Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Family of the year award

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Family of the year award

    Oh, this night has been a clusterfuck, and that's putting it nicely.
    I was called in 2 hours early. Within 15 minutes of me coming in I get a phone call.

    SC: Connect me to (guest) immediately.
    Me: okay, one second while I transfer you.

    seems normal enough.
    two minutes later
    SC: They aren't answering their phone, give me their room number, it's an emergency.
    Me: I'm sorry, we are not permitted to give out room numbers, if you would like I can go check the room.
    I place him on hold, go knock on the door, no answer, I walk around to outside, look in the window, no lights are on and nothing looks amiss, looks like no one is in the room. I go back and talk to the guy on the phone.
    Me: It looks like the room is empty.
    SC: did you go into the room?
    Me: No, unless the guest authorizes it, or I have been instructed by law enforcement or fire or medical emergency personel, I cannot enter a room.
    SC: well, how do you know everything is alright if you don't go inside.
    Me: unfortunately I can't, however, those are the rules that corporate has set that I must follow.
    SC: fine, I'll just call the police then.
    Me: If you feel that is necassary then I suggest you do, unfortunately at this point without being instructed by law enforcement, there is nothing more I can do.

    He hangs up, I expect that this is done.
    Nope.
    About 20 minutes later this guy shows up who's obviously pissed... now at this time Delta is cancelling flights, so I just assume that it's a guy from Delta... oh no... no, God is not that kind.

    SC: Yeah, I need to know what room (name) is in. She's kidnapped my daughter and I know she's here.
    Me: I'm sorry sir, but you will have to contact law enforcement.
    SC: Don't you care that a child is missing.
    Me: Yes sir, it concerns me greatly, which is why I am going to go exactly by the book and ask you to contact law enforcement so that they, who have received training in exactly how to handle the situation, can handle it.
    SC: My daughter is in danger and you don't care!
    Me: Sir, as I said, I do care, but corporate rules say that I must have you report it to law enforcement, once law enforcement arrives I will provide any assistance they require, but at their direction.
    SC: Well, if you care so much, why didn't you inform law enforcement when you saw a woman with a crying child check in at around 8?
    Me: Two things, one I wasn't even here until 9, and, if I may be so blunt, if I reported every parent with a crying child the police would never leave... crying children aren't unusual after a long day of travel. If what you say is true, the person who has your daughter knows this and knows that an upset child is not out of the ordinary at an airport hotel, and makes it even more important for you to contact law enforcement so that the trained professionals can handle this.
    SC: Fine, but I hope you appreciate having the FBI and SWAT storming this place.
    Me: I personally wouldn't like to see that, but if that is what law enforcement deems to be necassary for the safety of your child I welcome it.
    SC: Why the fuck are you so adoment about not letting me handle this myself?
    Me: Because the last time a parent handled it themselves in Salt Lake, it turned out that the child was not kidnapped, the child had ran away, and the two men who had found her and were watching over her while waiting for police to arrive to take her home were found by the parents before the police arrived, the parents jumped to conclusions, attacked the two men who had found their daughter, put both of them in the hospital and one of them in a coma. I do not believe that you would do the same thing, but I am not willing to violate corporate rules knowing that may be the consequence.
    SC: Fine, be a paranoid prick. I guess we'll just have to get the police involved if you won't help us.

    Fina-bloodily... that is what I have been asking you to do from the beginning.

    Oh, but it gets better.
    15 minutes later he comes back in.
    SC: I just got a call from my wife, my daughter just showed up at home... apparently she ran away and made up the story when she called me so I wouldn't go out looking for her. She always did have a problem with that aunt that is visiting. Had you not been so paranoid though and just given me the room number and opened up the room I could have found that out 15 minutes ago.
    Me: Well, what's important is that she's safe, have a good evening.
    SC: you aren't going to apologize for being so unhelpful.
    Me: Nope. I followed corporate policy to the letter, if you have a problem with the company's policy, I suggest that you contact the corporate office, here, I have their phone number for you. *hands over card for corporate*
    SC: Oh you better believe corporate is going to here hell about this. You are the least helpful employee I've ever met.

    And he storms out.

    So lets recap, daughter runs away from home (and having met her dad, I'm not sure I blame her), blames her aunt, and her dad is adament that he doesn't want to call police, he just wants to handle it himself. I think we may have the family of the year award here.
    If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

  • #2
    "crying child"

    "ran away"

    I thought we were talking about a 6-7 year old here, not a (assuming) "child" old enough to run away and call their parents to say they were kidnapped.


    Uh. Also, you should have called 911 right then, since he was technically telling you a crime was in process
    Thou shalt not take the name of thy goddess Whiskey in vain.

    Comment


    • #3
      Whiskey, the thought had crossed my mind, but I know had it been a real crime, and I had called it in with the "hi, I've got a guy calling in saying his daughter was kidnapped", they'd tell me that I was the victim of some prank caller and leave it that... which is why I was pushing so hard to get him to call it in.
      If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

      Comment


      • #4
        Christ!

        If he tattles to your boss, he'll find a way to blame you, right?
        Last edited by Ree; 07-19-2010, 07:06 AM. Reason: Editing personal info
        "So, if you wanna put places like that outta business, just stop being so rock-chewingly stupid." ~ Raudf, 9/19/13

        Comment


        • #5
          I wonder how happy this guy would have been if you followed HIS policy of just letting anyone burst into any hotel room with only their word that a child is in there and in danger, and it was his daughter and the person bursting into the room was a stalker/rapist/serial killer/etc. with a penchant for telling believable lies.

          There are reasons why these policies are in place! Gah! What an unbelievable moron.

          I really hope corporate won't pander to that idiot if he complains.
          "You are the dumbest smart person I have ever met in my life!" Will Smith, 'I, Robot'.

          "You LOSE! Good day, sir!" Gene Wilder, 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'.

          Comment


          • #6
            aunt that is visiting = having her period, in a lot of family speak, so it may be even weirder.
            Customer "why did you answer the phone if you can't help me?"

            Comment


            • #7
              This just keeps getting stranger...
              The aunt just got arrested on drug charges
              If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

              Comment


              • #8
                Quoth smileyeagle1021 View Post
                This just keeps getting stranger...
                The aunt just got arrested on drug charges
                Sounds like the kid "ran away" to her aunt so they could party together. The aunt heard the dad in the lobby (im assuming she is staying there since you know she got arrested) or whatever so the kid bailed and went home.
                Thou shalt not take the name of thy goddess Whiskey in vain.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I should clarify, she was not arrested at the hotel... I know she was arrested because the drug unit showed up to collect her stuff.
                  And if the kid did indeed bail, it was probably before he showed up, probably about the time that the phone started ringing and she realized she was found out.
                  And I don't know the age of the kid, so it is hard to make any theories one way or the other.
                  Still... why can't any of this happen on the other guy's shift
                  If you wish to find meaning, listen to the music not the song

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    I can't even imagine the horror if this rock-for-brains was allowed to storm willie-nillie into any 'ol guest room. Can you imagine falling asleep after a long, taxing day and have some madman come tearing into the room demanding what you did with his child? This is even more alarming since I'm a single female. I have a female friend who recently stayed in a hotel with just her and her 3 year old. The idea of anyone gaining access to the room is pretty frightening.
                    A lion however, will only devour your corpse, whereas an SC is not sated until they have destroyed your soul. (Quote per infinitemonkies)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      You handled it perfectly fine. I would guess if this guy even bothers to call corporate, his complaint won't go too far.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I agree that you handled this just fine.

                        Frankly, if it was one of *my* kids that was missing, I'd have the media working with the city cops, the county cops, the state police, the FBI, homeland security, hell, even the department of transportation alerted to find my kid and bring him/her home! Someone wouldn't need to tell me twice to call them. If I thought s/he was with a good-for-nothing relative -- especially if I think I know where they're holed up -- I'd be supplying the authorities with all of the information they need to catch the person.

                        Then again, I can be reasonable. The jerk you were working with couldn't.
                        Sorry, my cow died so I don't need your bull

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          He's upset because his "child" was "kidnapped", and he thinks that you're being heartless for suggesting that he call the police? If I was stupid enough to forget the existence of the wonderful emergency number under those circumstances I would be very grateful to whoever suggested it to me.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            my guess is that he knew what was going on in the first place and just didn't want to call the police into what he thought as a family matter, and felt that lying would be easier.

                            Perhaps he even knew of the Aunt's drug issues, and didn't want to get her in trouble out of some sort of family love or something like that.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Quoth EvilEmpryss View Post
                              I agree that you handled this just fine.

                              Frankly, if it was one of *my* kids that was missing, I'd have the media working with the city cops, the county cops, the state police, the FBI, homeland security, hell, even the department of transportation alerted to find my kid and bring him/her home!
                              girl, my cat went missing and I almost called the FBI.
                              Thou shalt not take the name of thy goddess Whiskey in vain.

                              Comment

                              Working...