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Technically a non-customer, but...
Our guest services desk closed at 10pm tonight and, as always, I put a sign with my phone number up at the front desk in case of emergencies. And I also left a note on the door for the one check-in that hadn't arrived for them to call me when they did arrive so that I can give them the door code to go inside to get the envelope with their room info. Normally this is not an issue.
About 30 minutes prior to closing the desk there were a couple of calls from people wanting to book a room for tonight, and both callers were told no, that we had no rooms available. Which was a slight fudge but we have a policy of not doing walk-ins so late at night. Especially in the neighbourhood the hotel is in.
So I and my trainee leave at 10pm and I made sure the door was locked behind us, and we call it a night.
10:18pm I get a call from somebody wanting to book a room for tonight and they're trying to tell me that the front door was wide open. Which it shouldn't be unless a guest opened it and somehow blocked it open.
Me: Hello?
Idiot: Hello.
Me: What can I do for you?
Idiot: Why is there nobody at the hotel desk?
Me: Guest services closed at 10pm
Idiot: Is this <my hotel>? The door was open.
Me: It shouldn't be open - I ensured it was locked when I left at 10pm
Idiot: But the door was open. Are you sure your work for <my hotel>?
Me: I'm the assistant general manager and I'm the emergency contact for the hotel, but this is my personal number.
Idiot: How do I rent a room for tonight?
Me: Unfortunately, guest services is closed for the night and we have no rooms.
Idiot: Well, I need a room for tonight! Isn't that an emergency?
(Say it with me folks: Failure to plan on your part, is not an emergency on mine...)
Me: Emergencies are if there's a fire or a massive leak at the hotel. Randomly showing up at a hotel and wanting a room is not an emergency. Besides, there are other, cheaper hotels than us that have somebody at the front desk 24/7. Besides, there are no rooms available tonight.
Idiot: Thanks for nothing, you're no help. <click>
Whatever buddy. I don't know how you got into the hotel, if you actually did get into the hotel. If you're somehow connected to the two people who called earlier, the answer hasn't suddenly changed in that span of time. I'm trying to determine if I should talk a walk down there and double-check the door but I *know* for a fact that I locked it before leaving.
I'm sure that there will be a complaint from whoever it was that called me, but when I explain when the call occurred and what they were demanding, well, nothing is going to happen. Now, if there was a genuine emergency where somebody required somewhere to stay for the night, we are not on the list of hotels that emergency services would usually send somebody. Besides, if it were an actual emergency, emergency services themselves would call either myself or the big boss if they couldn't get anybody at the hotel front desk.
Our guest services desk closed at 10pm tonight and, as always, I put a sign with my phone number up at the front desk in case of emergencies. And I also left a note on the door for the one check-in that hadn't arrived for them to call me when they did arrive so that I can give them the door code to go inside to get the envelope with their room info. Normally this is not an issue.
About 30 minutes prior to closing the desk there were a couple of calls from people wanting to book a room for tonight, and both callers were told no, that we had no rooms available. Which was a slight fudge but we have a policy of not doing walk-ins so late at night. Especially in the neighbourhood the hotel is in.
So I and my trainee leave at 10pm and I made sure the door was locked behind us, and we call it a night.
10:18pm I get a call from somebody wanting to book a room for tonight and they're trying to tell me that the front door was wide open. Which it shouldn't be unless a guest opened it and somehow blocked it open.
Me: Hello?
Idiot: Hello.
Me: What can I do for you?
Idiot: Why is there nobody at the hotel desk?
Me: Guest services closed at 10pm
Idiot: Is this <my hotel>? The door was open.
Me: It shouldn't be open - I ensured it was locked when I left at 10pm
Idiot: But the door was open. Are you sure your work for <my hotel>?
Me: I'm the assistant general manager and I'm the emergency contact for the hotel, but this is my personal number.
Idiot: How do I rent a room for tonight?
Me: Unfortunately, guest services is closed for the night and we have no rooms.
Idiot: Well, I need a room for tonight! Isn't that an emergency?
(Say it with me folks: Failure to plan on your part, is not an emergency on mine...)
Me: Emergencies are if there's a fire or a massive leak at the hotel. Randomly showing up at a hotel and wanting a room is not an emergency. Besides, there are other, cheaper hotels than us that have somebody at the front desk 24/7. Besides, there are no rooms available tonight.
Idiot: Thanks for nothing, you're no help. <click>
Whatever buddy. I don't know how you got into the hotel, if you actually did get into the hotel. If you're somehow connected to the two people who called earlier, the answer hasn't suddenly changed in that span of time. I'm trying to determine if I should talk a walk down there and double-check the door but I *know* for a fact that I locked it before leaving.
I'm sure that there will be a complaint from whoever it was that called me, but when I explain when the call occurred and what they were demanding, well, nothing is going to happen. Now, if there was a genuine emergency where somebody required somewhere to stay for the night, we are not on the list of hotels that emergency services would usually send somebody. Besides, if it were an actual emergency, emergency services themselves would call either myself or the big boss if they couldn't get anybody at the hotel front desk.
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