Security methods = inconvenience...

[slick]

Why is it, that when you do something simple to protect yourself or the customer, its an "inconvenience".

Had a lady call me and ask me if I could give her the room number her friend is staying in. For security reasons, we do not do this, if the customer wants to, its up to them, not me. She ranted over it, even though I told her that I can transfer her to her friends room. She finally let me transfer her to the room. A few minutes later, the lady staying at the hotel called me and bitched at me about it. She was telling me that "its my friend, you should have just told her my room number, you aggravated her!" Oh no, she's aggravated, the humanity I explained to her that we do not give out room numbers because we do not know if the person on the phone is actually a friend that the guest may want to meet. We do get people who hide from jealous boyfriends or crazy girlfriends. She didn't buy the excuse and hung up. Fine lady, when axe murderer comes in and asks for your room, I'll make sure to give him a key so he can let himself in.

I get the same crud with credit cards. With as much identity theft happening, you would think that someone with a CC would appreciate extra security measures at hotels, like asking for an ID or even better, asking for the card in question to swipe it. I hear it all the time "I gave you the card over the phone, why do you need to see it? Thats dumb, I am telling you its my card, why do I have to prove it?" Yes, a person actually asked me why I needed proof the card in question was actually hers!

Hope is lost my friends, at least on this earth. I hear that NASA found a planet 20 light years away that can handle life, who's with me?

[BookstoreEscapee]

OK, back when I was with my ex, he was at a hotel and I was trying to get in touch with him, and his phone wasn't working. I didn't know what room he was in, so I went to the front desk, and asked if they could dial his room so I could leave him a message. It did not even occur to me to ask outright for his room number, because I would hope to dog that no hotel employee would just give it out.

It's such an inconvenience for you to just transfer her to her friend's room phone, but she can spend however many minutes arguing with you over it...I love logic!

[Becks]

I hear that NASA found a planet 20 light years away that can handle life, who's with me?

I call shotgun!!!!

[Skandranon]

I hear ya on the "inconvenient" safety measures issue. We require pets to be vaccinated for certain things if you want to board them, for the safety of all the other boarded animals. But you wouldn't believe how many owners put up a fuss over it. "You're just trying to get me to pay for a shot! You just want to make more money!" Well yeah, that too, but the rule still stands. Get Poochie treated or leave him at a friend's house while you go to Hawaii.

[Killer Bees]

I get the same crud with credit cards. With as much identity theft happening, you would think that someone with a CC would appreciate extra security measures at hotels, like asking for an ID or even better, asking for the card in question to swipe it.

I heard about a scheme that credit cards would have your photo on the back so extra id isn't required. What happened to that idea?

[FenigDurak]

I hear that NASA found a planet 20 light years away that can handle life, who's with me?

Becky, you can have shotgun, but I refuse to ride bitch in the back! So I get a window, and reserve the right to make bad jokes about rolling down the window to look for a gas station!

[LabCat]

Tie me to the luggage rack, I'm coming to!!!!!!!

[InverseHellion]

Sure thing and in a short 4 and a half million years we'll be there in the Space Shuttle.

(Yes, I actually did the math to figure out exactly how long it'd take the Space Shuttle at top speed to get from Earth.)

[BookstoreEscapee]

I heard about a scheme that credit cards would have your photo on the back so extra id isn't required. What happened to that idea?

Some cards have that. I've seen them from time to time but not as often as you'd think. I remember seeing a Dateline/2020/one of those shows story on photo credit cards. They sent a total whitebread guy shopping with a card that had a photo of a clearly Asian man on it, to see if anyone questioned it. I don't think anyone did.

[Getoutofmylobby]

This was a long time ago... At my first hotel job, I didn't think it was a big deal to tell people who was in what room number so i did it all the time. And our managers didn't say anything to correct me either.

So a woman comes into the lobby late one night, tells me she is meeting her husband here and asks the room number. It's a simple request and i tell her the number. Everything is fine until about 10 minutes later when three people on the same floor call down to complain about a crazy woman screaming at the top of her lungs in the hallway. Turns out her husband had a "friend" over.

After that i became and still am a room number Nazi. I have found that it does not occur to people that we desk clerks have no idea who they are or who they know.

And shove me in the trunk, i want a ride to Earth 2.

[powerboy]

I get the other window. When shall we all leave?

[morgana]

Wait, wait, wait! Don't forget me! I wanna go too!

[Bloodsoul]

Just strap me to the roof with a trench coat and some goggles, I'll be fine! ^_^

[Andara Bledin]

I heard about a scheme that credit cards would have your photo on the back so extra id isn't required. What happened to that idea?

They're out there. However, most people (including the clerks I deal with) aren't aware that the picture on the card is no better than not having a picture, and they still are supposed to check an ID or license.

I have one myself, and clerks barely even glance at the picture. My boyfriend uses it all the time when he goes shopping and he's never been questioned about it.

^-.-^

[Broomjockey]

I call an aisle seat! I need the leg room. I've already got my bags packed!

But on the whole "giving out room numbers" thing, at my new job (college rez/summertime hotel), we are absolutely forbidden to give out any information about people staying here because since we are part of a college, F.O.I.P. applies to us. We can give someone a phone number if they have a name and room number, but that's it. Otherwise, we can't even confirm or deny that someone by a name is living here.

And the point was driven home VERY well by bossman during training. He's worked in hotels around the world, and told us of occassions when a desk clerk confirmed that someone was simply STAYING there, didn't even give out the room. The guy waited until his girlfriend (I think it was) came out to the lobby, where he proceeded to beat her unconscious before anyone could react. And a seperate story about a worker who was beaten to death when an ex showed up asking for them. So, yeah, which is a worse inconvenience? Death, or making a phone call. Hmmmmmm.... tough choice....