I'd like to request an Air Mattress and Pump

[Evil Queen]

I want you guys' opinion.

A lady calls me today to request a roll away bed in her daughter's room. We don't have those. We have sofas that open up into Queen sized beds, so I told her this. Lady tells me that that isn't going to work; they'd already taken it into consideration and there will be four girl's in the room (her daughter will be in a room with 2 queens and the sofa bed) and would like to have her own bed. I suggested an air mattress. That way I could just bring her my air pump (since I sleep on one at home) and she can borrow it.

Here's the problem with that; the daughter is already on the road and supposedly can't stop to buy one herself (it's a school thing, I can understand not being able to stop). So she disconnected and called me back some 10 minutes later.

She requested that I buy her daughter an air mattress and pump, her daughter can pay me back for it (I figure just hand her the recipt) and she can take the air mattress and pump with her when she leaves for the rest of her trip since the trip is going to last another two weeks.


What would you do? Do as she requested (she was very nice about it) or tell her to politely screw off? I don't see the daughter being able to go to Wally World herself since it's quite a drive and they're coming in a bus.

I'm a very nice person and want to do this. SO think's it's an unreasonable request. I haven't polled RW yet.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Our hotel probably would have done it, on the condition that she doesn't get the mattress until we get our money from her.

[Evil Queen]

on the condition that she doesn't get the mattress until we get our money from her.

That's what I'm thinking of doing, but I wanted some opinions first.

[Crazeyal]

It might be an unresonable request, but it depends on HOW they requested it. Sounds like you are providing excellant customer service, unless you buy a $250 mattress... My trust of strangers is so broken, beaten and sauteed that I'd PICK UP something a customer purchased, but no way in HELL would I risk my own money.

[Gurndigarn]

Get them the mattress only if you have extra staff available to run to the store... and only after you get cash, not check. I don't consider it an unreasonable request, but... poor planning on their part does not constitute an emergency on your part. If you can do it without disrupting regular hotel operations, sure. But a busload of girls is going to require staff on duty. They could have bought the mattress themselves before she left, or called earlier, or something.

[Antisocial_Worker]

It might be an unresonable request, but it depends on HOW they requested it. Sounds like you are providing excellant customer service, unless you buy a $250 mattress... My trust of strangers is so broken, beaten and sauteed that I'd PICK UP something a customer purchased, but no way in HELL would I risk my own money.

On the other hand, it would be a handy thing for a hotel to keep around. That's how I looked at it.

[Willis]

It might be an unresonable request, but it depends on HOW they requested it. Sounds like you are providing excellant customer service, unless you buy a $250 mattress... My trust of strangers is so broken, beaten and sauteed that I'd PICK UP something a customer purchased, but no way in HELL would I risk my own money.

She could always return the air mattress the next day or later if the girl doesn't pay when she gets there. It doesn't seem like a common request, but it's not extremely uncommon. I wouldn't make a habit of it myself, but in a situation like this it would be a kind gesture.

[RetailWorkhorse]

I'd do it. And if Girly doesn't pay up when she arrives then I get to have a new mattress for my tent!

[bainsidhe]

Hmm, I wouldn't do it. One, it's a hassle, even if you get reimbursed. Your time, gas, mileage, etc are valuable too. Two, is this a fire hazard? The hotel I worked had strict limitations about what rooms could have rollaways, for example. This may be against code. Three, you have four teenage girls and three huge beds. Yet the kids are that upset sharing a bed?? Are these kids enemies or just spoilt? Sorry, but any group event I ever went on involved sharing and shoving people together in cramped spaces. I think it's wonderful this woman was nice, but I wouldn't do it.

[Arm]

Noooo way.

If the kid is *already* on the road, you can *guarantee* they aren't carrying the extra cash to reimburse you. You do that, and you're going to eat the cost, get your pump broken, and have the mattress stolen/destroyed.

Add in the money you lose to gas and time spent driving around.

Plus, don't you have rules for the occupancy of your rooms? Generally I'd think that if the hotel has only X beds in a room and no provision for adding more, then they only want X people sleeping there.

[Primer]

I want you guys' opinion.

A lady calls me today to request a roll away bed in her daughter's room. We don't have those. We have sofas that open up into Queen sized beds, so I told her this. Lady tells me that that isn't going to work; they'd already taken it into consideration and there will be four girl's in the room (her daughter will be in a room with 2 queens and the sofa bed) and would like to have her own bed. I suggested an air mattress. That way I could just bring her my air pump (since I sleep on one at home) and she can borrow it.

No, apparently they did not take it into consideration, or she would not be in that situation. Besides, the easiest way would be for two of the other girls to share one bed. That would give the remaining two their own beds.

[Evil Queen]

Well. The deed is done and the air mattress and pump are going back to the store. Unused, of course.

Here's what happened:

The bus came in very late, almost time for me to leave (I figured if the bus didn't get here before I had to leave I'd just take the stuff back home). I gave the trip cordinator the keys to the rooms along with the room list and the messages for her students that had come in throughout the day. (SoandSo needs her Mom to call her, that sort of thing)

Since the "Mom" never gave me Pweacious's name, I asked the trip cordinator about it and her eyes bugged out. Oops... did I do something bad?
No, but to her and the other chaperones, it was an unreasonable request and the girl actually didn't have that much money on her. The money she does have is for meals and the occational little item purchased along the way. Which, by the way, the money wasn't given to her by her Mother, but the event cordinator. (Why the lady is funding the girl's meals is beyond me, relative, maybe?)

The chaperones were appauled. I told them not to worry about it since I just put it on my credit card anyways, I can return the items to refund and it would be as if it never happened.

I don't know about the rest. Today is my much needed day off. And they'll be gone by the time I get back on shift.

Next time I won't be so nice. *sad sighs*

[JustADude]

If the kid is *already* on the road, you can *guarantee* they aren't carrying the extra cash to reimburse you.

Well, you called it!

[RetailWorkhorse]

*Passes 5$ to Arm*

Dammit, I lost another bet. Has someone been making Tsunade follow me around or something?

*Pats EQ* That's okay, at least she didn't get her hands on a free air mattress!

[Arm]

And behold, my victory dance!


You're a good person, Evil Queen. But figure that if they didn't plan ahead for the bed, then they didn't plan ahead to remember that they needed to send money ahead to cover the bed they didn't plan for.