How long DO you wait?

[Fraise]

Just a thought.How long do you wait for your guests to turn up-especially when you are not on site? I tell my guests that I will be there from 4pm-6pm to greet them and that if this isn't covenient to let me know what time they hope to arrive.I am used to some arriving early- you just deal with that as it arises! Last night my guests hadn't contacted me with a time so I waited for them to turn up.By 10 past 7 they still hadn't arrived so I shut up and came home.When I got back there were 3 messages on my answerphone:
1- we hope to arrive around 5.30 today
2- we are about 100 k's away
3-we are here.The house is shut up!!
Doh!!Obviously I rang them on their mobile and went straight back round to open up! They had been stuck in traffic on the A10 !! When you are not at home to receive calls because you are round at the house waiting for them it's a bit tricky!!Some mobiles don't get any reception at all in the vicinity of the house- mine being one of them!!
They are a lovely couple and I am just relieved that there was no mishap,but it got me thinking- how long do you wait after the appointed time??

[Linda Freese]

As most of my guests arrive at Malaga airport, I always ask for flight details and ask them to call us from the airport when they have collected their bags. We then make our way over to the property to meet them. I do stress that if they do not call, there will be no one at the property to let them in. If they have not called within an hour of their landing time, I call the airport to check if there has been a delay. It seems to be working well so far!

[Clexane]

Fraise,

If you are not on site then it may be a good idea to get their mobile number when they book and to call them before leaving for the house. This may save you the trip. Most people will have an accurate ETA about two to three hours prior to arriving if they are not flying.

[Fraise]

Hi,yes,this does seem the best solution.My problem is that I am already at the house having spent 6 hours cleaning it!!I am just nicely finished for 4pm and sit in the garden to wait! Nothing is ever simple is it?If I wasn't on my own this wouldn't be a problem as someone could be at each house !Doh! I've already employed a property manager for next year but she could have the same problem!when people say they intend to arrive late(as next week),that's fine- I just go back and wait.The problem is the ones who don't say!I write and ask them to arrive between 4-6.I follow this up with e-mails.The problem arose when this couple never got back to me at all,so I assumed they would make 4-6pm.When they hadn't arrived by 10past 7 I thought maybe they weren't coming!! As I said before mobile reception is poor at the house! I suppose it's a lesson learnt- if I haven't heard from them at all I need to ring them at their home until I contact them -what a performance!!Thankyou for trying to sort me out!!!

www.thepetitmanoir.com

[Clexane]

How about a phone in the house with a code lock. We have this with France Telecom. Basically when it is locked you only recieve calls. But if you punch a code in (or use a free number- phone cards) you can call out?

[paolo]

What about having a box in the wall by the front door with a combination padlock, and leaving the key in there? Then you could have carefully written instructions for how everything works, and/or swing by in the morning.

[vrooje]

We use a lockbox method -- it was necessary for us since we aren't on site. We send the box code to our clients after they make the final payment, and it has worked out very well so far!

[la vache!]

If I didn't live on site, I would prefer to, as Paolo says

swing by in the morning.

Most people are too befuddled by their journey to take in anything you say and they will probably have more questions to ask the next morning if there is anything they haven't understood in the welcome notes. When I show people round, I give the minimum information, have just point them in the direction of the notes on the property to read at their leisure. They never seem to take anything in on their arrival if I bombard them with too much! I always make sure I know their ferry crossings/flights so I can make sure they either have time to get food, if not, I offer to get provisions in for them. No real need to be here at all really!

[tansy]

No one is EVER on time!!!I leave keys now - last week was the 1st time in ages I agreed to wait as he said he would be there by 2 p.m. which suited brilliantly - finishing off the house and taking one of the cleaners homw enroute...4 p.m. still no sign - he eventually got there at 6 p.m....whole of France moving - forgot it was 1st weekend after schools broke up and mass move to leave the children with Grandparents for the summer!

Now as a rule now I leave keys with a file on the table with everything in there about rubbish etc etc...(got this idea from our boat holiday) because even when you show them in ater a long journey they don't take it in.

Leaving keys here is relatively simple as we are in Normandy so crime is still very low...little hiding places in the garden!

Plus my stress factor had dropped considerably....you cannot be in 2 places at once!

[Fraise]

Oooooh,thankyou so much for that folks!!! I was thinking about a phone but it's yet another cost,and there are plenty of those already! It is on the backburner though.I never thought about leaving keys,that is do-able,I'll try and work on that I think.

www.thepetitmanoir.com