You be the judge... Who acted in suckily?

Antisocial_Worker · #1 07-23-2006, 08:24 AM

This happened tonight, and I'm convinced we were in the right.

The hotel sold out tonight, which is not unusual in the summer. In fact, it's unusual if we don't sell out on a weekend night in July.

The problem began not long after a family checked into their room. A downpour began outside -- we've been having those a lot lately, and we've discovered because of that, that we have some problems with water getting into the building. It so happened this family had checked into a top floor room that has had problems in the past with a leak squarely over one of the beds. We thought we'd fixed it. We learned otherwise.

The father came downstairs, extremely irate. He told us we would comp him the night. It was (any number of expletives) to expect him to pay for the night in a leaky room. (Expletive) (Censored) (Beep) (Boop) (Expletive).

I told my boss, who thankfully happened to be there. She spoke to the guest. (Expletive) (Bleep) (Boop) (Beep). After another little fit, he asked her how he was even to know that the room was safe. How did he know the roof wasn't on the verge of falling in on him?

So my boss ordered him to leave. We certainly couldn't have a guest staying in a room if he didn't feel safe.

"You're throwing me and my family out into the rain?" He seemed shocked, or else looking for something else to get offended about.

No, we weren't throwing him out into the rain. We were going to find him a place to stay, and we did. While my boss was on the phone making arrangements, I ran some blankets up to a room that had asked for extras, and ran into the guest in the hall. I told him we were looking for a room for him in another property. Apparently he thought we'd find him one in our hotel, even though we were sold out.

"You have to find me a room! There are laws about this kind of thing! You have to pay for my room! You have to let me stay!"

I said, "We are going to find a room for you, sir, but it's not going to be in this building."

"You're throwing us out into the rain?!"

I told him again that we were going to find him a room and walked away from him, leaving him sputtering in the hallway.

Not long after that exchange, the guest and his family lined up at the front desk, where we told him where his room was waiting, and where we refunded his money.

"Are you going to pay for my room at the Whoopsie-doo Inn?"

My boss replied, "No."

"On Monday you're paying for that room!" he screeched and then stormed out.

---

Was the guest an SC? It's perfectly understandable that a person would not want a leaky room, but there is no need to be an asshole about it, in my opinion. Further, we'd done our part by finding him a room and reversing the charges on his credit card, but he obviously wasn't happy with the way things turned out. Seems he wanted not only his money back, but a free night's stay -- and that's where my boss drew the line. We'd fulfilled our obligation by finding him lodging.

I'd like opinions on this, because I can feel in my marrow that our fax machine is going to spit out a complaint to corporate just as cheerful as you please sometime in the next couple of days.

Edit: The title was supposed to be "Who acted suckily?"

Legal Eagle · #2 07-23-2006, 09:33 AM

to be fair to the guest he had through no fault of his own been given a room which was obviously unfit for use. whilst the faxct that the reppairs done to tha room weren't successful was an accident the fault still lies with the hotel. he could sue, he could conceivably get the cost of gas between the 2 hotels and the difference in price. anything more would be at the judges discretion and be very unlikly.

thelong1 · #3 07-23-2006, 09:44 AM

Its hard to be nice to an asshole who has a valid point in their argument. I think that its unfortunate that he had a leak in his room, but for that type of problem you don't really know its a problem until there is a complaint. I think that he overreacted and was out of line in his attitude and his treatment of the staff. I do think the hotel did the right thing in refunding his money and finding alternate accomodations for him. If there were available rooms in your hotel I would hope that perhaps he would have been comped, as that would have been the right think to do in the name of customer service. As you were fully booked and that he was an complete ass, I think that you did the right thing.

Antisocial_Worker · #4 07-23-2006, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Quoth Legal Eagle

to be fair to the guest he had through no fault of his own been given a room which was obviously unfit for use. whilst the faxct that the reppairs done to tha room weren't successful was an accident the fault still lies with the hotel. he could sue, he could conceivably get the cost of gas between the 2 hotels and the difference in price. anything more would be at the judges discretion and be very unlikly.

That would be less than $3.00. The hotel we sent him to was another property we own on the other side of the interstate. It's not even a mile away, and the difference in price between the two rates was about $.04.

Mixed Bag · #5 07-23-2006, 12:10 PM

Are you trying to hide something by not telling us WHICH place was 4 cents more?

Mongo Skruddgemire · #6 07-23-2006, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Quoth hauntedheadnc

That would be less than $3.00. The hotel we sent him to was another property we own on the other side of the interstate. It's not even a mile away, and the difference in price between the two rates was about $.04.

Ok, you refunded him the money he spent on the room, made arraingements to get him into another hotel of similar rates (and as close by as can be reasonably expected).

If he came down the next morning after getting rained on in the night then I could see comping him or paying for the first night in the other hotel, but I don't see a comp if this happened shortly after they got the room.

I'm guessing the typical NC hot hazy and humid day with the standard short (but violent) thunderstorm with a buttload of rain right? I lived in Jacksonville for 4 years when my dad was stationed at Camp Lejune so I'm familiar with the weather patterns.

Honestly I feel that you did all that you could and could reasonably be expected to do. His night wasn't ruined (as no night was spent there) so there was no need to comp him, you foud him another room in another hotel, and refunded his money. He was the SC in this story.

Mongo

pbmods · #7 07-23-2006, 01:46 PM

You did great. In fact, you gave that SC *way* more than he deserved.

If the SC had only been polite to you, I'm sure you might have been more inclined to help.

*sigh* they never learn....

Why was it so important that the customer get something for free? I swear; I'd like to find the person who invented customer entitlement and do horrible things to his liver in front of his children and/or/equals dogs.

Hotelboy · #8 07-23-2006, 01:53 PM

If it were the middle of the night, and they were already asleep, I could understand his annoyance. But I think you said this was just after check-in, so I'll assume evening. In which case, they're getting zip, nadda, zilch, as far as sympathy from me.

Shit happens. There isn't some magical schedule in "The Back" that lets you know when things will breakdown and need fixing. Stuff breaks, you tell us about it, we make it right, then you expect compensation for your "Trauma"?!?

"How 'bout NO"

hauntedheadnc = 1
sucky customer = Jacksh**

Becks · #9 07-23-2006, 03:19 PM

The customer, while having a valid complaint, was an ass about the whole thing.

You say that you thought that the problem had been fixed, and so rented out the room. It's not your fault that it didn't work out.

Re-reading your post as I reply, I see that you mentioned that your manager "ordered the man out" before you mentioned that a search was on to find Mr. Asshat a new room, at another place. That couldn't have helped the situation...

BunnyJas · #10 07-23-2006, 03:45 PM

I think I'd be annoyed with a leak in my room, but I don't think I'd come down to the front desk yelling expletives at the employees. It just puts people on the defensive and they are less willing to help you. They just want to get rid of you as evidenced by your manager's behavior. I think that your hotel did all they could given the circumstances- gave him his money back and booked a room for him on another property since you were full. While the customer had a valid complaint, it seems he was trying to milk it for all it was worth so he could get something for free.