The Ghost Of Hotel Rates Past

[TruthHurts]

I get a call from a guy requesting one of our handicapped rooms for a weekend in August. I took his info and gave him the total. He tells me the total is wrong and that my boss had told him the room would be 59.00 per night.

I at this point am flabberghasted, there is not a hotel in town that will charge that little in the summertime. He insists that my boss toldhim that's how much the room costs and he will not accept anything more. I tell him my boss will call him as soon as she gets in.

She gets in and is equally shocked that someone expected a room for that rate. She calls him back, first he is ticked off that she doesn't remember him, then insists that was price she quoted him. It turns out she did give him that quote when he stopped by in Febuary. The moron never mentioned when he was checking in and assumed that the winter rate she gave him was a year round rate.

[Antisocial_Worker]

I get that a dozen times a week or more. The average American's grasp of economics is appalling, and I've said so to many a clueless guest or potential guest shocked -- shocked I tell you -- that during times of high demand for hotel rooms, the rates go up.

One woman told me that when it's busy, we should lower our rates. I remember that I did my best impression of a carp for a few moments, just dumbly opening and closing my mouth before I could finally say, "Do they even teach economics in the state where you're from?!"

She didn't appreciate that.

Another guest, a man, thought he'd take a high tone when complaining that the rates were, of all things, high during tourist season.

"I guess it's legal," he said snottily, "But I'm not so sure about the ethics of it."

By this point I was pointedly attending to more important things, such as shuffling paperwork. I said dismissively, "It's not as much about ethics as it is about economics, your room is up these stairs here."

[One-Fang]

Turn it back on them. "The rates are not high in tourist season, they are what they are. When it's quiet we will reduce the rates to encourage bookings." That is, we don't inflate over summer, we deflate over winter.

[chainedbarista]

this person has never heard of comparative rates...you'd think they'd have learned by watching the gas prices in their area. of course, that requires them to actually worry about something outside their own little galaxy.