question on morals?

[smileyeagle1021]

OK, for those of you who aren't familiar, my job is in what my company calls "market area reservations". Basically what happens is a guest will call the hotel they want to stay at and say they need reservations. The hotel will then transfer the call to us, our phone's caller ID will come up with the hotel code of the hotel that transferred the call and we immediately answer and treat the call as if we were at the hotel. Here is what is bothering me, we are instructed that if the guest asks we are NOT to tell them that we are in central reservations, we MUST tell them that we are actually at the hotel they are calling. Am I blowing this out of proportion or am I right to be bothered by being asked to lie to our guests?

At this point I've already put in a application for a transfer to another department, but if that doesn't go through the only way I could get out of doing what I personally think is wrong would be to quit.

[marasbaras]

I think you're being a bit overly sensitive about it. I don't see how it is a big deal.

The hotel wants to maintain the illusion that it was dedicated reservations people at each branch. Why not let them?

[smileyeagle1021]

I think you're being a bit overly sensitive about it. I don't see how it is a big deal.

The hotel wants to maintain the illusion that it was dedicated reservations people at each branch. Why not let them?

that's the whole problem.... they don't have dedicated reservations people... and I'm sorry but I just feel wrong telling people that we are the hotel that "does the right thing" while lying to them about where they've actually reached.
yeah I know it's a small lie, but it's one that I have to tell so many times every day (today on a slow 6 hour shift with a half hour coaching session I told that lie 52 times) it starts to grow on you..

[Evil Queen]

I always thought when I was calling hotels I was being transfered to Central Reservations. Even when I was a kid. I always thought all the hotels ever were owned by the same people; how could I not when the prices around toiwn were pretty much the same?

I have since learned otherwise (duh) and have come to realise that if I get a front desk clerk who'll simply take my reservations over the phone (like myself) then I know they don't contract out to CRS.

I'm doing it in a 'round about way but I am about to answer your question. I think it's wrong to make guests think they're talking to someone inhouse. It's hard to compliment "Jill" when she doesn't even work for <random hotel> that the guest is staying in, but the central reservation office instead!

*sad sigh* You have no idea how many calls I've gotten with "Can you please tell "Jill" that we're so happy she was able to accommodate our large party!"

[myswtghst]

I have mixed feelings about it. As someone who works on the phones, I'm well aware how little white lies can make my job SO much easier. And as I don't think that particular lie is hurting anyone, I don't think it's a big deal - much like when, instead of telling someone "No, I won't do that" I just say either that I can't, or that I don't have the authority. Saves time that would have been wasted on a pointless argument.

Anyhow, if it does go against your grain that much, you're doing the right thing in getting out of there. I think most decent people don't have any illusions about CRS, and assume that a lot of hotels use it, but it's all in how you view it. If it upsets you, get out so you don't have to do it.

[smileyeagle1021]

[QUOTE=Evil Queen;301397
It's hard to compliment "Jill" when she doesn't even work for <random hotel> that the guest is staying in, but the central reservation office instead!

*sad sigh* You have no idea how many calls I've gotten with "Can you please tell "Jill" that we're so happy she was able to accommodate our large party!"[/QUOTE]

the variation on my end of that is when a caller says that last time they spoke to "joe" and I don't know if "joe" is really at the hotel, or in central and if he's in central I don't know if it's the "joe" sitting 2 cubicles down or "joe" sitting in charleston, or "joe" sitting in a call center on a different continent...

[jayel]

I know what you mean. I don't like lying at all, and I'm not good at it. I would feel uncomfortable telling even a small lie, because I usually get nervous and trip over my words, and I'm always wondering how it's going to come back to bite me.

I think it's shady of the hotel to not be honest with clients. It's such a small thing, I don't know why they feel the need to lie about it. I get mad when people lie to me, no matter the reason. It insults my intelligence, and takes away my right to make informed decisions.

I don't think I could do it all day either. It's obviously bugging you enough to ask us about it; I'd get out of there.

[Broomjockey]

I understand your side, but I also pretty clearly understand the hotels' side.

There's a certain backlash against call centres in general, so they're trying to avoid that. If people think you're in-house, they think you'll know the area, and will attribute greater competance to you in your recommendations for the place they're going to. Customers also think there's a greater flexibility if it's in-house, and the service is a bit better for in-house.

Ask yourself why it bothers you. Is it simply because it's a lie? Do you refrain from ever lying in the rest of your life? If yes, then you're right to get out. They're not going to change it.

If you can't put your finger on why it bothers you, figure it out. Small things can become big things if you don't take the time to figure them out.

Now, if you want my personal take on the situation, using my set of morals, it goes as thus: Who really cares where you're located? If it makes the customer feel better to think that you're in-house, and makes your job easier, suck it up. They don't really need to know, and you put up with enough crap in your job to invite more. Go along to get along. Every job has something distasteful associated with it. Would you rather go get another job where you have to up-sell/cross-sell things which you think are largely unnecessary? A job where you have to kiss your boss's butt every day to avoid getting the axe? Compared to that, telling people who will never meet you, and probably never talk to you again that you're somewhere you're not is a pretty small thing.

Again, that's applying my morals to the situation, your morals will vary.

[Triscuitty]

LOL I had no idea hotels did that. I actually reserved a hotel room today, and I remember the term Central Reservations being used...(every other time I've traveled, someone else has always handled the hotel part). It doesn't bother me, though. Even if I had asked, and she had lied, I don't think it would have bugged me. But, like everyone else has been saying, if it really bothers you that much, you'll be doing yourself a favor by getting out before you start resenting your job.

[Rine]

I don't like it when companies make their employees lie...a while ago I tried to call my store and got routed to the call center. The man said he worked for the store, so I asked which department (believing him at the time) and he said Electronics and I was like, "er, there's no Jim in electronics. I work at the store..."

He said that he did and I was getting suspicious and I asked him to name his department manager. He couldn't.

Then, he got all quiet and said he was at a call center. It's just really pissed me off. I knew that there was a call center that would take our calls, but I didn't know how they operated really. I didn't like it how they outright lied to me.

It is also a problem because we'd get angry people calling in or coming in that said they talked to "so and so" in the store and it turns out that "so and so" doesn't work at the store, never have, never will. Yeah, that makes us look real good to our customers.

[smileyeagle1021]

yeah, my manager told me yesterday that me not answering the phone with the hotel name was hurting my "credible presense"... i'm sorry, when I say "reservation desk" that is exactly where I'm at, what more do you want lady. Oh yeah, you'd like my credible presense to be that I'm at the hotel... lying... and this is bothering me more and more, especially sense my transfer to guest relations was declined... any suggestions on how to do a job hunt without outright quitting?
Oh and to answer broomjockey's question, I've before corrected a 7-11 clerk that he undercharged me by 15 cents, and i've paid back businesses that have given me the nod on being short on change, and to be honest I can't remember the last time I told a point blank lie other that at work.

[Broomjockey]

Oh and to answer broomjockey's question, I've before corrected a 7-11 clerk that he undercharged me by 15 cents, and i've paid back businesses that have given me the nod on being short on change,

Those aren't really lies... but putting that aside, like I said, if you don't lie in the rest of your life (and you said you don't), then you're right to leave. Especially now that you haven't gotten that transfer you were looking for. This isn't going to go away. Just try and put up with it until you find something as good as or better for a job.