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  • The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Long)

    Hey everybody,

    Back from a 3 month hiatus, and I got the job I was seeking (Hotel Front Desk Clerk). In the two weeks since I started actually clerking, I have already acquired some stories. (I'm sure there will be more).

    1. The Good: We had a group of people from out of state. They were a real party people, but very polite and very gracious. In fact, they gave boxes (at least five) of candy to the front desk personnel for being so helpful. The first one came while I was on shift. It was about 4 am. After a long flight, this couple had their rental car break down. Needless to say they were VERY tired when they got in. I checked them in, and no sooner did they get to their room, they came back to the desk to hand me a box of chocolates.

    2. The Bad: We had several groups due to a big local event, and because of this event every hotel in the area was sold out almost every night. It really sucks to have to tell a dozen people or more a night "I'm sorry, but we're completely booked. There are no rooms available for about an hour in either direction."

    3. The Ugly: A young man comes in (looks to be in his 20s), and hands me his cell phone and asks me to talk to his mom. He is obviously intoxicated (I can smell the alcohol from across the desk, 2 ft. away). So I identify myself over the phone and she asks if we have any rooms available, because it's an emergency. I apologize and say that we are full, and have no rooms available. She says her son really needs a room for the night, because his friend got drunk, and attacked him when he came back to the hotel room. So, he can't stay there tonight. I apologized again, and even double checked with my manager to see if we had any rooms (since we are so new, not all of the rooms are open for business). She said we had no rooms. I told the mother, once again that we had no rooms. At this point the conversation has lasted ~10 min. The son asks for his phone back, and starts saying I'm and "F---ing douchebag" that can't help someone in trouble. Going out the door he calls me a "Four-eyed Douchebag".

    I pretty much laughed it off. I mean, the last time I was called "four-eyes" was in the 3rd grade, and "douchebag" was pretty popular in middle school, but as far as insults go is pretty lame..

    So these are my stories from my first weeks at the hotel.

    Enjoy!

    SC
    "...four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one..." W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing Act I, Sc I

    Do you like Shakespeare? Join us The Globe Theater!

  • #2
    OK, I'll bite why did mommy have to do the talking. If drunkard could enuciate a sentence, why couldn't he ask for a room himself?
    Come to think of it, do I really want to know?
    I'm trying to see things from your point of view, but I can't get my head that far up my keister!

    Who is John Galt?
    -Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

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    • #3
      I'm sure mommy was going to give a CC over the phone. Of course it's always possible she thought they'd have an emergency freebie room!

      Comment


      • #4
        Quoth taxguykarl View Post
        OK, I'll bite why did mommy have to do the talking. If drunkard could enunciate a sentence, why couldn't he ask for a room himself?
        Come to think of it, do I really want to know?
        The guy was upset (it appeared he may have been crying). I think Mommy thought she could pull some strings because she worked in a hotel, too. She thought that her "inside knowledge" of a hotel that isn't even under the same corporate umbrella as mine would lead to me making a special exception.

        Of course it didn't work.

        SC
        "...four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one..." W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing Act I, Sc I

        Do you like Shakespeare? Join us The Globe Theater!

        Comment


        • #5
          I am wondering how drunkie got to your location? I hope he walked, otherwise you could have hooked him up with a room by calling the cops.
          I feel crazy. Like I'm drunk and trapped in a water globe and someone won't stop shaking it.
          -The Amazing E
          Zonies social group now open!

          Comment


          • #6
            kinda makes me think... mommy should call around for a hotel then and then a cab if he needs the hand held for that long.

            or the guy should have called the cops on his "friends" who attacked him?
            assuming he was innocent...(which may not have been the case either)

            Comment


            • #7
              Quoth BroSCFischer View Post
              The son asks for his phone back, and starts saying I'm and "F---ing douchebag" that can't help someone in trouble. Going out the door he calls me a "Four-eyed Douchebag".

              I pretty much laughed it off. I mean, the last time I was called "four-eyes" was in the 3rd grade, and "douchebag" was pretty popular in middle school, but as far as insults go is pretty lame..

              So these are my stories from my first weeks at the hotel.

              Enjoy!

              SC
              I don't think that guy could pick a douche bag out of a lineup, never mind explain or demonstrate it's proper use!

              Comment


              • #8
                Welcome to the Hotel business.

                It gets more interesting from here on out.
                Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

                Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

                Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

                Comment


                • #9
                  Quoth BroSCFischer View Post
                  2. The Bad: We had several groups due to a big local event, and because of this event every hotel in the area was sold out almost every night. It really sucks to have to tell a dozen people or more a night "I'm sorry, but we're completely booked. There are no rooms available for about an hour in either direction."
                  By the end of five and a half years in the hotel business, I honestly and truly hated every person who came through the front doors of the place and I viewed them collectively as the enemy. My first thought on reading this part of your post was, "No it doesn't. It feels wonderful, actually."

                  Then again, my hotel had really lousy, cheap owners who broke all of their employees' spirits eventually or drove them out. I was damn good at my job, and my old boss is still begging me to come back almost 9 months after I quit, but because of my time there I will die before I work in hospitality again. There isn't enough money in the world to make me go back to a hotel job.

                  That's for the best, I think. A job shouldn't make you actively wish harm on your customers.
                  Drive it like it's a county car.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Quoth wanderingjoe72 View Post
                    I am wondering how drunkie got to your location? I hope he walked, otherwise you could have hooked him up with a room by calling the cops.
                    There is a hotel directly across from us (where I believe he was staying). So I guess he walked.


                    Quoth Evil Queen View Post
                    Welcome to the Hotel business.

                    It gets more interesting from here on out.
                    I'm sure.


                    Quoth hauntedheadnc View Post
                    Then again, my hotel had really lousy, cheap owners who broke all of their employees' spirits eventually or drove them out. I was damn good at my job, and my old boss is still begging me to come back almost 9 months after I quit, but because of my time there I will die before I work in hospitality again. There isn't enough money in the world to make me go back to a hotel job.
                    The owner of my hotel is definitely not cheap. He turned a dive into a VERY nice hotel. From marble counter tops in the lobby to flat screen TVs in the rooms. And so far he seems alright.

                    I definitely agree that "a job shouldn't make you actively wish harm on the customers", glad you got out of there.

                    SC
                    "...four of his five wits went halting off, and now is the whole man governed with one..." W. Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing Act I, Sc I

                    Do you like Shakespeare? Join us The Globe Theater!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      "I'm sorry, we're completely sold out."

                      "Butdonchagot anything in the *Second Hotel*?" (It's a resort, we've got a couple of them.)

                      "No, sir, nothing at either hotel, or in the condos."

                      "Butdonchagot a condo or something?"

                      "No sir, the entire property is sold out. No hotel rooms, no condos. We're very busy this weekend."

                      "Butdonchagot -- "

                      *beating head against desk*

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Quoth BroSCFischer View Post
                        2. The Bad: We had several groups due to a big local event, and because of this event every hotel in the area was sold out almost every night. It really sucks to have to tell a dozen people or more a night "I'm sorry, but we're completely booked. There are no rooms available for about an hour in either direction."
                        Every year at Animazement (big anime convention in NC), I have the temptation to ask the front desk staff if they ever got someone trying to check in to the hotel over the course of the weekend and beg for horror stories. This year boasted a 5,300+ attendance, so every hotel in the area was probably booked solid.

                        Then the rational part of me kicks in and reminds me that they probably got scared of the roughly 2/3 of attendees in costume and decided to look elsewhere.
                        A smile is just a grimace that's been edited for public consumption. -- Tony Cochran

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Quoth Tigress View Post
                          I have the temptation to ask the front desk staff if they ever got someone trying to check in to the hotel over the course of the weekend and beg for horror stories.
                          I know what I'M doing at my next Con!
                          Ridiculous 2009 Predictions: Evil Queen will beat Martha Stewart to death with a muffin pan. All hail Evil Queen! (Some things don't need elaboration.....) -- Jester

                          Ridiculous 2010 Predictions: Evil Queen, after escaping prison for last years prediction, goes out and waffle irons Rachel Ray to death. -- SG15Z

                          Ridiculous 2011 Prediction: Evil Queen will beat Gordon Ramsay over the head with a cast-iron skillet. -- FireHeart

                          Comment

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