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greyswan

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Well, we had a crazy evening - got a phone call at 2:30 am - I assumed it was a fax, so I just let it ring since the fax was disconnected. But no, the phone stopped ringing and then started up again. I dashed to answer the phone when the front door bell rings WHAT???? A couple wanted to know if we had a room available... DH answers the door in his pj's bottoms at the same time I'm talking to her on the phone. "We don't answer the phone until after 7 am... we have no availability." We hang up and she tells DH at the door the hotel down the street is closed. No lights on here either...."uh, we're closed, too!" Bad thing is, we forgot to lock the front door...don't know if they entered the house or not... our 13 year old lab slept thru the entire event... she's such a great guard dog! I looked around and everything was intact. We'll both be checking the front door tonight!
So now, I'm wide awake thinking of the what if's.... and it's 4:30 before I can get back to sleep. We get up at 5:30 to start an early bird breakast. thank goodness for an empty house after our guests leave and I take a nap!!!
 
I generally look out the window from my living room to see if I recognize who's at the door. Is it a guest locked out? Someone who can't work the keypad? Stranger?
I would have answered the phone, too if it rang like that. In an emergency my family would call the inn number knowing I let my home phone go to the answering machine.
 
That would worry me too.
The lates call I have recieved yet was about 10 PM, for reservations at a later date.
We also never had the ned to lock the front door, that is, before the B&B.
Now I am trying to make it a habbit...I also need to get a doorbell, and a vacancy/ no vacancy sign. Even if I have rooms, I would say no vacancy by the time we go to bed....maybe they get the hint...
 
My latest call so far was 11:15 p.m.... which turned into five room nights and a $100 catering gig and three fabulous reviews on TA.
I sometimes get later calls... but they have a wrong number for the apartments here in town with our same number but different prefix.
=) Kk.
 
My latest call so far was 11:15 p.m.... which turned into five room nights and a $100 catering gig and three fabulous reviews on TA.
I sometimes get later calls... but they have a wrong number for the apartments here in town with our same number but different prefix.
=) Kk..
YellowSocks said:
I sometimes get later calls... but they have a wrong number...
=) Kk.
Arrrgh! In the AAA book my place is listed right under the Super 8. They don't listen to what I say when I answer the phone (the inn name) and then start yelling when I tell them the room rates, 'It says right here the rooms are $69.'
Immediately I know they have the AAA book in front of them. I explain they dialed the wrong number, to please try again. Only once did I get someone who said, 'No, I like the sound of your place, can I come and look?'
 
I can honestly say I've never answered a phone call or the doorbell for the Inn after 10:00 at night and had it turn into a good experience. Definitely keep the front door locked - I'm glad ours locks automatically. Not that anybody reads, but I do have a sign on our door - no walk-ins after 9:00 - and on our website - no phone calls between 9:00 and 7:00 - and on our voicemail - after 9:00 make reservations online or call us in the morning. It helps - I may miss some bookings but if I don't sleep I'm no good for the bookings I do have.
Jeanne
 
two things:
1) caller id
2) door keypad
These solved all of those ocurrences for us.
Locking door is not because of crime, it is because of what you explained in your post. People assume if you are a B&B you are a business OPEN TO THE PUBLIC at all times.
 
I can honestly say I've never answered a phone call or the doorbell for the Inn after 10:00 at night and had it turn into a good experience. Definitely keep the front door locked - I'm glad ours locks automatically. Not that anybody reads, but I do have a sign on our door - no walk-ins after 9:00 - and on our website - no phone calls between 9:00 and 7:00 - and on our voicemail - after 9:00 make reservations online or call us in the morning. It helps - I may miss some bookings but if I don't sleep I'm no good for the bookings I do have.
Jeanne.
muirford said:
I can honestly say I've never answered a phone call or the doorbell for the Inn after 10:00 at night and had it turn into a good experience.
Jeanne
Uh oh. Answered the phone at close to 11 PM (I was up, computer was on) and got a 4 room, 7 night booking that I split with my neighbor. (I had 2 rooms, they had 2 rooms.) But I've been wondering ever since...
 
I once got a call at Midnight. The man came in for a 2-day seminar and when he got to his motel, they could not find his reservation (my guess is they assumed he was a no-show and gave the room away to a walk-in). He came for 2 nights and I am not sorry I got up.
From my days when a ringing phone meant I might get dinner tonight, I cannot sleep through a ringing phone - alarm yes, phone, no.
 
two things:
1) caller id
2) door keypad
These solved all of those ocurrences for us.
Locking door is not because of crime, it is because of what you explained in your post. People assume if you are a B&B you are a business OPEN TO THE PUBLIC at all times..
Even some hotels have key card access only after 10 PM!
 
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