I Wish I Had a Shock Button on My Phone!

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Ugh! What is it about this summer and phone calls at night? Last night we got one at 11:06PM and another at 1:12AM looking for a room. Don't people have a clue? (We answer the line in case of guest emergency.)
There have been days where the whole city has sold out. We had a week ago where we got calls, for three weeks ahead of time looking for a room. We got a call everyday. Yes, everyday, without fail more phone calls from people who fail to plan (and therefore plan to fail.)
Honestly, if the phone company offered a button that let me send an electric shock to the person on the other side of the line for $5, I would pay it, in an instant! Ugh!
 
Why don't you just put a voice mail message on the phone. Sorry we have no rooms available. If this is for something else,leave a message.
 
Why don't you just put a voice mail message on the phone. Sorry we have no rooms available. If this is for something else,leave a message..
Because it may be a guest. It may be for a different date. There are many real calls.
But then there are many idiots who can't figure out that long weekends should be booked WELL ahead of time.
 
Why don't you just put a voice mail message on the phone. Sorry we have no rooms available. If this is for something else,leave a message..
Because it may be a guest. It may be for a different date. There are many real calls.
But then there are many idiots who can't figure out that long weekends should be booked WELL ahead of time.
.
Do you actually take any calls at 11 PM? You mean you will take a reservation call at 11 PM??
If it is someone looking for a room..hang up. If you are monitoring your calls, you could hear on the machine what they want and then pick. Just don't pick up for lookers on busy weekends.????
 
Why don't you just put a voice mail message on the phone. Sorry we have no rooms available. If this is for something else,leave a message..
Because it may be a guest. It may be for a different date. There are many real calls.
But then there are many idiots who can't figure out that long weekends should be booked WELL ahead of time.
.
Do you actually take any calls at 11 PM? You mean you will take a reservation call at 11 PM??
If it is someone looking for a room..hang up. If you are monitoring your calls, you could hear on the machine what they want and then pick. Just don't pick up for lookers on busy weekends.????
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After 11PM I answer just in case a guest has a problem and they are calling us. Locked themselves out, etc. I don't take reservations at that time. If they call for a reservation, I tell them to go online and hang up.
Answering machine is virtual. I would have to pick up after the machine has answered, to hear their message.
 
I couldn't stand that. I'd turn off the ringer on the land line at bedtime and let inquiry calls go to voice mail, and tell guests only the emergency cell phone number you give them is answered after bedtime.
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :)
 
That is the beauty of having a land line for reservations. I put the phone system on do not disturb at 9pm so I don't hear the ring or the machine. I don't have to deal with those late night calls. My cell phone number is posted in each room. All emergency calls from guests go to my iphone which I sleep with and also use as my alarm clock to get up in the morning. Rarely will a guest call my cell phone unless it is an emergency such as burst water line or something.
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :).
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
Yeah, that kind of outgoing message isn't going to work around here.... having to do it in two languages, there just wouldn't be enough time.
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :).
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
Yeah, that kind of outgoing message isn't going to work around here.... having to do it in two languages, there just wouldn't be enough time.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
My guesthouse phone number is a free Google Voice number that's forwarded to my mobile phone automatically. I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice. So I know before I answer the mobile phone if it's a guesthouse incoming call or a personal call.
What you might do is have a free Google Voice number for guests only, as the emergency number they'd call if they need help. When you hear that ring tone, you answer it day or night because it's a guest needing you. If it's not that ring tone, you smile, roll over, and go back to sleep!
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :).
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
Yeah, that kind of outgoing message isn't going to work around here.... having to do it in two languages, there just wouldn't be enough time.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
My guesthouse phone number is a free Google Voice number that's forwarded to my mobile phone automatically. I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice. So I know before I answer the mobile phone if it's a guesthouse incoming call or a personal call.
What you might do is have a free Google Voice number for guests only, as the emergency number they'd call if they need help. When you hear that ring tone, you answer it day or night because it's a guest needing you. If it's not that ring tone, you smile, roll over, and go back to sleep!
.
Arkansawyer said:
I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice.
How does the phone know that the incoming call is one that was forwarded?
(what phone are you using, and how did you set this up -- I need to do this!)
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :).
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
Yeah, that kind of outgoing message isn't going to work around here.... having to do it in two languages, there just wouldn't be enough time.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
My guesthouse phone number is a free Google Voice number that's forwarded to my mobile phone automatically. I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice. So I know before I answer the mobile phone if it's a guesthouse incoming call or a personal call.
What you might do is have a free Google Voice number for guests only, as the emergency number they'd call if they need help. When you hear that ring tone, you answer it day or night because it's a guest needing you. If it's not that ring tone, you smile, roll over, and go back to sleep!
.
GV isn't available here.
 
They called here, too... 11:04..
One incoming call on Sat. night at 1:00 am. I didn't answer it but it woke me and kept me awake for an hour or so when I really needed my sleep. On Sat. nights in August, when we are always full, I usually try to remember to turn the ringer volume down. I am always tempted to call the jerks back at 5 am when I get up just to repay the favor of the late call.
 
They called here, too... 11:04..
One incoming call on Sat. night at 1:00 am. I didn't answer it but it woke me and kept me awake for an hour or so when I really needed my sleep. On Sat. nights in August, when we are always full, I usually try to remember to turn the ringer volume down. I am always tempted to call the jerks back at 5 am when I get up just to repay the favor of the late call.
.
Oooohh, that's a great idea!!! I had 5 calls after 9pm last weekend. Everything in town was sold out. We had some empty rooms, but I was not about to go checking people in that late, no way! The last call came in after midnight. I really should have called them all back at 5am. Will do next time *lol*
 
Do you have a cell phone? I put my cell phone # on my guests' key ring, tell them to reach me at that number, and turn the inn phone off at night. I can't tell you how satisfying it is to look through the caller ID the next morning and see 4 or 5 calls that DIDN'T wake me.

Also, if I'm booked and the phone is driving me crazy with people that wait until the last minute to try and reserve, I put an outgoing message that says "If you are calling for availability for this weekend, I'm sorry, but we are fully booked. If you are calling for reservations for a future date, please leave your name and number and we'll call you back as soon as we're able." This keeps me from listening to the huffs and puffs and irritation because I don't have a room available. As though it's MY fault :).
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
Yeah, that kind of outgoing message isn't going to work around here.... having to do it in two languages, there just wouldn't be enough time.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
The B&B phone is the mobile phone.
My guesthouse phone number is a free Google Voice number that's forwarded to my mobile phone automatically. I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice. So I know before I answer the mobile phone if it's a guesthouse incoming call or a personal call.
What you might do is have a free Google Voice number for guests only, as the emergency number they'd call if they need help. When you hear that ring tone, you answer it day or night because it's a guest needing you. If it's not that ring tone, you smile, roll over, and go back to sleep!
.
Arkansawyer said:
I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice.
How does the phone know that the incoming call is one that was forwarded?
(what phone are you using, and how did you set this up -- I need to do this!)
.
Harborfields said:
Arkansawyer said:
I have the mobile phone set to give a unique ring tone when a call comes in forwarded from Google Voice.
How does the phone know that the incoming call is one that was forwarded?
(what phone are you using, and how did you set this up -- I need to do this!)
iPhone. In contacts I set up a contact named GV Call (for Google Voice Call), entered the phone number of the Google Voice account, and assigned a unique ring tone to that number. When a call comes from that phone number, I hear the unique ring tone and know it's GV calling.
 
Was reading the topic started to DH - he says (and I am sure we all agree) that we also need a shock system for people who keep pressing the bell when you don't appear instantly! grrr
 
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