Just about everything these days comes with remote controls. There are several household TVs, ceiling fans, lighting fixtures, blinds, toys, Firesticks, Roku, and more. Whew! While their purpose is to create convenience for the user, remotes can also cause frustration. They slip between couch cushions, get misplaced in various parts of the house, run out of “juice” at inopportune times and sometimes disappear. With that being said, when you own a vacation rental, this frustration is doubled when your guests are unable to use the entertainment devices. So, we’ve put together tips on how to make sure remotes are the least of your worries!
Six key tips to help organize your vacation rental’s remote control devices
- Provide guests with a caddy that holds everything. You can place one on the coffee table, on the bedroom dressers, the kitchen table, anywhere you have remote controls. It’s a simple and inexpensive solution silently encouraging people to put the devices back where they belong. Alternatively, consider an option that drapes over the arm of a chair or couch.
- A simple decorative basket can add charm to each room of your vacation rental and provide a “home” for all the remote controls, too. Place the basket next to the couch or chairs for easy access.
- For the bedrooms, offer a Bedside organizer. This is a perfect place to keep the bedroom remotes and for the guest to store books, lip balm and other nighttime and napping needs.
- Label each remote with the device its paired with and/or the room it belongs in. This way, if a remote ends up in the wrong place, it’s easy housekeeping to identify where in the home it should be.
- Consider buying a universal remote. The technology has come a long way in recent years and universal remotes are sleek and easy to use. So, the less your guests have to keep track of, the harder it is to lose something.
- If your vacation rental has high-tech systems, encourage your guests to download an app to control your smart in-home devices. Popular apps include Dijit, Roomie, Re, iRule, Zsmart, Commandfusion and Openremote.
Here are a few other suggestions relative to this topic to consider:
- Since some remotes look like the deck of the Starship Enterprise, create a “quick-start guide” for guests. Laminate it and keep with your controllers. Give them step by step instructions on which buttons to push to turn things on, listen to music, switch to the DVD player, etc. They will appreciate the directions (and won’t have to call you with questions).
- Keep the right sized batteries for each remote in the organizer. This way, if a remote loses “juice” guests can easily replace the batteries without you needing to run to the store.
- Don’t forget to ask your housekeeper to always give the remote controls a good wipe with a disinfectant! Remotes carry more bacteria than some home-toilets with 70 present per square inch. Give them a good cleaning after each guest departs, this keeps you and your future guests safe.
Keep checking our blog for more tips and tricks on how to make vacation rental management easier! And sign up for Bookfull today.
