How to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts

Meatless breakfast on Good Friday



The current host-traveler ratio on Couchsurfing
Most of the Couchsurfing introduction events such as Couchsurfing Orientation Day as well as several books on Backpacking around the World have been extremely inspiring. Unfortunately the focus of the media as well as private events is too much on the travelling and surfing part. People are rather interested in finding a host in their travel destination than being a host themselves. I think our common sense and the original idea of Couchsurfing is paying forward and this means we take and give a couch.

It will add a lot more balanced information to the Couchsurfing idea if we also present the aspects and advantages of hosting. As a New Member Welcome greeter I have to scroll down very deeply past the travelling or non-hosting member until I can find a host. Then I'm disappointed again because even these people are preparing for their next big trip. What actions can we take to improve this imbalance between hosts and couch seeker?


How can we improve host-surfer ratio?
Many new signups have empty profiles, do not host or are still on travels; very few new hosts are in sight. This can be very discouraging for hosts and travellers alike.
One of the reasons why the host/surfer ratio on Couchsurfing is so imbalanced is: Couchsurfing Inc as well as the media emphasises a lot more on the travelling than the hosting part.

Every TV show, media article, TV documentary, Couchsurfing's own advertisement only presents how much fun it is for a traveller to surf a couch for free. If the media could emphasise more on the hosting part, a lot of hosts will be more inclined to join Couchsurfing for a longer period. Articles in magazines and newspapers, TV programs and even talkshows about the hosting aspect of couchsurfing will make the Couchsurfing idea much more attractive for those people who would like to enjoy hosting.



The many advantages of hosting over surfing

1. You can stay in the comfort of your own home and social environment while the world comes to you and open your eyes
2. Cultural exchange in your own four walls and possible friendships
3. Language practice with native speakers without leaving your friendly environment
4. Teach, learn and share without the hardships of travelling. We may think of parents with kids or very busy people who cannot always afford to travel
5. Valuable help with housework or repairs. These services are very costly nowadays
6. Nice gifts, invitation to a restaurant or home-made food from a foreign culture
7. Hosting is still a lot cheaper and less stressful than traveling

Many people think that hosting is a burden and the host gives, the surfer takes. In real life it is always a two-way communication, a surfer can treat the host to meals and drinks, buy groceries, help in the household, enjoy their company, give them an inspiring experience, you can travel the world without leaving your house and many things more. Hosting is still a lot less expensive than travelling, even in cases where guests don't give too much of a material contribution. Beyond all the presents, good manners, help in the household there is something even more precious: People open up themselves towards a person they will never have a chance to meet on other occasions.


How to minimise unpleasant surprises with guests
It is never pleasant to hear less than positive comments, especially if we would like to promote hosting. There are some surfers who are rude, disrespectful towards the host and their property, abusive, sponging or even dangerous. A new host may want to contact other hosts in their cities regarding reading profiles(interests,teach, learn, share, types of people they enjoy etc), reading into references, how to evaluate positive and negative references alike, photos etc. Last but not least, the best reference is always prior correspondence, skype and phone calls as well as posts in groups

Point nr. 2 of this page is part of CS FAQ and very often used by less reciprocal surfers to pressure their hosts. In fact, this is only one page of the FAQ which is written by ambassadors based on the TOU. Several threads in groups(Ambassador archives) suggest that the Terms of Use is a commercial contract with grey areas to work around. I have never charged for the couch itself, but asking for donations or an act of thanks such as help in the household, groceries or invitation to dinner has never posed any problems. When in doubt, there is always a way to contact the Membership Dispute and Safety Team.


Conclusion
It is very unfortunate that Couchsurfing Terms of Use are totally in favour of surfers and travelers. New Welcome Greeters have a great potential to motivate the joys of hosting travelers. Official and inofficial events like Teach, Learn and Share Day have a great impact on how to make Couchsurfing more attractive for hosts. Let us educate future surfers and new members to be considerate to their host, so their visit will remain a lasting positive experience in their memories.

UPDATE 5 July 2014:  In late November 2011, Couchsurfing has become a for-profit B-Corporation Basically I have nothing against it except that they continue to extend their services to surfers only. Customer service is poor and the website poorly maintained, many documents written by ambassadors have been removed by the new management. CS has grown considerably in numbers and this also results in new members who are only looking for a free place to stay and no strings attached. People still make friends on CS but there are other channels than the CS website to communicate with each other. Asking for an act of thanks from surfers is still possible but CouchSurfing of today has a tougher stance on asking presents or labour from surfers. The New Member Welcome Team which consisted of volunteers is now non-existent and this has taken away a good opportunity for the community to assist new members.

Update November 2014
The already brittle website has been downgraded by the new management and the whole situation has worsened considerably. Many groups and events are transferred to FB, many members communicate through other media like Whatsapp, BBM, Skype and last but not least the ol' phone and email! Some groups on Couchsurfing still provide great information about what and why things happened! I still maintain my hospitality subnetwork and use the above-mentioned media....

Common misconceptions on Couchsurfing

With the very recent unproportional growth of Couchsurfing, we observe that currently many people have misconceptions about Couchsurfing.
I have heard some comments from people outside and sometimes inside Couchsurfing which may or may not be the reality



. These statements do not represent my own views, although I partly agree with them:


1. The primary reason why people join Couchsurfing is a free place to stay.
2. Hosts are all the same, travelers are all backpackers
3. CS represents "a big love into the world" Utopia.
4. Couchsurfing is dangerous and full of people with mental disturbances
5. Hosts who posts rules on their profile are very negative, uptight and anal
6. Couchsurfing is to help travelers without money.
7. Couchsurfing is secluded from the real world.
8. All couchsurfers are hippies and far left wing
9. Negative references are rare. Those who received them will never get a couch again
10.a. People host because they are lonely and have no life outside CS
b. Consider the host's place as yours and the host your maid
c. Use the internet 24/7 for chatting and don't mingle with the host. The host doesn't need the internet, it's just a luxury



What can we do to clarify these misconceptions?
In this case I can only talk about my own hands-on experiences, the positive and negative ones alike. My experiences are oberwhelmingly positive and the few negatives don't have convincing or even hidden profiles. It is important to tell potential members that exactly as in the world outside Couchsurfing not everybody can get along with everybody. As a New Member Welcome greeter I will always tell the new surfer to use common sense, intuition and observe subtle actions such as words, movements or the eyes next to profile and references. I would suggest reading some profiles, coming to meetings, attend a Couchsurfing Orientation Day or ask a question to the Advice for Hosts group on Couchsurfing.If anybody has an idea about another misconception, please let me know or write a comment on my article. How do you deal with misconceptions?

Update 5 July 2014:
In the meantime, some of these 'misconceptions' have widely become the reality on Couchsurfing. However, it is still possible to avoid this kind of experience by selecting your hosts and surfers carefully 

To discover your own boundaries within exotic waters

There is nothing more inspiring than the cultural diversity in Indonesia. Couchsurfing has helped me a lot to learn about these differences and even learn the language and culture of my ancestors. Made up of 50% Asian genes, I have been formed by predominantly Western cultures. I have always thought that I was "openminded" and that it was easy for me to blend in societies different from my own. For sure it is definitely easier for me than for many other travellers. After living in countries outside my usual boundaries, I found a huge difference between knowing a culture and to actually blend in as though it was your own. It is undoubtedly easy for me to respect a culture but quite a challenge to live it as though it is my own.

I had close contact with Couchsurfers in many countries and found that they tend to be different from the average person in their own culture. In fact you will find globalized circles in nearly every country.They have travelled, speak many languages on a native or near-native basis and even spent their formative years in a Western country. I found that expatriates or globalized locals could teach me a lot about the local culture, yet they are more likely to find a common ground for communication with me.

As to the Asian cultures compared to the west, there are a few very pronounced differences that I would like to draw attention to.I have lived in Indonesia, have some friends or relatives there. Very much aware of the differences myself, I found that local people who have not yet been exposed to other countries were not always tolerant towards our views. Most of them have only traveled the Western world as flash tourists hence their opinion is much based on prejudice along with scenes from cheap sitcoms.

Nowadays Indonesia starts to develop and open up to attitudes outside their own box. Younger people tend to raise their kids to develop their own identity, more self-confidence, more democracy and autonomy for their own decisions in life. The core values in Asian societies are more community- than individual-based as opposed to their Western counterparts.

Privacy rights
This is one of the widest gap between Asian and Western societies. People ask your age and income, don't stop their interrogation until you tell them what they want to hear. Neighbours are curious about your life without really caring for you. If they feel that they don't get enough information to spice up their daily coffee hour, they either insist on getting more to put on their cake or even fabricate some weird stories.

My heart missed a beat as I walked out of my door and heard loud conversations about the local doctor who was allegedly too old to give birth to her newborn baby. At the age of 37, she became the talk of the town. In their view, this lady must have received artificial insemination because it is impossible for such an old woman to have a natural birth. The very educated and well-traveled people may be the exception to the rule. However, I have been explicitly irritated by well-traveled people with university degrees who didn't seem to be aware of those who were not prepared to disclose enough private information.

A fairly wealthy business person with a good command of English asked me bluntly along these lines:" You certainly send your mother a check every month, right? Or maybe she sends you a monthly check, doesn't she?" I was very close to calling him names but refrained from doing so because he had a generous caring heart for other people. Nevertheless, I'm going to tell him that he made me feel like being shackled on the torture bench, mercily interrogated by the Inquisition.

One example of privacy differences:
In most Western countries, any individual has the freedom to do what they think is appropriate for themselves. The advantages: People become more creative, self-confident and responsible for their own actions. On the downside, sometimes people with less stable characters may not always be aware of moral boundaries or ethics. In Indonesia, a lot of actions and behaviour seem to be dictated by the rules of the society. One example: if people dress differently from the social norm, people on the street will follow and ridicule them. If you join a sports club and refuse to wear their uniform because you think your body only belongs to you, you will be gossiped about at best and openly insulted at worst.

Respect for the elderly
I have seen a lot of words like "respect for the elderly" in the couch description of Asian Couchsurfer's profiles. I would rather replace the word "respect" with "obedient". Travelers don't always realise that what some non-Western cultures call respect is in fact a rigid, one-sided top-down system where society simply demands unrestricted obedience towards somebody who is considered older or senior to you. It is the society who unapologetically judges a person for not strictly following social rules.Young people do not always have too many opportunities to ensure their personal growth. However, I have observed that adult authority is slowly evolving in Indonesia and parents support democracy......

I suggest any person who would like to surf the couch of a non-globalized Asian family or receive an Asian couchsurfer in their home should realise the impact of this culture on them. It is good to be aware of what some cultural regulations really mean and compare them with their own personal perception. Couchsurfing or any other hospex site is still a very insightful journey to discover one's own personal boundaries when they try to immerse in more exotic waters.