So, while the property manager is on vacation I am the emergency contact for the hotel group's properties. One, I live the closest, and two, I was crazy enough to volunteer to do it. It's really not all that bad - our properties are small so it's not like I'm running off my feet or anything. And I get to bill for any time I'm on the phone for those questions or if I have to go to either property after hours.
However, people seem to not have any idea what actually constitutes an emergency.
1. Calling at 7:30 am to ask about extending your stay is not an emergency. That is a front desk question that can be asked when the desk person arrives. The guest met the morning desk person outside, wearing no socks, and was visibly intoxicated. Conveniently, there weren't any rooms available by the time the guest and his wife managed to scrounge together the cash to pay for another night, not that we really wanted them to spend another night here anyway. Their room was a state when they cleared out...non-smoking room that reeked of cigarette smoke, complete with cigarette butts on the floor. They're going to be invoiced for that damage - we weren't going to charge the card on file because that belonged to their poor, beleaguered granddaughter who was roped into paying for their room last night.
2. Calling to ask if there's a microwave available is also not an emergency. That is another front desk question that I could have taken via the front desk phone sitting right beside me instead of it going to my cell phone. At least I was actually on-site for this one, but still. Not an emergency.
3. Calling to ask me to call a taxi for them. There's a list of local taxi companies beside the phone in your room. Yeah, I didn't call them a taxi - just told them which one I'd pick. Okay, so I didn't give them the name of the company I personally prefer, but that's because I didn't want to subject them to such needy passengers.
4. Calling to give me shit for our cafe not being open. As if this is somehow my fault, and not due to COVID restrictions. Not a damn emergency, and it left me glad that they called me instead of coming into the lobby so they could try to come over the desk at me. Ugh.
5. Wanting to know why there's no coffee in the lobby. Because there's coffee available in your room? Trust me, I wish we had coffee available in the lobby because I could use some to help me get through dealing with idiots. With a healthy dash of rum or Kahlua in it.
I'm sure there will be more of these to come over the next week while the boss is away. Joy.
However, people seem to not have any idea what actually constitutes an emergency.
1. Calling at 7:30 am to ask about extending your stay is not an emergency. That is a front desk question that can be asked when the desk person arrives. The guest met the morning desk person outside, wearing no socks, and was visibly intoxicated. Conveniently, there weren't any rooms available by the time the guest and his wife managed to scrounge together the cash to pay for another night, not that we really wanted them to spend another night here anyway. Their room was a state when they cleared out...non-smoking room that reeked of cigarette smoke, complete with cigarette butts on the floor. They're going to be invoiced for that damage - we weren't going to charge the card on file because that belonged to their poor, beleaguered granddaughter who was roped into paying for their room last night.
2. Calling to ask if there's a microwave available is also not an emergency. That is another front desk question that I could have taken via the front desk phone sitting right beside me instead of it going to my cell phone. At least I was actually on-site for this one, but still. Not an emergency.
3. Calling to ask me to call a taxi for them. There's a list of local taxi companies beside the phone in your room. Yeah, I didn't call them a taxi - just told them which one I'd pick. Okay, so I didn't give them the name of the company I personally prefer, but that's because I didn't want to subject them to such needy passengers.
4. Calling to give me shit for our cafe not being open. As if this is somehow my fault, and not due to COVID restrictions. Not a damn emergency, and it left me glad that they called me instead of coming into the lobby so they could try to come over the desk at me. Ugh.
5. Wanting to know why there's no coffee in the lobby. Because there's coffee available in your room? Trust me, I wish we had coffee available in the lobby because I could use some to help me get through dealing with idiots. With a healthy dash of rum or Kahlua in it.
I'm sure there will be more of these to come over the next week while the boss is away. Joy.
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