Guest locked himself out 3 times with a keypad

[Laura2592]

We had a couple over the weekend. Three phone calls for "lock outs." We have a keypad. Every time I answered immediately, talked the guest through the procedure (punch in the code, turn the knob to the left) and it worked. Every time I offered the hard copy key we keep hidden. This was an older couple who were clearly uncomfortable with the keypad even though the man who called stated he had gotten in several times successfully. Our keypad has no trick to it. He did not use the regular key.

When I  asked "is everything else okay?" he groused about not being able to open the door.  They also had 2 small dogs which the cleaners said they did not clean up after in the yard.  We have not been by yet to do our turnover but will need to do a thorough going over of the yard. They did not use our outdoor trash can at all (cleaners sent a pic) as instructed. 

So, how to review? Judging from the conversations the guests will blame us for not knowing how to open the door despite the alternative key placement. 

[Sarah977]

@Kia272 While certainly some older people are much less tech savvy than younger folks, punching in numbers on a keypad isn't "tech". It would be different if they had to download some app to work the door lock. 

And in Laura's case, the guests were offered the option of a standard key, which for some unknown reason, they refused to avail themselves of.

That just seems obstinate to me, nothing to do with being tech-challenged or even a little senile.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Laura2592  maybe they have a bad vision so they typed wrong numbers or hit * instead of # .. who knows.  We also have a digital lock but we give them a card. It is super simple to use, they just have to lean the card on the lock to unlock the door and press the door handle to open the door.

[Laura2592]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 could be. I would sooner say they just needed to calm down and do it slowly. Every call had yappy dogs making a ton of noise in the background and I am sure it was stressful. The guest was obviously very worked up by the time he contacted me. Once I walked him through it slowly, it magically worked. Reminded me of my friend's 5  year old who can't tie her shoes when she is frustrated. 

[Christine615]

There are a lot of people who are early stage alzheimer's so consider that sometimes an illness impacts cognitive function.

Still - you could reviewed them as: "Guests were pleasant, but did not follow house rules, requiring extra clean-up. Unfortunately I will be unable to host them in the future."

It's objective, let's future hosts know to be cautious and Airbnb won't take it down.

[Debra300]

@Laura2592,

Cut them some slack.  My mother had survived a stroke as a young adult, and even after fully recovering physically, she suffered from memory issues for the remaining 50+ years of her life.  There were times that a new task with stick right away, and other everyday things that took several tries before she got the hang of it.  One of slowly learned things was which way the door key should be oriented (cut edge facing up) to her near apartment.   The guests also probably forgot most of the things on your checkout list, and assumed the cleaning fee took care of the garbage and doggie poo.

[Inna22]

after I had to pull over on a side of a highway to facetime a guest's wife who could not figure out my very basic key pad lock AND got a three star review from them, I taped the instructions to the door. No issues since!

[Laura2592]

@Inna22 I am doing this! Simple and low tech solution. 

[Kia272]

@Inna22  Really good idea. However, I struggle with being the host that has notes and instructions everywhere. I don't like to be that host.  It's obviously only to assist guests, but I feel like they think it's rules rules rules all over the place. But you did inspire me to write out simple instructions, take a picture of them next to the lock, and to send a separate message with the pic prior to check-in. That way they can pull up the message, see the same thing that is in front of them, and follow the instructions. I hope that will work. 

[Inna22]

 I am with you on not having notes all over the place. I have 2 to 3 notes at each house at most. One on the door with key pad instructions, one inside about no smoking and no noise and one at one house right above a garbage can on how to find garbage bins because it’s another common question at another house I have one about being quiet and one particular room that’s wall-to-wall to someone else. That’s it. Everything else goes in my house book. I also right the Wi-Fi password and check out time on the welcome note that leave for them on the table. As tempting as I am sometimes to leave more notes, I know having more will dilute the main messages. I don’t think there any other regularly repeating questions that would require more notes.

[Kelly149]

people really are creatures of habit. Our keypad must be "woken up" by pushing the company logo at the top BEFORE you start entering the numbers. Guests are told this. Have I seen many confused guests pounding at a dead keypad bc they skip that step and wonder why nothing happens? Yes. I absolutely, certainly have.

Our memory is a tricky thing, we prioritize (esp in stressful situations) the familiar and can think we're doing what we were told even when it isn't going right.

I think a) trying to engineer your way out of future problems ala @Inna22 suggestion is good and b) expecting guests to be gracious and reviewing them accordingly when they aren't is still reasonable.

[Laura2592]

@Kelly149 yep. I am frankly surprised by how many people want to give this rude guest some medical excuse. Rude is rude. Not everyone over 60 has memory issues. Some are just used to the world working a certain way and ready to blame every and anyone in shouting distance when it doesn't.  A cute simple sign may help. But don't forget-- we also have a regular old key that the guest could have used. When you have offered alternatives and the guest still gripes you have to consider the source.