We’ve had an ongoing issue, not all the time but reoccurring more often than I’d like, with members using the conference rooms without booking them.
As you all know, space is our product/service and if people don’t pay for using our space we can’t pay to be here.
How do you address this issue? Are there consequences when people are caught in a room without having it on the calendar?
Today, for example, a member was holding a training in our large conference room with nothing on the calendar. She knows how to book the room, she’s done it lots before so I know she knows.
I log in and back book it. The same for people who go over. When they complain about the bookings or charges you can remind them that this is what they agreed to. Your space and your time are worth something. Dont let them steal from you.
I always book them and casually mention, email, or Slack with a nice message.
Hey, noticed you had an event, meeting, etc. in the conference room, etc. I booked it for you so that nobody else would think it was available. I know I don’t need to tell you this but everyone needs to ensure they book resources when they use them…
What if you don’t know how long they were in there?
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On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 2:40:34 PM UTC-8, Joshua Webb wrote:
I log in and back book it. The same for people who go over. When they complain about the bookings or charges you can remind them that this is what they agreed to. Your space and your time are worth something. Dont let them steal from you. J****oshua Webb
On Sat, Jan 19, 2019 at 3:49 PM Aloma Loren [email protected] wrote:
We’ve had an ongoing issue, not all the time but reoccurring more often than I’d like, with members using the conference rooms without booking them.
As you all know, space is our product/service and if people don’t pay for using our space we can’t pay to be here.
How do you address this issue? Are there consequences when people are caught in a room without having it on the calendar?
Today, for example, a member was holding a training in our large conference room with nothing on the calendar. She knows how to book the room, she’s done it lots before so I know she knows.
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Speak with Kisi. They have partnered with a company that sells smart access technology for meeting rooms. The system can be integrated to your booking platform so when a member books a room, that’s when they get a temporary access to the meeting room. This avoids having awkward conversations and back bookings.
I tell my members that they are welcome to use the conference room anytime without booking if it is not booked by anyone else. We just use it as additional open seating but people that book the room have priority.
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On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 3:49:26 PM UTC-6, Aloma Loren wrote:
We’ve had an ongoing issue, not all the time but reoccurring more often than I’d like, with members using the conference rooms without booking them.
As you all know, space is our product/service and if people don’t pay for using our space we can’t pay to be here.
How do you address this issue? Are there consequences when people are caught in a room without having it on the calendar?
Today, for example, a member was holding a training in our large conference room with nothing on the calendar. She knows how to book the room, she’s done it lots before so I know she knows.
We do the same—it creates a reservoir of good will!
Unless you have plenty of other ad box meeting areas which we don’t!
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On Thu, Feb 28, 2019 at 8:47 AM Gretchen Bilbro [email protected] wrote:
I tell my members that they are welcome to use the conference room anytime without booking if it is not booked by anyone else. We just use it as additional open seating but people that book the room have priority.
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 3:49:26 PM UTC-6, Aloma Loren wrote:
We’ve had an ongoing issue, not all the time but reoccurring more often than I’d like, with members using the conference rooms without booking them.
As you all know, space is our product/service and if people don’t pay for using our space we can’t pay to be here.
How do you address this issue? Are there consequences when people are caught in a room without having it on the calendar?
Today, for example, a member was holding a training in our large conference room with nothing on the calendar. She knows how to book the room, she’s done it lots before so I know she knows.
–
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That was supposed to be ad hoc meeting areas. Anyway our members enjoy the perk.
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On Thu, Feb 28, 2019 at 8:53 AM Nora Fitzgerald [email protected] wrote:
We do the same—it creates a reservoir of good will!
Unless you have plenty of other ad box meeting areas which we don’t!
On Thu, Feb 28, 2019 at 8:47 AM Gretchen Bilbro [email protected] wrote:
I tell my members that they are welcome to use the conference room anytime without booking if it is not booked by anyone else. We just use it as additional open seating but people that book the room have priority.
On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 3:49:26 PM UTC-6, Aloma Loren wrote:
We’ve had an ongoing issue, not all the time but reoccurring more often than I’d like, with members using the conference rooms without booking them.
As you all know, space is our product/service and if people don’t pay for using our space we can’t pay to be here.
How do you address this issue? Are there consequences when people are caught in a room without having it on the calendar?
Today, for example, a member was holding a training in our large conference room with nothing on the calendar. She knows how to book the room, she’s done it lots before so I know she knows.
–
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To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected].
We tell our members that if they plan to use a conference room, to always book it in the schedule. People who formally book the rooms online via our system always have priority. We do this for a number of reasons.
One is that our members get 20 free hours of conference room time per month in our small and medium meeting rooms (not the large or XL). So it doesn’t cost them anything to book it formally.
Secondly, if they are using a room and someone happens to have booked it beforehand, and the member didn’t bother to check the schedule, then the member might be in the middle of a meeting with a whiteboard full of notes, snacks on the tables etc, and then in mid meeting they may get interrupted by someone who booked the room online and paid for it. The person that booked the room online has priority, and the member knows it. Bummer that they have to cut their meeting short and scramble out of there, while setting the person who showed up for their booking back a few minutes until the room is cleared. When that happens, it’s kind of a lose lose lose all around — the member loses, the person who booked the room loses (slightly), and we (the space) lose because neither party is as happy as they should’ve been.
However, we do allow our members to use our meeting rooms for short phone calls on an ad hoc basis when the phone booths are full. We tell them to keep it under 15 min, 20 max. If they think it’s longer and they can plan for it, then we tell them to book it online, and several do that regularly. The ones that use the rooms as phone booths on an ad hoc basis are fully aware that a formal online booking may show up in the middle of their call, and they are also cognizant that they have to give up the room to the formal booking.
So communicating your policies to all parties is key. And members have to be ‘‘trained’’ on an ongoing basis.
I have this problem too! I have a separate place in my agreements that calls out space use and the need to book (make a reservation for) all use of our space.
I use this example and I will bring it up in our newsletter if I see the problem happening a lot:
Person A decides to use the conference room but doesn’t book a reservation. They have a whole day planned, guests, etc. Person A doesn’t check the calendar to see if the conference room is available.
Person B has a reservation at Noon to 5pm and they are also meeting a group of people, with an agenda.
If Person A is using the room with Person B shows up for their reservation, how awkward do you think this situation will be for both people. If you were Person B you wouldn’t want someone to steal your reserved time.
Don’t be that person, book ahead, and only use the space you’ve said you are going to use. Just because a room is open doesn’t mean it is available.
When I go this route, usually people are apologetic and start booking when I politely remind them to book.
I did have a group who often decided to take over several private offices and our open space without reservations after several chances and discussions, I finally had to let them go as a member. It is not fun to have to set boundaries but sometimes necessary.
