No, you don't get government rate!!

[Stid]

Other then two current managers in my home area, we have a good batch. Now lets hope they don't screw it up and move em around again. Have you seen some of my posts?

I've seen a couple, but not a whole lot, I'll check them out as I have time.

[AmethystSquirrel]

Just today I had a guy who reserved his room at the normal rate of 129+tax. Essentially this is an agreement to that rate. He got to the hotel & wanted a cheaper rate...of course...

Actually many times I have made reservations and forgotten to ask for a discount. You shouldn't flame someone who is trying to save a few dollars.

How many times do I have to tell these rip off artists that you have to directly be employed by the government AND on active business for them in order to recieve that rate. You CAN NOT be on vacation but by chance work for the government normally. I do not care if you have an ID, you just told me you were on vacation!!

No offense, but if you can only get a government rate when on 'active" assignment, Why does Disney have a military and government rate? Or Busch Gardens or Sea World etc... They seem like vacation spots. And usually hotels don't demand to know if you are actively working to stay or on vacation. They are happy that people are in their hotel and paying the salaries of the workers.

[Broomjockey]

No offense, but if you can only get a government rate when on 'active" assignment, Why does Disney have a military and government rate? Or Busch Gardens or Sea World etc...

No offense, but if this is the hotel's policy as she's had it explained to her, why does it matter what other businesses do?

[AmethystSquirrel]

I have NEVER heard of a place that gives limits for goverment/military rates. So if a servicemember comes in they HAVE to show orders that they are traveling from assisnment to assignment?

[Fandangoose]

Yup, according to Title 39, Chapter 2, Section 201 - "There is established, as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, the United States Postal Service." So they would be government employees.

I worked for the Postal Service from 2002 until they closed our facility late last year.

Until 1971, it was the Post Office Department of the U.S. Government. After that, it became the U.S. Postal Service, a private company under the auspices of the U.S. Government, but, as you said, postal workers are considered to be actual government employees.

[Broomjockey]

I have NEVER heard of a place that gives limits for goverment/military rates. So if a servicemember comes in they HAVE to show orders that they are traveling from assisnment to assignment?

I've heard of it, from another member in the hotel industry. The government rate was specifically for people travelling on government business. It required either a letter sent in advance, or a government credit card, since expense reports on those are usually audited. It was a negotiated rate via contract, NOT a discount, similar to airline rates for crew.

[thehippie777]

Yup, according to Title 39, Chapter 2, Section 201 - "There is established, as an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States, the United States Postal Service." So they would be government employees.

Not according to my best friend who has worked in the post office for two years now, and ironically is also a teacher who worked for a couple years but put it on standstill so her teacher husband could finish school before she applied elsewhere...

She said she has read the information that Postal Employees can not get government rate. Also, I want to meet a postal employee on government business that is staying at a hotel. Sure, is happens....but RARELY.

Actually many times I have made reservations and forgotten to ask for a discount. You shouldn't flame someone who is trying to save a few dollars.





No offense, but if you can only get a government rate when on 'active" assignment, Why does Disney have a military and government rate? Or Busch Gardens or Sea World etc... They seem like vacation spots. And usually hotels don't demand to know if you are actively working to stay or on vacation. They are happy that people are in their hotel and paying the salaries of the workers.

I would say it's because our hotel has different owners and rules. This is what they have told us & have shown me personally the articles themselves that say so (because I have had guests upset at me for these explanations & then went on the guests' side of things).

I have NEVER heard of a place that gives limits for goverment/military rates. So if a servicemember comes in they HAVE to show orders that they are traveling from assisnment to assignment?

Because our owners say so, yes. I am generally lenient, but our govt rate & military rates are not the same, both cheaper, but not the same.

Oh & I might as well mention that up until last year our hotel didn't honor tax exempt status either. In Montana a private businesses aren't required to honor it and it had to be filed &/ or adjusted off the government's tax stuff. It was complicated & caused a lot of problems... I am glad we do it now, though.

And on another note, this post was more of a "we demand discounts" via the "government rate" excuse rather then an attack of postal workers or the like. I have guests claim government rate discount & then fess up that they have never been nor know anyone who was ever employed by the government. Fun!

[MrSmiley]

Had a conversation about this a couple weeks ago regarding some hotels (summer time, folks travelling). I should first mention that we're in Canada.

The policy that a few hotels came up with (not a law or anything) was that government rates are offered to anyone with the necessary ID but not on weekends. Government business or not doesn't matter (though generally the fancier and poolside rooms can't be booked with this rate), only the ID is needed. Military IDs fall under federal government rates. Royal Canadian Mounted Police fall under federal government rates. Provincial Government Departments have a different rate from the federal government, though in this case the hotel was setting them the same price (they do however get marked differently). Civic Government and companies/entities working for/with the government generally aren't discounted though a manager can override this for various reasons and often does (dependant on a whole lot of other things).

Federal Employees get a discounted rate and on top of that are GST (federal sales tax) exempt. Provincial Employees get a discounted rate and on top of that are PST (provincial sales tax) exempt... even if they're employees of a different province.

[hotelnpa]

I worked at an independent motel back in the late 1990's and the manager set all of the rates at a set price. Didn't matter if you had AAA, AARP, military/state govt, didn't matter, everyone was charged the same. The price was adjusted for the number of people in the room, but it was nice having just a couple of rates.

Right now I work at a national chain and we have a freaking matrix of rates. All discounted rates are strictly enforced, including AAA, AARP, and military/state govt. There are other rates too but those are the most common. So I know what you go through. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. If the person walks out of the door because of the high rate, then you lost the customer. But if give the discount to the customer without proper documentation, then you keep the customer but catch hell from the manager.

[Ironclad Alibi]

Also, I want to meet a postal employee on government business that is staying at a hotel. Sure, is happens....but RARELY.

I could introduce you to my brother. He is a technician for the US Post Office and frequently travels to another state to get training. I suspect he gets the government discount rates at the places he stays. I'll have to ask him.

When I traveled on government business, I was required to show travel orers to get the government discount. I never got a government rate when on personal travel.

[Aethian]

I could introduce you to my brother. He is a technician for the US Post Office and frequently travels to another state to get training. I suspect he gets the government discount rates at the places he stays. I'll have to ask him.

When I traveled on government business, I was required to show travel orers to get the government discount. I never got a government rate when on personal travel.

They are traveling on business... NALC union leaders travel on business to meet up with other post offices and for training and meeting about the carrier contract, managers are sent to a two week long training session if they are to become permanent, lots of reasons there.

[sirwired]

In NC, workers for the state university system are considered state employees. The universities do operate with some degree of independence from the rest of the executive branch, but they are on the state health plan, state pension system, etc.

SirWired

[protege]

Uh, let's not turn this into a teacher-bashing thread, OK? Some of our members either are teachers, or are going to become one. I don't think they'd appreciate being bashed.

Also, many teachers have to buy their own supplies. Some districts are just too damn cheap to reimburse them. As such, some of the supplies are bought out of their own pocket. But, some carry it a bit too far.

[Dips]

I've already had to delete four posts from this thread.

Some businesses choose to offer discounts as a courtesy. A courtesy is not an entitlement.

And some may choose to negotiate a discount rate by contract. A contractual obligation is bound by the rules of the contract which will differ from business to business.

Therefore each business will have different discounts and rules. Just because one hotel gives a discount to one group doesn't mean that ALL hotels have to have the exact same rules.

Let's leave the whining about the OP's discount rates to the SCs.

And what branch of government they work for (and whether it IS a branch of government) isn't what makes the OP's customers sucky. It's their entitlement mentality combined with the fact that they think the hotel's rules don't apply to them.

Let's keep this thread on track.

[infinitemonkies]

At my hotel we've got the regular rate and the discount rate.
Discount rate is $20 cheaper than regular rate, and we give it out for any reasonable excuse.
AAA? discount. Gov't employee? discount. Booked in advance? etc.

Most of the time I don't even bother with the charade and just start off with the discounted rate, then one night I had an SC get pissed off at me cause I gave her the discount without telling her. Note that the regular rates are clearly posted in about 5 different places in the lobby.