I hate it when guests turn up early!

From the moment they step through the door your bookings become guests, and their experiences determine whether they ever come back.
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Ju
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I hate it when guests turn up early!

Post by Ju »

We had guests turn up at 1:20pm today despite the fact we clearly state the the property would be ready after 4pm. After sending them off (after they had all used the loo I'd just cleaned and walked over the floor I'd just mopped) to get some food and told them we would be ready by 4pm.

At 3pm they were back, and we weren't ready, saying that they run out of things to do. We were still cleaning so they said they would keep out of our way. They changed their children into swimming gear, and then LIFTED them over the locked gate so that they could go to the pool. I had to go out and unlock the gate pointing out that it was unsafe to allow young children by the pool without an adult present. "Don't worry" they said "one of us was just about to climb over the fence" What on earth did they think the fence was there for in the first place.

This is the third time in two weeks we have had people arrive early. How can we stop it? I don't want to start people's holiday off by telling them to sod off but we have got a job to do. Do they actually want to rent a dirty villa?

Ju
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Ju,
I've started asking people, a few days before they arrive, what time they expect to be here. They usually give me a fairly accurate idea, e.g."our plane lands at Nice at 10 a.m" or "We are staying at Avignon the night before" (Avignon is about 2 hours away). With the early ones I reply along the lines of "Since we ask guests to arrive after 4 pm (please see the booking form), you will have time to lunch, to do some shopping & some sightseeing. We look forward to welcoming you after 4pm". The polite ones understand & the others contact me to ask if they can arrive early. I explain that "this is not possible, as the house has to be aired, windows washed etc etc. It would not be fair to the cleaner."
So far, it works.
Good luck with your latest arrivals: they sound like guests from hell.
Best,
Alexia.
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Alan Knighting
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Post by Alan Knighting »

People can be a bit silly at times, can't they?

They arrive at 3.30 to catch the 4.00 bus and complain it hasn't arrived yet.

The answer is "wait", it'll be here at 4.00.
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

I actually say that we can have one of the houses ready for midday because of the early ferry ....in actual fact I have only had one this year turn up at midday...but it works as it puts pressure on the folk leaving to leave the house in a good state and we also request they strip the beds before they go which saves us a huge amount of time!

I word it -
The house is now available from mid day to suit the early Ferries especially in the summer months - BUT it means we only have 2 hours to turn it round for the next folk arriving……so please do bear with us if we run late.
If they do turn up before we are ready I get them to put the luggage in the garage and go off.

It also helps focus the cleaners and does keep the wages bill down...with having 2 houses an hour apart I need to be careful!
I pay by the hour if I don't keep it focused for arrival times it has been known some hefty time sheets to be given in...funny how the perfectly clean windows needed an extra 2 hours spending on them?...

I have 2 ladies - 1 for St Germain - 1 for Utah - with myself and another as floaters - we arrive with the clean linen, make the beds up and give a hand with anything that is 'unusual' and do the exterior patios etc. Then go on to the next house for the same...

Up to now I have always gone to the nearest house first...but my normal lady is back at last after her operation and I think we may have discovered that the washing I'm paying to be done (towels etc that don't go to the laundry), is actually being done at the house whilst the cleaning is going on...there is a 3-4 hour window for this to happen - she spotted it immediately! I think somehow my routine will be changing and I will be taking back the washing!!

Also letting your guests in earlier - treat it as if you are doing everyone a big favour - your guests are even more appreciative of all you are doing for them...it also means that you can have part of a Saturday back again...
it's all a learning curve!
Marion
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Post by Marion »

I always ask my guests what their arrival times might be and always try to accommodate this if at all possible. My terms and conditions state to vacate the premises at 11 am and arrival times are after 5pm just to avoid any misunderstanding. Then if people want a later vacate or earlier arrival time I am doing them a favour! I always say that the apartment cleaning may not have finished when they arrive early but they are welcome to leave their bags. I then give them a time for when the apartment will be finished.

As most of our people arrive by plane, they are usually very grateful that they can leave their bags. Similarly if they are leaving late they can leave their bags in the apartment building. It has not caused us any problems so far. I think flexibility is the key. Before coming to live in France, I sent my cleaner the arrival and departure times of the guests and she also accommodated them whenever possible. Mind you, she was worth her weight in gold.

However mine are two apartments which obviously don't take as much time as preparing a villa.
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

We have a check-in time of 4pm too, and we have also had (on a couple of occasions) people turning up early in the hope that they can get into the villa before 4pm. It is annoying because we have had to let them in to sit outside by the pool area while we finish the cleaning inside the villa. On one occasion we had a guest feeding her two babies (18 month old twins), and her other child running in and out of the villa while I was in the middle of mopping the floor!

Now when we know people are arriving a couple of hours before check-in we send them an email the week before they leave reminding them that check-in is strictly after 4pm....and like Marion if they arrive early we offer to store their luggage in the garage, suggest that they take a walk down to the seafront to chill out until check-in. So far this has worked!
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

I clearly state in the e-mail asking for the final payment that the arrival time is at 4pm unless otherwise arranged with the owner. Its also in the Ts and Cs. I have had people turn up early, but they are always apologetic for being early and usually go and have a picnic in the garden if we have not finished cleaning. I have more of a problem getting them to leave on time on the departure day! It is their problem if they arrive early, most people who regularly stay in rental homes are aware of the rules.
Ju, I can't believe you had people stay as irresponsible as this. I think you are well within your rights to point out the arrival time and the swimming pool rules. I hate doing this too, but it is definitely the right thing to do.
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debk
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Post by debk »

We've always allowed people to drop off their luggage early but a few months ago we began having trouble with people abusing the priviledge (eg, they wanted to hang around, chat, tour the house, whatever... while we are trying to rush through a back-to-back turnover). I added the following note to the final confirmation email and have had no more problems since then, but I've no idea whether it's the note or if we are just back to thoughtful guests. :? I rather hope it's the latter.

LUGGAGE DROP-OFF
*NOTE: When dropping off luggage, the house is not available for use (eg, touring, snacks, using the bathroom, unpacking, watching TV) as it will be completely disassembled for a thorough clean. We'll be working hard to turn it over as quickly as possible and appreciate your understanding so that we can continue to accept early luggage drop-offs.
musicmonkey
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Post by musicmonkey »

This is striking a chord with me at the moment as we had a call last Monday for a booking for our French house for the following Saturday. As we are in the Uk, I said no, the house wasn't available, as we wouldn't be able to clear cheques and so on.

The guy explained that he had his own house near mine in France and had to be over to meet with the architect but couldn't use his own house as the stairs had been taken out and a concrete floor was being laid. He has 3 children. I took pity on him and said that provided he arrived with cash we would accept his booking.

Then he explains that he is actually going to be in France from the Thursday and wants to get in asap on the Saturday as they were booked into a hotel. So I explain that the previous renters have until 10 and that the cleaner then needs to carry out her duties so can they please confine themselves to one room, or drop the luggage leave and return later.

However, when the cleaner arrives at 9.30 am they tell her she is late! (The previous renters had left early) Not only that, but they had spread themselves around the house and then go out leaving the 3 children aged 13, 11 and 6 eating on the sofas and following the cleaner around.

Not surprisingly, she was unable to clean in these circumstances. We are quite concerned now as they are due to leave next Saturday by 10 and we are using the house ourselves. I have visions of them well and truly 'settled in' next Saturday when we arrive at 10.30 am tired and ready to unpack and clean up their mess. I know their ferry is not due to sail until the Sunday!
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Musicmonkey,
Why don't you ring them mid-stay to see how they are, to remind them that check-out time is 10am & that the cleaner will be there - possibly at 9.30 am! - to start cleaning straight away?
Good luck!
Best,
Alexia.
A-two
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Post by A-two »

Susan wrote:I have more of a problem getting them to leave on time on the departure day!
Susan,
Does your lease have a penalty clause for late check-out? Ours reserves the right to charge $50 per hour for every hour beyond the agreed check-out time that the house is still occupied. That cured 80% of offenders. There's always some people who can't tell the time and exceed by quarter to half an hour and we allow for that anyway, but the remaining 19% were tricky. We seem to have cured the problem by a whole page of "Check In and Check Out instructions" sent out with the driving directions. I have tested various versions and suggest this is effective, at least it is for us:-

CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT
Check In and Check Out times are stated in your Lease, normally 3pm Check In and 10.30am Check Out. We go to the house to greet you on your arrival, give you the keys and answer any questions you may have.

EARLY CHECK IN: In the Summer when we are fully booked and only have a window of 4 hours between guests for housekeeping and routine maintenance, we cannot offer early Check In without compromising our high standards. On rare occasions, we might have the house ready half an hour earlier, but we will not know this until the day. You are welcome to phone us on our cell phones around 12 noon, by which time we’ll know what’s possible, otherwise, we can recommend a variety of enjoyable things to do for an hour or so. If you check our availability on our website just before your departure and see that the previous week is not booked, you’re welcome to request an earlier Check In. In the Spring, Fall and Winter seasons, we may have more flexibility to fit with your schedule.

LATE CHECK IN: We offer Check In from 3pm to 7pm. If you do not plan to arrive at the agreed time, usually 3pm, please let us know at least a day or so in advance to agree a later appointment. You should in any case plan to arrive in daylight, as the house is not easy to find in the dark. If you are transferring directly from the airport, we will adjust our schedule automatically to accommodate possible flight delays. Please let us have your flight details.

CHECK OUT: Our housekeepers arrive on the morning of your departure at the agreed time, usually 10.30am, as do we. We’re always happy to see you and chat about your stay, but would appreciate all personal possessions being out of the house by that time, so the cleaners can make a start straight away. If you are ready to leave earlier, there’s no need to wait, just phone us to let us know the house will be vacated early. You can then secure the house; leave the keys on the key hook and pull the door closed behind you.

Inside the house, we leave a short list of things we ask you to do just prior to departure. This does not involve anything heavy like mopping floors, but does ask you to do things like wash and put away your own dishes, start a washload of bathroom towels and put all trash into outside cans ready to be picked up. Thanks in advance.

We can rarely offer a late Check Out in high season for the same reasons we can’t offer an early Check In, but again, you are welcome to ask for flexibility at other times of year.

We appreciate your feedback and if there is any aspect of the Booking and Check In procedure you feel we could improve, please let us know."

No complaints, and so far, it's run like clockwork. However, contrary to what I tell them, only we turn up at 10.30, the cleaners do not turn up until 11.....shhh...it's a secret.... 8)

(Usually when I say something is working well for us, the very next person gives me serious grief, so fingers crossed!!)

Sometimes also, I do what Alexia is suggesting, which is to call them the day before they check out, or they quite often call us, in which case I make a joke with them about not having done their homework as I always leave a copy of everything in the house. Reverse psychology seems to be working for us - the more I tell them not to worry about anything too much - about how we want them to really enjoy their last day, and understand that they must have a lot to do to get packed up and off early in the morning, and how we don't want to hold them up, just leave it tidy - the more they do for us and still leave on time. Magic!

All in all, they are told 4 times in total about the need to leave promptly at the agreed time - so there's no excuse after that really, which is why the $50 per hour overstay penalty is there. Although I have never once imposed it, I do sometimes notice the head of the household rounding up the stragglers who may have yet another "last walk on the beach" in mind, so I definitely think it has an impact with whoever is paying the bills.

We don't offer Luggage drop-off prior to Check In, haven't been asked for it and have no intention of offering since some cars arrive fully loaded, not just a couple of suitcases. However, we have a family arriving in a week or so by ferry from Connecticut who are bringing their own ski boat with them. The ferry times don't quite mesh with our check in time, so we have agreed to let them launch it and tie it up early, but no access to the house and we'll see how that works out.
Waves from America
alexia s.
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Post by alexia s. »

Thanks for this, Joanna - there are some great ideas there. I particularly like:
"Inside the house, we leave a short list of things we ask you to do just prior to departure. This does not involve anything heavy like mopping floors, but does ask you to do things like wash and put away your own dishes, start a washload of bathroom towels and put all trash into outside cans ready to be picked up. Thanks in advance. "
Could you give us the list, please? I would this this very useful.
Thank you.
Best,
Alexia.
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debk
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Post by debk »

We don't offer Luggage drop-off prior to Check In, haven't been asked for it and have no intention of offering since some cars arrive fully loaded...
Yikes! Excellent point. 90+% of our guests arrive by plane and obviously don't want to drag their luggage around Lisbon until 4pm checkin.

Those few guests that drive in from other points within Europe have always accepted the 4pm checkin time (normally requesting late checkin). So, until reading Joanne's note, I never thought about the fact that a carload would probably have much more luggage. Now if a drive-in guest ever requests early checkin, I will think more clearly about what that might imply.

Love this forum. Always learning...
debk
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tansy
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Post by tansy »

It's the same if they arrive by car to us.They don't want to leave their car in a car park full of their things, could get broken into, plus they can't fit in any shopping.

I think you have to be flexible about what time they arrive...if you are firm but fair I think they will keep out of your way...perhaps offer the use of the garden/swimming pool for a couple of hours in return for keeping out the way. It could be a case of your arrivals not knowing what is expected of them...just say.

I did have a problem with the people marching in once whilst the floors were still wet and the child skidding across it - I'm afraid I did tell the child to stop it - in front of the parents as well! Hey ho I'm not known as bossy for nothing!!!

This Saturday we had a difficult time because all 10 decided to stay in and cook whilst the 3 of us were trying to do a mid stay clean in one of the houses...we did the beds, bathrooms and bedrooms and gave up...then they asked what time they were to leave next Saturday as their boat isn't until 5.30 p.m.....lot of traffic this weekend in France as all the children go back to school soon - best thing is to leave really early to miss it all I heard myself tell them!

But my real success at getting them out on time is I let my cleaners turn up at 9.30 a.m. half an hour before they are due to leave - it is quite amazing how the people about to depart bustle around helping the cleaners! Bins being emptied, beds stripped you name it...it is a total different attitude when they meet the cleaners face to face.

Works every time - mind you my French ladies are absolute sweethearts with beautiful manners.
it's all a learning curve!
A-two
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Post by A-two »

tansy wrote:they asked what time they were to leave next Saturday as their boat isn't until 5.30 p.m.....lot of traffic this weekend in France as all the children go back to school soon - best thing is to leave really early to miss it all I heard myself tell them!
Tansy, that's really funny!
But my real success at getting them out on time is I let my cleaners turn up at 9.30 a.m. half an hour before they are due to leave - it is quite amazing how the people about to depart bustle around helping the cleaners!
That's interesting. I might try it out your way one time and see if it works even better. My approach with the half hour gap arose after the awkwardness of finding the whole household fast asleep one time. Cleaners sat patiently outside with the clock ticking on my payroll. After half an hour, my fixed smile started to wear thin, then I suddenly caught the smell of bacon. They were busy cooking a full breakfast before packing up and still in their PJs. Since then, I make sure I arrive before the cleaners, but not keen to go inside until they are gone, not least because the last time I tried to help, they ended up with beer in the baby bottle carrier on the way home....who knew? :shock:

Alexia,
I'm not trying to avoid your question, but I do think the list of things we ask our visitors to do is not particularly useful for anyone else. It depends on so many factors peculiar to our house and the way we manage the cleaners.

debk,
I agree completely about guests who transfer directly from flights with suitcases and no cars needing somewhere safe to take them immediately on arrival, but a car here is essential and leaving suitcases in plain site is not an issue. Crimes generally are a very rare occurrence around here and certainly cars are not routinely broken into, they are not even locked mostly. What a pleasure after London, where having the side window knocked in for the cd player was a twice yearly occurrence for everyone in our street, and that was one of the better areas.

I don't know about Lisbon by comparison, but if I was looking to rent a place in any major city, then being able to drop my suitcase off early would be quite an important factor in choosing where to stay, with or without a car to store it in, because I know how vulnerable it would be otherwise. It's not for me to advise how you might want to deal with a fully loaded car, but if you did want to accomodate someone, then I suggest having the refrigerator and one small room available earlier would be ample and much appreciated.
Last edited by A-two on Tue Aug 23, 2005 6:15 am, edited 6 times in total.
Waves from America
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