Miki Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Here we go again.Two Spanish families just back from a long day out, cannot find a keyto one of their 3 rooms. They have proceeded to search high and low inboth cars, all handbags etc etc. They have long questioned each otheras to who was last out of the room, two kids had come back in afterleaving, to say they had forgotten something, could they have thekey pleaseGive them the key twice and don't get it back the 2nd time as neitherof us was in the resto when the kid come back down. They then changetract and say they think they left it on the reception counter here,even going through the imaginery actions of how they did it. No way,one thing we always do once the keys are all on the counter, isto put the keys safe until the guests return. We use them to open thedoors to clean and tidy (or change if guests leaving) but often we willleave them in our usual place and use the spare key for each room.All our information sheets in our rooms, tell guests that if theyexpect to come back before 16h30, then please take a key as we might beout but ask first, as we ourselves may indeed be in all day, thuseliminating the need to take the key out. The Spanish came back here at22h25, so no need to take any keys at all, let alone two of the three.The info sheet also says in different languages, that we charge for newkeys to the room, new lock and new keys X 7 for the front door,approx around 75 euros inc a new keyholder itself, if the guests takethe keys out and then lose them. It is more a scare tactic but.........The keys are on a large polished bit of wood, around 5" x 2", soas to make it easy to find or rather, hard to lose !!Anyway, what do others do, we thought we had by now covered alleventualities but as it is now the 2nd key in two years and none for 3years before that, although a couple have had to be sent back in thepost !How does one possibly allow for guests losing keys ? One simply cannottell a guest that they cannot return, too many possibilies as to whythey might have to come back. Some seem to always take theirkeys, in this case, rather ridiculously, as we were in, many hoursbefore they came back !! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gardian Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Miki ...............I don't know you, never met you, never will. Don't know what you look like. But I'd love to have seen your face after this charade.I'm told that our pharmacie does a very good line in blood pressure pills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tresco Posted August 1, 2006 Share Posted August 1, 2006 Customer Speaking. Get the money off them.Do not Flinch. Do not Hesitate...They will be expecting it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted August 2, 2006 Author Share Posted August 2, 2006 Ian,In the World of things, it isn't such a big deal and truly this doesnot phase me but I am honestly fascinated at how, every now and again,some person will lose the key to the house and their room (we do have scareswhere a key is supposedly lost but it turns up a few hours or a fewminutes later). Mind you we had a guest here at the start of thesesason who even lost his key, from his room to coming down tobreakfast, after a few minute search (yes on this occasion I wasthinking some not so nice thoughts about the fool) it was found that hehad actually left it in the door after locking it.............Words canoften fail one !!The truth is and a few have told us this, that in their heads, theyprefer to keep the key themselves, personally I never do and nor domost folks. It makes no sense, unless they expect to come back, knowingwe would be out during that time but still, we always say that poeplestaying here have their holiday heads on, so one expects some crazy moments now and again !Tresco, you are right of course but it takes that friendlinessfeeling away if we talk to them now of what we have to do. So we shallprobably wait until the end of their stay, a couple more days from now,then when they are leaving and the key is not present, we will explainwhat we are now obliged to do and that is to replace the front doorlock and cut some extra new keys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quillan Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 All our rooms have a complete set of keys (room, front door and electric gates) and only one set has been lost in four years. We expect hte guests to take the keys with them. Having said that we have only four rooms so the chances I guess are a lot less. We do get people locking themselves out of their rooms (leaving the key inside). One thing we did think about as the cost has dropped a lot now is electronic locks but then what happens when you have a power cut? I guess it's all part of runing a CDH.One question, do you have the name and address on the piece of wood? We have our phone number and "Récompense si trouvé." on ours because I thought it was best not to have an address for security. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juswundrin Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 How about getting those keypad locks, which use a PIN rather than a key?This sort of thing - http://www.screwfix.com/app/sfd/cat/pro.jsp?cId=100645&ts=05267&id=17415Personally, I much prefer them to carrying around a bloody great keyfob all day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 It’s interesting and I must say I only thought about the key issue yesterday.As very stupidly I have never thought to get spare keys for the bedroom doors, we issue door keys on arrival and apart from one set of guests taking them home have never had a problem in the past 4 years. In this time also we have never had a guest go out for the day and lock their room, we only have 3 rooms. But of course yesterday was an exception, luckily said family had booked all 3 rooms but one couple decided to lock the bedroom door.The problem that arose was in their bedroom the main fuse box is situated and of course about 4pm the trip switch went off during a brief clap of thunder. Of course said guest had booked dinner last night, which was a problem as I cook with electric. They arrived back at 7.30 to be told dinner was off.Mind you on very hot days that might be a good idea throw the mains switch for 3 hours [;-)], so it’s off to mistermint today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miki Posted August 2, 2006 Author Share Posted August 2, 2006 [quote] All our rooms have a complete set of keys (room, front door and electricgates) and only one set has been lost in four years. We expect hte guests totake the keys with them. Having said that we have only four rooms so thechances I guess are a lot less. We do get people locking themselves out oftheir rooms (leaving the key inside). One thing we did think about as the costhas dropped a lot now is electronic locks but then what happens when you have apower cut? I guess it's all part of runing a CDH. [/quote] The problem of having anything but a normal door lock, is the taking away of yourplace from looking like a mere house. In other words, for the moment, G de Fr would probably notlook too kindly to seeing this kind of door lock. We are meant to be “homes” thatwe let our rooms out from. So anything not homely (for lack of a better word)may attract the purist Chambre d’hôterwhizzing off a complaint, to say that one is acting like a Formule 1…Ohyes, there are a professional lot going around, who think that like BobDylan going electric was phoney, anyone not doing it as purely, as itwaxes lyrically in the G de Fr book, are acting illegally !![quote]One question, do you have the name andaddress on the piece of wood? We have our phone number and"Récompense si trouvé." on ours because I thought it was best not tohave an address for security.[/quote]We never put anything but the door number on the key , as a thief can quite easily find your house by yourtelephone number.[quote]How about getting those keypad locks, which use a PIN ratherthan a key? Personally, I much prefer them to carrying around a bloody great key fob allday.[/quote] Same answer as before I guess and that is really why we have a bluddy big key fob…so as to stopanyone wanting to do that [;-)] Right then, update ! This morning, Tina goes in to the laundry room where theSpanish lady had wanted to do some washing and, therelo and behold in there on a shelf above the machines, is noneother than the key. Why ? Well young kiddie had rushed in to put acouple morethings she had forgotten about in the wash. So she went to her roomwith said key, then took clothes tolaundry room, put them in the machine (which Tina said she would startforthem, as they were pressed for time and did not know how to use theW/M) etvoila, key thought to be left on counter was actually left in thelaundry room. Us, not knowing she had even been in there had not eventhought to look there !! We laughed oh how we laughed, me especially, with that Basil Fawlty grimace which kind ofsays bluddy kids !!! and another crisis chez Miki averted ! Tonight we are eating with them, yes I know we don’t docooking now but……….and they want to see my old photos from Sitges from the late60’s early 70’s, where their Grand parents have a summer house (they are from Barcelona don’t you know!) He has promised me a trip to the Nou Camp next March, where his cousin is a Doctor on the medicalteam. Oh brother !! he has been told that I am still not over last March when Barcaput us out but still insists...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kitty Posted August 2, 2006 Share Posted August 2, 2006 Keypads that operate by a number are a BAD thing. Anyone can use the number. Not everyone can get hold of a key. I used to manage large office buildings for a living. One tenant changed all locks (internal and external) to numbered keypads. A disgruntled member of staff gave the codes out to a competitor. Guess what? They lost secret files. They changed them back to keys within 6 months.They are just about OK if you can change the codes regularly but, in practice, you don't tend to change them that often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted August 3, 2006 Share Posted August 3, 2006 We seldom have the lost-key problem, touch wood. When they havevanished, we smile and hand over a spare. I know some people worry thata lost key could turn up again in the hands of someone with maliciousintent, but if I were planning to go back and clean a place out duringthe quiet months, I would not "lose" a key. I would simply drive to atown 50 km away, get a copy cut somewhere busy, hand back the key atthe end of my stay ("lovely break - very relaxing!") and return at myleisure to do the dastardly deed..For this reason, at the end of the season, I shall be changing all thebarrels out at the properties we don't actually live next to. Not thatI have any reason to think that any of our guests would EVER doanything like I have described, but the cost (about €70) is worth it toavoid any potential insurance problems - they usually want proof of forced entry, after all, and entering by key probably doesn't count.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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