hotel entitlement

[thehippie777]

Booking online
Had a guy last night, as he was checking in, talking about how he had booked his room only a couple hours ago while waiting in Minneapolis. He said he booked it online on Expedia.com. Cool Cool Yay for online booking. For the last couple days the only rooms we had available were all in smoking (this is important).

SC: online booking guru
Me: hmmm
( ): thoughts
After guest told me all about his online booking abilities, I didn’t feel the need to inform of the guest of his room type since he clearly booked it himself. Aka I figured he knew it was a smoking, so why bring it up?

SC: (calls desk) This is a smoking room.
Me: Yes, that is all we had available at the time you booked it.
SC: Well, can I get a different room?
Me: We only have another smoking room available. Does that room smell bad? (I had already had the room sprayed so it wouldn’t, and that person said the room smelled just fine & they do not smoke). I can have it sprayed & that could help?
SC: Well, that may be the case, but when I wake up everything I have with me will smell bad.
Me: (not willing to agrue) That is possible…yes…
SC: (getting short with me) Well, what do the other hotels have available?
Me: Well, I am not exactly sure (cuz I clearly work at the other hotels).
SC: Well, you will be calling them & finding out because I am on my way down. *click*
Me: (I am, am I? Even though you told me all about how you booked your room…)

Of course, about 6 people arrive to check in at once. The phone is also ringing. I want these guests out of the lobby before Mr. “booked myself a smoking, it’s your fault” shows up. Everyone is taken care of. Gentleman walks in & ends up behind SC.

SC: (blaming hotel for him booking a smoking)
Me: (hadn’t had a chance to play SC’s secretary yet)
SC: Have you found another room for me somewhere else yet?
Me: No I haven’t but I was wondering if you would like to say at the *hotel in chain* or something close to this location?
SC: Where is it?
Me: (tells him)
SC. No, I don’t want to go that far (maybe a mile is far…???) What about any *other hotel chain*?
Me: There are a couple of those same exit as *hotel in chain*.
SC: NO that is just too far. (nearly every-other thing is on different exits then we are)
Me: Okay, well I can call the *decent hotel* down the street?
SC: Okay. (I pick up phone & dial) He says something…not really looking at me.

At this point, my night maintenance guy sees the gentleman behind SC & asks if he can help him. He asks about rooms, and as I am waiting for the hotel to answer the phone & tell them both we have a 2 queen and a king in smoking left & that is it. Guy thinks about it…I ask the hotel down the street if they have any rooms, they do…quite a few. I tell them thanks & hang up.

Me: They sure do have rooms if you would like to head over there.
SC: (starts going towards door) You will have my credit card taken care of, right?
Me: I will be calling management to okay all of that right now. (I mean, he booked it only a couple hours ago & the site tells ya what you are getting…all of them do.)
SC: (stops) You better!!! Or else I will (starts going out the door) call…Mr. *lead hotel chain* orrr orrr Paris! I will call Paris (not to give away what hotel chain we are a part of or anything…)
Me: (highly annoyed that SHE has anything to do with a chain hotel, and kinda put out by this guy already) She would have NOTHING to do with this hotel!! (he’s looked away out the door by now, but he heard me. He might call & complain, I don’t care…this was all his doing mostly anyway.)

The gentleman that was behind SC was standing there the entire time thinking, then finally says, "Yeah I don't think my wife will be happy about a smoking room."
If you are going to have an argument, make it a uh…reasonable one please.

[marasbaras]

What a total git. Do people show up with reservations for smoking rooms and expect to get non-smoking rooms?

[smileyeagle1021]

What a total git. Do people show up with reservations for smoking rooms and expect to get non-smoking rooms?

yes, they do...

oh and in fairness (expedia is not one of those sites though) there are sites that don't tell you what you booked until after you booked it (ie, priceline and hotwire are the worst).

that said, why don't people understand there is a reason the rooms on those websites are less... usually it's because those are the rooms that the hotel doesn't want to deal with selling themselves.

[Getoutofmylobby]

People tend to go over the top when it comes to the whole "I'm unhappy, what are you going to do about it?" entitlement BS. Its almost like some people enjoy yelling at people they do not know.

And no matter how nice you are to some people after something happens they can only respond with more surliness and rudeness. Even after they get what they want. You're helping them! Ok, you're pissed, I understand that. Get over it. Hell, get over yourself. Is it me, or do customer's egos just keep getting bigger and bigger?

Actually, i work for "Paris's company" too and i get alot of crap about it. Especially from people who feel they are being overcharged. "I'll be damned if i'm paying for Paris's next DUI!" and crap like that.

[hotelnpa]

What a total git. Do people show up with reservations for smoking rooms and expect to get non-smoking rooms?

This happens alot, even when they book with the hotel directly. We tell them over and over again that at the time of booking, non-smoking rooms are not available. Of course, sometimes non-smk. comes available by the time the guest arrives. But they make the reservation knowing that they are reserving a smoking room. When a non-smk. room didn't open up, some act very huffy and then even have the gull to blame us for booking the room incorrectly.

[Soulstealer]

Actually, i work for "Paris's company" too and i get alot of crap about it. Especially from people who feel they are being overcharged. "I'll be damned if i'm paying for Paris's next DUI!" and crap like that.

I thought Hilton disowned her or something and that she makes her money by appearing in clubs now.

[Evil Queen]

I don't understand why no one will put a little note under the comments line requesting what kind of room they want. Some of the online booking sites will only book rooms in one type; at my hotel it's Smoking. Others will be non-smoking booking types only.

What pisses me off is when people get the uber price for a single bed room and want to upgrade to a room with two or three beds in it for free. I mean, come on, my hotel doens't play that game so don't bitch to me when you're informed that you have to be charged an additional $20 a night. You're paying for the extra spoace and it's STILL a lot cheaper then if you had just walked in.

[thehippie777]

I thought Hilton disowned her or something and that she makes her money by appearing in clubs now.

Sadly, I even had to explain this to my new guy: Paris was left out of her grandfather's will. Her parents were not, however, and I bet she is still in their will. btw, her uncle "runs" the company.

What everyone has said about smoking rooms is true. And trust me, if someone is booked into a smoking but their comments "request" nonsmoking & we have one become available, nothing makes me happier when we can accomadate their "request". Funny how "request" apparently meands "demand" to the SC. sad. But, by chance this guy hadn't even mentioned it anywhere on the reservation, or at least it didn't copy over. Even if he had, we hadn't had any available...boo

[bainsidhe]

I may be wrong, but didn't he pay Expedia for the room night? Which means, he has to file a refund request with Expedia, not your hotel. And aren't reservations through Expedia non-cancellable/non-refundable? This just makes him an idiot.

And by the way, I would've loved it if you said "Sir, we've already provided the smoking room YOU reserved online. We're not part of the same franchise as xx hotel, and we can't tell you what they have available. If YOU would like to check their availability, here's the phone book". Really frosts me when people demand "favors" because they feel entitled. No doubt this is another part of "declining customer service".

[Evil Queen]

I may be wrong, but didn't he pay Expedia for the room night? Which means, he has to file a refund request with Expedia, not your hotel. And aren't reservations through Expedia non-cancellable/non-refundable? This just makes him an idiot.

You get a prize for being so smart! Have a cookie. *gives cookie*

[smileyeagle1021]

I may be wrong, but didn't he pay Expedia for the room night? Which means, he has to file a refund request with Expedia, not your hotel. And aren't reservations through Expedia non-cancellable/non-refundable? This just makes him an idiot.

:

you have actually read the small print... you are my new hero... now you have a mission to teach this trick to every sc on the planet



seriously why do people not read the small print... do they really think that they are getting a lower rate for free... no, they are paying the ability to cancel to get a lower rate (and to anyone who has taken econ classes that last sentence will actually make sense... i know it wouldn't have made sense to me last semester).

[Sliceanddice]

you know i remember from when i was booking my disney trip that most of the sites i checked said this basically
"Room suggestion- at time of check-in your prefrence will be concidered but is not a guarantee. What we have is what you will get"

[Peppergirl]

When my customers bitch that they can get X hotel at 99.00 on hotels.com or whatever, and in my system it's charging 109.00, this is what I tell them:

You can pay 99.00 per night through whatever online booking tool you found and pay up front with no cancellations allowed, or you can pay 109.00 and pay it when you get there. Your choice.

INVARIABLY, the ones that cheap out and decide to pre-pay online are the SAME ones that call crying that 'OMG ITS NON REFUNDABLE! Will you HELPPPPP me?'

This is usually the point in which the mute button gets pressed and I point and laugh.

[marasbaras]

$10 per night for flexibility while I'm on VACATION? So worth it. I'll pay the $109 per night, please.

[smileyeagle1021]

When my customers bitch that they can get X hotel at 99.00 on hotels.com or whatever, and in my system it's charging 109.00, this is what I tell them:

You can pay 99.00 per night through whatever online booking tool you found and pay up front with no cancellations allowed, or you can pay 109.00 and pay it when you get there. Your choice.

INVARIABLY, the ones that cheap out and decide to pre-pay online are the SAME ones that call crying that 'OMG ITS NON REFUNDABLE! Will you HELPPPPP me?'

This is usually the point in which the mute button gets pressed and I point and laugh.

you're not quite as bad as me... for the people who call me and I explain that to them and they say, oh well I guess I have to book online it's cheaper that way... I just silently pray that I'm the one who gets to tell them, sorry can't cancel or change it... you just screwed yourself, have a nice day

...though of course even though it says it clearly on the website and they called in to ask me about it still claim that there was no way they could know it was non-refundable.