I don't complain about guests often (most of the time, its small stuff that I've learned to blow off over the years) but sometimes they make me look at them funny.
So night before last it was really cold. It doesn't happen very often, but very occasionally, it can get below zero here. Because its mostly swampland here, most houses are built above ground a few feet, and the pipes aren't real well insulated in many places, especially if the place is over 100 years old. Without extensive renovation to properly insulate the pipes very very rarely, they freeze. Usually they thaw quick when the sun comes out, but at my house (if we know it's going to be that cold), we leave the hot water on a trickle over night so we have water in the morning.
I tell you this because this is what happened night before last. It was freezing and the pipes at my work in one building froze overnight. Now, this was unexpected and extremely rare. Like maybe once every couple years, if that.
A couple guests came and complained to me right about the time a couple other guests (who were doctors in town for a convention) arrived at the door. I apologized and opened an off market room for the guests in that building to use as a hospitality suite so they could shower, use the toilet and brush their teeth, then I informed the owner of this problem so we can get the pipes insulated (as you know, this new owner and my husband and I have only had/worked at this place a little over two months so we're still finding problems and needing to fix them).
The guests were fine with this and understood that its part of the risk of living here.
The guests checking in were NOT. To quote "We have never stayed at a place like this before. It's just disgusting. I'm sure it's maybe good for a vacation, but it isn't good enough for me when I'm coming here for the convention. My agency put me here, I would have never chosen it". Now mind you, we had other doctors in house for the convention and none of them were this rude. And then there was "Can we store our stuff here? We will probably be moving to another hotel tonight".
Well... no, you can't, but ok I'll kiss your butt to get you to say you horrible person you. "Sure, you can put your bags here in the office and I'll make sure to lock the door whenever I leave".
I was given the most withering look you can imagine but they agreed.
Three hours later, the same guy that said that stuff to me earlier comes back. Now he has three rooms he wants to cancel in spite of the fact that it's the day of checkin (we have a 7 day cancellation policy) and a 3 night minimum, which the agency knew when they booked it.
"Well, you're going to just have to work with me here whether you like it or not. If you don't do what I say, I'm going to go to the city and get you sanctioned as a problem business". Never mind that this isn't possible and the city won't give a crap. I imagine he meant the Central Visitors Bureau but even they would have looked at him funny. "Its because of the issues with the hotel. This is not a good place"
Yes, he wanted a refund in spite of the fact that the entire amount should have been charged in the morning, we hadn't done it yet.
I asked "May I ask what issues you're talking about so I can address it with my owner?"
"Well, you know... the water thing."
"I understand the water was an issue but it's an incredibly rare event and it won't be a problem tonight". To which I received a snear.
"I want my money back and I want to speak with your manager".
"I'm sorry sir but the manager will be in tomorrow. I don't have the authority to do what you ask."
"Then you will call your manager now and get permission".
By this time I'm starting to get pissed, and I breathed in to say something then just decided to hell with it and called my husband at home on his day off. Needless to say, we kept one night for each room and allowed them to leave.
They never even saw the rooms or the rest of the hotel. The only thing they saw was the front entrance and the office.
So night before last it was really cold. It doesn't happen very often, but very occasionally, it can get below zero here. Because its mostly swampland here, most houses are built above ground a few feet, and the pipes aren't real well insulated in many places, especially if the place is over 100 years old. Without extensive renovation to properly insulate the pipes very very rarely, they freeze. Usually they thaw quick when the sun comes out, but at my house (if we know it's going to be that cold), we leave the hot water on a trickle over night so we have water in the morning.
I tell you this because this is what happened night before last. It was freezing and the pipes at my work in one building froze overnight. Now, this was unexpected and extremely rare. Like maybe once every couple years, if that.
A couple guests came and complained to me right about the time a couple other guests (who were doctors in town for a convention) arrived at the door. I apologized and opened an off market room for the guests in that building to use as a hospitality suite so they could shower, use the toilet and brush their teeth, then I informed the owner of this problem so we can get the pipes insulated (as you know, this new owner and my husband and I have only had/worked at this place a little over two months so we're still finding problems and needing to fix them).
The guests were fine with this and understood that its part of the risk of living here.
The guests checking in were NOT. To quote "We have never stayed at a place like this before. It's just disgusting. I'm sure it's maybe good for a vacation, but it isn't good enough for me when I'm coming here for the convention. My agency put me here, I would have never chosen it". Now mind you, we had other doctors in house for the convention and none of them were this rude. And then there was "Can we store our stuff here? We will probably be moving to another hotel tonight".
Well... no, you can't, but ok I'll kiss your butt to get you to say you horrible person you. "Sure, you can put your bags here in the office and I'll make sure to lock the door whenever I leave".
I was given the most withering look you can imagine but they agreed.
Three hours later, the same guy that said that stuff to me earlier comes back. Now he has three rooms he wants to cancel in spite of the fact that it's the day of checkin (we have a 7 day cancellation policy) and a 3 night minimum, which the agency knew when they booked it.
"Well, you're going to just have to work with me here whether you like it or not. If you don't do what I say, I'm going to go to the city and get you sanctioned as a problem business". Never mind that this isn't possible and the city won't give a crap. I imagine he meant the Central Visitors Bureau but even they would have looked at him funny. "Its because of the issues with the hotel. This is not a good place"
Yes, he wanted a refund in spite of the fact that the entire amount should have been charged in the morning, we hadn't done it yet.
I asked "May I ask what issues you're talking about so I can address it with my owner?"
"Well, you know... the water thing."
"I understand the water was an issue but it's an incredibly rare event and it won't be a problem tonight". To which I received a snear.
"I want my money back and I want to speak with your manager".
"I'm sorry sir but the manager will be in tomorrow. I don't have the authority to do what you ask."
"Then you will call your manager now and get permission".
By this time I'm starting to get pissed, and I breathed in to say something then just decided to hell with it and called my husband at home on his day off. Needless to say, we kept one night for each room and allowed them to leave.
They never even saw the rooms or the rest of the hotel. The only thing they saw was the front entrance and the office.
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