FYI: It took awhile to figure out the switches

[Inna22]

That's a message I got from a guest today with a list of other more or less legitimate complaints (loose door knob, loose chair etc). Is that something I should be or could be doing something about? I do offer to come over and greet and go over the switches at that time. The house has an insane number of switches but there is nothing unusual about them. I feel like if you are here for a couple of days, you just pop all lights on and turn all off

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Inna22 

We have an unusual situation with light switches, most of them operate spotlights for artwork. We explain them and label the top row which are controls. All our switches are labeled for convenience of the guests.

[Pat271]

I normally resist putting up a lot of signage, but I do have a small laminated card on the wall near the living room and bedroom light switches. We have devices that cover the light switches that operate both the lights and the fans. The underlying light switch has to be in the “On” position in order for the device to be functional. I put up the small, unobtrusive signs after the second “The lights and fans don’t work” phone call.

I really try to keep signage to a minimum, though. I want my guests to feel cozy, and as if they are in a home, and not in a regimented institutional setting. I do have full instructions on many of our appliances and electronics in a house manual I keep on the coffee table.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Pat271

We do not expect people to take the effort to open a manual and read about things that we can label, it is just more efficient, and we believe it takes less effort on their part. 

[Laura2592]

@Inna22  I have had that guest. He went around the house trying to figure out why one didn't turn anything on. I just said "thanks for letting me know! I will be sure to update the house info." And then never did.

I was tempted to say "That's so interesting! None of our other guests have given me that info. Bless your heart for making the extra effort!" 

I did not. 

[Pat271]

@Laura2592  Oh, Laura, be careful with “Bless your heart” these days. Although it used to be a great code expression, almost everyone knows now what that really means!😂

[Laura2592]

@Pat271 that is why I didn't say it 🙂

[Pat271]

One amusing trick-of-the-trade my very wise housecleaner does - On a back-to-back, she leaves all of the televisions on with beautiful tropical screensavers displayed. She says that this just about eliminates all of the “how do you work the TV” distress calls.😅

[Sarah977]

@Inna22 Most of my light switches are evident as to what they work- they are directly under the lighting fixture and there aren't an insane amount of them. 

You could get a package of little unobtrusive stick-on labels to indicate what each switch works, for ones which aren't really evident.

[Kitty-and-Creek0]

@Inna22 @Sarah977 

What Sarah just suggested, is exactly what we have done, and it seems to be very much appreciated. 

[Brian2036]

@Inna22 @Sarah977 @Laura2592 @Pat271 @Kitty-and-Creek0

Several years ago I had a tenant on a year lease complain that a floor lamp was broken, and, naturally, she wanted it fixed immediately.

 I asked what was wrong with it.

Won’t turn on. 

OK; most likely the bulb burned out or it’s not plugged in. There are new bulbs in a box in the closet if you need one.

She replied indignantly, “I don’t do electrical work! I want a licensed electrician over here RIGHT NOW!”

I went over there and found that the lamp was unplugged, probably by one of her obnoxious children. Shoved the plug in all the way and the light came on.

She was not at all grateful, felt “unsafe because of faulty electrical equipment,” and left in the middle of the month.

She did not receive a refund.

Dumb, dumb de dumb dumb.

How do people like this survive?

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Brian2036... not just survive... but also replicate... multiple times 😄 😄

it's good that she left

[Sarah977]

@Brian2036  There are homeowners like this, and it must get really expensive. Homeowners who think you need to call a plumber to fix a running toilet that just needs a new flapper, or to install new tap washers if the faucet constantly drips.

They'll pay a few hundred dollars to a technician to do what they could do themselves with no special skills, a screwdriver, $3 worth of parts and 15 minutes of their time.

I can appreciate that some people just don't understand how simple some jobs are, and may even rather pay someone else to do it, but not bothering to check if a lamp is actually plugged in before complaining it doesn't work or refusing to change a lightbulb, as if you were the Queen, is really unbelievable.

[Inna22]

@Pat271  @Kitty-and-Creek0 I know there are two schools of thought on signs vs no signs around the house. I try to have as few as possible as they just get overlooked if there are two many. I do not have full manuals in my house book but rather short pointers around the most asked questions

[Sarah977]

@Inna22  I agree that a bunch of signs can look tacky and be counter-productive. But I don't think little labels, that you can get packages of at a stationary supply, or Office Depot, that are on the switch plates, really falls into that category.  In a big house like yours, where what the switches connect to may not be obvious, I would find it helpful to see Fan, Ceiling Light, etc, so I didn't have to fumble around trying to figure out what was what.