Late messages, how do you deal with them?

[Amanda660]

I’ve had a number of guests that message late into the evening about things that really aren’t important.  How do you manange their expectations/life balance without ignoring them or encouraging them?

Im almost thinking about popping something into the house manual about timings of nessages or urgent only after a certain time.  

Mostly these messages come from Airbnbers that are over excited or guys showing off to their OH?  I don’t want my amazing housekeeper being pestered with the messages all night either. 

[Emiel1]

@Amanda660 

They can sent messages, but why should you read them ?

I read messages twice a day: around lunchtime end in beginning of the evening.

Only if something is urgent, i  read  more (only from that specific guest)

I do not own a mobile phone (never had one).

If there is something really important, guests can also ring my door bell. 

Life is easy, if you protect yourself.

[Sarah977]

@Emiel1  I do use a cell phone, but it's an old-school dumb phone. No choice, as there are no phone lines out to my place. But I turn my ringers off at night when I go to bed.

I wonder if we're the last 2 people in the civilized world who don't use a smart phone?

[Emilia42]

@Sarah977, @Emiel1 

Don't forget about me! 🙂

[Emiel1]

@Sarah977 

I have a landline phone, so people can reach me by phone when I am at home. I know of more people not owing a mobile or smartphone, so no worries !

[Sarah977]

@Amanda660  Yes, of course, guests should be made aware of what hours you are available to be reached for non-emergencies. And let them know what consitutes an emergency- burst plumbing, a fire, etc. Not because they can't find the hair dryer or want another towel:-)

[Mike1034]

@Sarah977  More emergencies in the list: lost keys, not able to open the door, injured due to a fall in the bathroom, not able to fall in sleep due to noise etc ... 🙂

[Amanda660]

Thankyou everyone for your comments, feeling a little more assertive.  Time to add a couple of lines to the house manual/welcome message about contact hours.  How do you communicate this with your guests? 

[Mark116]

@Amanda660  I would put it in the listing itself, put it in the house manual and include it with whatever welcome message you send..'Blah, blah, hope you enjoy everything, feel free to message or call with any questions, we're available X time to X time; of course if it's an emergency don't hesitate to contact us at any time...something like that.  And if you meet them in person, tell them the same thing.

[Mike1034]

@Amanda660 

(1) Print outs in a house manual binder on the nightstand in guest bedroom.

(2) Post them on the back of bedroom door and front door.

(3) Put them in Saved Messages and send out before guest check in. (I normally don't do it since it may offend guests because of too much information for them)

[Emilia42]

@Amanda660, what are the nature of the messages? Are they asking you specific questions that they need the answers to right then and there: we can't get in, how do you turn on the shower, etc?) Or are they messaging you to say they love the place? Do the messages really need a response? I don't have a smartphone so if I get a message when I'm already in bed, I don't turn my computer on to answer it unless the guest needs the information immediately.  

[Helen427]

Hello @Amanda660 
I've included in my house manual that quiet hours are between 11pm and 7am which I believe may be standard hours world wide where one can reasonably expect Quiet hours as per provisions of Law.

I've also included a piece about Quiet Enjoyment that I copied from our local Residential Tenancy Act to cover all bases.

Maybe include a snippet how it's polite to turn the volume of one's phone volume to silent, or even mention it in person when you meet your guests if you think they may be the stay up at all hours type.

All the best

[Ute42]

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@Amanda660 

I tell all my guests at check-in my business hours are 7 to 8 pm.

So the all know when I'm available.

[Emiel1]

@Ute42 

Only 1 hour, that's the military hosting ! Which i adopt more and more ;>)

[Ute42]

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@Emiel1 

Olga in Kiew is the inventor of military hosting.

The one business hour regulation is not a joke!

I'm renting a place for 10 and usually I do the check in if I have families and the like. But if we get 10 guys for a bachelor party my husband does the check in, because he comes across more „authentic“ to those kind of people. So we are in the room and he checks them in, all of a sudden he says:

• And if You have any kind of problems pls call me.
  My business hours are 7 to 8pm
  
  

I never heard him say that and I had to suppress laughing out loud. And the guests: They didn't say one word. Ever since that incident we have the one business hour policy for everyone. Noone has complained so far.