This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
Chesky mentioned this in his last video message and now they have instituted it. If you go to your hosting Account>Payments and Payouts section, you will see this heading at the top. It is turned on by default. If you are horrified by the prospect of Airbnb soliciting your past guests for donations on your behalf, you’ll need to turn this off.
Personally, I find it extremely tacky and I would never want my guests to be approached for this.
I had some questions before I turned it off, as, in true Airbnb fashion, none of this info was available, and after a lengthy back and forth with one clueless CS rep, who then turned it over to another clueless CS rep, I finally got answers from a supervisor.
I wanted to know if we declined to participate, if the guests would still get that message with something showing that we weren’t accepting donations. Or whether they wouldn’t get any notice that we declined, and if they sent something to a host who had declined to participate, if the guests’ donation would then end up in Airbnb’s kitty.
The answers were that if we turned off that contribution button, that the guests would not see our name on any messages they got regarding making a donation, therefore they would not be sending us any contribution, so no, no money would go into Airbnb’s coffers.
I just hope that info is correct. I have now opted out.
I wonder when/how notices were sent to guests? Has anyone seen a request as a guest? I’ve used Airbnb as a guest several times a year but haven’t been asked for a contribution.
It’s new. It’s part of their plan to help out hosts after all the covid cancellations. I don’t know that any messages have been sent out to guests yet. Horribly ill-thought out, with no host input (what else is new?) and I can’t imagine any host wants their previous guests to be solicited to send them money.
I wonder what this is saying to the guest…?
We are poor business managers?
The level of desperation?
We are now begging?
We didn’t think they paid enough when they did stay?
I understand that Airbnb sells the sharing economy to guests, but this suggestion is nauseating.
It’s odd. They implied that it’s for financial hardships from COVID-19, but they’re wording it like guests can leave their host a tip. I’m guessing the e-mail they send to guests will ask for donations for COVID-19, but they’re planning on making Guest Contributions a permanent addition.
Edit: I feel the same way as you, but I might think differently if I was in the desperate situation that some hosts are in. Of course, I wouldn’t expect any guest contributions anyway.
I think it’s tacky that they’ve added that without asking us. And Tacky to call it a Donation rather than Gratuity. And tackier still if they send an email to previous guests.
But it’s a “tip”, for Pete’s sake!. A “thanks for an extra good time” gesture by a guest – and I don’t see any reason to turn it down or that feature off.
It’s no worse than the line on the bottom of your restaurant check which recommends gratuities. Your choice as a guest whether you leave a tip or not, and how much you do leave if you choose.
Apparently only you see the bit about "If you don’t want the tip donate it to a charity.
I also see it as a “tip” type suggestion, not a covid-19 begging bowl.
I’d like to see how it’s presented to guests. I haven’t gotten any emails asking me to retroactively donate although I only have two stays as a guest that could be considered covid time stays.
I also agree with the notion of building in an option of “tipping”. We have had guests in the past leave a note and some cash as a tip, which was certainly very unexpected though very appreciated. I don’t see a problem with allowing guests to tip through the platform, but it is irritating that they turned this on by default without telling the hosts…
In fairness the way it’s announced and the way it’s implemented don’t sound exactly the same. Hopefully they took into account host’s saying they didn’t want to beg guests for money.
Edit to add: someone posted here that they asked a CS rep if they would be able to decline this and the rep said no. I suspect reps just tell us things so they can get us off the phone but there is a chance Airbnb took our input into account.
Maybe you didn’t but it’s a link to the big Chesky announcement that we were all talking about. And some people knew about it before that and watched the livestream. In addition, if one logs onto their account/hosting dashboard there is a notifications section and big banners at the top of the page. I’m not going to swear there was a big banner about Chesky’s announcement or a notification as I don’t memorize my host dashboard every day.
Thanks for the access tips. I’ve currently turned the contributions off, because I don’t understand the terms. Chesky’s remarks read as if they were going to reach back to past guests - um, no thanks. I don’t have as much of an issue if it’s for guest stays going forward, especially as I AM “the housekeeping.”
From a strictly profit-making tactics perspective (holding my nose a bit at noodgy marketing/psy ops), guests have been conditioned to add post-service tips by Uber, grocery delivery services, etc., and a certain percentage of guests will be likely to almost automatically throw in a bit if prompted.
I wonder if Airbnb is adding this all bookings (commercial or multiple property owners, excess hotel rooms)?
I also want to know the timing of the tip message to guests. Imagine if they’re contemplating a not-so-hot review and in the interim they get dinged for a tip! Hopefully, the tip request comes as part of the rating process at the very end.
But I just don’t trust Airbnb to have this very well thought out.
It sounds like a tip to me too. I do wish they woud just call it a “gratuity” then, because “contribution” does sound begger-ish.
Also, it reads like it is just going to be there as a regular option now. I’m curious as to whether it’s a permanent option. And also as to whether they are still planning on sending out emails to guests about it and which guests are they emailing about it (e.g. how far back)? I think that’s the part that is very uncomfortable and strange. A tip option seems odd but ok but asking for tips retroactively is odd and uncomfortable.
I guess I’m okay with a tipping option but it does seem strange right now. Our guests leave us cash tips (and/or gifts) pretty regularly but I’d still prefer the cash directly and not through the platform (really, I prefer the gifts and not cash anyway).
How long until they start taking a service fee from the contributions? lol. But that may be why they didn’t call it a “gratuity” - to keep their options open (it’s typically illegal to take a fee/cut from gratuities).
Anyway, I’ll leave it on for now, out of curiousity if nothing else. I’ll report back if anything comes of it.
I had a stay on 28 Feb in Los Angeles and I haven’t been contacted about making any donation to that host. I also had reservations as late as 23 March on my calendar but my last two reservations were made and canceled between Mar 18 and 23rd. I had 7 completed stays 1 to 19 March. I don’t expect I’d get anything from any of those guests although I’d certainly take a “contribution” from my last guest since I gave him 2 days free and hosting someone who was visiting a relative in a hospital was certainly above average stressful.
Eventually someone here will stay in an Airbnb as a guest and will report to us how it looks from the guest side.
