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You can tell people, but sometimes they just don't listen. About 3 years ago when I was working at the Service Inn I had a customer come in in the early afternoon. We had the rates on a little plastic card sitting on the front desk. This was officially against corporate policy, but it made it so much easier just to point at the card rather than haggle over the price.
Well she said that when she had visited with us previously, the rate had been much lower. This is true. The rate on the card was the "rack rate", or the non-discount rate of the day. AAA, AARP, and preferred customers always got lower rates. The businessmen who stayed with us every week got super low rates, their preferred rooms, late checkouts, and we even occasionally had cook-outs and other activities for them. This is because they were the bread-and-butter of our business.
I offered to look up her previous reservations and see what I could do about the rate - this is easy because I only needed her name. And I could offer her $15 off easy before I get to a rate that is too low for comfort. She is happy - until I ask for her I.D.
"I just want a room, I don't want to DATE you!" she angrily exclaims. I fix her with the Steely Eye Glare(TM) and lean back and point to the plaque behind the desk that states "Deep South State law requires positive I.D. for all hotel customers." Pointing stops arguments. There is a sign, there is a law, and although I may not agree with it I can certainly take pleasure in arbitrarily enforcing it.
Most people would just cough up the driver's license or passport or whatever but she's gonna take a Stand Against the Man. "I don't care about that, just do your job and give me a key!"
Ouch. This is where I take a look around - sweet! No co-workers in earshot! This gives me the license to say something I Really Mean.
"Ma'am, there are a wide variety of hotels up and down this street. If you are unhappy with our policies I am sure that any of them would meet your needs."
This may have hurt her feelings but it solved my problem because she handed her license and money right over, and more importantly, she stopped talking. One might speculate that she was suddenly compliant because it was raining outside and she had no car, or that she had already arranged to meet her trick at my hotel, but that would be slanderous. What's important is that she didn't complain to my boss or corporate, which means another satisfied customer thanks to Salesmonkey.
Well she said that when she had visited with us previously, the rate had been much lower. This is true. The rate on the card was the "rack rate", or the non-discount rate of the day. AAA, AARP, and preferred customers always got lower rates. The businessmen who stayed with us every week got super low rates, their preferred rooms, late checkouts, and we even occasionally had cook-outs and other activities for them. This is because they were the bread-and-butter of our business.
I offered to look up her previous reservations and see what I could do about the rate - this is easy because I only needed her name. And I could offer her $15 off easy before I get to a rate that is too low for comfort. She is happy - until I ask for her I.D.
"I just want a room, I don't want to DATE you!" she angrily exclaims. I fix her with the Steely Eye Glare(TM) and lean back and point to the plaque behind the desk that states "Deep South State law requires positive I.D. for all hotel customers." Pointing stops arguments. There is a sign, there is a law, and although I may not agree with it I can certainly take pleasure in arbitrarily enforcing it.
Most people would just cough up the driver's license or passport or whatever but she's gonna take a Stand Against the Man. "I don't care about that, just do your job and give me a key!"
Ouch. This is where I take a look around - sweet! No co-workers in earshot! This gives me the license to say something I Really Mean.
"Ma'am, there are a wide variety of hotels up and down this street. If you are unhappy with our policies I am sure that any of them would meet your needs."
This may have hurt her feelings but it solved my problem because she handed her license and money right over, and more importantly, she stopped talking. One might speculate that she was suddenly compliant because it was raining outside and she had no car, or that she had already arranged to meet her trick at my hotel, but that would be slanderous. What's important is that she didn't complain to my boss or corporate, which means another satisfied customer thanks to Salesmonkey.
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