wtf?

[Moirae]

Little background...

Pretty much every single time I've ever had an altercation with a customer in the last ten years, I've told my husband about it. Usually immediately. If nothing else, by text. I tell him absolutely everything and we have no secrets, even if it's about friends and family.

So this morning, I'm training a new girl and a guy walks up to the desk and the following occurs (word for word with maybe a small thing missed here and there)...

SC: "I was wondering if you have a room available with a walk in shower. I'm worried my father is going to fall and hurt himself with the tub/shower combination in our room."

Me: "I completely understand. We only have one room with a walk in shower, let me see if it's available tonight. Just a moment please" - I go to the computer and look up the room only to find that it's booked tonight. "I'm sorry, it's booked tonight. We don't have any other rooms that have what you're looking for."

SC: "Well I'm not sure we can stay here then".

Me: "All right, just let me know when you make your decision".

SC walks away.

We go through the rest of the day, training, checking people in, and all the like. Then I leave for the day and get a phone call at home from my husband.

H: "Did you have an altercation with a guest today?"

Me: "What? No, of course not. If I had, I'd have told you like I have every other time the last ten years"

He explains that the guest came to the desk and started calling me names (He won't tell me the exact words but from the interference I'm betting bitch is one of them) and said that I was really horrible to him about his father.

wtf? No, seriously... I've been in the customer service industry since I was 12 years old (I'm 37 in a couple weeks). In the hotel industry for ten years. I try really hard never ever to offend any of the customers and never say anything in their presence that might be perceived the wrong way. I keep it light, feign interest and caring to the absolute best of my ability even when I don't care (and frankly, I'd be worried too. I had a mother that would have had a really hard time with a bathtub near the end. She fell once and it scared us all badly. So yes, I can relate to him and I wasn't kidding when I said it), and generally do everything I can to help them, even carrying luggage for them, going out of my way to make sure they have what they need, and all the rest.

I'm very good at what I do and this sob decides to come in and make these claims about me?

I'm seriously angry right now. And kind of hurt too.

[raudf]

The thing is.. you basically told him "no," and didn't pull a special room out your behind. So, in the SC Dictionary, that means you were rude or unhelpful.

I got similar every time I had to tell a customer that I couldn't do X with their product because it was either against the freaking LAW or we simply didn't have the tools or worse, it cost more than the product was worth when I was at the repair center. Same goes for when I had to tell them that I couldn't send a tech out that very same day on... a TV. *sigh* Just shrug it off and note it reflects more on them than it ever will on you.

[EvilEmpryss]

*hugs for Moirae*

raudf's right: you didn't magically make what he wanted appear when he wanted it (regardless of the fact that he knew his dad had issues and didn't think to reserve the right room ahead of time).

[Arcus]

My best guess is that you didn't move the people out of the room he wanted. In his little world that means you were unwilling to help him and were being rude because you asked him to let you know if he would be staying there.
He is the classic "The world revolves around me" type of SC. Don't let him get to you. That kind of jerk isn't worth it.

[Moirae]

Thanks guys. Yeah, if he had requested a room with a walk in shower, we'd have given him the honeymoon suite at no extra cost.

The thing is, I know I shouldn't be upset by this because he's just a jerk, but I am and I'm not sure why.

[RootedPhoenix]

Because you're human. *offers many hugs and gives cookies*

Sometimes you just can't shrug things off. It's normal.

[MoonCat]

You're upset because you were nice and he was nasty. Because you did your job and he didn't appreciate it. Because you were understanding, but couldn't help him, and he lied about it. He's a jerk.

[AccountingDrone]

I swear if I had a hotel every damned bathroom would have a walk in shower with profligate use of grab bars.

Of course then I would get morons who insisted they needed a tub bath

[bhskittykatt]

That guy was an ass. You were nothing but polite. But this is one of those "no = rude" SCs.

[Trixie]

I think that is bothers you more because the suckiness happened after the fact. One time I had a lady try to use a coupon but it wouldn't work in her order. She cut me off before I could explain how she could get it to work. It crossed my mind for a second I should tell the manager to cover my ass but didn't.

A few days later this bitch sent this long ass email about how horrible I was and wouldn't let her do what she wanted. Well, after reading that I lost my temper because she flat out lied about the whole thing. It really pissed me off because I feel that the management took this lady's side over mine. I'm sure I didn't help myself by blowing my stack but still. I don't even feel like the manager saw my side at all.

[Moirae]

Apparently the word the ass used was that I was a "shrew". My husband (he's my GM at work) said he had to stop himself from punching the guy in the face because I'm his wife.

You know what would be really great to have in hotel rooms? Those walk in bathtubs with showers and grab bars that you see on tv all the time. So actually that's a great idea, AccountingDrone.

I think the lies are what bother me the most. I really really hate liars. I'm so honest that I have a hard time lying about anything. My sister and I are both the same way. So much so that a lie makes us embarrassed and it shows on our face by our faces getting red.

I actually didn't sleep well last night. Stupid, I know. This is actually the first time this has happened to me. Misunderstandings and stuff, sure, but I've never been outright lied about before to a manager that I'm aware of.

[Alpha Strike]

The thing is, I know I shouldn't be upset by this because he's just a jerk, but I am and I'm not sure why.

You're upset because you were nice and he was nasty. Because you did your job and he didn't appreciate it. Because you were understanding, but couldn't help him, and he lied about it. He's a jerk.

Or maybe even it's because your husband questioned you about something that you've always been truthful about? If I were in your position I think that would have bothered me quite a bit as well.

... It crossed my mind for a second I should tell the manager to cover my ass but didn't.

A few days later this bitch sent this long ass email about how horrible I was and wouldn't let her do what she wanted. Well, after reading that I lost my temper because she flat out lied about the whole thing. It really pissed me off because I feel that the management took this lady's side over mine. I'm sure I didn't help myself by blowing my stack but still. I don't even feel like the manager saw my side at all.

I've been there as well, and unfortunately come to the realization that you often have no one to watch your behind except for yourself (when it comes to work place issues). I'm not sure how your workplace is but at ours, we're encouraged to document everything we do anyway and I'm a prolific writer. So anything that I do that's even the least bit out of the ordinary gets noted - I've had very little problem in the years since I've adapted that habit.

[Trixie]

I've been there as well, and unfortunately come to the realization that you often have no one to watch your behind except for yourself (when it comes to work place issues).

If something does come up now where I think it might be trouble I'll go to a manager even though I don't think it really matters. But that's my own issues with my job. I don't mean to threadjack.

[Moirae]

Nah, it doesn't bother me that he questioned me about it. It's just part of the job. He needed details. We both know how the industry works so most of the stuff I know whats going to happen. If it was anyone else, he'd have to do the same.

The guest left this morning without a word, but made a very pointedly obvious show of giving my husband his keys and thanking him for the stay while purposely completely ignoring my presence in the office. I didn't say a word the entire time he was there, not even goodbye.

[AccountingDrone]

You know what would be really great to have in hotel rooms? Those walk in bathtubs with showers and grab bars that you see on tv all the time. So actually that's a great idea, AccountingDrone.

.

Last years round the country roadtrip we stayed in one hotel in Wyoming - the bathroom was easily half the size of the room, the vanity counter was the cutaway type for wheelchairs, the toilet had the flip up grab bars on both sides and ample space on both sides so you could transfer from either side, and the shower was amazing. The shower stall was fully roll in, 3 foot by 6 foot by however tall the ceiling was. Had a regular wall mount shower head at one end, and the adjustable handheld at the other with a permanent bench seat. *swoon* I would *love* for every bathroom in a handicapped accessible room to be like that. [though I would just settle for the wide spacing around the toilet and a full length roll in shower.]