Ooooh, I forgot about this call!

[M'oh Less]

Ok, so mostly a quiet night tonight, right? Had a few people come in and inquire about rooms, didn't like the rate, and wandered off. Yes, we are a little more expensive than the other places to stay in town, however, we are the only ones with a 24 hour desk, a 24 hour indoor heated pool, etc.

The phone rings as I'm trying to check in my only reservation for the night. SC and I go back and forth about the rates, amenities, what have you. She seems fine with our rack rate, until I ask how many people are in her party.

SC: "Well, there are three adults and one child."
Me: "And how old is the child?"
SC: "Two"
Me: "Ok, the child will be free, but the third adult will cost another $10 per night."
SC: "And WHY may I ask, is that?!?!"
Me: "Because our rates are based on a two person occupancy, anything over that costs extra, unless they are under the age of 12."
SC: "Well, do you have a government rate?"
Me: "Do you have a government credit card? You need to have a very specific government credit card to qualify for government rates."
SC: "NO! I mean military! I'm active duty! I have my military ID card!"
Me: "Well, in that case, I can give you 10% off the rate."
SC: "Fine. I guess we'll just find somewhere else to stay!!!!"
Me: "That is your choice Ma'am."

???

I could have dropped her rate by about ten bucks, until she asked about the discount. Our rule is that to make the sale, we can discount the rate as a special, unless they are getting another discount. No double dipping. I would have happily lowered her rate so didn't actually end up paying for the extra person, but she never gave me the chance. Of course, this all happened well after all the other local places closed their desks. Wonder if the auditor is going to end up having to rent this gal a room later.... *giggle*

[Andara Bledin]

Wow. Impatient and can't do math.

Seems to me that the 10% off for the military discount would likely be more than the $10 charge for the third person. And, really, only $10 for an extra? That's peanuts when talking about hotel rates at an upper end place.

^-.-^

[Grape The Cat]

I'm surprised they didn't change the age of the third adult, making him/her under 12. I have to agree with Andara $10 dollars is really reasonable.

[Ironclad Alibi]

I have to agree with Andara $10 dollars is really reasonable.

$10 is never reasonable to the SCs we discuss here. They always want more.

[M'oh Less]

$10 is never reasonable to the SCs we discuss here. They always want more.

In every hotel I've ever stayed or worked in there has been a charge for extra guests, and rack has always been determined by a two person assumed occupancy. *shrug*

I've had other guests bitch about it, but have never had one outright say they wouldn't stay with us because of it. Sure, you could just lie, but if we catch you with more people in the room, we're just going to charge you anyway.

[bainsidhe]

Not all hotels have 24 hr desk? If they have a night auditor, doesn't that count?

[Cai1987]

Not all hotels have 24 hr desk? If they have a night auditor, doesn't that count?

No, some places don't have night audit (though those are usually very small places, B&B types). Other times, too, night audit isn't exactly full-service. I know I was strictly forbidden to leave the desk, for example, so if a guest needed something they had to come down and get it.

[Mr Hero]

My brother usually ignores the extra occupancy rate, but he was telling me he was getting a snack from his hotel's kitchen when a guest from the hotel wanders in and asks him for food. My brother was so ticked off, that he charged the guest the rate they should be paying anyways since there were like 4 or so people in the room.

[NateTheChops]

It seems to me like she only brought up the military discount after you told her she needed a special card for the government rate. I wonder if she really was active in the military or if she was just pulling a scam.

[M'oh Less]

It seems to me like she only brought up the military discount after you told her she needed a special card for the government rate. I wonder if she really was active in the military or if she was just pulling a scam.

Could have been. She would have had to show me her military id to get the discount. The government rate isn't really a rate, it's a tax exempt status. Though, if we get a group of say, NPS employees, out for a class we'll give them a discount as well as tax exempt. You have to have a certain government issued credit card with a specific set of numbers on it to get the tax exempt. There are VERY strict rules about it.

[PepperElf]

I'm surprised they didn't change the age of the third adult, making him/her under 12. I have to agree with Andara $10 dollars is really reasonable.

Except that if they're military the kid has an ID card which shows date of birth... so if they had to prove the age they'd fail at it.

[Ironclad Alibi]

The government rate isn't really a rate, it's a tax exempt status. Though, if we get a group of say, NPS employees, out for a class we'll give them a discount as well as tax exempt. You have to have a certain government issued credit card with a specific set of numbers on it to get the tax exempt. There are VERY strict rules about it.

Back when I did government travel I had to show my travel orders to get the government rate. I was never allowed to have a government credit card, but I think they're more liberal about that now.

[AccountingDrone]

Back when I did government travel I had to show my travel orders to get the government rate. I was never allowed to have a government credit card, but I think they're more liberal about that now.

We traveled on orders back in 1989 when we rotated to Subbase NLON, and used a copy of the orders at the truck rental and the hotel. I know that back in the day my mom and dad traveled on orders, and also flew MAC intercontinentally several times.

[Lyse]

Yeah, orders are required for the government rate. Can't tell you how many set of no-cost orders I used to write for people for that reason: especially those that were going to a new city to do house-hunting before their transfer.