Hotel Tales: "LLWS 2013: 1st Inning" Edition

[BroSCFischer]

Yer Out

Strike One:

Guest comes into my hotel. When I tell him the rate, he balks at it, because a) he doesn't agree with a certain hotel policy, and b) he doesn't think that he should have to pay this high rate just because of the Little League World Series. So he leaves in a huff, not realizing the whole area is Sold Out.

Strike Two:

He returns, this time having been to another local hotel, who quoted to this guest the average rate that you see when you look at places like Kayak.com. This IS NOT and advertised rate, it is this website averaging out the rates we sell our rooms for on the web.

He says that he was sent here by other hotel, and told that that was our rate, and that it was quoted by one of us (not according to the Desk Clerk that I spoke to within minutes of this, who I asked not to quote rates anymore). I told him that the rate I quoted him before was the rate I had available, and refused to budge. He left in a huff again.

If I see him again, we're going to be Sold Out. Period. I don't want him here.

Close Call

This woman pushed my buttons from the moment she walked in the door. First she didn't like our "curb appeal". Yes, the front lot is pretty empty. This is because people tend to want to park near their rooms.

Then she was ticked off about the rate being different from the one quoted (same other hotel clerk as before, but this one took place in between the previous two parts).

Then she was upset that I photocopied her DL (which is standard procedure here for a busy night, especially with a problem guest).
'
'Then she wanted the number for the management company that owns this hotel, which I simply don't have. And she already had the number for the hotel (she called earlier, which is when I first quoted the rate).

I admit, that as the check in process went on, I got a little less friendly, even to the point where I asked her if she wanted to stay here, because she was giving every indication of not wanting to.

Bonus:

Surprise of surprise, I had TWO guests actually read the signs, and one of them stood there and read the reg card. I put him in a smoking room, and he came back to the desk to get matches, and ask why there was a "No Smoking" sign on his door. (I didn't screw up, the room I put him in IS smoking, I don't know what is going on there)

SC

[emax4]

I'm just curious.. what is the ratio of patrons that stay and don't put up a fuss at any point, compared to the number of patrons in these posts? Is it something that hotel workers have to endure on a daily basis, or just something that happens once a week or so? I'd like to believe that most patrons aren't as fussy or sucky, but I don't know.

[sms001]

If I was standing behind Close Call, I woulda cheered when you asked "Do you want to stay here?"

Good on smoker boy for double checking. Wish all my fellow smokers were as courteous.

I've wondered the same thing about all of our general professions emax. I'm gonna guess that the ratio stays pretty much the same across the population, with maybe a little upward trend where expectations are higher (resorts, high street retail, fine dining, etc.). Sucky custys are probably SCs wherever they go. But I think back to my two most high volume jobs - c-store and a speed bar, and although the SCs were definitely up, the volume was too. Interesting thought.

[Moirae]

emax4 - Depends on the hotel and the expectations of the guests. At our hotel I'd say probably a minimum of 95% of guests are very good and don't complain. But some people just come in expecting the Ritz when we are effectively a 2-3 star.

I figure, if they wanted that, then they need to go pay the prices. There's a reason we're so inexpensive. We don't have a pool, parking lot, hot tub, or a restaurant, and we don't have bell service or wake up calls. It's a very small hotel.

Different cities have different ratios of complaints. Since I live in a destination market, it's different than it would be in a corporate market, transient market, etc.

[bainsidhe]

Some things also sound more dramatic when put in writing. I tended to immediately forget the situation unless it was a truly awful experience. It doesn't mean the SCs were any less annoying or that they weren't unreasonable, it was just business as usual and I went on with my day. I find it easier to read others' retelling of SCs, than to write my own.

[BroSCFischer]

I'd say it's a pretty small percentage of guests that I actually post about. Club nights it's a little higher, and during special events it can be higher, especially because we tend to get people who would normally stay at other hotels (like the Hampton) then.

SC

[wolfie]

he doesn't think that he should have to pay this high rate just because of the Little League World Series. So he leaves in a huff, not realizing the whole area is Sold Out.

If I see him again, we're going to be Sold Out. Period. I don't want him here.

Classic case of "you snooze, you lose" - of course, here he'd be losing a place in which to snooze. I'd be tempted to point out that another customer didn't think the rate was too high, and got the room that Mr. Cheapo COULD HAVE HAD if he'd been willing to pay the going rate the first time he was in.

BTW, I see from your sig line that even The Bard had to deal with SCs (look at the end of the quote from King Lear - he's on his 6th SC).

[emax4]

Since I'm in the final stages of my divorce with my ex wife who was an only child, I'm beginning to wonder if the majority of SCs in the world were only children too; having to whine and bully their way to get what they wanted when they found out the big, bag world won't bow to their needs.

[BroSCFischer]

Classic case of "you snooze, you lose"

Actually, it's more of a "Don't Annoy the Gatekeeper" thing. I had rooms, but I wasn't going to sell him one, after his attitude. I don't need him making trouble in the morning for 1st shift trying to get a lesser rate. And he'd be the type to have a laundry list of problems with the room, just to try to get his money back.

(look at the end of the quote from King Lear - he's on his 6th SC).

No, wolfie, that "Sc." stands for "Scene". Just like the two letters I end my posts with are my real 1st initials, not me claiming to be a Sucky Customer.

SC

^
|__See!

[sms001]

As an only child who is (I hope!) far from being an SC, I must say I find that to be an interesting hypothesis, but probably not so. Just the sheer numbers of SCs would seem to point to there not being enough "only child" individuals to account for them all.

Though many only children are indeed spoiled, many are not. I was raised pretty strictly and seem to have turned out ok.

Kat, emax's use of the phrase "beginning to wonder" and the further caveat of the circumstances surrounding that perception point pretty firmly in the direction of not being an absolute condemnation, and therefore not particularly insulting. To me at least. YMMV.

As a side note, wasn't some day last week "Middle Child Day?" Thought I saw something about it on some sidebar or newsfeed, but of course, I ignored it....

ETA: To veer slightly back toward being OT, Bro, do you follow the LLWS at all? Some pretty fun stuff coming out of it this year; some kid from Michigan who is 6'2"/200lbs (1.88m/91k) at age 12 and whose team finally lost in a no-hitter yesterday!

[katzklaw]

i work in a destination RV park.. probably mostly similar to a hotel in premise. most of the people i deal with are friendly and happy and cheerful. i get at least 1-2 families each weekend that are "problem customers"...balking at the price in general (as i said, it's a destination, so no... its not gonna be 30 bucks for a RV site and 10 for a tent regardless if that's how much you pay in bumblef*** nowhere'sville... be glad you aren't in the Outer Banks NC park where you can't even LOOK at a site (even a tent site) for less than $70!),) balking at extra fees (yes, if you bring 6 people instead of 2 it's gonna be more), or just generally causing trouble (staying up and loud all night needing security to make several stops at your site to tell you to shut up is a sure way to endear you in our hearts and "do not rent" lists...)

but yah, while the bad ones stick out, the majority are nice

[BroSCFischer]

ETA: To veer slightly back toward being OT, Bro, do you follow the LLWS at all? Some pretty fun stuff coming out of it this year; some kid from Michigan who is 6'2"/200lbs (1.88m/91k) at age 12 and whose team finally lost in a no-hitter yesterday!

Not really. Especially since I'm a night shifter. I did hear about the kid from MI, but I only pick up a little here and there.

Like from posts on online message boards.

SC

[Jester]

I am a middle child. And I can tell you that middle children are absolutely the best, most wonderful people out there.

And....we're also often full of shit. Like my above comment.

Look, there are only children who are horrible. There are first born children that are horrible. There are middle children that are horrible. And there are youngest children that are horrible.

And....there are people who fall into each of the categories above who are absolutely wonderful people and a delight to be around.

Just like any other group, there are bad apples in each of these groups. But I'd be surprised to find a significant difference of suckitude among any one of those groups.