My bad for wanting to try something unique: sources of value co-destruction in the Airbnb context

ABSTRACT

The present study explores the antecedents of value co-destruction – in the sharing economy context, specifically with respect to Airbnb. The study focuses on negative reviews from Airbnb customers, which were typed in English and posted online. The research employed five keywords, ‘bad’, ‘awful’, ‘poor’, ‘terrible’, and ‘horrible’, to capture the online narratives linked to customers’ negative experiences with Airbnb. Out of the 2,733 online reviews screened, the study focused on 694 negative reviews. The data analysis followed the grounded theory approach, resulting in two distinct themes reflecting the antecedents of value co-destruction: the bad behaviour of Airbnb hosts and the company's poor customer service. These findings contrast with previously studies, which have indicated Airbnb's remarkable customer satisfaction levels as evidenced by positive user reviews. The managerial implications of the present study's results indicate that Airbnb should clearly invest additional resources to minimize the negative experiences of its customers; by clearly defining the hosts’ tasks and responsibilities. In addition, when customers report their dissatisfaction, their concerns should be addressed promptly and effectively through good customer service.     

Perceiving Airbnb as sharing economy: the issue of trust in using Airbnb

Airbnb is a growing business and has received much research attention. However, no research has specifically examined complaints against Airbnb. Understanding complaints serves not as a way to help improve services but provides an insight into guests’ perception of the Airbnb. I examined 664 reviews on sitejabber.com to study the common complaints and whether they are related to the perception that Airbnb is sharing economy. Using a grounded theory approach, I performed a content analysis of complaints. Besides customer service and technology challenges, one major complaint against Airbnb is their faded trust through their experiences.