Do you give guests your cell phone number?

[Paradise]

I saw that post. Here's what I think- I'm on 24x7 as it is. Giving guests the ability to text me from their room, in their jammies (or less) that they need a towel is too much. Actually having to get up, come downstairs, ring the bell makes the guest think 'do I really need that right now?' Having a 'butler' they can simply text a msg to at any hour? No thanks.
PLUS, the whole idea states kind of plainly that I need to have the cellphone IN the bed with me just in case. When I shut down the computer at 9 PM, I am 'off duty' unless it is an emergency.
If you really need something, come downstairs, ring the bell and let me know. Don't even call the inn phone because I don't answer it after 9 PM.
A lot of ideas work if you are not already stretched to the absolute max. I actually NEED the downtime from 9 PM to 7 AM..

We're avail from 8:30-6:30 (earlier & later for flight/ferry pick ups/drop offs), so before 8:30 & after 6:30 are for emergency only. Thus, they can text all they want...I don't reply until the am. However, sometimes they THEN go & ring the bell for a towel... (yes, I CLEARLY explain that only in the case of emergency ie. fire or flood..)

 

[Samster]

Absolutely. My cell phone was the after hours "emergency" number for our guests and it was noted in the room books to call that number after 9 PM, otherwise they knew where to find us on the property. I stressed to the guests that calling the mobile number was the way to go if they had something we needed to help them with as we let the inn number go to voicemail in the late evening. I would rather have a guest bring a problem to my attention ASAP. No guest ever abused calling my mobile - I probably had less than 5 calls in 2 years that were either early a.m calls (warranted for something like an HVAC issue), or for something that really could have waited. That's a pretty small percentage of our guests.
ETA: Since we had 2 separate houses, I would rather a guest call me on my cell phone than for them to have to traipse outside in the evening.
Like many others on this forum, I learned that answering the reservation phone number after 9 PM never amounted to anything good. That number went to voicemail.