Keypad entry codes

Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum

Help Support Bed & Breakfast / Short Term Rental Host Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Arks

Well-known member
Joined
May 22, 2010
Messages
6,460
Reaction score
579
I'm going with keypad door locks rather than keys and it occurs to me that I can add a custom field to my online reservations form that lets people, optionally, enter the 4-digit code they'd prefer to use during their stay. That way if they already have an easy to remember code, they can use it. Of course, if they choose not to provide a code, I'll generate a random one for them.
I really don't like the idea of using the last 4 digits of their phone number, since anybody who knows we do that, meaning all the other guests in the place, could get into a person's room if they can learn their phone number.
 
I can tell you WHY it's not a good idea to let them set it....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/22/technology-worst-passwords-splashdata.html
You are going to get people giving you 1234 or 4321 all the time.
You will also find out that some people don't know their own phone number.
We choose from many different numbers and present it to them. Telephone numbers, addresses, zip codes or even the last four digits of their credit card number. Just don't stick to one. And random... won't work, they will want a piece of paper to walk around with... a piece of paper they can lose. Considering that it's for a limited time, the last four digits of their phone number is pretty secure, especially because you have a logged trail.
 
I can tell you WHY it's not a good idea to let them set it....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/22/technology-worst-passwords-splashdata.html
You are going to get people giving you 1234 or 4321 all the time.
You will also find out that some people don't know their own phone number.
We choose from many different numbers and present it to them. Telephone numbers, addresses, zip codes or even the last four digits of their credit card number. Just don't stick to one. And random... won't work, they will want a piece of paper to walk around with... a piece of paper they can lose. Considering that it's for a limited time, the last four digits of their phone number is pretty secure, especially because you have a logged trail..
Good points. I'll put a note that codes like 1234 and 9876 will be rejected.
I do like the idea of letting them pick something they can remember.
 
I can tell you WHY it's not a good idea to let them set it....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/22/technology-worst-passwords-splashdata.html
You are going to get people giving you 1234 or 4321 all the time.
You will also find out that some people don't know their own phone number.
We choose from many different numbers and present it to them. Telephone numbers, addresses, zip codes or even the last four digits of their credit card number. Just don't stick to one. And random... won't work, they will want a piece of paper to walk around with... a piece of paper they can lose. Considering that it's for a limited time, the last four digits of their phone number is pretty secure, especially because you have a logged trail..
Good points. I'll put a note that codes like 1234 and 9876 will be rejected.
I do like the idea of letting them pick something they can remember.
.
The ONLY numbers DH can remember are calibers. He does remember the last 4 of his ss number because it so easy to associated with something EVERYONE knows. He remembers the rest of his number becauseof calibers.
Even if they choose the numbers, the guests will forget.
 
I can tell you WHY it's not a good idea to let them set it....
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/11/22/technology-worst-passwords-splashdata.html
You are going to get people giving you 1234 or 4321 all the time.
You will also find out that some people don't know their own phone number.
We choose from many different numbers and present it to them. Telephone numbers, addresses, zip codes or even the last four digits of their credit card number. Just don't stick to one. And random... won't work, they will want a piece of paper to walk around with... a piece of paper they can lose. Considering that it's for a limited time, the last four digits of their phone number is pretty secure, especially because you have a logged trail..
Good points. I'll put a note that codes like 1234 and 9876 will be rejected.
I do like the idea of letting them pick something they can remember.
.
The ONLY numbers DH can remember are calibers. He does remember the last 4 of his ss number because it so easy to associated with something EVERYONE knows. He remembers the rest of his number becauseof calibers.
Even if they choose the numbers, the guests will forget.
.
gillumhouse said:
Even if they choose the numbers, the guests will forget.
Great! Then I'll charge them a fee to retrieve their number ;-)
 
We have these locks and no one has ever forgot. (but I bet now someone will)
wink_smile.gif
 
We just recently went with the keypad on the entry door and we love it. (We also use one on our office and the entrance to our owner's quarters. It means I never have to look for a key, and I love it.)
We're considering using them on room doors, too, but are just a little concerned about noise. It would be fabulous to just be keyless. For those of you who use them on interior doors, what do you think about noise?
We are usually selecting the last 4 of the phone number and are constantly amused by how many folks aren't intimately aware of their cell phone number. (But I can relate to that because I don't remember mine half the time and I certainly don't know DH's! He's just a click away on my phone.)
It has made late check-ins and self check-ins so much easier.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
 
We just recently went with the keypad on the entry door and we love it. (We also use one on our office and the entrance to our owner's quarters. It means I never have to look for a key, and I love it.)
We're considering using them on room doors, too, but are just a little concerned about noise. It would be fabulous to just be keyless. For those of you who use them on interior doors, what do you think about noise?
We are usually selecting the last 4 of the phone number and are constantly amused by how many folks aren't intimately aware of their cell phone number. (But I can relate to that because I don't remember mine half the time and I certainly don't know DH's! He's just a click away on my phone.)
It has made late check-ins and self check-ins so much easier..
Out 2 old keypads are VERY noisy. I can hear both of them clear across the building. Our new one is silent. It doesn't beep when you push the buttons, it doesn't sound like the gates of hell closing behind us. So, get them for the rooms but be sure you have the silent models. Our new one is also a Schlage. I can get the model type for you.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
.
The door that I have gives a temporary 10 digit code that they can use to program the door with. The codes are set to start and end at specific hours. So you can give them the code ahead of time but it won't work until 3PM and it locks them out at 11AM....
It's also great for rental apartments... they give you the rent cheque, you give them the new code for the month :)
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
.
Madeleine said:
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
Yes, I'm getting the Schlage remotely programmable keypads so people's code will go active right after the room is ready for occupation and the code will be deleted shortly after checkout time. These things are very quiet, no louder than a key turning in a keyhole.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
.
Madeleine said:
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
Yes, I'm getting the Schlage remotely programmable keypads so people's code will go active right after the room is ready for occupation and the code will be deleted shortly after checkout time. These things are very quiet, no louder than a key turning in a keyhole.
.
Actually, that's ResortLock, not Schlage. They aren't remotely programmed. They lock has it's own code and you set the date and time. It then uses the date, time and lock number to generate a code that will work from x to y.
It works and works well. The code it generates is 10 digits long and you give the guest instructions on how to program their own code. See http://www.resortlock.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1826 for an explanation or call ResortLock directly and they will explain it to you. I have found them to be very helpful. They even had parts made for me to be able to use the lock on my 120 year old doors.
 
We just recently went with the keypad on the entry door and we love it. (We also use one on our office and the entrance to our owner's quarters. It means I never have to look for a key, and I love it.)
We're considering using them on room doors, too, but are just a little concerned about noise. It would be fabulous to just be keyless. For those of you who use them on interior doors, what do you think about noise?
We are usually selecting the last 4 of the phone number and are constantly amused by how many folks aren't intimately aware of their cell phone number. (But I can relate to that because I don't remember mine half the time and I certainly don't know DH's! He's just a click away on my phone.)
It has made late check-ins and self check-ins so much easier..
We're considering using them on room doors, too, but are just a little concerned about noise. It would be fabulous to just be keyless. For those of you who use them on interior doors, what do you think about noise?
Silence is golden isn't it. We also use the Schlege locks and they are silent compared to the ones we used before with beeping & grinding when it unlocked the doors. Our older models also went through batteries much faster than the Schlege ones we currently have.
We have regular key locks on the guest room doors and since they do not have the inn name on it, we place use a label maker to make code labels for the front door. If the key is lost, there is no way to know what that code goes to - and we change the code as well. I do not have special codes for each guest.
 
If they already know their code before arriving, they will let themselves in at 9:30 in the morning and surprise the guests from last night who are in the shower..
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
.
Madeleine said:
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Which is why you don't program it until noon :)
So they'll let themselves in at noon and scare the housekeeper. The only way to make this work is to not program the door until check-in time. My guess is he wants to do this so it's easy for him.
Yes, I'm getting the Schlage remotely programmable keypads so people's code will go active right after the room is ready for occupation and the code will be deleted shortly after checkout time. These things are very quiet, no louder than a key turning in a keyhole.
.
Actually, that's ResortLock, not Schlage. They aren't remotely programmed. They lock has it's own code and you set the date and time. It then uses the date, time and lock number to generate a code that will work from x to y.
It works and works well. The code it generates is 10 digits long and you give the guest instructions on how to program their own code. See http://www.resortlock.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=1826 for an explanation or call ResortLock directly and they will explain it to you. I have found them to be very helpful. They even had parts made for me to be able to use the lock on my 120 year old doors.
.
Eric Arthur Blair said:
Actually, that's ResortLock, not Schlage.
Oops! Sorry, I posted the wrong link. ResortLock was one I looked at last year, but I really need the remote programming. HERE is the remotely programmable one I'll be using. I can't correct the link above since you can't edit a post once somebody has replied/quoted it.
I'll be able to add and delete codes from my iPhone or any Internet-connected computer, anywhere. Excellent for self-check-in situations, it sends me an e-mail when the guests arrive and enter their code the first time.
 
Are you up and going with these new locks yet? Would like to know if it was a good choice to make, or just another thing to have to deal with during the day. Let us know! Thanks!
 
Back
Top