Best way to let people into your apartment when you’re not there

by Jen (March 29, 2008)

The cable company gives you a four-hour window for when the installation person’s going to arrive to hook up your apartment. Problem: you really can’t be there, and they’ll need to be buzzed in the front and your unit will have to be unlocked for them. (And the cat can’t do it for you.) What do you do?

1. Ask the building manager’s job. Tell the building manager what you need, and they should make arrangements to stay and take care of it for you - that’s generally part of their job. And they should have spare keys. If they refuse or you don’t have a building manager…
2. Ask a neighbor to buzz them in and open your door with a spare key. Obviously, this has to be someone you trust and someone who can stay home, so this option might not be feasible for you, either. So…
3. Ask a neighbor who’s home to buzz them in, and leave the spare key under the mat. Be sure to let the company know where the key is, and have them confirm they’ve typed that on the paperwork they’re sending to the installer. This way you don’t have to trust a neighbor with the keys to your place. Ask the installer to lock up on the way out and replace the keys. If you don’t have a neighbor who can buzz them in…
4. Ask them to call you when they’re on the way to your place. Many companies realize it’s not easy for you to accommodate their appointments, so they’ll give you a shout in time for you to drive home and be there. Of course, if you have a two-hour commute or they refuse to do this…
5. Get a friend to wait for you. It might sound horribly rude to ask a pal to do this for you, but promise them a dinner for their trouble, or let them use your Wii. Or pay ‘em. If you don’t know anyone in town yet who can do this for you…
6. See if you can get a different appointment window. Many installers (and shippers, if you’re waiting for an important package) work until 7 or 8 pm. Maybe all you need is a later window.

There’s no single solution, but hopefully one of these or a combination of several will help you out.

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