So many angels getting their wings thanks to my hotel.

[Mr Hero]

We have a bell at the counter and I hate it with a passion. Every time I work, I move the bell out of view because customers never know how to use it properly. They would either:

1. Ring it right when they get to the desk, not bothering to wait just a few seconds for me to come out of the back office. I have a good view on the security monitor.
2. The above, but would ring it multiple times.
3. Wait a few seconds, and while there is audible shuffling as in closing my DS and helping the guest, they ring it while I'm halfway out of the office.

The only bell I want to hear right now is Leene's Bell on my DS

[MaggieTheCat]

Go go Chrono Trigger!

[thehippie777]

We have no bells. We are not allowed to really ever leave the desk area unattended. Bathroom breaks should literally be maybe 30 seconds. It's easier for the evening shift in that there are usually two people on, but the night shift can often be another story.

Instead of a bell, though, if I am not to the desk (let's say I was grabbing someting around the corner or in the pantry getting something really quick) people seem to think it is wise to scream down the the hallway from the lobby. I had to make myself a sign that says I will be right back if I ever have to leave the desk for a moment. Perhaps you could make a small sign that says, "Please ring once," as if people would read, but you never know.

[smileyeagle1021]

oh, how I hate the bell... especially when I put the "back in 5 minutes" sign up to use the bathroom... without fail I'll be in the bathroom and hear *ding* pause *ding* pause...

Good God people, what part of back in 5 minutes was unclear... and as soon as I hear that bell ringing I make sure to take extra time washing my hands... wouldn't want to miss anything and have a guest get sick because of it

[jerkface11]

I've stayed up late the last 2 nights playing chrono trigger too. That was the best game ever for SNES.

[Horsetuna]

I dont think I'd respond to the bell. With four parrots, each with bells in their cages, we've winged a legion of angels, and I've learned to not respond to the bell ringing.

[hotelnpa]

We don't have bells at my current hotel. When I need to go to the restroom or retreive something for a guest, I put a sign up indicating that I am away from the desk and will return shortly.

Of course that doesn't stop guests from being SC's. I'll leave the desk for maybe one minute and the huffing and puffing begins when I come back. I mean, desk clerks are human too. We do have to use the restroom from time to time! Also we have to attend to guests who need extra towels (even after politely asking for them to come to the front desk to get them), guests who don't know how to use remotes and want you to come down to show them, having to deal with loud guests, and in case of night audit/early mornings, setting the breakfast up.

At my former hotel, we had a bell at the desk. I hated that bell! I took it of the counter when I worked because some people just liked to ring it. This one SC even rung the bell as I was finishing up a phone reservation with a guest!

[Belari]

I once left the Deli unattended for literally 60 seconds. I ran to the bathroom at the other end of the store to tinkle, then was going to run right back. It never takes me more than 2 minutes. So I'm sitting on the toilet and I hear a page "M to the deli for customer assistance please." I'm thinking "Holy crap, within 60 seconds somebody came up and was impatient enough to find an employee to page me?? It must have taken 45 seconds just to get the page sent out. Meaning the second I walked away, somebody started fuming over the absence of a meat-slicing-slave. So I took an extra minute or two washing my hands. Two more pages were called for me during the next 2 minutes. As I "hurried" back to the Deli the lady yells "Well NEVERMIND NOW!" and huffed off. My manager was pissed but I explained that I had to wash my hands really well

[AriRashkae]

My grandmother uses one of those wireless doorbells for when she wants us to come upstairs. Unfortunately, it's always something stupid, like "The TV's broken." (No, you just didn't put it on the right channel. I know, because I did put it on the right channe;, and there's your show) and not anything important like "I need a drink/headache pills/help with the commode." Those requests she'll wait for us to do a random check, or she'll summon us up at 5 minute intervals for one thing at a time. (no, it's not senility.)

I swear, I flinch whenever I hear anything remotely similar to it now.

[Jay 2K Winger]

This thread pretty much gives the perfect explanation for why we will NEVER put one of those damned bells at our store's food court counter.

SC: "You guys should put a bell in."
Us: "Never gonna happen."
SC: "Why not?"
Us: "Because for every sane person who uses it properly, there'll be about eighty bajillion kids who'll bang that thing just to hear it go 'ding.'"
SC: "Ohhhh."