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I’m with you about opening a bathroom door. I would always knock first.
But there’s a point that I don’t think anyone has raised. Our guests often seem uncertain that their bathroom is theirs alone. (Each of our guest rooms has its own bath.) So it seems possible that the reverse could be true—that a guest could forget or not absorb the fact that he is sharing the bath.
Locking the door is really the only sensible solution.
And I’ve been in public restrooms that have just this kind of lock on the stall door. They don’t have crystal doorknobs, but they do have this lock.
lesson 101 for airbnb hosts - dont buy clever gadgets buy door furniture that is universally understood to prevent mishapes particularly on shared home places -
change the door furniture to user friendly - listen to your guests how they interact in the space
what they love or hate - the less hassle they cause you the happier you will be
Chiming in later here, but I think it is a good de-escalator to acknowledge the guest’s perception that they have had an upsetting experience. People can’t hear you, or receive instructions, when they are upset, if you don’t first recognize their state of mind.
“Oh dear, it sounds like your girlfriend had an upsetting experience. There’s a little lock knob under the doorknob that you just turn to the right to lock the door, so it won’t happen again.” [That language doesn’t make an admission that you’re responsible, or say the guest has a right to be upset, you are just acknowledging they are.]
I would probably add, “It’s an awful shock to get walked in on in the bathroom.”
I’m not a psychologist (I just play one on TV), but if the girlfriend was indeed coming from an abusive environment, the upset could have been disproportionate for her. We’re vulnerable when we’re naked in the shower or sitting on the toilet.
True, we’ve already had to change out several crystal door knobs and put knobs on which function with a key, I was sad we lost them because they were original and adds to the charm of the house.
I manage 30+ units, mostly outside of AirBNB. At some point, tenants/guests need to start using their brain, since we just can’t humanly plan for every issue in an environment that isn’t a hotel.
We simply do not engage with the tenants when the questions get too dumb, and we just started a new policy of telling the tenants to figure issues out between themselves. We only involve when things get too out of line.
Perhaps this could have helped with the complaint from Sir Ego-A-Lot?
Hey, I think I have the same lock in my old house. No one has ever said anything about not being able to figure out how to lock the door!?!
I’d say something like… “Seriously? You seemed to be very intelligent. I’m very surprised that you couldn’t figure out how to lock the door, since it is easier than opening a jar of pickles!”
Okay… I wouldn’t say that, but I’d like to. We all take unnecessary, unfair, and unavoidable hits and complaints from time to time. Even if you posted instructions on the door, they probably wouldn’t read it any, or complain that there are too many notes posted.
Perhaps in order not to get bad grades in the future, you would better change all the locks to locks with an understandable mechanism. Then no one will be embarrassed
Me too but because it seems the thread has turned into a discussion about whether the lock is acceptable. There’s nothing wrong with the lock. I don’t believe the poor review was given because of the lock but because of the way the issue was approached and dealt with. I’m at a loss as to why the discussion is about the actual lock when it’s clear to me that the guest didn’t like the way his issue was handled. I would think the discussion would be about how to gracefully deal with a guest, even when they are incorrect.
Oh WOW… there is no mistaking from the photo of that knob. It is a lock ! Shame you had to deal with that.
I would have done the same as you when he suggested there be a note with instructions there. Guest was embarrassed about his stupidity and mad that you did not take his idiotic suggestion about putting a sign on the door. Yes his ego was hella bruised and he took it out on you.
What? That lock is not complicated. What is complicated is to change these locks from the 30"s you would have to change the door, they are morticed to fit the lock. There is nothing complicated about that lock. Turn to right to lock, turn to left to unlock like every other lock I have ever encountered
No one has ever said anything about not being able to figure out how to lock the door!?!
