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I’ve not seen the email from Airbnb, maybe b/c I’m a host not a guest, but lots of people on Twitter are pretty annoyed that Airbnb is asking former guests to send money to hosts.
Particular hatred is expressed in the replies to this tweet for the “investor” hosts who bought up loads of properties with the express purpose of renting on Airbnb. My guess is that Airbnb is doing far more harm than good with this particular initiative. I don’t recall Airbnb asking hosts about this campaign before launching it, and if they were to ask me I would say no thanks. I feel it is going to exacerbate ill feeling towards all hosts, not just the “investors” but those of us who rent our spare rooms.
There was a pages long thread on the CC when they first announced they were going to do this, with the vast majority of hosts loudly stating that they wanted the option to opt out of all of it, not just the request for “contributions” (which you can opt out of) . Of course, it fell on deaf ears.
Personally, I find it cringeworthy- my guests have already thanked me by putting money in my pocket and being great guests and expressing their appreciation during and at the end of their stay, and by leaving a good review. It’s not any of Airbnb’s business to stick their nose in my relationship with my guests.
And an ugly, commercial-looking online “kindness card” means nothing to me. Several of my artistic guests have left me hand-painted thank you cards when they checked out. That means something.
“Personalized kindness cards”. I just puked up my dinner.
Sometimes you get the impression that AirBnB is run by some teenagers who got the munchies and want to outdo themselves with stupid ideas. Wanna stuff an entire donut in your mouth? Wanna piss off every guest ever to be hosted on AirBnB? Wanna piss on the pool table?
I’ve said this on other threads but I personally have no problem with it. I got an email asking me about sending a host I stayed with in Feb a card. I stayed with 2 hosts in Feb but this email was specifically mentioned the most recent one in the title. Of course I don’t stay with corporate investor hosts so I don’t have any resentment towards my “rich” (LOL) hosts.
Yep, a bunch of life-inexperienced young people who have grown up in the age of virtue signalling and feel-good but essentially empty words and actions. They probably haven’t gifted anyone with a handmade card since they were in kindergarten and don’t engage in anything except outdoor activities if it can’t be done online by clicking on something.
@KKC My objection to the cards is that Airbnb has no right to solicit my past guests for anything on my behalf. And they should have had the respect to offer us the choice of opting out.
I’m not surprised about Twitter responses…that’s the nature of that beast. I recently got one of these “cards” from a guest, saying “Best Host.” I’m not a fan of ecards generally but I have to say that them taking the time to send it was (1) touching and (2) content for my social media.
I got one of these e-cards Monday afternoon from a guest whose reservation ended March 1.
It allows you to reply to the guest, but it takes you to the regular inbox conversation from the guest’s stay, which doesn’t include what the guest wrote in the e-card, so it’s another level of awkwardness.
What I said was that Airbnb has no right to solicit guests on my behalf. They of course are free to contact any guests they want to send them any kind of advertising. But urging them to send me a “Kindness card” is not their business.
A host just posted today on the CC a livid message they just received from a guest who received one of these solicitations. The host has been busy moving, and as Airbnb never sent hosts emails about this initiative the default is opt-in to contributions, they were unaware of it. (As I imagine the majority of hosts worldwide are). The guest assumed the host had sent the message and was furious at being asked for a contribution.
Nowhere does Airbnb make it evident to guests that these messages are being sent by Airbnb, not the hosts. This is a disaster.
I thought I had posted this previously but perhaps not. I got an email in June from Airbnb titled "Say thanks to ____ for hosting you in ______. " When you open the email it has animated graphics, etc but the main body of the message looks like this:
I see your point, but guests don’t know that hosts had nothing to do with this. They could easily think that hosts asked Airbnb to do this, or that Airbnb asked hosts if they wanted it. Guests don’t know that the default is “opt-in” for contributions and that many hosts weren’t even aware of this initiative.
I continue to think it’s a bunch of faux outrage, another symptom of our sick society. We have real problems and to think that there are guests and hosts who so are “outraged” at a simple effort to encourage kindness has me scratching my head. Airbnb has been a scapegoat for years now but they are still in business. To call the initiative a disaster is hyperbole.
It’s not a disaster, but it is annoying. Especially since after turning the “Guest Contributions” button off three times now, I find it back in the On position.
I like to think we run a pretty professional business, or at least we are when have guests , and I personally don’t like Airbnb touting for donations (to us) from our previous guests.
If they’d left it a card, I’d be less annoyed. Now I know that the card and donation are one and the same, I’ll try CS to have it switched off from their end.
I really don’t buy in to the with love from Airbnb, or the fluffy touchy feely aren’t we all wonderful and stronger together nonsense, like Keep up the good work and continue spreading the love and smiles throughout the community.
Signed,
Mr Grumpy with Airbnb of Jerez
(42c in the shade and now today’s guests just announced that they won’t be here till 10pm, no bloody wonder I’m grumpy!)
I agree that every host should be able to opt out. I also agree that Airbnb could do a better job of communicating in advance. As I recall it the initiative was announced in the first emergency communications in March but it was unknown what form it would take.
Yes, as I recall you were the OP on the other recent thread on this issue.
It isn’t the option to send a card that is causing outrage, even though I find it puke-worthy- it’s being solicited for monetary contributions that is.
Have a nice chilled sangria for me! Unfortunately, it’s showering here in Rain Country™ so I can’t sit on the porch with a drink and chat with neighbors on their way home walking 20 feet away. That or the neighborhood Facebook page are our neighborhood social life these days. No more getting invited to go home, grab your grill food, and join the party. :sigh:
I wasn’t aware of the Kindness Card until I received one with $25 from a guest that only stayed here once, a year ago and we never met in person.
While we did have some wonderful exchanges via text, I personally didn’t think I did anything special to warrant this gift. There were other guests that I was much more accommodating to and had in person dialogue, where such a Kindness Card would not have been as much of a surprise.
I tracked down the guest (not easy to do since the reservation was so long ago) and reached out to her so that I could thank her over the phone, not over text. We had a very meaningful exchange that allowed us to discover things about each other than might lead to a business opportunity for both of us.
So although this had a positive ending, I DISLIKE the idea of Airbnb soliciting our past guests for such a gesture. And f they had asked my opinion in a focus group about this idea I would have said HELL NO.
I thought after the cancellation fiasco, Airbnb was going to be more pro-active involving hosts in conversations about pending programs/policy changes.
So said Mr. Chesky. His apology for not letting hosts know they were going to refund all guests in full for COVID cancellations was obviously just more blah-blah-feel-good-we’re all-in-this-together BS. What do you expect from a multi-billionaire?
They seem to be allergic to including hosts in any decisions whatsoever. We’re all expendable nobodies who couldn’t possibly know more about hospitality than they do.
, and I personally don’t like Airbnb touting for donations (to us) from our previous guests.
Unfortunately, it’s showering here in Rain Country™ so I can’t sit on the porch with a drink and chat with neighbors on their way home walking 20 feet away. That or the neighborhood Facebook page are our neighborhood social life these days. No more getting invited to go home, grab your grill food, and join the party. :sigh: