammi50.  Upon arrival a guest expressed annoyance that they were unable to use my kitchen.  The listing clearly states that the hosts kitchen is not available for guest use, not only in the amenities section but also on the front page (About this place - other things to note)

The guest noted on their review that there were no kitchen facilities and rated their stay 5 stars for Cleanliness, Check in and Communication and 4 stars for Accuracy and Location.   However the overall rating given was 3 stars. This clearly reflects dissatisfaction with the kitchen issue.

The 3 star review was flagged by Airbnb as a reportable issue and that as a Superhost this was not an acceptable standard!  Airbnb refused to remove the review which will now have an effect on my overall rating and Superhost status. 

Airbnb's argument was that the guest did not lie, on the review, when they said there were no kitchen facilities.  I asked the Airbnb ambassador what they would do if a guest had arrived and asked to use my car during their stay and after a refusal posted a low review saying car not provided.  I could not get an answer.

I feel that the customer service staff (Ambassadors') at Airbnb are heavily scripted. trained to say the same thing 5 different ways and have no discretion to assess individual circumstances.  What is equally frustrating is that there is no escalation facility to address issues that may not fall into the pre-set categories / rules set by Airbnb.

[Guy991]

@Kathy502 ,

While your insights about the ambassadors are certainly valid, I'd like to gently suggest that the clarity regarding the absence of a kitchen in the space could be improved. It's not common to not have a kitchen, whether shared or private, and it should have been mentioned at the beginning, not in the last part.
The following text, which is the first sentence describing the space, could be clarified: "The interior of the ivy cottage is stylishly decorated, with comfortable furnishings and all the amenities you need for a comfortable stay."
You see, the word "all" implies "all." It doesn't imply "without a kitchen." You should have added ", without a kitchen."

Not having a kitchen should not be listed under "other things to note"; it is a significant aspect in a rental unit that must be noted at the beginning.

[Kathy502]

Thanks Guy, I will certainly take your suggestion on board.  I live in a town that is a tourist mecca so it is quite common to offer an ensuite room without cooking facilities as there are a multitude of cafe's and restaurants, many within walking distance.   In fact it is not uncommon to offer this level of accommodation in many parts of New Zealand.

[Guy991]

Dear @Kathy502 ,

With more than 600 reviews and an amazing rating, it's obvious that you are an exceptional host.

Having said that, I must tell you that before writing my message, I thoroughly searched for similar properties near you with the same price range, and all I found had a shared kitchen with the owner or at least a kitchenette included.

Anyway, thank you for introducing me to this fantastic town, and I hope to be your guest one day, but only if you'll allow me to use the kitchen ❤️ (joking, of course).

All the best.

[Kathy502]

Look forward to seeing you someday Guy!  I do have another room with a kitchenette, you can stay in that one 🤣

[Kumsal1]

Hi @Kathy502 

I sorry to read your experience about this guest’s unfair review.

From my experience with the Airbnb Support, the handling of the issue hugely varies from one ambassador to the another. While some of them are very quick to solve the issues, others have no idea of even Airbnb’s own guidelines and the terms.

I had also been contacted by several different support ambassadors about the issues with our guests in the past, because unsatisfied with the results, they kept opening a new case about the exact same issue over and over and each ambassador has reviewed the issue, as if it wasn’t before.

I don’t agree with the other hosts here that the fact that the listing doesn’t include kitchen needs more highlighting. When I look at your listing it is clear to me that you offer a room with a private bathroom and I don’t get any impression that you offer your kitchen too. I don’t even think you should put any disclaimer about it. Where should we stop anyway, if we start to list amenities that we are not offering?

It is our responsibility as hosts to keep the listing accurate and describe what we are offering as it is. And the guests in their part should be reading the listing carefully before booking and if they wish to use kitchen for example as in this case, then they should check the amenities section specifically for that.

As you have given the example of the car, we could give endless examples, even more exaggerated ones. Does it give the guests right to complain about lack of things that we don’t offer and rate us down, just because it is not a lie?

If I would be in your position, I would try to explain the unfairness in this case as simply as possible to the support ambassador one more time, and if I don’t feel like getting understood, then I would try my chance by opening up a new case. There is a good chance that the next support ambassador would be more helpful.

[Kathy502]

Hi @Kumsal1 

Thanks for your comments / suggestions and support.  I have had 244 reviews for this room.  This would seem to indicate that 243 groups checked the amenities, understood and didn't leave a 3 star review because there were no kitchen facilities!

Kathy