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In the last 27 hours, I've had 5 attempted scams.
Background: Generally speaking, I never confirm a requested price match. If it's something reasonable, I'll accept your claim at face value. If it's not even in the ballpark, I'll send you on your way.
Disclaimer: For the purpose of this post, someone really stupid asking for a huge discount is considered a scam attempt.
1. Saturday Night. It's insanely busy, we're sold out. Young woman comes in, claiming to be on housekeeping staff, said "her boss" ok'd her to get a room at a 50% off staff discount.
First of all, only the manager can ok staff discounts, it must be arranged in advance, and it's never granted on a Friday/Saturday night.
I've never seen this girl, her name isn't on the schedule, and when asked, she claimed she didn't know her immediate superior's name.
I told her shes a very bad liar, and even if we had a room I wouldn't rent it to her.
2. Saturday night, still sold out. Very attractive woman of about 20 comes in with a really sketchy, very sleezy looking guy of about 45. Everything about her screams "high-end prostitute" except for the fact that the guy doesn't look like he's got 2 dimes to rub together. Also, professional escorts generally don't walk into a hotel lobby and try to book a room while the client is with them.
Anyway, she says she's a very good 'friend' of the owner's brother, who told her he would comp her a room. To her credit, she actually did know his name. I told her to get him to call in and confirm it, but do so at another location, as I'm sold out anyway.
3. Sunday night, several rooms available. Base prices range from $140 a night up to $200. Family comes in, wants to know if we'll price match <rather nice local hostel that caters mostly to European students backpacking across Canada.> She says they're advertising rooms for $40. I tell her to take it, as that's about $100 less than the best rate I'll give her.
4. Sunday night, about an hour later. Young guy, foreign accent, backpacking comes in. Says the hostel is sold out, could I match their rates and give him a room for $40? I tell him there's no way I can give him a room for 75% off, and if the hostel is full, there's absolutely zero chance of finding a room in this town for under $100. He asks me to call him a cab, and heads on his way.
Out of curiosity, I call up the hostel and ask about thier rates and availability. The rather pleasant young woman working the night shift informs me that they are NOT sold out, that private rooms start at $86/night. I tell her about the price matches I was asked to do. She has a good laugh, and tells me for $40, you can get a bed in a room shared with 3 other people, or for $28 you can get a cot in a big open dorm with about 30 other people.
She also tells me backpacking foreign guy was in fact there, and had to be turned away becuase he couldn't afford even the $28. Makes me wonder how he was planning to pay for a room even if I had offered it to him for $40. I also wonder where exactly he asked the cab to take him, and how he plans to pay for that. My bet is he stiffs the cabby.
5. The best for last. Still Sunday night, still have a few rooms left, it's about 3am at this point. Guy comes in, wants a room, says he has a gift certificate.
Upon examining his wrinkled, torn, dirty sheet of paper, I tell him I cannot honor it for the following reasons:
A.) It's dated September, 2003. That's not actually one of the reasons I won't honor it, just thought it deserves mentioning.
B.) All valid gift certificates are only valid at the location where they were purchased. This one doesn't have an address listed at all.
C.) All valid gift certificates are signed by the location manager, this one isn't signed at all.
D.) Last and most important, despite obvious, deliberate efforts to render it illegible, this still very clearly states that it is in fact a receipt for a gift certificate purchase, from 6 years ago.
Background: Generally speaking, I never confirm a requested price match. If it's something reasonable, I'll accept your claim at face value. If it's not even in the ballpark, I'll send you on your way.
Disclaimer: For the purpose of this post, someone really stupid asking for a huge discount is considered a scam attempt.
1. Saturday Night. It's insanely busy, we're sold out. Young woman comes in, claiming to be on housekeeping staff, said "her boss" ok'd her to get a room at a 50% off staff discount.
First of all, only the manager can ok staff discounts, it must be arranged in advance, and it's never granted on a Friday/Saturday night.
I've never seen this girl, her name isn't on the schedule, and when asked, she claimed she didn't know her immediate superior's name.
I told her shes a very bad liar, and even if we had a room I wouldn't rent it to her.
2. Saturday night, still sold out. Very attractive woman of about 20 comes in with a really sketchy, very sleezy looking guy of about 45. Everything about her screams "high-end prostitute" except for the fact that the guy doesn't look like he's got 2 dimes to rub together. Also, professional escorts generally don't walk into a hotel lobby and try to book a room while the client is with them.
Anyway, she says she's a very good 'friend' of the owner's brother, who told her he would comp her a room. To her credit, she actually did know his name. I told her to get him to call in and confirm it, but do so at another location, as I'm sold out anyway.
3. Sunday night, several rooms available. Base prices range from $140 a night up to $200. Family comes in, wants to know if we'll price match <rather nice local hostel that caters mostly to European students backpacking across Canada.> She says they're advertising rooms for $40. I tell her to take it, as that's about $100 less than the best rate I'll give her.
4. Sunday night, about an hour later. Young guy, foreign accent, backpacking comes in. Says the hostel is sold out, could I match their rates and give him a room for $40? I tell him there's no way I can give him a room for 75% off, and if the hostel is full, there's absolutely zero chance of finding a room in this town for under $100. He asks me to call him a cab, and heads on his way.
Out of curiosity, I call up the hostel and ask about thier rates and availability. The rather pleasant young woman working the night shift informs me that they are NOT sold out, that private rooms start at $86/night. I tell her about the price matches I was asked to do. She has a good laugh, and tells me for $40, you can get a bed in a room shared with 3 other people, or for $28 you can get a cot in a big open dorm with about 30 other people.
She also tells me backpacking foreign guy was in fact there, and had to be turned away becuase he couldn't afford even the $28. Makes me wonder how he was planning to pay for a room even if I had offered it to him for $40. I also wonder where exactly he asked the cab to take him, and how he plans to pay for that. My bet is he stiffs the cabby.
5. The best for last. Still Sunday night, still have a few rooms left, it's about 3am at this point. Guy comes in, wants a room, says he has a gift certificate.
Upon examining his wrinkled, torn, dirty sheet of paper, I tell him I cannot honor it for the following reasons:
A.) It's dated September, 2003. That's not actually one of the reasons I won't honor it, just thought it deserves mentioning.
B.) All valid gift certificates are only valid at the location where they were purchased. This one doesn't have an address listed at all.
C.) All valid gift certificates are signed by the location manager, this one isn't signed at all.
D.) Last and most important, despite obvious, deliberate efforts to render it illegible, this still very clearly states that it is in fact a receipt for a gift certificate purchase, from 6 years ago.
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