Following policy=Unintellegent (Language)

[Mr Hero]

Oh Expedia how I hate you let me count the ways.

So I get an expedia reservation arrival and I get all the missing info. I then ask for a CC for incidentals and ID. This is where the suck begins. Customer asks if a debit card is fine and I tell him yes. Does he give me his debit card and ID? Oh no, that would be too easy. He calls his boss (SC) then passes his phone over to me.

SC: What's this about needing a CC? I thought it was already paid for.
Me: It was. We just need the CC for incidentals. If Guest orders a movie or makes a long distance call, we need to have a way to cover that.
SC: Do you take CC over the phone?
Me: Unfortunately we do not. Do you have access to a fax machine?
SC: No. We've never had this problem before.
Me: (Probably because your other workers who stay here provides the CC for incidentals)
SC: I'll be over in a few fucking minutes. Dumbass.

Guest: Did he say anything else?
Me: Ya, he called me a dumbass.
Guest: I apologize about that.

As I was in the middle of writing this post, I had to stop to check a lady in. SC and Guest got in line behind her.

When it was their turn, SC had said CC, but did not bring his ID. This time he was a little more understanding when I said I needed the CC and ID from the same person.

[KhirasHY]

I hate Expedia...and travelocity, and Orbitz, and all the other bastard sites out there. People want to save money, ok, I get it...but I live to see those places crash and burn some day.

If it isn't idiots, it's cheap-asses. If it isn't cheap-asses, it's lowlifes. You got a 4-star hotel, but it's selling rooms at a 2-star rate? You get 2-star guests, folks!

Sigh...

[Mr Hero]

I hate Expedia...and travelocity, and Orbitz, and all the other bastard sites out there. People want to save money, ok, I get it...but I live to see those places crash and burn some day.

If it isn't idiots, it's cheap-asses. If it isn't cheap-asses, it's lowlifes. You got a 4-star hotel, but it's selling rooms at a 2-star rate? You get 2-star guests, folks!

Sigh...

Normally I'd agree with this, but this week I checked in a very sweet, very good-looking guest. She may have only paid a 2 star rate, but she's a 5 star hottie!

[infinitemonkies]

I generally perfer it when guests book through a 3rd party site like expedia. While asshats still abound, you get fewer without ccs, and you don't have to deal with whiney hagglers.

[Boozy]

I usually book my hotels through Expedia or a similar site, because the hotels offer cheaper rates to those using online services than they do to a guest calling them directly. Until hotels decide to offer the same rates to everyone, people will continue to book online.

There are definitely 5-star customers and 2-star customers, but it has nothing to do with the rate they paid or the size of their bank accounts.

[AccountingDrone]

if I am booking my favorite hotel, I go through the choice website [it is one of the choice hotels] if I am booking any other one, I go through travelocity [generally]

I always get asked for cc/ID/car info when I check in, isn't that normal?

[smileyeagle1021]

I usually book my hotels through Expedia or a similar site, because the hotels offer cheaper rates to those using online services than they do to a guest calling them directly.

One thing to try, is after going to the website and finding out the rate there, call the hotel and see if they will match it. Most hotels will match the online rate and some will even give an extra few dollars off. Hotels much prefer that for a few reasons, one it saves the desk clerk hassle on having to deal with third party billing and second and more importantly it saves the hotel having to pay commission, and you still get your lower price, so everyone wins except the leaches at the third party website.

I always get asked for cc/ID/car info when I check in, isn't that normal?

it's extremely normal... I have yet to find a hotel that doesn't ask for at least the CC and ID, car info I don't get asked as often but it's still common.