i apologize for the inconvenience

I am actually trying to help you

2010-12-22T10:20:00.000-06:00

I work in a very high airport traffic area that is directly effected when flights are delayed and cancelled. So now that it is winter and storms are more common and more likely to happen on a regular basis, stranded passengers are a daily occurrence. even though they come every day, it is never easy to deal with people who have been screwed over by the airlines. So when we get phone calls every few minutes or so saying where is your shuttle I've been here for forty-five minutes and it's freezing, I tend not to believe or have sympathy. I know that sounds wrong, but let me tell you why. For one, our shuttle runs every 30 minutes and almost always brings people back, so you probably just missed it and have not been waiting that long. For 2, whether it's freezing outside or not, you always have the option to take a cab that if you find someone else to share it with, it will only cost you a couple of dollars. Therefore I do not have sympathy for cheap people who are trying to get everything for free.
The kicker of it all is that stranded passengers come upset and take it out on the people who are trying to help. It's not hotel that messed up your flight, it was the airline. So if you're going to get mad at anyone, get mad at the airline and take it out on them. I'm only trying to do my job and get you a room for the night. That's right a room for the night, not a place to live for the next week, so take what you get and be happy that you are not paying for it.
I understand that you have probably had a horribly long day dealing with the airline, but don't take out your frustrations on me because I am going to have to deal with 50 more people just like you. So if anything put yourself in my shoes and treat other people how you would like to be treated because if you don't, karma will find you some way, somehow.

Don't Tell Me How To Do My Job

2010-10-30T18:07:00.000-05:00

I've had my job long enough to know what I am doing and do not need nor like to be told by people who do have my job how to do it. It's annoying enough that customers don't listen, but to compound that with know-it-all types is painful and excrutiatingly annoying. For example, in order for a vacant room to be cleaned we need to know it's vacant and how do we find that out? You check out. So when someone says "Well I don't really have to check out anyway." It's annoying because yes you do, you have to tell us in some way that you are leaving, otherwise how do we know.

Nothing is guaranteed

2010-10-08T17:16:00.001-05:00

Please please please, when travelling carry with you paper proof of your reservations so that if god forbid, somthing does go wrong, you have eveidence to back up what you are saying. If you do not have paper proof, you have no case. Most establishments have a policy that room types or special requests are not guaranteed, they are only available upon arrival if they truly are available. If it's not available, there is nothing that can be done to give you exactly what you are asking for. Also, when you say you called and talked to someone, make sure you get their name because if you do not get their name, we do not have proof and we also do not know who to talk to about the mistake. Lesson to learn: always have proof, paper preferrably!

I have a complaint

2010-09-10T21:39:00.000-05:00

So one day a guest comes up to me and says he wants to check out and he has a complaint. Ok. So I proceed to check him out and do the usual schpeel and again he says I have a complaint. I reply " Ok, what's the complaint?" He then tells me that our beds are too comfortable and he did not want to get out of bed. I mentally and emotionally relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally somebody with a sense of humor that brightened my day instead of making it worse. I love people like that and wish there were more of them.

a liquid thank you

2010-09-06T10:48:00.000-05:00

It's always nice when people compliment you and say thank you for something that you have done for them. It's even nicer when they thank you in a tangible way such as in the form of money, or food or an email to the manager.
I've gotten some of these before and they are few and far between because people don't think like that these days. They only think to call you out on something they think you did wrong.
Recently though I was thanked by a guest who said he had a great time and enjoyed it because I treated him well(do not remember this guest) and handed me a bag with a bottle in it. I said thank you and said I was glad everything went well (still don't remember what I did). Looked at the bottle and it's sangria, something I actually like.
Bottom line a thank you in any way is appreciated. Even if it's just something you can't fit in a suit case or can't take on the plane with you. It's all appreciated,but a good note to the manager is even better.

For my mistake, I should get a discount

2010-09-02T08:55:00.000-05:00

There are policies and rules and regulations for everything, you just have to read the fine print.

When it comes to using someone else's credit card to pay for things, you need to have either that person and card present or an authorization on file in our system to use it. There are always problems with the latter. It just so happens that on the same day I was told I did not speak English very well, this other lovely story happened. A guy comes up and says he was not supposed to be charged, but his boss was. So I proceed to tell him we do not have record of this and after a little hesitation he says to charge him so he can get reimbursed later.
A while later he comes back with his boss on the phone and talks to him for a minute and then passe the phone to me (which I absolutely hate) to be yelled at and accused of the situation being my fault and me not doing my job ( which I had no previous involvement in this situation,but of course it's my fault). So I stop listening, say "I'm sorry sir, I apologize for the inconvenience. We will take care of it." and pass the phone back so the other guy can listen to his bs. The employee then tells me "You handled that very evenly." At this point we start looking through the files and find nothing. My manager gets involved and he gets the phone passed to him and walks away so we don't hear the boss yelling at him about the situation or me. Meanwhile apologies are passed from him to us and us to him and free alcoholic drinkd are given to the employee. My manager comes back and says he has told him to email it. While my boss explains, I offer at least 50 more free drinks and we all laugh. But during all the stress and nonsense, at some point the employee pulls out a bottle of vodka and offers some to all of us. We all laugh and say no though we wish we could because of his boss. So while we wait, the employee is given free lunch at the restaurant.

About ten minutes later, the email comes through with a lovely message saying that he should be given a discount for this inconvenience followed by a phone call that says the same to which he was told the employee received free drinks and free lunch and to which the boss accepted. Bottom line: read the fine print and fax to the right number and don't shoot the messenger because the messenger is just the help (and won't help if you shoot them)!

"You don't speak English very well"

2010-09-02T08:37:00.000-05:00

Some days are good and some days are bad and sometimes when they are bad, they are catastrophic.

So, one day I am doing my work and miding my own business when a man with an obviously,thick British accent comes up to me quite hastily and says"purse" to which I reply "I'm sorry, what?" to which the Brit says "Have you got a purse?" In my head I'm thinking yes, I have a purse, but it's mine. So I reply "I'm sorry, I don't understand what you mean." At this point I have angered the rude, British man more than when he first came up to me and he says "If you don't understand what I mean, then you don't speak English very well." To which I just stand there silently taking his crap because there is nothing I can legally do. At this point in my head I'm thinking I speak American English not British English! he then says " A purse has been stolen from my daughter, do you have it behind the desk?" Now see if he would have just said that in the first place, I could have just said no and not been insulted, but no he had to make it difficult!

The best part of that whole story, besides the fact that it is a running joke and I am constantly teased about it, is that at the time, I was the only employee standing there that was born in America! The rest of my co-workers standing there at the time were all born in another country and have a thick accent!

I know when you are lying

2010-08-17T18:57:00.000-05:00

It is a daily occurence at my job that guests will come up to me and tell me things that I know they are lying about. For example, the internet is not free and you have to charge it to your room yourself, but before you charge it to your room it tells you the cost. This happens so many times that people will say they didn't know it was not free or how much it was. Stop Lying People! It's so frustrating to witness and listen to the stories people come up with just to get out of paying for something. If you don't want to pay for something, then don't use it in the first place!

how's the pregnant woman?

2010-08-08T17:49:00.000-05:00

I am astonished and offended at the frequency of this next occurence simply because there is no reason for this to happen. As I have stated before, I am a small person, but average for my age and height. So if and when I ever become pregnant, it would be noticeable, but for some reason this fact seems to allude people as it has on 2 occasions. The first time it happened, I can understand why. The first time it happened, I was feeling really sick and I had my hand on my stomach in a way that made it seem like I was and a woman asked me "how far along are you?" at which my response was "excuse me what?" her reply was "well, you are pregnant right?" I said"No mam, I am not." at which she was completely embarrassed and I was insulted. The second time this happened I was even more insulted. The woman comes up to me and asks me how the pregnant woman is and I said "I'm sorry. The pregnant woman? Did you think that there was a pregnant woman working here?" her response was "well I thought that the woman that helped me on Friday was pregnant." to which I added "no mam, none of us are pregnant." After she walked away, I looked back and saw that I was the one that dealt with her! So needless to say that was not a good day for me or my self-esteem, but it made my co-workers laugh. Plus, to add insult to injury and make matters worse by a thousand, when I asked my mom if I looked pregnant, she said yeah you kinda do! Thanks mom! I thought moms were supposed to lie to you and tell you what you wanted to hear, apparently not my mom! That's ok mom, just remember that the next time that you need me to tell you what you want to hear! And ladies try to remember that it's not polite to ask another woman how far along she is if you are not sure whether or not she is pregnant!

compliment or insult?

2010-08-03T21:26:00.000-05:00

Recently I was in the presence of a group of female models of the fake nature as in big, fake boobs and hair extensions. Needless to say I look nothing like these women, but have decent looks and charm sans the fakeness. I am thankful for what I have---no fake boobs needed or desired. So this man comes up to me and makes a comment that I am not sure whther it was a compliment or insult. At the time I just laughed it off, but now I'm not sure. It was a conference for former current models in a certain industry and the man tells me"Weren't you one of the girls at the conference last night?" I kind of took it as a compliment, but I told other people about it (men) they gave me a look of horror as if I should be insulted. I was however creeped out a bit by the person because it was a married, middle-aged, missing teeth, soldier being deployed. This conference comes each year and I think this year's comment takes the cake over last year's. Last year it was a short balding man that was going to sleep in his car and told my co-worker and I that there were some pretty girls in the conference, but we were pretty too. Creepy!

I have a question

2010-05-16T19:39:00.000-05:00

So often people come to me and say they have a question and state a fact instead. I'm sorry,but I went to school and I understand grammar and lanuage like no other and know the difference between question and statement. So many people do not and I would love to teach them. A question is "How often does the shuttle leave?" a statement is "The shuttle is 24 hours." Do not come to me saying you have a question and then state a fact because I will look at you confused until you properly ask me a question. Also, don't get mad at me when I ask you the question I think you meant to ask. I am just trying to understand and help you.

Read before accusing

2010-05-16T19:32:00.000-05:00

I always get questions and comments about being charged improperly. This could all be easily taken care of if people cared to listen or read before acting upon it. Case in point:guest calls to ask why he did not get his money back upon departure. I explained that there were meal charges and that they exceeded the deposit that was left upon arrival. Guest did not understand at all. The charges were more than they should be. Well sir, there were six meals charged each day. Those were included in the stay. No sir, only one was included each day but we were nice enough to include 2 meals each day because it says there were 2 people staying. There were 4 people staying. (BUSTED) Ok well so and so signed the bill for 6 meals each. They did? Yes sir, they did. (BUSTED) Oh that makes sense now.
Do us all a favor and get the facts straight with your son first before calling me all angry and upset over your son paying for something that you were not aware of!

Impatience is not a virtue

2010-05-16T19:25:00.000-05:00

So often in my day do people call me or come with something they need done yesterday. I'm sorry that you are in a hurry, but a.it's not my fault, b.it's not my problem and c.do not take it out on me! In one such instance someone came up to me to pay their bill and some problems with it. I, being the good employee, took it to a superior to find out more information. Not a successful attemp. Person grows ever impatient and starts snapping at my coworkers who had nothing to do with it and then proceeds to spit on the marble floor! Holy rude and impolite person! Were you raised in a barn?! I finally figure out the bill and the poor excuse for a man in front of me snatches the bill from me. Have a nice day Sir! Two things: 1.do not come to the desk when your meeting is starting and you are in a hurry and 2.never spit on the floor if you are indoors! It is only ever ok to spit if you are outside away from people and if you do it in a garbage can or toilet!

best friday morning ever

2010-04-04T12:41:00.000-05:00

For some reason I have been working in the morning lately and this one particluar morning was like no other. I walk in the door and there is a police officer with a guest. The guest leaves and so does the deliciously handsome police officer. A few minutes later the cop comes back and starts chatting with me. (yay for me) And starts flirting a little with his charming smile and piercing eyes. Cop leaves(have not seen him since, but know who to call in case of emergency). Later on I discover the reason for the policeman's presence: the guest picked up a working girl the night before and in the morning discovered that she had stolen some of his belongings. He also mentioned that he took her with him to the atm to give her payment. Funny how a working girl would steal! Who woulda thunk it?! Two lessons learned her: 1. Do not fall asleep in the presence of a working girl and 2. do not take a working girl with you to the atm!

insulted by flying money

2010-01-19T09:51:00.001-06:00

big greek guy: I have to pay for parking? It's not free?
me: no sir, it's not free. you parked for one night, it's 20 dollars.
bgg's friend: can I pay in cash?
me: yes you can sir. may I see your id please?
bgg's friend: why do you need to see my id? do you think I would pay for someone else's bill?
me: it's for security purposes. your total is $124.
bgg's friend: (throws the money at me)

Why do men in particular feel the need to make themselves feel better and more important than they are buy throwing their form of payment at the person who is only doing their job and trying to help them? What because you are a man you are somebody important? do you know that you came out of a woman? your father did not give birth to you. and if your mother knew how you behaved towards other women, how do you think she would react? she would probably smack upside the head like I wanted to!

please don't say my name

2010-01-02T23:19:00.000-06:00

I work in an industry where name tags are necessary and all too common. I hate wearing them because there is nothing I hate more than someone saying my name over and over and over and over again. I really wish I did not have to wear them because people use and abuse them instead of using them for good purposes. They use your name to complain or to gain something for free or to get you into trouble. Is it really worth it to have employees wear name tags? I guess it useful for employees to wear name tags, but I really wish we didn't have to. So, in short please do not say my name more than twice while I am helping you. I know you can read and I do know my own name.

please travel with some form of payment

2009-12-30T21:29:00.001-06:00

When one is traveling, wouldn't one bring with more than one type of method of payment just in case something were to happen? One would, but many would not! As is the case for most stranded unexpectedly travellers. This is not good for anyone; the traveller or the people dealing with the traveller. How would you expect to do anything if you did not have any money to pay for anything? For instance, you were stranded in a new city and your family is somewhere far away with no internet or fax. How would they authorize a credit card for you to use? How would they wire you money? So word to the wise: bring more than one method of payment with you when you travel because no one will have pity on you and help you.

i love nice people

2009-12-10T21:10:00.000-06:00

It is always refreshing to have someone come up to me and have a nice conversation with me while I am helping them. This happenes all too rarely because most people come up to me alrady mad and then proceed to take it out on me. Even if the conversation is just about the weather and how horrible it is, it's just nice to have that friendly chat. No insinuating that I am not competent or that something should be free when it is not. If only there were more people like that in the world! Keep that in the back of your mind when you are dealing with someone, be it a cashier, a barista or anyone else that is in customer service, nice conversations are refreshing and brighten the day!

control your children

2009-12-09T21:49:00.000-06:00

I do not work at a bank nor do I work at a doctor's office nor do I work in a candy store. Therefore when you come up to me and your child is screaming and running around obviously hopped up on sugar already, do not come up to me and ask me for candy or a mint or anything for the kid. I do not have candy for children! It is not Halloween and why should I give the kid you can not control and just slapped in front of me a piece of candy?! Tell me why? You should tell your child to behave and go sit down like any normal good parent would do!
Why is it that children love revolving doors? Is it because they are revolving?! Parents, when you see a revolving door please hold on to your child because it is not my responsibility to watch your child walk around and around in the revolving door while you talk on the phone with your boyfriend and not pay attention to the fruit of your womb! Because if I have repeatedly warned little Benjamin not to play in the revolving door, you better believe I am going to tell the paramedics you were neglecting your child when they come with the jaws of life to unwedge the door and Benji's arm!

rainbows and sunshine

2009-12-09T21:43:00.000-06:00

I am an easygoing person until someone rubs me the wrong way and then it is really hard for me to maintain a happy demeanor. When you are a customer, if you want help, be nice to the person you will be needing help from. So do not insinuate that I am not intelligent and do not know what you are talking about. I very well know what you are talking about it is you the guest that does not know what you are saying and are therefore explaining it wrong. I do try my very best to be a happy person all the time,but how am I supposed to be rainbows and sunshine 24/7,but how can I do that when you are standing in front of me repeating everything I say but not understanding it!

what do you say?

2009-11-22T19:07:00.000-06:00

In the hospitality industry there are many instances where you find yourself at a loss for words or actions for that matter. For example, while checking someone in recently, the guest commented on how nice the weather was and said he wished he was here under better circumstances and I asked why. The man then said that his unlce had been murdered and he was here for the wake. What do you say?

credit card thrower

2009-11-17T22:48:00.000-06:00

I deal with all sorts of people all day long at least 5 days a week. The one thing I despise the most is when people throw their credit card and or id at me when I ask for it. There is no need for anyone to ever do that. Why would anyone do that in the first place? I do not throw your key at you so please treat me as nicely as I treat you. That would be the only logical thing. Just please remember that we are all only human and no one deserves to have anything thrown at them unless they really do deserve it.

may I have your last name please

2009-11-09T21:24:00.000-06:00

I never give out any personal information unless I know who you are and that nothing bad will come from me telling you anything that could cause me problems. Unfortunately, I do wear a name tag and that gives people the impression that they can use my name or that they know me. Well one day I had the following happen. "--------, is that your name?" says the woman in front of me who looks like she has had a rough day. "Yes mam, that is my name," I say cautiously now because I am a little worried at this point. "I have a niece with the same name." The lady then walks away, looking a little sad. A little while later the same lady returns looking better and again asks if that is truely my name and this time asks if I could tell her my last name. I politely tell her no because I do not like when people ask for too much information. She then says "it isn't ------? Because you look an awful lot like my niece." I felt so bad for the lady but as far as I know I know all of my aunts and she was definitely not one of them!

"Where is your accent from?"

2009-11-09T21:17:00.001-06:00

"You have an accent. Where is it from?" says the woman in front of me who is avoiding at all costs the task of activating her credit cards. "I was born and raised here in Chicago, mam." I say as the woman still contemplates my all too obvious accent. "No. Where is your accent from? You're from St.Louis aren't you? Say park." "Park," I say in my own natural voice and accent. "Mam, I am from Chicago and was born here." At this point I am bewildered by the fact that this woman is still trying to figure out where my accent is from when I keep telling her that I have lived in the same place my entire life. As far as I know, unless my parents didn't tell me, I am from and have lived here my entire life.

I am not a mind reader

2009-11-05T21:30:00.000-06:00

I have two jobs at this current moment in time and at both jobs I serve people in one way or another. Main point being that I deal with people all day long. My favorite part is that people expect me to know what they are thinking and what they want. I am not a mind reader therefore I can only guess what you are thinking and what you want from me. I can only do my best, so don't get mad at me when I can not figure out what you want and I do not get it for you right away. I am only human as are you unless you are an alien of some sort and if you are, please go back to your planet!