The customer who broke the corporate's back.

[JLRodgers]

I wonder.... did the man even taste the food first? If he didn't, how did he know he even needed salt or pepper?

[Dave1982]

I wonder.... did the man even taste the food first? If he didn't, how did he know he even needed salt or pepper?

Not to in any way suggest this guy WASN'T an ass, but there are some people who can't get by without adding extra salt or pepper. My late-grandmother was like that. She LOVED salt, and added it to pretty much everything except her iced tea. And some people are so hooked on spicy food that the concept of something having actual flavor is completely foreign to them, so they HAVE to add pepper to everything.

Personally, I rarely add salt or pepper to anything. Heck, the only thing I usually add pepper to is mashed potatoes.

Anyway, the guy was clearly a freeloading asshole. I really wish companies would wake up, smell the coffee, and realize how much money people like this cost them.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

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.

Here it is!

[Dips]

From what it sounds like corporate is getting plenty of marketing bang for someone elses buck by advertising this "or your stay is free" but making the franchisees pay for it.

And since the franchisees have to pay a freaking FINE if it gets escalated to corporate, they've set it up so they make money instead of losing it when they actually have to deal with their own policy.

It's like corporate and the SCs have formed some kind of evil unbreakable alliance.

[friendofjimmyk]

Okay, so, what hotel do you work for? I am sure I can come up with all kinds of stuff to get my room refunded.

[greensinestro]

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.

He can't take a few minutes out of his time to complain right then and there about his salt and pepper, but he certainly can take a few minutes out of his time to get his full refund. You know what really gets me here? There was absolutely no proof that this asshole was even being truthful about not getting his precious salt and pepper. What's to say he really did get it with his hot meal and just threw it away afterward?

And your manager actually caved in to this guy? Now I know why it's difficult to get a hotel room at reasonable rates. Assholes like this are getting their free stays and we're making up the difference!

Do hotels keep records of these people? What's to say he doesn't come back and pull this again? If he does and you have a record of this, could your hotel refuse him a room?

Sorry...on my soapbox, but SC's like this just hit a nerve in me.

[greensinestro]

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

And it will work again the next time they visit the same hotel that they received "bad" service at. Or any place of business for that matter.

[smileyeagle1021]

Dekyrose, I think you have just confirmed why I'm glad I no longer work for that company... and terrified at the thought that our corporate offices are now stealing the worst of what y'all have to offer.

Starting last monday we started offering advanced purchase rates online
If I thought I hated advance purchase at the call center, I'm hating it even more here... had I known what a pain in the ass it was for the hotel to process the advance purchase reservations I would have NEVER made one while I was at the call center.

Oh yeah, back to the SC... a refund of the whole stay over salt and pepper... wow, how does he keep those titanium nads of his from clinking when he walks?