BROKEN KEY

[Pamela925]

Hi. A guest has snapped the key in the lock of the front door. Probably unintentionally. I have had to organise a locksmith to come down and fix the lock plus give me a new key. Should i request reimbursement from this guest? Has anyone experienced this before? Is this worth following up or should i just accept the cost and move on? I dont want a bad review obviously 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Thats the ticket @Pamela925 , @Lorna170 nailed it, CODB (cost of doing business), sharing keys is no Bueno for too many reasons including as @Anonymous pointed out, keys break.   Door code is the way to go and you never have to wonder if the guest left the key or made a copy!   You may not even need a locksmith to change the handle unless its an oddball, it takes about 10 minutes and a Phillip's head screwdriver to DIY.   stay well, JR

[Anonymous]

@Melodie-And-John0 When I think of door codes, I always remember the time I missed a flight because my passport was stuck in a "secure" locker whose pass codes glitched after a power cut, and nobody on duty at the hotel knew how to override the system. I guess every option has its potential hassles, and whichever you choose will eventually bite you in the butt. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

So True @Anonymous , most of our guests are self check in.    I have only switched to the door code locks in the last year, even the keyboxes I once had were code but mechanical not battery powered.   So far, so good, actually great cause now I dont accidently lock myself out because I left my keys on the counter, there is nothing worse than being able to see your keys through the window but not be able to reach them.  Stay well, JR 

[Sarah977]

@Melodie-And-John0  For a clever guy, it never occurred to you to  hide a set of keys somewhere outside? 🙂

My set of hidden keys has saved me numerous times. 

[Melodie-And-John0]

Trust me @Sarah977 , getting into a 200 year old house with 20+ windows and 4 exterior doors isnt really a challenge!   Mostly the lockout happens in the car and mostly by Mel!   Her new car doesnt seem to have those same issues.   Hopefully it stays that way, 

[Sarah977]

@Melodie-And-John0  Thanks for reminding me to get a spare key made for my car, seriously. I lost my fob some time ago and only have one key. 

I was actually glad I lost the fob, because my doors used to lock automatically a minute after the door was closed, so easy to lock one's keys inside. With the simple key I have now, that doesn't happen , so not possible to lock the keys in. But I could still lose the one key I have.

[Nina75]

All the Automated locks have batteries... I have a lockbox above the keypad with a key inside of it incase the battery dies. I have 1 key for each Keypad inside of the Lock box.

[Aura4867]

@Nina75  are your keypads dont show how much battery they have? I understand the battery can last about 6 months.

[Nina75]

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@Aura4867 wrote:

@Nina75  are your keypads dont show how much battery they have? I understand the battery can last about 6 months.

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@Aura4867  Some have lasted for over a year... I assume that it has to do with the amount of functions on the lock, as well as the quality of the battery. One of them beeps when the battery is getting low.

1.) Keep a Lock Box with the keys in it near the lock so that incase the batteries go out, or you have a clueless guest they have another way of getting in. (all of the Keypads have a slot for keys). I do not give the guests the code to the lockbox, its for emergencies only.

2.) Always keep a spare set of batteries close. 

[Nina75]

Door codes are the only way to go!!!

I haven't had to replace a Lost or Broken key in 4 or 5 years. Door codes have saved this industry. I hated charging guests for lost keys, and I usually just ended up eating the cost.

I remember when i switched to digital locks:
I had a guest who's daughter had booked the house. The parents were kinda rich looking and just didn't want to stay there, and it showed in their attitude so I said Ill give you a refund. So lady was super happy and then grabbed my keys and walked right out the door. I sent her several messages on AirBnb and phone asking her to return my keys and she never responded. Then finally, 5 days later the lady finally responds and says Im back home in Florida Ooops I took your keys, can you give me your address so that I can send your keys back to you. I was so pissed off, I never even responded back to her. After that I got Digital locks and they have saved me from so much wasted time.

[David192]

Why on earth should a guest be charged for your low-quality, easily-snapped key? 

[Nina75]

@David192True...