Guest locked out

[Kate762]

Hi all, 

I had a guest contact me about locking themselves out 4 hours ago. It’s the middle of the night and I was asleep. I woke 4 hours after they had contacted me and have replied back with instructions on how to access the spare keys but it’s the early hours and I haven’t heard back.. 

What do you do about this?? Is it expected that we are able to respond instantly 24/7? I mean I was asleep.. I’m not sure how to handle this and feel terrible they were locked out during the night time but also know I can’t stay up all night every night in case this happens. Any advice would be welcomed. 

Do you offer a refund to the guest? 

[Gordon0]

Were they locked our through their own negligence, @Kate762, or was there something wrong with the key/log etc.? If the former, feel sorry for them, but end it there. Not your fault.

[Kate762]

Thanks for your reply. They accidentally locked the keys inside when transferring things from their car. My question really is what the expectation is re. communication.. especially if it’s the middle of the night. I would feel terrible being locked out for 4 hours but that being said, we can’t be expected to be on call and readily able to reply immediately at all hours as hosts can we? 

I have only been hosting for a few months so hoping to get some advice re. expectations around this. Thanks again for your reply. 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kate762 

you were asleep? In the middle of the night while having guests? What were you thinking? You suppose to be awake and at your guest's disposal 24/7 like 911 emergency center  😄 😄

[Kate762]

Haha! I know, that’s redicukous. But being locked outside in the night time would be awful.. I guess there is no way around this issue is there? One can’t be on call 100% of the time at the drop of a hat..

[Kate762]

Would anyone discount the nights stay as a sign of good will?

[Ann72]

@Kate762 I offer a free night when there's an issue, but no one ever takes me up on it because theire trip plans are set.

Offering a discount for the night would be a great sign of good will!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kate762 

yeah, give them a discount, chocolate and a medal 😛

[Kate762]

Ha! Point taken. Their mistake, don’t reward them for it. Hopefully they don’t review badly.. isn’t it terrible that we think of discounting etc in situations like this where we are at no fault, purely in an attempt to avoid a bad review.. 

[City-Limits-Ranch0]

I provide my guests with the means to reach me or my co-host or someone in authority 24/7.  The guests have numerous phone numbers and if that doesn't work they can knock on my door.  The barking of six large dogs will for sure wake us up!

Seriously, people lock themselves out.  If your door locks automatically when it is closed then you need to provide the guests some means of reaching you or of locating another key.  Maybe put two keys in the lock box?  Tape one to the inside back of the box for emergency use only? Or use a programmable smart lock and use the guests phone number as the code so they will know it even if locked out? 

[Lisa723]

@Kate762  When I have guests my phone is on and by my bed. I might not make much sense right away, but I will always answer.

[Kate762]

Thanks everyone  for your great feedback! Just trying to idiot proof the process..

Once, a guest locked both the original set AND the spare keys (that were taped to the back of the lockbox) in the apartment.. our solution was to have a seperate lockbox with the emergency keys inside but that requires guests to get in touch to access the code.. obviously we have to be available to communicate this code 24/7 for it to be an effective solution. I do pride myself on my timely communication with guests but someone being locked out in the middle of the night unfortunately will not receive an immediate reply. This is the problem! It isn’t so bad if it’s durinf the day having to wait an hour or two if I can’t reapond (I mean, we have jobs, and aeroplane travel, and surgery etc don’t we all?!) I honestly think it’s unrealistic to be immediately available to communicate 24/7 and we don’t live at the property.. a smart lock wouldn’t work either as it’s a different key to access the apartment building and the apartment.

As we unfortunately found out with our guest who locked both sets inside,  giving them awareness of a spare (emergency) set inside the lockbox didn’t help solve the problem either, they just took them both inside to begin with. Oh the trials! 

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Kate762 

they locked both sets of keys inside... but they had their phones with them.  Interesting priorities.

I am always reachable and my phone is near my bed, so a few days ago I got a call at 7:30 in the morning because my guests locked themselves out.  The same as in your case, even if they had a code ( we use a card) or if we could unlock the door from the distance by wifi, they still can't enter the building without the physical keys.

I had to get up, get dressed, put the contact lenses in my dry and sleepy eyes,  sit in a car and drive on the other side of the city to give them access. This wasn't an easy task before my morning coffee, believe me, I am not a morning person.

And it wasn't the first time it happened. Did anyone of them ever offered some money to me for this "emergency special service"? No, of course not.

I don't think you owe them anything, they are adults and it is their responsibility to take care of the keys. If they can't then they don't belong to the entire home units and should book a hotel room instead.

[Elena87]

@Kate762 

I've a keypad system for entry to the apartment here.

Some weeks ago, woke up on a Sunday morning to half a dozen messages that were sent at 0300am

Guest insisted that the keypad was broken, demanded I should immediately arrive, then they threaten me with a hotel bill for the night if I didn't urgently attend, and so on.

I went around in the morning, of course the keypad system was working fine, beforehand also printed off the audit.

Here on log trail was evidence the guest was typing in random numbers into the keypad every minute for 30 mins. Pointed out politely the schoolgirl error of the guests.

No surprise, alcohol was involved.

The guest had two numbers I'd given, including one that was the first four digits of their telephone number, and they were shown how it all works on arrival, plus door keys if they didn't want to use the keypad. There is only so far you can 'idiot proof' entry.

Anyway, you can't be a guardian angel for 24 hours a day. Guests have to take accountability for their own actions - moving things out to the car at silly o' clock, it's up to them to do a mini 'risk assessment' of what could go wrong with that plan.

Don't feel you have done anything wrong or let guests down.

Refund? No. They could at least have a kip in their car.

[Kate762]

Thank you so much. 

What awful guests yours were to threaten hotel bills..! I would have been furious had I been treated that way!