Lying lady irks me! & weird Man weirds me out!

[HotelMinion]

Lying Lady and Weirdo Man

Me: Hello [phone spiel]

LL: Hello, I received a rate of $115 for tonight. I would like to book for that rate.

Me: Let me check the rate. *checks computer* Sorry, but the computer says that the rate's not $115, it's $189 for tonight.

LL: WHAT! HOW DID IT CLIMB SOOO HIGH! I RECEIVED A RATE OF $115 AND I WANT IT FOR THAT!

Me: I don't know why. I'm only going by my computer ma'am.

LL: I DONT'T WANNA DO BUSINESS LIKE THIS! GET ME YOUR MANAGER!

I go and get the manager. To my surprise he takes the call instead of hiding. I tell him everything, and pick up the extension so I can listen in.

Manager: Hello this is the manager. How may I help?

LL: YOUR LYING STAFF TOLD ME THAT THE RATE WAS $189! I WAS TOLD $149!

Me: *whispers to manager* She is lying. She told me someone said $115 before.

M: *to LL* Well let's check the computer. *checks computer* Well, she wasn't lying ma'am. The rate for tonight's $189.

LL: THAT'S ABSURD, I WAS TOLD $149 EARLIER AND I WANT IT FOR THAT! BLAH BLAH YOUR COMPANY'S A DISGRACE YADDA YADD!

Me: *pleads to manager* Don't book with her, she's a crazy psycho!

M: *ignores me, to LL* Well, $149 seems ok....I'll book it for that.

LL: *suddenly calms down* Fine.

The manager takes down all her info, and makes the reservation. He repeats the reservation back to her and is about to hang up and when pulls out this gem:

LL: So...my rate's $115, right?


WTF!

I think I'll call out tonight.

Then after LL, this weird man came a knocking. He looked like the vendor from the bakery across the street so I let him in. He wasn't.

WM: *begging* Please! I need to buy a coffee!

Me: We aren't a coffee shop...

WM: I'll do anything! Pay anything!

Me: We don't sell coffeee here...but you MAY have one cup if you leave right after.

WM: OK! ok!

I go to the back to file some reports. Five minute later I hear this:

WM: *yelling* MISS! MISS!

I go back out.

Me: Yessssssss?

I thought he'd just say thank you like most beggars, but he just seriously lifted his index finger at me, and turned and dashed out. Uh? What's that mean? I know the lifting the middle finger means, obviously, but the index finger? I asked my manager and he thought it meant "you're #1". No, it didn't seem to fit. My coworker thinks it means "I owe you one" and I think it's probably true. Or maybe he got confused and lifted he wrong finger. Equally possible.

[Pixilated]

Was he smiling? (Actually, for a minute there, I was thinking when he yelled he was gonna ask for a refill, LOL.)

As for the lady, PLEASE tell me your manager didn't cave in for the $115!!

[Victoria J]

Maybe he was indicating that he'd had one cup, as you'd said he could ?

[dalesys]

Well, the one flew over ... your head.

[HawaiianShirts]

LL: Hello, I received a rate of $115 for tonight. I would like to book for that rate.

Me: Let me check the rate. *checks computer* Sorry, but the computer says that the rate's not $115, it's $189 for tonight.

LL: WHAT! HOW DID IT CLIMB SOOO HIGH! I RECEIVED A RATE OF $115 AND I WANT IT FOR THAT!

I was a customer in that kind of situation once. Booked online at $89 (one night, three months ahead of time), but I never got my email receipt or saw a charge on my card. Four days later, I called the hotel. My reservation didn't get through to them or my bank somehow, and now the rate was $139. After talking to two staff and a manager, we (calmly) figured out that there had been an $89 rate for the room type I wanted, but even though they had the rooms, the rate was no longer available.

Was $139 okay, they asked?
No, that's out of my budget for this trip.
How about we pretend you qualify for [some discount] and make it $109?
I can do that.

And $109 is what I paid. Business and customer working together to come to an agreement. No shouting, no deception, no meanness. What is it that makes this concept so hard for some customers to grasp?

As for the lady, PLEASE tell me your manager didn't cave in for the $115!!

Ditto!

[sms001]

Maybe the finger gesture was similar to sports figures acknowledging their god? Kind of a "Hey, you're doing good" sort of thing? Or just a really lazy wave good-bye?

[MoonCat]

Our UK members can confirm this but I believe the two finger "salute" is the way they do it in Britain. Maybe your desperate-for-coffee guy knows about this.

[HotelMinion]

Who knows what the finger meant. The guy was strange. And no he wasn't smiling when he did it. If he was was, I would understand that as a maybe friendly gesture...Creeepy...
Update on Lying lady: I was right, she was a psycho! I wound up not calling out, but she didn't bug me. She bugged my coworkers though. First thing she did was hog the computers on the business center for HOURS and not let anyone use them. She used up all our ink and paper and demanded more. Then she went to our display case--we have a little display case of snacks we sell--and tried to break into it! Mad because we wouldn't get her any more office supplies, she demanded a refund. And she got it, thanks to our policy.
The GM was mad the manager who booked with her because he gave her the $139 rate instead of the $189. The GM, who used to work for the government, decided to give any government employer (half our income) FREE rooms because of the shutdown. So now we're bleeding money. Greeat. Well, at least I got to say I told you SO to the manager, OMS, who booked with that psycho.