customer is always rrrrrrwrong!

[Betweenshades]

It took one time for this mix-up to occur for me -- and let me tell you, you could *definitely * tell it was a smoking room -- and ever since then, regardless of how I book, once the reservation is made I call ahead at least a few days in advance just to reconfirm that I have a nonsmoking room reserved.

My mother is the same way. She's really sensitive to cigarette smoke and is really insistent on a smoke-free environment. Stuff happens but she always gets it fixed because shes (wait for it) not a bitch about it.

Most of the time. As her loving daughter, I can assure you that there is a "some of the time." :P

[telecom_goddess]

I just want to add that smoke allergies are a myth. It's not an allergen it's an irritant, so saying one is allergic to cigarette smoke is inaccurate.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Allergic-to-Cigarette-Smoke

[Raveni]

True, but it can dramatically aggravate exisiting allergies that might have been too mild to notice before, like to pollen or dust. Which are everywhere.

[Teskeria]

I just want to add that smoke allergies are a myth. It's not an allergen it's an irritant, so saying one is allergic to cigarette smoke is inaccurate.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Allergic-to-Cigarette-Smoke

I don't care what you call it, if I can't breath AND I start gagging and throwing up, I don't want to be around it. (yes cigarette smoke, although MaryJane smoke makes me nausous also.) However, I don't book a smoking room for just that reason.

[telecom_goddess]

I don't care what you call it, if I can't breath AND I start gagging and throwing up, I don't want to be around it. (yes cigarette smoke, although MaryJane smoke makes me nausous also.) However, I don't book a smoking room for just that reason.

That's all good....I'm just saying it's not an allergy. And don't even get me started on the other smoke....that crap stinks something awful, I hate the stuff.

[StormCMage]

I am with everyone who said let the GM know what your manager disobeyed him big time, in fact did the polar oppisite of what he was told to do, then post and let us know what happened

[auntiem]

Reading this story has made my eye start twitching uncontrollably now. This store has brought back some very strong memories from when I was MOD at HI which was always sold out. A lot of travel agents are evil and can't tell the truth. Will continue to lie to customers.

I have no doubt that there are bad agents out there, but I'm trying to wrap my head around how an agent can "accidentally" book the wrong kind of room - my system wouldn't let me do that at all and it also printed out on the itinerary the type of room booked - it wouldn't even print out the comment/request field so there would be no way to hide what kind of room was booked. I have a feeling the conversation with the client was:
TA=travel agent
MB=Mega Bitch
TA: "I'm sorry there are only smoking rooms available - do you want me to check another hotel?"
MB: "No, I want that price - I'll make them switch my room when I get there"
TA: "If they are sold out that won't be possible, you will more than likely get a smoking room since those sell out last."
MB: "Tell them I want a non-smoking room"
TA: "I can put it in the reservation as a request, but I'll tell you right now it most likely won't do any good - you'll be getting a smoking room - I checked and the *other more expensive hotel* has a non smoking room available - it is only $50 more a night and in the same part of town"
MB: "NO BOOK THE HOTEL I TOLD YOU TO! I TOLD YOU THEY WILL GIVE ME A NON SMOKING ROOM WHEN I GET THERE"
TA: "Fine, but don't call me from the hotel when you get a smoking room - I will not talk to the front desk for you."
MB: "I"M PAYING YOUR SERVICE CHARGE - YOU WILL TALK TO THE HOTEL FOR ME IF I NEED YOU TO!"
TA: "The service charge is for the plane tickets - I'm booking the hotel as a courtesy so unless you don't get the room type we are booking - A SMOKING ROOM - I won't help you work it out. Are you sure you don't want the non smoking room I can confirm in the other hotel?"
MB: NO! BOOK THE HOTEL I TOLD YOU TO! I'LL FIX IT WHEN I GET THERE!"

[MoonCat]

I don't care what you call it, if I can't breath AND I start gagging and throwing up, I don't want to be around it. (yes cigarette smoke, although MaryJane smoke makes me nausous also.) However, I don't book a smoking room for just that reason.

Based on the list of symptoms (which I can confirm as realistic!) I don't see an appreciable difference between "allergy" and "irritant" in this case. If I had to spend the night in a room that stank of cigarette smoke, I'd barely be able to breathe. I would be PISSED. But I would also have taken the time and trouble to make sure I had booked a non-smoking room, so that would probably not happen!

[Saphire089]

And don't get me started on some of the travel agents. They'll book a smoking room for their client and write "Move to non-smoking room." Yeah, if I had a non-smoking room, you would have been able to just book that. Of course, they then tell the guest that they've gotten them a smoking room, and leave us no phone number to contact the guest with, so we can't call them and give them a heads up that no, they're stuck in a smoking room.

Why couldn't they just ask for non smoking in the first place?

[BlaqueKatt]

Based on the list of symptoms (which I can confirm as realistic!) I don't see an appreciable difference between "allergy" and "irritant" in this case.

um allergy treatments such as antihistamines would do nothing to alleviate the symptoms-that is the "appreciable difference".

I can take allergy meds for my pollen and mold allergies, but I can't take anything for my sensitivity to certain perfumes.

If I were allergic to cats(I'm not), and someone had previously had a cat in my hotel room, I could take an antihistamine and stay in the room just fine(and me being me, I would).

If I had a sensitivity to something(smoke, perfume, what have you), I could NOT stay in the room if I took every allergy med under the sun.

So yeah, huge difference.

[Hyndis]

An allergy causes an immune response, which can be life threatening. You may need antihistamines to survive an allergic response.

Of course you can be entirely not allergic to things that are truly disgusting and repulsive.

I'm prone to gagging uncontrollably and feeling physically ill if a pickle sneaks into my food. I HATE pickles.

I'm not allergic at all, I merely despise them with the fury of a thousand suns.

[morgana]

And if you're asthmatic, even if cigarette smoke does lack the proteins necessary to make it a true 'allergen', it can kill you. Can't tell you the number of times I had to help my ex-husband dig out his emergency inhaler and get it triggered for him, because he was gasping too hard to do it himself.

And I know there's at least one smoker out there who's a lot more careful about blowing smoke AT people. A little red-headed virago bloodying your nose for you is one hell of a memory aid. Hard on my knuckles, though.

[mharbourgirl]

The other hotels are either too busy to pick up or sold out. Every. Last. One. WTF is golf really that popular??

Yes. Even in 'this economy'. And besides, it isn't just golf. It's the US Open. If I could afford tickets and travel I'd be there myself, though I'll wait until it's at Pinehurst again (that is one beautiful course).

Doggonnit, the Hubster had better haul his ass out of bed soon, I gots me some golfin' to watch.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Yes. Even in 'this economy'. And besides, it isn't just golf. It's the US Open. If I could afford tickets and travel I'd be there myself, though I'll wait until it's at Pinehurst again (that is one beautiful course).

Doggonnit, the Hubster had better haul his ass out of bed soon, I gots me some golfin' to watch.

Bingo. The U.S. Open and the Masters tournament are practically the Super Bowl of Golf.

The U.S. open in particular, landing on Father's Day weekend, is I'm sure a popular gift idea for people with golf loving dads and some money.

[Moon]

I recently started a CS job at one of those do-it-yourself travel web sites specializing in hotels (mine is one that Captain Kirk might use). We were told in training that the smoking preference is just that, a PREFERENCE... and is NOT guaranteed. So you can ask for a one or the other, and the hotel will try to accommodate you, but it isn't set in stone.

Hyndis... I'm with you on the pickle thing... YECH!!!

And HM, check out my post from today, you'll get a big laugh out of it!