unexpected guests unscheduled tours was What is the Etiquette?
From: Ruth J Hirsch (heidinysearthlink.net)
Date: Wed, 5 Aug 2015 05:35:36 -0700 (PDT)
Hi,

We schedule an 'open house'-- ie a tour-- before each monthly meeting.  All the 
time I bump into people who want to 'just stop by and look around........'  I 
clearly ask them not to.  In a friendly, but clear smiling exchange,  
analogize it to our arriving and poking around their yard/house.    That helps. 
 (pretty much always.)  I explain we have an open house once a month and to 
send me an email (giving them my email address) and I will happily send them 
upcoming dates.
And something like this happened with someone  from where I used to live.  Now 
she is a neighbor.  yep,  moved in in May.  

But the drop-in,  ann you are totally fine to not want that.  It is also a 
liability thing,  and I explain that to folks,  and they get it.  I include the 
term 'we are not unfriendly...........'   and may go from there to 'it's like 
some of us showing up and poking around in your yard/house.'

I think our website included the info that folks can schedule a visit on an 
Open House Day.  A monthly open house day.  If that doesn't work-- it often 
does not for out-of-town-folks-- we get an email from our contact neighbor,  
asking if someone is available to squire these folks around;  someone often 
enjoys doing it.

I think the paragraph below is brilliant:
5.    Try to remember that each community has a life of its own.  The
day and hour that?s convenient for you to visit may find me and/or the
community otherwise engaged:  celebrating an important event, in the middle
of a serious work day or memorializing someone's passing.

thank you for that,
Ruth
Cantines Island
Saugerties,  where we are expecting cousins from Takoma Park this afternoon
  PS,  adding different 'subject' line,  might help when someone searches 
archives
hope you do not mind
Ruth

One thing I know I dislike is people just dropping by and wandering
around until they run into someone to give them a tour.  While cohousers
are a friendly bunch I think we forget that these communities are our homes.

Here are some guidelines (not rules!) I?m thinking about for requesting
a visit when I?m involved:

1.    If you?re visiting from out of town and think you might like a
tour ? give the me a few DAYS ? not hours ? to identify someone to give you
a tour.
3.    If you want to stay in the guest room ? I need at least 4 weeks
notice.  Our guest rooms are heavily used.
4.    If you leave a message do leave your full name and contact info.
It helps to be able to return a call.
5.    Try to remember that each community has a life of its own.  The
day and hour that?s convenient for you to visit may find me and/or the
community otherwise engaged:  celebrating an important event, in the middle
of a serious work day or memorializing someone?s passing.
6.    And on the other side of the coin ? one of the frustrating things
I find about trying to make an appointment in advance is NEVER getting a
call back or an answer to an email request.  The phone number or email
address on your website goes to that great black communication
wastebasket.  If you don?t want people to visit don?t put contact info on
your website.

You might ask:  why didn?t you look for someone else to squire them
around today?  That?s a good idea except I would still have to drop what
I?m doing to accommodate someone else?s schedule.  I?d either have to make
phone calls or write an email and then follow up to make sure the
connection was made.

What do you think? Am I being over the top?  How do you handle visits
and tours?  (BTW we have four HUGE formal tours a year ? 30-40 people per
tour.  Plus always happy to accommodate people w/ advance notice!)

PS ? I finally did fill in the blank space on that sympathy card before
I wrote this email.   Now I think I?ll go back to pondering Life, The
Universe, Death and Everything.   Maybe I?ll ask Siri ?

Best --

Ann Zabaldo
Takoma Village Cohousing
Washington, DC
Principal, Cohousing Collaborative, LLC
Falls Church, VA
703.688.2646
PS:  I have an intermittent e-mail glitch.  If you write and do not hear back 
from me shortly, please call me or please re-send.  Thank you,  Ruth






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