I didn't think this happened in real life.(gets ranty)

[Mr Hero]

I was reminded of an obscure show on the net called Nametags. Based on CC3's stories, I'm sure it's an accurate portrayal of what goes on in gamestores. In one episode, the main character, tells a caller that they are out of Wiis. After he hangs up, a guy in line the whole time asks Jared, "so do you have any Wiis?"

Only in my situation I told the caller that we are sold out for tonight. Only to have the lady who was at the desk the whole time to ask if we still had rooms available.

Lucky for my sanity's sake, The same situation happened again later, but this time the girl asked if she heard right when I said we were sold out. Sadly yes, but at least she wasn't dumb about it.

I just needed to rant. I figured I'd have an easy day since I didn't have to deal with walk-ins since we were sold out as soon as I got there. Didn't stop them from either calling or walking in non stop to find out if we had rooms.

[DemoDiva]

Remember in Empire Records, when Mark picks up the phone during a rush and says, "Empire Records, open 'til Midnight." pause. "...MIDNIGHT."

This seriously happened to me. Since a huge amount of the calls we got at the ice cream shop I worked at in high school were about when we closed, the managers issued an executive decision that we would add our closing times to the end of our schpiel when we answered the phone.

"I Scream, open 'til Midnight, this is DemoDiva, how can I help you?" pause. "...We close at midnight."

[Jack]

As a bit of a devil's advocate, I often deliberately avoid paying attention to another person's phone call when I'm standing nearby for some reason. Possibly this is what was happening. I think that I would have noticed talk about room availability, though, because it would be relevant, kind of like how anyone can hear their own name in a crowded room.

[bhskittykatt]

This happens to me frequently, though the person in front of me usually asks who in town still has rooms left.

[infinitemonkies]

Until I started working nights at a hotel, I'd always assumed that people locking themselves out of their room clad in only their underwear (or even less) was a cliche that only ever happened in sitcoms.

After nearly 2 years on the job, I've seen it happen at least once a month. And it's never, ever, an attractive woman.

[EvilEmpryss]

I think some of the SCs are hoping that you're lying to the person on the phone just so you can get off and get back to servicing them.

[HawaiianShirts]

I figured I'd have an easy day since I didn't have to deal with walk-ins since we were sold out as soon as I got there. Didn't stop them from either calling or walking in non stop to find out if we had rooms.

The calls I understand, but don't you, like so many other places of lodging, have one of those Vacancy / No Vacancy signs out front? Wouldn't that be a huge freakin' clue regarding the availability of rooms for some of your walk-ins?

[Ashaela]

Remember in Empire Records, when Mark picks up the phone during a rush and says, "Empire Records, open 'til Midnight." pause. "...MIDNIGHT."

This happens to me frequently - say, six/eight times a day.

"Texas Medical Board, this is Angela."

"Who's this?"
-or-
"What's your name?"
-or- (worst of all)
"Yeah, is this (blank) hospital/doctor's office/radiology group/etc?"

[Mr Hero]

The calls I understand, but don't you, like so many other places of lodging, have one of those Vacancy / No Vacancy signs out front? Wouldn't that be a huge freakin' clue regarding the availability of rooms for some of your walk-ins?

Nope, we don't have one of those signs.

[bhskittykatt]

The calls I understand, but don't you, like so many other places of lodging, have one of those Vacancy / No Vacancy signs out front? Wouldn't that be a huge freakin' clue regarding the availability of rooms for some of your walk-ins?

My location doesn't have one, either. Corporate wants us to "interact" with the customer and have us tell them in person that we're sold out. Corporate wants us to call around and find a room for the customer elsewhere if we don't have one. (Of course, when we're super busy and the closest room is over an hour away, that's never good enough. I wish I could have Corporate themselves deal with people on those nights, and then say we can't have a vacancy sign!)

[Jay 2K Winger]

Oy. I know this feeling. My standard greeting at the wholesale club doesn't include our club hours, because before you even get to speak to a live person, the recording starts by telling you what the store's hours are. Heck, the first option on the machine even says "For our location and club hours, dial 1."

And yet I still get people who call us, and all they want to know is, "What time do you close tonight?"

Stab.

[infinitemonkies]

The calls I understand, but don't you, like so many other places of lodging, have one of those Vacancy / No Vacancy signs out front? Wouldn't that be a huge freakin' clue regarding the availability of rooms for some of your walk-ins?

ROFL!
Just like like having the lights off, doors locked, and a big highly visible closed sign will keep SCs from pounding on the door at other business?
Or the '10 items or less' sign means no one ever takes a cart full or groceries through the express line?


If the no vacancy sign is on, I'll get a minimum of 5 "Do you have any vacancies?" every hour, all night long. At least 3 of those SCs per night will argue "But your vacancy sign is on!"
Yeah, and right in front of it is a giant flashing bright red neon 'NO' sign, but, if you were the sort of person who could put two and two together, you'd have made reservations, or least gotten a room BEFORE you went out partying for 7 hours.

[smileyeagle1021]

After nearly 2 years on the job, I've seen it happen at least once a month. And it's never, ever, an attractive woman.

Have you at least had an attractive man do it

(I have )

Oy. I know this feeling. My standard greeting at the wholesale club doesn't include our club hours, because before you even get to speak to a live person, the recording starts by telling you what the store's hours are. Heck, the first option on the machine even says "For our location and club hours, dial 1."

And yet I still get people who call us, and all they want to know is, "What time do you close tonight?"

Stab.

And half of them are relay calls with a deaf person who has an irrational parania of automated systems and absolutely must get a live person on the line to give them the information they refused to allow me to relay because it was from the automated menu...

[ravevolution]

I work at a autocenter . . .ye know selling tires, batteries, vehicle maintenance, etc.

And we get calls all the time about what time we close. People don't seem to realize that things of such nature cannot be done in 5 mins, especially if we have a busy day and are just finishing up vehicles for the day for customers to get them taken care of and cashed out.

Though we do get those callers show up but show up hours before we close (they have the right mind to know a tire change or anything else is going to take sometime) though we do get the guy/gal who shows up 5 mins before we close or right when we have closed and locked the doors needing a flat tire to be fixed or something more like a brake job. The flat tires we may bring in, anything more we usually tell them to come back tomorrow. If we already closed the doors and we are busy doing our closing paper work. . . sorry your SOL Next time plan ahead.

[infinitemonkies]

A few actually. One was a UFC guy from Nanaimo who went to the vending machine sans room key or any clothing at all. Comes up to the front desk trying unsuccessfully to cover himself with a bag of doritos.
I don't swing that way myself, but I'm comfortable enough to say he was a good looking guy, in fantastic shape, and covered in some really awesome tattoos.
Also, I guess Sleepy McPantsless was cute in a skinny geek chic kinda way.

But those are exceptions to the rule that it's usually fat, hairy, elderly drunks of either sex.