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Background: Travel agent in after-hours call center. Blah, blah, blah.
A few weeks back, I wrote about a couple of crybabies who were calling from a hotel parking lot in California, referring to it as 'shady', and refusing to be adults and go in and ask for them to cancel their reservations due to their discomfort.
Just had another one the other day, but this one wasn't scared.
He called from a town in IL, proclaiming his hotel to be 'on the other side of town from the where the office was.'
Ok. I can understand if you're in Chicago, or some other HUGE city. It would suck to have to battle rush hour traffic if you're on the opposite side of town.
This caller, however, was in a town that begins with a P, ends in an A and has 6 letters. It's certainly not the freakin' end of the world if you're on the 'opposite side of town.'
I asked him where he needed to be, and he again informed me 'near the office.' I asked where that was, and he said I should know.
*sigh*
I advised him that we at the emergency service don't know where THE office of each company is. Typically the daytime agents do, but we don't.
He sighed dramatically and advised the he would look up the address. I waited while he did this and informed him that since it was after 6pm, the hotel may not allow us to cancel without penalty. I was attempting to give him the chance to man up and just deal with it.
No such luck.
He ignored what I said and gave me the address of the office...you know - THE office, the one I should have automatically known of.
I again asked what he'd like me to do about it being after 6pm and the hotel possibly not letting me cancel.
He told me to call them and ask. Yes, while he was sitting in the parking lot.
*sigh*
This is where I got a little bit vindictive. My company would expect me to lie and advise a hotel that a guest is 'sick' or that his plane was delayed and ask if they will waive the no-show fee for cancelling after 6pm.
I won't do that. I think it's shady and unethical.
I very honestly and bluntly told the desk clerk the situation. She refused to cancel, and to be truthful - I was glad. I advised her that I would tell him and that perhaps he'd come into the hotel at this point and either stay, or discuss it with her. She was perfectly nice about refusing, and advised she understood.
I went back to him and advised they refused the waive the cancellation. The rate was nearly $100.00, so this was no small sum for this area.
I asked him if he wished to go ahead and stay, or what he wanted to do.
He told me to book the other hotel near THE office.
I again reiterated that the hotel refused the cancellation, therefore his company would eat the $100.00, plus tax. Then I looked up the hotel near THE office, which was $129.00 plus tax.
He said ok.
What a wuss.
Believe me, I documented the hell out of this record.
A few weeks back, I wrote about a couple of crybabies who were calling from a hotel parking lot in California, referring to it as 'shady', and refusing to be adults and go in and ask for them to cancel their reservations due to their discomfort.
Just had another one the other day, but this one wasn't scared.
He called from a town in IL, proclaiming his hotel to be 'on the other side of town from the where the office was.'
Ok. I can understand if you're in Chicago, or some other HUGE city. It would suck to have to battle rush hour traffic if you're on the opposite side of town.
This caller, however, was in a town that begins with a P, ends in an A and has 6 letters. It's certainly not the freakin' end of the world if you're on the 'opposite side of town.'
I asked him where he needed to be, and he again informed me 'near the office.' I asked where that was, and he said I should know.
*sigh*
I advised him that we at the emergency service don't know where THE office of each company is. Typically the daytime agents do, but we don't.
He sighed dramatically and advised the he would look up the address. I waited while he did this and informed him that since it was after 6pm, the hotel may not allow us to cancel without penalty. I was attempting to give him the chance to man up and just deal with it.
No such luck.
He ignored what I said and gave me the address of the office...you know - THE office, the one I should have automatically known of.
I again asked what he'd like me to do about it being after 6pm and the hotel possibly not letting me cancel.
He told me to call them and ask. Yes, while he was sitting in the parking lot.
*sigh*
This is where I got a little bit vindictive. My company would expect me to lie and advise a hotel that a guest is 'sick' or that his plane was delayed and ask if they will waive the no-show fee for cancelling after 6pm.
I won't do that. I think it's shady and unethical.
I very honestly and bluntly told the desk clerk the situation. She refused to cancel, and to be truthful - I was glad. I advised her that I would tell him and that perhaps he'd come into the hotel at this point and either stay, or discuss it with her. She was perfectly nice about refusing, and advised she understood.
I went back to him and advised they refused the waive the cancellation. The rate was nearly $100.00, so this was no small sum for this area.
I asked him if he wished to go ahead and stay, or what he wanted to do.
He told me to book the other hotel near THE office.
I again reiterated that the hotel refused the cancellation, therefore his company would eat the $100.00, plus tax. Then I looked up the hotel near THE office, which was $129.00 plus tax.
He said ok.
What a wuss.
Believe me, I documented the hell out of this record.
heading your way!
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