Aggressive DVC Housekeeping Checkout Day

[Sammie]

No one can enter with the latch on. The solution to that issue is completely preventable.
We have never had problems with anyone knocking on our door early and we have been DVC for over 23 years. We leave the Room Occupied sign on until we leave. We used the check out app when we left.

 

[Sammie]

I have discovered the removal of do not disturb signs to be the biggest issue. How is housekeeping to know when you have left? Give us back the DnD signs!

How is DND sign any different than room occupied sign. We put out the room occupied sign, when we are in the room and remove it when we left.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

Dh Gives them a crazy shining face and says we’ll be leaving at eleven

 

[SL6827]

How is DND sign any different than room occupied sign. We put out the room occupied sign, when we are in the room and remove it when we left.

It worked well for me one year.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I have discovered the removal of do not disturb signs to be the biggest issue. How is housekeeping to know when you have left? Give us back the DnD signs!

Or better yet, bring those back and also add something saying "We've left. Room ready for turn-around." (or something like that) so the staff can easily identify which rooms to start in.

 

[wiihoo888]

Ya know…I saw this touched on earlier, and I think it is a big part of the problem. The departure of Magical Express has not been fully thought out on the housekeeping management side. When people had to leave 3-4 hours early for a flight, there were a lot more super early checkouts. Now a lot of folks rent or use Uber. Pushes everything back a bit. People love that extra hour or so and it does get soured by the knocking and barging in. I don’t think the answer is changing checkin/checkout times. I think they need to staff for the changes

 

[Pens Fan]

One of the things that bugged me the most was that someone had erroneously checked us out. I had fully planned on checking out using the app to let them know when we were leaving, but when I tried we'd already been checked out! What is the point of even asking people to use that if the front desk (or whoever did it ) is going to check you out whenever they feel like it. Reading through this thread, we aren't the only ones to experience that happening.

I had no ill will toward the housekeeper that was trying to get in. We were polite, but let her know we'd be a while. (Though we still got another call a few minutes later ). It's the system that is messed up. Someone checked us out and there was no Room Occupied sign to be found in our room. Short of using the posted note method someone mentioned above (which actually is a good idea), housekeeping had no way of knowing if we were there or not. That's just setting everyone up for failure - housekeeping can't get to the rooms that actually are empty and guests keeping their rooms until closer to the 11 AM check out time are getting annoyed.

 

[wiihoo888]

One of the things that bugged me the most was that someone had erroneously checked us out. I had fully planned on checking out using the app to let them know when we were leaving, but when I tried we'd already been checked out! What is the point of even asking people to use that if the front desk (or whoever did it ) is going to check you out whenever they feel like it. Reading through this thread, we aren't the only ones to experience that happening.

I had no ill will toward the housekeeper that was trying to get in. We were polite, but let her know we'd be a while. (Though we still got another call a few minutes later ). It's the system that is messed up. Someone checked us out and there was no Room Occupied sign to be found in our room. Short of using the postage note method someone mentioned above (which actually is a good idea), housekeeping had no way of knowing if we were there or not. That's just setting everyone up for failure - housekeeping can't get to the rooms that actually are empty and guests keeping their rooms until closer to the 11 AM check out time are getting annoyed.

feel the same way and had the same thing happen to me. My husband was super impressed by the new app feature until he found us checked out when he went in to checkout. Made things a bit more understandable but still….it just doesn’t appear the feature is being used to its capacity. Shame for housekeeping and those very much still checked in

 

[dioxide45]

How is DND sign any different than room occupied sign. We put out the room occupied sign, when we are in the room and remove it when we left.

No different. But I didn't see room occupied signs on our last DVC stay.

 

[RoseGold]

No one can enter with the latch on. The solution to that issue is completely preventable.

Poly has the old school latches. So they just banged and banged until I got up and answered the door.

 

[Wdloepp]

My daughter is an accountant at a hotel and this happens frequently because they are short staffed. Which doesn’t make it right.

 

[Travel60]

Hmmm, we have a several week stay at two resorts scheduled in Jan/Feb. Maybe I'll make a sign that says

"Housekeeping! We know checkout is 11:00 and we will be gone by then. Each time you knock before 11:00 we will remove $ from your tip."

Agree it's management's problem - they will have people wanting to check in by 3:00 so turnover is important. But, they can look ahead to see how many checkouts are scheduled daily and staff accordingly.

 

[tjkraz]

"Housekeeping! We know checkout is 11:00 and we will be gone by then. Each time you knock before 11:00 we will remove $ from your tip."

I hope that's just anonymous internet toughness not an actual message you would communicate to someone working an entry-level job in the services industry. There's a way to deliver the same message without demeaning a worker trying to do their job.

Agree it's management's problem - they will have people wanting to check in by 3:00 so turnover is important. But, they can look ahead to see how many checkouts are scheduled daily and staff accordingly.

Management takes all factors into account and they have for years. It's a challenging position to manage with workers who don't make great wages for difficult job and, in 2022, can choose to gravitate away from large employers who dictate undesirable schedules.

 

[RivShore]

My daughter is an accountant at a hotel and this happens frequently because they are short staffed. Which doesn’t make it right.

For us, this is definitely a post Covid issue in our experience. Almost never happened before but has happened every post Covid visit. Do not disturb sign out still an early knock and yes the latch keeps them out but it does not keep them from knocking and waking you up.

 

[DVCsloth]

It is a little annoying especially if you are out late the night before. On the other hand, they are doing their best to get the rooms turned over for the next guests. I try to remember to put the sign on the door if we want to sleep in. We usually arrive at the resort early and most of the time, they get us our room early. We don't expect to get in early, but I always let them know when we arrive.

 

[quandrea]

We just checked into Saratoga Springs yesterday. It seems ironic that housekeeping is banging to get in when my room when I got it at five o’clock was basically unclean. I spent the morning dusting, sweeping and scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees. The only thing in order was the beds were fresh. Such a decline since Feb 2020

 

[holden]

We had this happen at BLT. Knocked around 10am. They literally sat on the floor in the hallway outside the door until we left at 11am.

 

[cm8]

We just checked into Saratoga Springs yesterday. It seems ironic that housekeeping is banging to get in when my room when I got it at five o’clock was basically unclean. I spent the morning dusting, sweeping and scrubbing the floors on my hands and knees. The only thing in order was the beds were fresh. Such a decline since Feb 2020

 

[MICKIMINI]

Hmmm, we have a several week stay at two resorts scheduled in Jan/Feb. Maybe I'll make a sign that says

"Housekeeping! We know checkout is 11:00 and we will be gone by then. Each time you knock before 11:00 we will remove $ from your tip."

Agree it's management's problem - they will have people wanting to check in by 3:00 so turnover is important. But, they can look ahead to see how many checkouts are scheduled daily and staff accordingly.

We are always generous with tips when we request a shower seat or any extras. When I see mousekeeping near our villa I ask for a *room occupied* door hanger and give a tip hoping they will remember when it comes to check out.

 

[beldred]

Thanks for the ideas in this thread. I just stuck some post-it notes in my Disney bag. We get very tired of the door knocking when we're sleeping in. Not every guest gets up at 7am. LOL