The customer who broke the corporate's back.

[dekydrose]

AKA Salt and Pepper Man.

Call escalated since the agent did not feel one night's room and tax was warranted. The powers that be had a very strict we will resolve all service/quality calls on the first contact to our office with up to one night's room and tax. Regardless of whether or not it was warranted. This is the guest who helped change that since I threw a hissy fit afterwards and made enough of a stink that we can now refund up to one night's room and tax IF WARRANTED.

Me: Good afternoon this is dekydrose, I understand I'm speaking with Mr. Entitlementwhorewhoistoocheaptopayfullpriceforhish otelroom?

SC: Yes. And dekydrose, I am not happy. I am not happy with the hotel. I am not happy with the customer service your office has provided me. In fact, this has ruined my day. No one seems to want to make this matter right. You have signs in your rooms which state that if one isn't satisfied with their stay, that stay is free. I'm not satisfied with my stay and I will NOT pay for my hotel room.

Me: I certainly apologize to hear that....would you mind telling me what happened?

SC: I ordered room service as I had a lot of work to do. I stayed at this Inn Holiday on a business trip and was working on stuff that had a deadline. When room service brought me the food, I didn't look at it at first since I had work to do. When I took a break and sat down to enjoy what would have been my only hot meal of the day, I saw that they did not provide me salt or pepper shakers or packets. I was unable to eat my food and wasted my very valuable time. I demand a full refund.

Me: ....Did you call to the room service operator and let them know you needed salt and pepper?

SC: No. Did you not understand me? I don't have TIME to sit around and request people do their job right. This should have been done correctly the first time.

Me: But what was obviously a mistake on their end would have been quickly resolved if you had called, would it not? Then you could have enjoyed your meal....

SC: NO!

Me: Did you talk to management?

SC: NO! Refund my room cost!

Me: Was there any other part of your stay that was unsatisfactory?

SC: Isn't this enough?

Me: Sir, we would only issue a refund for the PART of your stay which is unsatisfactory. That's what the hospitality promise states. In this situation, I'd be happy to refund the cost of your meal as you were unable to eat it, however I'd not be able to offer a full refund.

SC: Send me on up the chain then. I will not stop until I get what I want.

I had already escalated several calls this week. I asked the guest to hold to see if there was anything further that could be done, turned to my supervisor and gave her a run-down of the situation. She told me I had to refund his full room and tax. I argued. I pleaded. All to no avail. I returned to the asshat and gave him his full night back. Invoiced to the hotel. And I hated myself for a long time. =/.

[dekydrose]

I should also mention that whenever a guest calls us regarding s/q issues...the hotel gets automatically fined $150.00. Basically, this hotel was charged $300.00 over friggin' salt and pepper.

[Mr Hero]

Sounds like the hotel needs to terminate its contract with your company. No offense. Petty crap like this could build up to quite a bit for the hotels.

[mattm04]

I should also mention that whenever a guest calls us regarding s/q issues...the hotel gets automatically fined $150.00. Basically, this hotel was charged $300.00 over friggin' salt and pepper.

So I can get a room, make up some story, get a free room and the hotel is also out $150 from my made up story. That goes beyond spineless.

At my company they actually must verify the complaint is valid before any action is taken. such as a complaint about employee x at a certain time. First they must make sure employee X was actually working at the the time, etc.

[mikoyan29]

His time is so valuable that he can't take roughly 5 minutes or so to get it right? Sounds like he needs the answer that they give on Crank Yankers...He should have done it sooner.

[thehippie777]

Yeah...um. Wow. No. It would have taken him 30 seconds to order salt & pepper, then continued his work like usual. Grrr, and I was trying to tell my new guy that honeslty people bitch about the most mundane crap!

[Dave1982]

Hold on a second....."fined $150?" How can the hotel be fined like that? How does that work?

[Dips]

Hold on a second....."fined $150?" How can the hotel be fined like that? How does that work?

I'm guessing it's in the franchise contract they agreed to?

Not much they can do about it except renegotiate or choose not to renew it when it expires.

That's horrible, though. I'd never agree to such a thing.

[Dave1982]

Yeah, but who pays the fine, and to whom? That's what i don't get.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

Hotels are probably required to remit the fine to their corporate offices and take a $150 hit on their operating budget.

[tropicsgoddess]

Wow....they really should tighten up that policy more. I can understand if it was because of a dirty room, bad service to get the entire amount refunded, but for not having salt and pepper shakers for his meal?!! WTF? Irv, where's your "that's stupid" head explosion smiley? This really calls for it.

[depechemodefan]

SC: I ordered room service as I had a lot of work to do. I stayed at this Inn Holiday on a business trip and was working on stuff that had a deadline. When room service brought me the food, I didn't look at it at first since I had work to do. When I took a break and sat down to enjoy what would have been my only hot meal of the day, I saw that they did not provide me salt or pepper shakers or packets. I was unable to eat my food and wasted my very valuable time. I demand a full refund.

I'm surprised he didn't complain his food got cold because he was busy. That he shouldn't have to eat cold food so he needed a refund.
But salt and pepper? Maybe if he called the kitchen 3 times and no one came up at all, and he waited an hour, he has reason to be grouchy, but not to get a free night.

[jjllbb]

What I don't get is all these hotel stories where the guest is SO unhappy with their rooms/experiences yet they continue to stay the night anyway despite the fact that they have plenty of time to leave!

If he didn't like the experience he could have gone somewhere else. And he's too busy to eat but he's not too busy to complain to everyone and their brother to get his room comped?

These people just want to stay for free and know they can get it.

[RootedPhoenix]

These people just want to stay for free and know they can get it.

That's exactly it. They know they can do this. They know it will work.

[Reyneth]

So he would have had the time to eat but didn't have the time to call ask for salt and pepper? Even if he ate while he worked, he wouldn't have gotten as much work done. He certainly had the time for a phone call.

Sounds like he didn't plan his time well enough. Sad that it hurts the hotel so dearly for his irresponsibility. And I hope they didn't come down on the kitchen worker for it.