why is it always on tuesdays? (really long, some language)

[uthdentroll]

Our hotel dont take wire transfer... at least to the best of my knowledge, and if the guest wanted to have someone to pay for the RT, he/she can fax us the copy of credit card, and the card holder's ID and authorize us to charge whatever the card holder's wishes, RT, meals, or... everything, but he/she needs to have a credit card for holding for guarantee the room in the first place........ once we receive the cc authorization form, and all the necessary documents (copy of cc, and cc holder's id) then we can process prepayment of the room.

[Andara Bledin]

However, it's expensive. By the time all the intermediate banks have taken out their fees, we're down by $18 each transaction. So it's perfectly reasonable for your company to decide that they won't accept wire payments.

My company charges a $20 surcharge for all wire transfer payments. It's almost never precisely $20, but that's right around the average.

As for incidentals, I make a point of having the hotel cut off everything that might be charged. Strangely enough, some hotels actually fight me about this. The clerks act like the idea of cutting off incidentals is completely foreign to them.

Oh, and it's nearly Memorial Day, which means I've got a gaming convention to attend. My room is comped by the con because I'm on the staff, so I get to look forward to another fight with hotel staff about how we aren't required to submit a freaking credit card because they already have one from the convention. *sigh*

^-.-^

[Bliss]

Congrats Smiley, you're in my new signature , I laughed so hard when I saw that, I just had to quote it.

[smileyeagle1021]

Reasonable, except that he wasn't asking for payment, but guaranteeing payment. I know for us, we can't take anything for deposit but a CC, because a) we can't check rooms for damages right as a guest is leaving, so we can't take cash, and b) our accounting department takes over a month for refunds, so we can't take a debit payment or such. If eagle's hotels work the same as mine, the deposit wouldn't be used for payment, but in case of damages, so a wire transfer still wouldn't be acceptable incase damages exceeded the deposit. The only time a deposit would be for room payment would be if they didn't show up. Apologies if you already knew some or all of this.

you can even take out the payment part... the hotel she was calling is set up that no deposit is taken at booking, the only reason a credit card number is put on the reservation is to charge a no show charge if they no show... otherwise it doesn't even show up on the statement as a pending charge. And having been a guest in our own hotels, most of them nothing will hit your card until check out... not even a hold. We do have hotels that require deposit, but they are few and far between now.
Oh, I'm so praying I get one of the night audit jobs I've applied for... being in house at (as of less count) about 65 primary hotels and over 150 secondary hotels (there are 65 in my market and about another 150 in other markets I can take overflows for) is getting to be too much... I think I'd like to stick to just one hotel.

[Emrld]

I live in a major city . . in fact there was a long running TV series with the name of the main city in my area. (even if the ranch itself was in a suburb not the city proper)
A handful of the hotels downtown have a parking rate . . .a portion of those include that in with the room rate.
Majority of the properties around here do not charge for parking.

I do understand that their are places that charge for parking . . .and some even charge non-guest parking only.

As for the inclusive - paying for room service . . . they may still have been a little confused. They may have thought they were paying just because room service is available . . .or an additional fee on top of the menu price. I agree that it can be difficult to explain. (incidental= A minor accompanying item or expense - so any fees related to phone calls, if you chose to use pay per view, if you order room service you will have to pay for what you order etc.)

[Broomjockey]

It sounds likethe first SC was trying to pay by wire transfer. A lot of our overseas customers seem to prefer doing that over paying by credit card.

Reasonable, except that he wasn't asking for payment, but guaranteeing payment. I know for us, we can't take anything for deposit but a CC, because a) we can't check rooms for damages right as a guest is leaving, so we can't take cash, and b) our accounting department takes over a month for refunds, so we can't take a debit payment or such. If eagle's hotels work the same as mine, the deposit wouldn't be used for payment, but in case of damages, so a wire transfer still wouldn't be acceptable incase damages exceeded the deposit. The only time a deposit would be for room payment would be if they didn't show up. Apologies if you already knew some or all of this.

[Dips]

It sounds likethe first SC was trying to pay by wire transfer. A lot of our overseas customers seem to prefer doing that over paying by credit card.

However, it's expensive. By the time all the intermediate banks have taken out their fees, we're down by $18 each transaction. So it's perfectly reasonable for your company to decide that they won't accept wire payments.

[Bramblerose]

It
ok, I got this caller from Italy, if there are any members from this board from Europe who could explain this lady to me please do otherwise I'll just have assume she is insane.

Congratulations! You made it into my dreams! I dreamed this was a sub-plot in some crime show, but you handled things a tad differently and it stopped some weird international scam.

Aren't fevers fun?

[BaristaTrav]

You should have gotten those peoples' #'s so you could have found out where the hotels are with the free parking and free room service.

[Umingmaq]

you know, thinking about it... the more I wonder why she didn't just ask her manager in the first place what she needed to do...

As long as we're playing scenarios (scenaria?) here, maybe she didn't want to admit her lack of knowledge to a sexist male manager who doesn't think that women are capable. Or maybe she was trying to get in touch with her masculine side and refusing to ask for directions. Or maybe she's just a bitch who can't understand why the world is the way it is and not the way she knows it should be. We will, most likely, never know for sure.

[friendofjimmyk]

the hotel she was calling was only a 3 star hotel... in suburban new jersey... and she was upset that she was only getting her room discounted to $79 a night... I'm praying she didn't really think she was getting an all inclusive resort for that rate...
...

Well, in that case, she was just a moron!

[smileyeagle1021]

Just to play devil's advocate here - I'm sure you know this - some resorts offer all inclusive packages where room, food, and non-alcholic beverages are sold as a package....if your hotel is "resortish" (if that makes sense) maybe he thought that you had some kind of package that was all inclusive. However, he should have just not assumed or acted surprised that it wasn't included....

the hotel she was calling was only a 3 star hotel... in suburban new jersey... and she was upset that she was only getting her room discounted to $79 a night... I'm praying she didn't really think she was getting an all inclusive resort for that rate...

If she doesn't travel, she may not be aware how things should be done. "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by stupidity" - or, perhaps in this case, just ignorance.

Note that I am not saying that she wasn't off base, just offering a possible scenario based on a lot of experience with that particular company and, to a lesser degree, that particular country.

you know, thinking about it... the more I wonder why she didn't just ask her manager in the first place what she needed to do...

[Umingmaq]

you would think that if they had their own travel agency she would have contacted them first rather than calling international to speak to the hotel...

If she doesn't travel, she may not be aware how things should be done. "Never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by stupidity" - or, perhaps in this case, just ignorance.

Note that I am not saying that she wasn't off base, just offering a possible scenario based on a lot of experience with that particular company and, to a lesser degree, that particular country.

[chainedbarista]

*comes from bumfukeria's twin village* god, even i've heard of paid parking in the form of a parking meter; i seriously doubt that she's NEVER seen one of those.

urgh; i may be country, however, that doesn't mean i'm stupid.

unfortunately, she is country and stupid; another reason to migrate to bigger and better.

[friendofjimmyk]

sc- wait, do you mean you actually have to pay for room service?

Just to play devil's advocate here - I'm sure you know this - some resorts offer all inclusive packages where room, food, and non-alcholic beverages are sold as a package....if your hotel is "resortish" (if that makes sense) maybe he thought that you had some kind of package that was all inclusive. However, he should have just not assumed or acted surprised that it wasn't included....