People feel as if "I spoke to the manager," or "let me speak to your manager" is a terrifying thing to say. It's not. I never winced at the thought of a customer wanting to speak to my manager and my employees couldn't care less.
Also, it's normally bull. You start to realize how much of a liar everyone is when they mention that they want to speak to a manager or that they spoke to the manager. These are my favorites:
Leave of Absence
When I worked at the office supply store Jazzy, my manager, took a leave of absence because Mr. Budweiser was a douche. Due to her being gone we were all 'the manager,' we governed ourselves like our own little city because that's basically what we were at the copy center. The other store managers had no idea what we did or how we did it as long as the customers were happy.
One day, a woman came in to get a quote for a large job. She was given the total in which she didn't like it. So then this happened:
Woman: Oh that's way too much. I was given another quote by the manager.
Working Girl: The manager of [the copy center]?
Woman: Yes.
Working Girl: Jazzy?
Woman: Yes, her. I spoke to her yesterday.
Working Girl: That's interesting because Jazzy has been on a leave of absence for nearly a month now and we have no manager here.
Woman: Well then I guess this quote is fine.
I laughed then and I'm laughing now. I'm also laughing because it's definitely not the last time it has happened.
Which Manager?
After I became manager of the hotel a number of guests didn't quite grasp that concept. To them I was still just the front desk agent which meant they thought they could lie to my face about who the manager was.
There is a man who stays at the hotel very often, Mr. Tyler. He is the boss at an electric sign company in the Bay Area. He and his employees stay often. They are pretty obnoxious. They are nice guys once you put them in their place but they walk in thinking the red carpet should be rolled out before them. I've seen and dealt with these kind of guys multiple times. They are the guys who act overly manly and tough around the boys but if their wives accompanied them on their trips it would be a different story.
One night one of Mr. Tyler's employees attempted to check in. He didn't have a credit card so there was no way he could check in. He complained that he was tired, hadn't slept in 4 days and we should just give him a room without charging him since his boss always books rooms here. After he was told how ridiculous that was, he called Mr. Tyler and had Mr. Tyler talk to me.
Working Girl: Hello?
Mr. Tyler: Oh Hello. The man standing in front of you is my employee, it's okay.
Working Girl: What exactly is okay?
Mr. Tyler: For him to check in.
Working Girl: He doesn't have a credit card therefore he cannot check in.
Mr. Tyler: Well he can use my credit card.
Working Girl: Does he have your credit card on him at this moment in time?
Mr. Tyler: No, I have my credit card.
Working Girl: Then he can't use your credit card if you're not here with him.
After that the employee goes to pick up Mr. Tyler's credit card, brings it back and checks in with it. I would assume he complained to Mr. Tyler because the next morning Mr. Tyler came up to me.
Mr. Tyler: You know I stay here a lot and the manager told me my guys could check in without a credit card.
Working Girl: Really? What manager?
Mr. Tyler: The manager who is here at midnight. She works the front desk.
Working Girl: Oh TT Y'all?
Mr. Tyler: Yes! Her.
Working Girl: Well she's not the manager. I am the manager.
Mr. Tyler: Well...whoever.
He then walked away.
Early Check In Please
It was nearing noon when a van pulls up and three guys get out and walk into the hotel wanting to be checked in.
Working Girl: I have to check if I have any rooms available because it's a bit early for check in.
HDIC (Head Douche In Charge): We were GUARANTEED an early check in by the manager.
Working Girl: We don't GUARANTEE early check ins because our check in time is at 3pm.
HDIC: Well we spoke to the manager and she said we could definitely check in early.
Working Girl: What's the manager's name?
HDIC: Stephanie.
Working Girl: There is no Stephanie who works here and even if there was she wouldn't be the manager because I am the manager.
I then checked in the two guys who were smart enough to be quiet and made him wait until a room was ready. He complained and whispered under his breath as he sat on the couch.. and waited... until I gave him a room. Sit. That's a good boy!
Your Manager Said
I walked across the street to get some lunch and while I was there I received a phone call from my front desk agent.
Banana: This guy is here telling me that you just told him he could cancel tonight without being charged the 24 hour cancellation fee.
Working Girl: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Banana: That's what I thought. Bye.
A few minutes later I walked through the lobby with my food as this man was talking to Banana. I walked behind the front desk and went to my office.
If he had just spoken to me, I would assume that during my walk through the lobby, my opening the door, my walking into my office, he would've said "That is the manager and that is who I spoke with." He didn't. He didn't know who I was because he had never spoken to me before. He was lying and when he was caught in his lie he started to stumble over his words and sweat. The end of that story is that he didn't cancel and he just ended up staying the night because, unfortunately, the manager he spoke to does not exist.
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Thursday, September 26, 2013
"Oh"
"Oh." I love that word in regards to customer service. I love that word in regards to work. When you make someone say "Oh" you win.
"Oh" is them waving the white flag.
"Oh" is them shutting up.
"Oh" is them realizing you are right, they are wrong, and them being in your face is unnecessary.
I love when someone gives me their "Oh" face.
Guest: I had a terrible night. The AC doesn't work in the room and I was burning up all night. I turned the thermostat to the lowest number on the dial and it never worked!
Working Girl: Did you press ON first?
Guest: Oh.
Working Girl: Your total is 10 cents.
Customer: The machine says copies are nine cents! Why are you telling me 10!?
Working Girl: This is California, there are taxes. It is a penny more.
Customer: Oh
Guest: Your website says there is a Mexican restaurant across the street. There is no Mexican restaurant across the street. The only thing I see is Subway sandwiches.
Working Girl: That's the wrong street. Look out the front door and turn your head a quarter of an inch to the left.
Guest: Oh.
Now my absolute favorite "Oh" comes from my boss. My boss, Sandy, is a micro manager. He recognizes it and he chooses not to change it. If you've never been micromanaged the gist of it is your boss is constantly hovering over you, telling you how to do the job that you already know how to do. My boss does that times 10.
Because my boss is a micro manager he intercepts my emails. He is the Rod Woodson of my team. Every email I get he sees because he owns the domain name. The funny thing about it is when he replies to the emails, he doesn't reply to the person sending me the email. He replies to me to tell me what he thinks. This is not something I've asked for and it's something I have told him to stop doing. Most of the time he is too late and the situation has already been resolved so he is not only wasting my time by sending me an email I have to read, he is wasting his by writing it.
Email: Hi, I need a receipt emailed over to me, blah, blah, blah...
Working Girl: Okay, I went ahead and sent over a receipt.
Sandy (to me): Can you please email this person a receipt.
Working: I ALREADY DID THAT.
Sandy: Oh.
Email: Hi, I need to know if you guys have a shuttle service?
Working Girl: Unfortunately no, we do not have a shuttle service.
Sandy (To me): Can you please tell the guest we do not have a shuttle service.
Working Girl: I ALREADY DID THAT!!
Sandy: Oh.
This is daily. I like my boss and my job is alright but the reason I go into work is to get him to say "Oh." My day is accomplished if I have made him say "Oh," go back to his office and leave me the hell alone for a few hours.
Sometimes it's not always through email. A good chunk of the time his "Oh" is right in my face.
Recently one of my front desk agents was extremely sick. She didn't show up for work in the morning and the Night Auditor she was to relieve was trying to get in contact with me. She could not. My phone had turned off during the iOS 7 update over night and due to the fact that I was asleep, I had no way of knowing my cell phone was off. When I woke up in the morning I realized my phone had shut off and I turned it back on.
I had text messages from both my Night Auditor and my boss. I had a total of seven text messages. Only one of them was from my Night Auditor. The Night Auditor was actually pretty calm seeing as how she had been at work for over 8 hours. My boss on the other hand was pulling out his hair, freaking out. His text messages went like this:
"She didn't show up to work"
"Can you please answer your phone?"
"Hello"
"Is your home phone on? I'll try calling there."
"Your home phone isn't on"
"I told Amles to go into relieve her."
I laughed. It was 7:15am on a Friday morning and he was giving himself a heart attack.
When he got into work I sat down with him.
Working Girl: We obviously need to discuss this. Firstly, I told you not to call my home phone number because I disconnected it. I said to never call that number again and what did you do? Called it. Did you think I was going to answer the number that I told you I would no longer answer again. I disconnected it. As I told you when it happened.
Sandy: Oh.
Working Girl: Secondly, my phone's software was updating so my phone turned itself off which is why my phone was off. I also should not be expected to answer phone calls between the hours of midnight and 8 am whether or not my phone is off. I leave my phone on at all times because I know you spin off into another dimension if it is off but due to the update, my phone was off.
Sandy: Oh.
Working Girl: Lastly, normally when you call someone and it goes straight to voicemail, their phone is off. Why would you continue to call my cell phone if my phone if it was going straight to voicemail? And then why would you text my phone if I clearly wasn't answering your calls? Therefore if you call anyone and it doesn't ring and goes directly to voicemail, the phone is off. Which you know.
Sandy: Oh.... Well um try to keep your phone on.
Working Girl: AGAIN, not intentional.
Sandy: Oh.
That was 4 "Ohs" in a 10 minute conversation. Goal = Met.
"Oh" is them waving the white flag.
"Oh" is them shutting up.
"Oh" is them realizing you are right, they are wrong, and them being in your face is unnecessary.
I love when someone gives me their "Oh" face.
Guest: I had a terrible night. The AC doesn't work in the room and I was burning up all night. I turned the thermostat to the lowest number on the dial and it never worked!
Working Girl: Did you press ON first?
Guest: Oh.
Working Girl: Your total is 10 cents.
Customer: The machine says copies are nine cents! Why are you telling me 10!?
Working Girl: This is California, there are taxes. It is a penny more.
Customer: Oh
Guest: Your website says there is a Mexican restaurant across the street. There is no Mexican restaurant across the street. The only thing I see is Subway sandwiches.
Working Girl: That's the wrong street. Look out the front door and turn your head a quarter of an inch to the left.
Guest: Oh.
Now my absolute favorite "Oh" comes from my boss. My boss, Sandy, is a micro manager. He recognizes it and he chooses not to change it. If you've never been micromanaged the gist of it is your boss is constantly hovering over you, telling you how to do the job that you already know how to do. My boss does that times 10.
Because my boss is a micro manager he intercepts my emails. He is the Rod Woodson of my team. Every email I get he sees because he owns the domain name. The funny thing about it is when he replies to the emails, he doesn't reply to the person sending me the email. He replies to me to tell me what he thinks. This is not something I've asked for and it's something I have told him to stop doing. Most of the time he is too late and the situation has already been resolved so he is not only wasting my time by sending me an email I have to read, he is wasting his by writing it.
Email: Hi, I need a receipt emailed over to me, blah, blah, blah...
Working Girl: Okay, I went ahead and sent over a receipt.
Sandy (to me): Can you please email this person a receipt.
Working: I ALREADY DID THAT.
Sandy: Oh.
Email: Hi, I need to know if you guys have a shuttle service?
Working Girl: Unfortunately no, we do not have a shuttle service.
Sandy (To me): Can you please tell the guest we do not have a shuttle service.
Working Girl: I ALREADY DID THAT!!
Sandy: Oh.
This is daily. I like my boss and my job is alright but the reason I go into work is to get him to say "Oh." My day is accomplished if I have made him say "Oh," go back to his office and leave me the hell alone for a few hours.
Sometimes it's not always through email. A good chunk of the time his "Oh" is right in my face.
Recently one of my front desk agents was extremely sick. She didn't show up for work in the morning and the Night Auditor she was to relieve was trying to get in contact with me. She could not. My phone had turned off during the iOS 7 update over night and due to the fact that I was asleep, I had no way of knowing my cell phone was off. When I woke up in the morning I realized my phone had shut off and I turned it back on.
I had text messages from both my Night Auditor and my boss. I had a total of seven text messages. Only one of them was from my Night Auditor. The Night Auditor was actually pretty calm seeing as how she had been at work for over 8 hours. My boss on the other hand was pulling out his hair, freaking out. His text messages went like this:
"She didn't show up to work"
"Can you please answer your phone?"
"Hello"
"Is your home phone on? I'll try calling there."
"Your home phone isn't on"
"I told Amles to go into relieve her."
I laughed. It was 7:15am on a Friday morning and he was giving himself a heart attack.
When he got into work I sat down with him.
Working Girl: We obviously need to discuss this. Firstly, I told you not to call my home phone number because I disconnected it. I said to never call that number again and what did you do? Called it. Did you think I was going to answer the number that I told you I would no longer answer again. I disconnected it. As I told you when it happened.
Sandy: Oh.
Working Girl: Secondly, my phone's software was updating so my phone turned itself off which is why my phone was off. I also should not be expected to answer phone calls between the hours of midnight and 8 am whether or not my phone is off. I leave my phone on at all times because I know you spin off into another dimension if it is off but due to the update, my phone was off.
Sandy: Oh.
Working Girl: Lastly, normally when you call someone and it goes straight to voicemail, their phone is off. Why would you continue to call my cell phone if my phone if it was going straight to voicemail? And then why would you text my phone if I clearly wasn't answering your calls? Therefore if you call anyone and it doesn't ring and goes directly to voicemail, the phone is off. Which you know.
Sandy: Oh.... Well um try to keep your phone on.
Working Girl: AGAIN, not intentional.
Sandy: Oh.
That was 4 "Ohs" in a 10 minute conversation. Goal = Met.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
It's Bad Customer Service Because You're A Bad Customer
I know that most of my blog posts seem to come off as if I'm complaining but it comes off that way because that's what I'm faced with in customer service. People will find any and every reason to complain. I actually find it funny, which is why I blog. If you work in customer service (especially if you've ever worked in a hotel where the industry is 98% customer service) then you understand that you have to play the hand you're dealt.
People who work in customer service know exactly what they are doing. When they look at you blankly, when they respond in a monotone voice, and when they regurgitate the robotic answers to your complaints ("Thanks for bringing that to our attention," "We apologize for the inconvenience," "We will look into that for you.") All of this is premeditated. We know that you are being ridiculous and we have to calm you down, so we say whatever we can to appease you and get you out of our faces without making you cry.
I, for example, was working at the OTHER Office Supply Store when a woman came in and asked for information about furniture. I told her that I can have someone meet her on the furniture pad. She wanted to know why I couldn't give her the information seeing as how I was at customer service. I told her that my department was not customer service but it was the copy station but I could get someone to answer her questions who knew more than I did. She then walked up to my manager, complained about me, my "bad customer service," and my not knowing the information and demanded I be fired. My manager laughed and told her the same thing that I did. As a copy station employee I can tell you where things are in the store but as far as actual information about the products it is best to ask an expert. I would not be fired for doing my job correctly. She stormed off in a huff.
Her being upset was not my fault. Her not getting her furniture questions answered was not my fault. Her not understanding the basic options I was giving her was her fault. She was a bad customer who experienced bad customer service. I look at the situation like this:
You have questions about a new episode of Big Brother. So you ask someone who has never watched an episode of Big Brother. They tell you that they know someone who would definitely be able to answer every question you have about Big Brother. Then you get upset at them for not being able to answer your questions and you walk away complaining. That is insane.
I recently was doing my usual rounds of looking at the reviews of the hotel that I can respond to. I get to a review that says:
I am handicapped. I requested a first floor room and was told there were no first floor rooms so I was put on the second floor. Very, very, very unsatisfied with my stay.
I laughed so hard. She wanted a first floor room, she didn't get one and that RUINED her entire 4 night stay. Nothing about the customer service, nothing about the cleanliness, and nothing about the food. Just the fact that you were one floor above your ideal location made your stay unsatisfactory? That doesn't make any sense. Then I remembered who the guest was.
This guest was a very large woman. Not large enough to have a TLC special about her or to need one of those motorized scooters, but definitely considered obese. She came into the hotel and walked right up to her room with no complaint. When she got up there she realized that she had either lost her key or her key wasn't working. She uses her cell phone to call the front desk to tell the front desk that she cannot get into her room. The front desk agent says that it is not a problem and she can make her a new key but she has to come down to the front desk to retrieve it. When the woman comes down she says she is tired, handicapped and someone should've just come upstairs to let her into the room. The front desk agent then explains that not only are front desk agents not allowed to leave the front desk area, every guest must be verified by ID in order to make a new key. She felt that the policy was stupid, claimed that this situation was an example of bad customer service, complained and went back upstairs.
There are a few points that need to be addressed here:
1. She wasn't handicapped, she was fat. Being fat is not and should not be a handicap. If she was truly handicapped she could've reserved a handicapped room ON THE FIRST FLOOR. But she didn't because she didn't need one. Her being obese is not something that can't be changed. She was tired and winded from walking to the elevator and taking it 1 floor down.
2. There are 6 rooms on the first floor and 22 on all the other floors. There is a much greater chance that you will be on an upper floor. It just so happens that the only room we had available for her was on the 2nd floor.
3. The definition of a request is the act of asking for something. In life, do you always get what you ask for? Let's try: CAN I PLEASE GET NBA PLAYER BLAKE GRIFFIN TO WALK INTO THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW AND ASK ME TO MARRY HIM!? ..... Didn't happen, but I'll keep you posted.
4. You wanted the front desk agent to just let you into the room? Do you realize if we did that for everyone we would let people, guests or not, into any room they wanted to. Regardless of whether or not it is their room. Every day we get someone walking up to us and they are sure they are in room 318 when they are in 315, they're sure they are in 101 when they are in 110. That is the reason we can't just give out room keys to whatever room you believe you're in, even if you're right. We have to check your ID, it is a policy. The policy isn't stupid, you are just lazy.
Most of the time when people complain of "bad customer service," it is because you want the employee to do something they can't do, something that is against policy, something that will get them fired. You are experiencing bad customer service because you're a bad customer. As a self appointed leader of the irritated customer service employees, if you work with us we will work with you. We like to make people happy, we like to be told that we've been helpful but we don't like to be told that because we aren't cutting up your steak for you and feeding it to you that we are providing bad customer service. We are providing you the service that you deserve, which is limited.
People who work in customer service know exactly what they are doing. When they look at you blankly, when they respond in a monotone voice, and when they regurgitate the robotic answers to your complaints ("Thanks for bringing that to our attention," "We apologize for the inconvenience," "We will look into that for you.") All of this is premeditated. We know that you are being ridiculous and we have to calm you down, so we say whatever we can to appease you and get you out of our faces without making you cry.
I, for example, was working at the OTHER Office Supply Store when a woman came in and asked for information about furniture. I told her that I can have someone meet her on the furniture pad. She wanted to know why I couldn't give her the information seeing as how I was at customer service. I told her that my department was not customer service but it was the copy station but I could get someone to answer her questions who knew more than I did. She then walked up to my manager, complained about me, my "bad customer service," and my not knowing the information and demanded I be fired. My manager laughed and told her the same thing that I did. As a copy station employee I can tell you where things are in the store but as far as actual information about the products it is best to ask an expert. I would not be fired for doing my job correctly. She stormed off in a huff.
Her being upset was not my fault. Her not getting her furniture questions answered was not my fault. Her not understanding the basic options I was giving her was her fault. She was a bad customer who experienced bad customer service. I look at the situation like this:
You have questions about a new episode of Big Brother. So you ask someone who has never watched an episode of Big Brother. They tell you that they know someone who would definitely be able to answer every question you have about Big Brother. Then you get upset at them for not being able to answer your questions and you walk away complaining. That is insane.
I recently was doing my usual rounds of looking at the reviews of the hotel that I can respond to. I get to a review that says:
I am handicapped. I requested a first floor room and was told there were no first floor rooms so I was put on the second floor. Very, very, very unsatisfied with my stay.
I laughed so hard. She wanted a first floor room, she didn't get one and that RUINED her entire 4 night stay. Nothing about the customer service, nothing about the cleanliness, and nothing about the food. Just the fact that you were one floor above your ideal location made your stay unsatisfactory? That doesn't make any sense. Then I remembered who the guest was.
This guest was a very large woman. Not large enough to have a TLC special about her or to need one of those motorized scooters, but definitely considered obese. She came into the hotel and walked right up to her room with no complaint. When she got up there she realized that she had either lost her key or her key wasn't working. She uses her cell phone to call the front desk to tell the front desk that she cannot get into her room. The front desk agent says that it is not a problem and she can make her a new key but she has to come down to the front desk to retrieve it. When the woman comes down she says she is tired, handicapped and someone should've just come upstairs to let her into the room. The front desk agent then explains that not only are front desk agents not allowed to leave the front desk area, every guest must be verified by ID in order to make a new key. She felt that the policy was stupid, claimed that this situation was an example of bad customer service, complained and went back upstairs.
There are a few points that need to be addressed here:
1. She wasn't handicapped, she was fat. Being fat is not and should not be a handicap. If she was truly handicapped she could've reserved a handicapped room ON THE FIRST FLOOR. But she didn't because she didn't need one. Her being obese is not something that can't be changed. She was tired and winded from walking to the elevator and taking it 1 floor down.
2. There are 6 rooms on the first floor and 22 on all the other floors. There is a much greater chance that you will be on an upper floor. It just so happens that the only room we had available for her was on the 2nd floor.
3. The definition of a request is the act of asking for something. In life, do you always get what you ask for? Let's try: CAN I PLEASE GET NBA PLAYER BLAKE GRIFFIN TO WALK INTO THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW AND ASK ME TO MARRY HIM!? ..... Didn't happen, but I'll keep you posted.
4. You wanted the front desk agent to just let you into the room? Do you realize if we did that for everyone we would let people, guests or not, into any room they wanted to. Regardless of whether or not it is their room. Every day we get someone walking up to us and they are sure they are in room 318 when they are in 315, they're sure they are in 101 when they are in 110. That is the reason we can't just give out room keys to whatever room you believe you're in, even if you're right. We have to check your ID, it is a policy. The policy isn't stupid, you are just lazy.
Most of the time when people complain of "bad customer service," it is because you want the employee to do something they can't do, something that is against policy, something that will get them fired. You are experiencing bad customer service because you're a bad customer. As a self appointed leader of the irritated customer service employees, if you work with us we will work with you. We like to make people happy, we like to be told that we've been helpful but we don't like to be told that because we aren't cutting up your steak for you and feeding it to you that we are providing bad customer service. We are providing you the service that you deserve, which is limited.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
Racism
Obviously racism is prevalent in America but when you're at work, minding your own business and racism comes out of nowhere it is... just kind of stupid.
He is an Indian....from India
One day I was at work on the first Saturday of the month. Whenever it is the first Saturday of the month the hotel is normally sold out. The reason why is due to a large Antiques Faire in town. I personally love that time of the month because I get to see all of my favorite Antiques Faire people. The people who come are some of the nicest people I have ever met and I've never had a problem with any of them.
During this one Saturday when I was working someone from the Antiques Faire comes to check in. On the front desk counter there is a bowl of business cards with the name of the then manager, Condii, on them. Condii is Latina and therefore her last name is as such.
Hitler: Condii [LAST NAME]. Mexican right? Hmmm... well I'm happy to know this place isn't owned by an Indian. Indians keep their hotel so dirty. Every time I've stayed in a dirty hotel it has been owned by an Indian. This hotel is so clean I knew it wasn't owned by an Indian.
Working Girl: Are you here to check in?
Hitler: Yes, the name is...
I laughed. Not at the racist comments he made but at the fact that Condii's business card said "GENERAL MANAGER" not owner. The owner of the very clean hotel where I work is, in fact, an Indian man. An Indian man with an Indian wife and four Indian children. They own the hotel and he is an extremely hands on boss. He checks everything constantly. It's annoying how involved he is but his involvement makes for the highest ranked hotel in the area. I guess there are some clean Indians after all.
That's Racist....?
Four people walk through the door at the same time carrying a conversation with one another. In the front are two black women and behind them is a white male and a white female. The black women and the white male walk directly past the front desk and toward the dining area to check out the hotel. The white woman walks up to the front desk counter and asks to check in.
White Woman: I'd like to check in.
Working Girl: Sure. What is your last name?
As this woman is telling me her last name and pulling out her credit card, the black women come up to the front desk.
Black Woman: Um excuse me we were here first. Why are you checking them in before us. That's racist!
Both the white woman and myself are shocked. I thought all four of them were together and she thought they had already checked in because they continued to walk past the front desk.
Working Girl: Well I thought you were together.
Black Woman: Well we aren't!
I finish checking the woman in and she and her husband go upstairs.
Working Girl: Okay, what's YOUR last name?
Black Woman: You know we were here first!
Working Girl: Well when people walk directly past me and don't say they want to check in I assume they don't want to check in. All of you came in together, all of you were talking to one another and out of the 4 people that walked through that door, only 1 came up to me. I, just like yourself, am black. I'm not racist, I'm uninformed. I thought you were all together. I apologize that you weren't but she came up to me to check in whereas you walked past me.
Silence.
Black Woman: Racist against your own kind, though?
It's 2012
Back when it was actually 2012, I was at work finishing up some school work. A guest in the lobby watched me work and asked me what I was working on. I told them I was doing some school work. They then asked me about what college I went to, my major and all of the normal questions that you ask someone in college. Then I was thrown a curve ball.
Guest: So are you the first person in your family to go to college?
I laughed and politely said no but really? It's 2012. EVERYONE in my family graduated college. My grandparents were teachers. I don't think the guest was trying to be racist but that is question that I never thought I would be asked. I would be the black sheep in my family if I didn't go to college. I just wonder if this guest asks this question to every young person they meet who is in college. Probably not, but I'm glad I can help in not perpetuating the stereotype.
He is an Indian....from India
One day I was at work on the first Saturday of the month. Whenever it is the first Saturday of the month the hotel is normally sold out. The reason why is due to a large Antiques Faire in town. I personally love that time of the month because I get to see all of my favorite Antiques Faire people. The people who come are some of the nicest people I have ever met and I've never had a problem with any of them.
During this one Saturday when I was working someone from the Antiques Faire comes to check in. On the front desk counter there is a bowl of business cards with the name of the then manager, Condii, on them. Condii is Latina and therefore her last name is as such.
Hitler: Condii [LAST NAME]. Mexican right? Hmmm... well I'm happy to know this place isn't owned by an Indian. Indians keep their hotel so dirty. Every time I've stayed in a dirty hotel it has been owned by an Indian. This hotel is so clean I knew it wasn't owned by an Indian.
Working Girl: Are you here to check in?
Hitler: Yes, the name is...
I laughed. Not at the racist comments he made but at the fact that Condii's business card said "GENERAL MANAGER" not owner. The owner of the very clean hotel where I work is, in fact, an Indian man. An Indian man with an Indian wife and four Indian children. They own the hotel and he is an extremely hands on boss. He checks everything constantly. It's annoying how involved he is but his involvement makes for the highest ranked hotel in the area. I guess there are some clean Indians after all.
That's Racist....?
Four people walk through the door at the same time carrying a conversation with one another. In the front are two black women and behind them is a white male and a white female. The black women and the white male walk directly past the front desk and toward the dining area to check out the hotel. The white woman walks up to the front desk counter and asks to check in.
White Woman: I'd like to check in.
Working Girl: Sure. What is your last name?
As this woman is telling me her last name and pulling out her credit card, the black women come up to the front desk.
Black Woman: Um excuse me we were here first. Why are you checking them in before us. That's racist!
Both the white woman and myself are shocked. I thought all four of them were together and she thought they had already checked in because they continued to walk past the front desk.
Working Girl: Well I thought you were together.
Black Woman: Well we aren't!
I finish checking the woman in and she and her husband go upstairs.
Working Girl: Okay, what's YOUR last name?
Black Woman: You know we were here first!
Working Girl: Well when people walk directly past me and don't say they want to check in I assume they don't want to check in. All of you came in together, all of you were talking to one another and out of the 4 people that walked through that door, only 1 came up to me. I, just like yourself, am black. I'm not racist, I'm uninformed. I thought you were all together. I apologize that you weren't but she came up to me to check in whereas you walked past me.
Silence.
Black Woman: Racist against your own kind, though?
It's 2012
Back when it was actually 2012, I was at work finishing up some school work. A guest in the lobby watched me work and asked me what I was working on. I told them I was doing some school work. They then asked me about what college I went to, my major and all of the normal questions that you ask someone in college. Then I was thrown a curve ball.
Guest: So are you the first person in your family to go to college?
I laughed and politely said no but really? It's 2012. EVERYONE in my family graduated college. My grandparents were teachers. I don't think the guest was trying to be racist but that is question that I never thought I would be asked. I would be the black sheep in my family if I didn't go to college. I just wonder if this guest asks this question to every young person they meet who is in college. Probably not, but I'm glad I can help in not perpetuating the stereotype.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Tanning Bed Mom
Nearly a year ago I was working late as I usually do. My front desk agent, Vitooch, and I were doing our usual thing; laughing. Vitooch and I should not work together because we laugh entirely too much. Sometimes the laughter is so contagious that it never stops.
As Vitooch and I were talking and sitting in my office someone rings the bell at the front desk. Vitooch gets up to help the guest and as soon as she gets to the door she says "Oh" with a slight laugh.
I'm listening to her help this woman who is interested in reserving a room but she seems to be having a hard time getting her words out. I take this opportunity to get up and help. When I get up and walk over to my office door this is what I see:
This is a picture of Kristin Wiig on Saturday Night Live as the Tanning Bed Mom Patricia Krentcil. I didn't see Kristin Wiig or the REAL tanning bed mom but I saw something extremely similar. The woman standing at the front desk was so orange (a very dark orange) that I thought she wandered off from the Chocolate Factory.
As soon as I saw her face I walked right back into my office, covered my mouth and let the tears run down my face. I was laughing so hard but I didn't want her to know. I grabbed a cup off of my desk and walked back out to get some water. As I came around the front desk and behind this cartoon character speaking to Vitooch, I mouthed the words "OH MY GOD" to her and quickly scurried off.
I shouldn't have done that.
Vitooch busts out laughing mid sentence.
Oompa: What's so funny?
Vitooch: (wiping the tears from her eyes) I'm so sorry, my manager is crazy.
Oompa: Oh...okay.
As it turns out, Snooki couldn't afford to stay at the hotel and she went on her way. We both felt bad that we laughed directly in her face but we were too busy gripping our stomachs and grabbing tissue to truly care about her feelings.
I honestly don't think it's okay to get that hard of a laugh at some one's expense...but when you're a white, middle aged woman who goes out in public looking as if you need a Sunkist sticker on your forehead, you're kind of asking for it.
As Vitooch and I were talking and sitting in my office someone rings the bell at the front desk. Vitooch gets up to help the guest and as soon as she gets to the door she says "Oh" with a slight laugh.
I'm listening to her help this woman who is interested in reserving a room but she seems to be having a hard time getting her words out. I take this opportunity to get up and help. When I get up and walk over to my office door this is what I see:
This is a picture of Kristin Wiig on Saturday Night Live as the Tanning Bed Mom Patricia Krentcil. I didn't see Kristin Wiig or the REAL tanning bed mom but I saw something extremely similar. The woman standing at the front desk was so orange (a very dark orange) that I thought she wandered off from the Chocolate Factory.
As soon as I saw her face I walked right back into my office, covered my mouth and let the tears run down my face. I was laughing so hard but I didn't want her to know. I grabbed a cup off of my desk and walked back out to get some water. As I came around the front desk and behind this cartoon character speaking to Vitooch, I mouthed the words "OH MY GOD" to her and quickly scurried off.
I shouldn't have done that.
Vitooch busts out laughing mid sentence.
Oompa: What's so funny?
Vitooch: (wiping the tears from her eyes) I'm so sorry, my manager is crazy.
Oompa: Oh...okay.
As it turns out, Snooki couldn't afford to stay at the hotel and she went on her way. We both felt bad that we laughed directly in her face but we were too busy gripping our stomachs and grabbing tissue to truly care about her feelings.
I honestly don't think it's okay to get that hard of a laugh at some one's expense...but when you're a white, middle aged woman who goes out in public looking as if you need a Sunkist sticker on your forehead, you're kind of asking for it.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The J Parade
There were 4 employees with the same first name at the office supply store. Three of them were managers and the other was a former manager. Their first name was a common name but the funny thing was that their last names were in order of the alphabet: J.A., J.B., J.C., & J.D.
It was always a confusing day when all of them were there together and we had to refer to them by the first letter of their last name. There could not have been more of a difference between them. Everyone had their favorite J and their least favorite J.
J.A.
J.A. was a previous manager. He was very hard working and you could tell that the job was slowly but surely killing him. The fact that he once was a manager meant that he really couldn't make any mistakes but on the other end he wasn't a manager and when he went out of his way to help, the rest of the associates were puzzled. "Why is he working so hard?"
He had another job and only worked weekends at the office supply store but he acted as if that was his only means of income. He was constantly running around, sweating and just being genuinely helpful. There are a lot of stories about J.A.'s personal life that I can neither confirm nor deny.
The best way to describe J.A. would be the underdog in a movie. You want him to win so badly but you know that there is something about him, maybe a personal demon or a family crises, that seems to be hindering his progress. It was a possibility that he was really creepy or that he was a total shut in who lived with his mom. Either way no one really knows. He kept his personal life to himself mostly and anything negative you hear is just a story (very juicy stories though. I might actually write about them because it got pretty nasty).
J.B.
We should all know J.B. by now. As a manager he was one of the "cool" managers because he was young. He was the same age as myself at the time, 19, and because he was more foul mouthed than our other managers, he wasn't so bad to be around.
That is until he opened his mouth. He let "tech manager" go straight to his head. He talked down to a lot of the employees even thought most of us were the same age or older than him. We really weren't quite sure what to make of J.B. On one hand he was the young, cool, funny manager. On the other hand he was power hungry, racist, a horn dog and a kiss ass to the store manager. For every good quality in J.B. there were five bad ones. He could've made you laugh extremely hard only to be followed by him trying to get into your pants, saying the president should be shot, tattling on you for a mistake that you made, wielding a false sense of authority and disrespecting his girlfriend.
J.B. was his own kind of a guy. I've never met anyone like J.B. before in my life. He truly is one of a kind. To me he will always be the cowboy boot wearing, death metal listening, gun toting, cheating republican who I once was forced to consider an authority figure.
J.C.
J.C. was the J that I disliked the most. He was old, mean and just really seemed to hate his job. He was a manager but he desperately didn't want to be a manager and due to the store being so understaffed all of the time he continued on as a manager until they could find a replacement(something that never happened).
J.C. was mean from the first moment I met him. He told me a few hours into my first shift to take a 15 minute break in the break room and by the time I found it he came to find me to tell me that my break was too long. He also once told me that he wished my department, the copy center, didn't exist. He thought it was just space that could be used to make the store a lot less congested and thinks "the whole damn place needs to be shut down."
I could move past the fact that that he was a grumpy old man. I could even let it slide that he basically wanted me out of a job if they closed down my department. My biggest issue with him was disrespect. I currently am a manager and I treat all of my employees with the same respect. Sometimes I'm a smart ass about it but I would never not help them or try to make their work any harder. J.C. gave no shits about the copy center and he made it a point to throw a monkey wrench in the works whenever he could.
There was one instance where I was so mad at J.C. that I wanted to shake him. I was the only one working at the copy center and I had an entire counter of people. The store was basically empty with the exception of the people at the copy center. I was so swamped that one of my customers thanked me for my work but said she would go over to the other registers to get rung up for her copies because she could see how busy I was. When she got over to the registers J.C. walked up to her and told her that his section of the store will not ring her up and she needs to go back over to the copy center.
The customer pleaded with him letting him know that she just wants to pay for her copies and not be a bother to me because I had six people waiting at the counter and four people needing help at the self-serve machines. He still refused and she was forced to come back to the copy center to ring up. As I was running back and forth I stopped to see her at the counter once again.
Working Girl: Is something wrong with your copies?
Woman: No. The manager over there is refusing to let any of the copy customers ring up over there. He said I had to come back here.
I was livid. I couldn't believe he stopped this woman from ringing up with someone other than myself knowing that I had every customer in that store and there was no one to help me. I let him know how unprofessional that was and he shrugged his shoulders like he didn't care.
From that point on I completely ignored J.C. I only spoke to him when spoken to and I refused to ring up any of his customers since he basically drew a line in the sand. J.C. died about a year and some change after that due to an in-store incident. I wish that all of my stories regarding J.C. weren't negative and that we could've seen eye to eye on something before he passed but we were too different to ever be on the same side.
J.D.
J.D. was an import. He was a buffer manager. He was put in our store for a few days until the company could place him in a permanent store. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months until J.D. was actually considered a part of our staff. He was the J that spent the least amount of time there but the best one to be around. He was a fairly young guy who relocated from one of the Dakotas with his pregnant wife. She was funny and gave us an insight into who he truly was. I tortured J.D. with my jokes and he just shot them right back at me. He didn't take offense to anything anyone said and could ride the fence between manager and buddy very well. He was a great guy. He finally was put in a permanent location not too far from our store. Even though he spent less than 4 months as our manager he was a real joy to have around. He could go toe to toe with the best (ME) and still be completely professional.
It was always a confusing day when all of them were there together and we had to refer to them by the first letter of their last name. There could not have been more of a difference between them. Everyone had their favorite J and their least favorite J.
J.A.
J.A. was a previous manager. He was very hard working and you could tell that the job was slowly but surely killing him. The fact that he once was a manager meant that he really couldn't make any mistakes but on the other end he wasn't a manager and when he went out of his way to help, the rest of the associates were puzzled. "Why is he working so hard?"
He had another job and only worked weekends at the office supply store but he acted as if that was his only means of income. He was constantly running around, sweating and just being genuinely helpful. There are a lot of stories about J.A.'s personal life that I can neither confirm nor deny.
The best way to describe J.A. would be the underdog in a movie. You want him to win so badly but you know that there is something about him, maybe a personal demon or a family crises, that seems to be hindering his progress. It was a possibility that he was really creepy or that he was a total shut in who lived with his mom. Either way no one really knows. He kept his personal life to himself mostly and anything negative you hear is just a story (very juicy stories though. I might actually write about them because it got pretty nasty).
J.B.
We should all know J.B. by now. As a manager he was one of the "cool" managers because he was young. He was the same age as myself at the time, 19, and because he was more foul mouthed than our other managers, he wasn't so bad to be around.
That is until he opened his mouth. He let "tech manager" go straight to his head. He talked down to a lot of the employees even thought most of us were the same age or older than him. We really weren't quite sure what to make of J.B. On one hand he was the young, cool, funny manager. On the other hand he was power hungry, racist, a horn dog and a kiss ass to the store manager. For every good quality in J.B. there were five bad ones. He could've made you laugh extremely hard only to be followed by him trying to get into your pants, saying the president should be shot, tattling on you for a mistake that you made, wielding a false sense of authority and disrespecting his girlfriend.
J.B. was his own kind of a guy. I've never met anyone like J.B. before in my life. He truly is one of a kind. To me he will always be the cowboy boot wearing, death metal listening, gun toting, cheating republican who I once was forced to consider an authority figure.
J.C.
J.C. was the J that I disliked the most. He was old, mean and just really seemed to hate his job. He was a manager but he desperately didn't want to be a manager and due to the store being so understaffed all of the time he continued on as a manager until they could find a replacement(something that never happened).
J.C. was mean from the first moment I met him. He told me a few hours into my first shift to take a 15 minute break in the break room and by the time I found it he came to find me to tell me that my break was too long. He also once told me that he wished my department, the copy center, didn't exist. He thought it was just space that could be used to make the store a lot less congested and thinks "the whole damn place needs to be shut down."
I could move past the fact that that he was a grumpy old man. I could even let it slide that he basically wanted me out of a job if they closed down my department. My biggest issue with him was disrespect. I currently am a manager and I treat all of my employees with the same respect. Sometimes I'm a smart ass about it but I would never not help them or try to make their work any harder. J.C. gave no shits about the copy center and he made it a point to throw a monkey wrench in the works whenever he could.
There was one instance where I was so mad at J.C. that I wanted to shake him. I was the only one working at the copy center and I had an entire counter of people. The store was basically empty with the exception of the people at the copy center. I was so swamped that one of my customers thanked me for my work but said she would go over to the other registers to get rung up for her copies because she could see how busy I was. When she got over to the registers J.C. walked up to her and told her that his section of the store will not ring her up and she needs to go back over to the copy center.
The customer pleaded with him letting him know that she just wants to pay for her copies and not be a bother to me because I had six people waiting at the counter and four people needing help at the self-serve machines. He still refused and she was forced to come back to the copy center to ring up. As I was running back and forth I stopped to see her at the counter once again.
Working Girl: Is something wrong with your copies?
Woman: No. The manager over there is refusing to let any of the copy customers ring up over there. He said I had to come back here.
I was livid. I couldn't believe he stopped this woman from ringing up with someone other than myself knowing that I had every customer in that store and there was no one to help me. I let him know how unprofessional that was and he shrugged his shoulders like he didn't care.
From that point on I completely ignored J.C. I only spoke to him when spoken to and I refused to ring up any of his customers since he basically drew a line in the sand. J.C. died about a year and some change after that due to an in-store incident. I wish that all of my stories regarding J.C. weren't negative and that we could've seen eye to eye on something before he passed but we were too different to ever be on the same side.
J.D.
J.D. was an import. He was a buffer manager. He was put in our store for a few days until the company could place him in a permanent store. The days turned into weeks and the weeks into months until J.D. was actually considered a part of our staff. He was the J that spent the least amount of time there but the best one to be around. He was a fairly young guy who relocated from one of the Dakotas with his pregnant wife. She was funny and gave us an insight into who he truly was. I tortured J.D. with my jokes and he just shot them right back at me. He didn't take offense to anything anyone said and could ride the fence between manager and buddy very well. He was a great guy. He finally was put in a permanent location not too far from our store. Even though he spent less than 4 months as our manager he was a real joy to have around. He could go toe to toe with the best (ME) and still be completely professional.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Lydia Gorham
Have you ever met someone who is determined to have a bad day? The type of person who is so secretly unhappy that she has to make her day AND your day the worst she can? Well I have. Her name is Lydia Gorham.
Lydia Gorham walked into our lives at the hotel on a Sunday evening and the next morning is when we realized she was "one of those guests." By that I mean she was a problem from the time she checked in.
Lydia: Hi, I need a room for tonight.
Banana: Okay, the rate is $149.
Lydia: I need to see the room first.
Banana: Okay, I can show you a room on the first floor.
Lydia: I don't want to be on the first floor.
Banana: I understand, but in order for me to show you a room I have to show you one on the first floor. It doesn't necessarily mean you will be in that room.
Lydia: But I want to see MY room.
Banana: If you don't want to be on the first floor then you won't be seeing YOUR room but all of our rooms are the same.
Lydia: Well why can't you just give me a key?
And it continued like that for about some time.
The next morning she had complaint after complaint
"The smoke detector has a little flashing light. It was very hard to sleep with that light flashing so I got up and wrapped a towel around it to sleep. It was quite the inconvenience."
*Side Note: Yes, smoke detectors do have a flashing light. The light is the size of the head of a ballpoint pen. If that disrupted her sleep than she must sleep with her eyes open staring at the smoke detector.*
"You guys don't have whole milk? I only drink whole milk."
"I hate your coffee. It says it is Starbucks coffee. It is not."
"Your elevator smells like urine"
"If you want to keep my business you should comp my room because my stay was horrible."
We didn't comp her stay...she came back the next week.
During her second stay she didn't make any complaints about the room and even complimented the coffee. Everything was fine until all hell broke loose. As I sat in my office I heard my housekeeping manager yelling my name and then yelling at Lydia Gorham. I come out of my office.
Lydia: I'm on the computer and she is washing dishes and it is loud. I don't understand why she has to wash dishes.
Working Girl: It is her job.
Lydia: I understand that but I am paying money to stay here and she needs to stop or close the door.
Working Girl: The kitchen itself is normally 80 degrees. The dishwasher reaches 400 degrees. She cannot close the door.
Lydia: But I don't care I want her to stop. At least for 15 minutes
Working Girl: I will tell her to pause for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up she will start washing dishes the same exact way she was washing them before. You have 15 minutes.
She stayed on the computer for 30 minutes and then got up and checked out. Before she checked out an older couple who is staying at the hotel came through the lobby. We were all friendly with one another. When Lydia checked out she asked me "Why are you guys so nice to them? What's the point?"
That's 2 points in the Bitch column. Now to win the game...
Her third stay, which came two weeks after her second stay, is when she lost her mind. She started bullying the other guests because we are generally nicer to them than we are to her.
There was a woman staying at the hotel with her 2 children, both of her children are special needs. When the woman was getting on the elevator in which Lydia Gorham was getting off, Lydia turned to the woman.
Lydia: Fucking Bitch!
Then walked away. There was no reason for that. Two people in passing saying nothing to one another does not call for an insane person to turn to the other and degrade her.
After Lydia got off the elevator she walked over to the front desk.
Lydia: Why do you let those type of people stay here? It's really bad for business. This isn't Section 8 housing. It's a hotel.
That comment, and her previous antics, got her put on the "DO NOT RENT TO" list. The list that only the most disgusting of human beings get the chance to make.
There is a special place in Hell for people like Lydia Gorham.
Lydia Gorham walked into our lives at the hotel on a Sunday evening and the next morning is when we realized she was "one of those guests." By that I mean she was a problem from the time she checked in.
Lydia: Hi, I need a room for tonight.
Banana: Okay, the rate is $149.
Lydia: I need to see the room first.
Banana: Okay, I can show you a room on the first floor.
Lydia: I don't want to be on the first floor.
Banana: I understand, but in order for me to show you a room I have to show you one on the first floor. It doesn't necessarily mean you will be in that room.
Lydia: But I want to see MY room.
Banana: If you don't want to be on the first floor then you won't be seeing YOUR room but all of our rooms are the same.
Lydia: Well why can't you just give me a key?
And it continued like that for about some time.
The next morning she had complaint after complaint
"The smoke detector has a little flashing light. It was very hard to sleep with that light flashing so I got up and wrapped a towel around it to sleep. It was quite the inconvenience."
*Side Note: Yes, smoke detectors do have a flashing light. The light is the size of the head of a ballpoint pen. If that disrupted her sleep than she must sleep with her eyes open staring at the smoke detector.*
"You guys don't have whole milk? I only drink whole milk."
"I hate your coffee. It says it is Starbucks coffee. It is not."
"Your elevator smells like urine"
"If you want to keep my business you should comp my room because my stay was horrible."
We didn't comp her stay...she came back the next week.
During her second stay she didn't make any complaints about the room and even complimented the coffee. Everything was fine until all hell broke loose. As I sat in my office I heard my housekeeping manager yelling my name and then yelling at Lydia Gorham. I come out of my office.
Lydia: I'm on the computer and she is washing dishes and it is loud. I don't understand why she has to wash dishes.
Working Girl: It is her job.
Lydia: I understand that but I am paying money to stay here and she needs to stop or close the door.
Working Girl: The kitchen itself is normally 80 degrees. The dishwasher reaches 400 degrees. She cannot close the door.
Lydia: But I don't care I want her to stop. At least for 15 minutes
Working Girl: I will tell her to pause for 15 minutes. When 15 minutes is up she will start washing dishes the same exact way she was washing them before. You have 15 minutes.
She stayed on the computer for 30 minutes and then got up and checked out. Before she checked out an older couple who is staying at the hotel came through the lobby. We were all friendly with one another. When Lydia checked out she asked me "Why are you guys so nice to them? What's the point?"
That's 2 points in the Bitch column. Now to win the game...
Her third stay, which came two weeks after her second stay, is when she lost her mind. She started bullying the other guests because we are generally nicer to them than we are to her.
There was a woman staying at the hotel with her 2 children, both of her children are special needs. When the woman was getting on the elevator in which Lydia Gorham was getting off, Lydia turned to the woman.
Lydia: Fucking Bitch!
Then walked away. There was no reason for that. Two people in passing saying nothing to one another does not call for an insane person to turn to the other and degrade her.
After Lydia got off the elevator she walked over to the front desk.
Lydia: Why do you let those type of people stay here? It's really bad for business. This isn't Section 8 housing. It's a hotel.
That comment, and her previous antics, got her put on the "DO NOT RENT TO" list. The list that only the most disgusting of human beings get the chance to make.
There is a special place in Hell for people like Lydia Gorham.
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