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Me-sa Likey Policy (Long)
I can't sleep, so I was thinking about my last job and this story popped into my head.
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So, it's 10:30pm, and I'm alone. As usual. As the only person who can be trusted A) Not to fuck up and B) To show up, I was given the wonderful opportunity of having free reign of the hotel.
This guy comes in, 40, obviously a manual laborer. He has a young girl with him, maybe 12.
SD (For Spanish-speaking dude): Ehm...ehhh....room.
Me: The rate is $149 plus tax. Would you like smoking or non?
SD: Ehm...no, no, no. *looks at girl, speaks rapid Spanish*
Girl: He says he gets the room for $75.
Me: *Chyaaaaaaa* I'm sorry. We don't offer that rate. We have never offered that rate.
Girl: *listens to SD more* He says Mr. Owner lets him have that room because he does the gardening. For Mendoza.
Yeah.Right. You know how I know? Because I'm here at all hours almost every day, and I've never seen him or his company truck doing jack shit to help the maintenance guys with the landscaping. Does he honestly believe that the owner would give him a discount on rooms AND pay maintenance overtime for working outside? No.
Me: I'm sorry. I have not been given authorization for that. I can give you the room for $149, and Mr. Owner can refund you in the morning when he gets in.
The man shrugs and nods, and proceeds to pull out cash.
Why? Why cash?
Regardless, I take a deposit and give him the room. I figure it's up to the Front Desk Manager and the owner whether or not to give him money back. I'll be long gone by then.
The end.
Or not.
My night auditor was late, and an hour later, I'm still sitting behind the desk, reading contentedly. A young woman comes in, her hair stiff with mousse and giant hoop earrings framing her face.
Woman: Oye, excuse me.
Me: *For fuck's sake...at least she said excuse me...* Good evening. How can I help you?
W: Yeah, uh *looks around* I get a room under Mendoza for $75.
Are you shitting me?
Me:I'm sorry, I don't know anything about that rate. I can give you the rate of $149, and you'll have to take it up with Mr. Owner or Ms. Front Desk in the morning to get money back.
W: Oh my god. You guys don't know anything. We do the landscaping! Oh my goooooooooooood, tsk, chyuu guys. Come on.
Now, you gotta understand. This lady had two inch long acrylic nails on her hands. No way in Smokey's forest did this lady do landscaping.
Me: Yeah, you know, I wish I could help, but I could get in trouble for that. As I said, I can give you the room, but there's no way I can authorize that rate without getting word from Mr. Owner.
She ended up, like her...relatives?...paying a deposit for a CASH payment method, and heading on up to her room.
I ran the audit the next night. There were no $75 dollar rooms listed. They were full of SHIT. And I would have gotten my ass chewed if I had given in, especially if I had taken a cash payment AND not even taken a full night's charge.
------------------
So, it's 10:30pm, and I'm alone. As usual. As the only person who can be trusted A) Not to fuck up and B) To show up, I was given the wonderful opportunity of having free reign of the hotel.
This guy comes in, 40, obviously a manual laborer. He has a young girl with him, maybe 12.
SD (For Spanish-speaking dude): Ehm...ehhh....room.
Me: The rate is $149 plus tax. Would you like smoking or non?
SD: Ehm...no, no, no. *looks at girl, speaks rapid Spanish*
Girl: He says he gets the room for $75.
Me: *Chyaaaaaaa* I'm sorry. We don't offer that rate. We have never offered that rate.
Girl: *listens to SD more* He says Mr. Owner lets him have that room because he does the gardening. For Mendoza.
Yeah.Right. You know how I know? Because I'm here at all hours almost every day, and I've never seen him or his company truck doing jack shit to help the maintenance guys with the landscaping. Does he honestly believe that the owner would give him a discount on rooms AND pay maintenance overtime for working outside? No.
Me: I'm sorry. I have not been given authorization for that. I can give you the room for $149, and Mr. Owner can refund you in the morning when he gets in.
The man shrugs and nods, and proceeds to pull out cash.
Why? Why cash?
Regardless, I take a deposit and give him the room. I figure it's up to the Front Desk Manager and the owner whether or not to give him money back. I'll be long gone by then.
The end.
Or not.
My night auditor was late, and an hour later, I'm still sitting behind the desk, reading contentedly. A young woman comes in, her hair stiff with mousse and giant hoop earrings framing her face.
Woman: Oye, excuse me.
Me: *For fuck's sake...at least she said excuse me...* Good evening. How can I help you?
W: Yeah, uh *looks around* I get a room under Mendoza for $75.
Are you shitting me?
Me:I'm sorry, I don't know anything about that rate. I can give you the rate of $149, and you'll have to take it up with Mr. Owner or Ms. Front Desk in the morning to get money back.
W: Oh my god. You guys don't know anything. We do the landscaping! Oh my goooooooooooood, tsk, chyuu guys. Come on.
Now, you gotta understand. This lady had two inch long acrylic nails on her hands. No way in Smokey's forest did this lady do landscaping.
Me: Yeah, you know, I wish I could help, but I could get in trouble for that. As I said, I can give you the room, but there's no way I can authorize that rate without getting word from Mr. Owner.
She ended up, like her...relatives?...paying a deposit for a CASH payment method, and heading on up to her room.
I ran the audit the next night. There were no $75 dollar rooms listed. They were full of SHIT. And I would have gotten my ass chewed if I had given in, especially if I had taken a cash payment AND not even taken a full night's charge.
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