So, key words that people have searched for us are "lysol," "hotel blogspot", and "the shit I go through." I kid you not.
Also, it looks like 122 of our views have been from the US, 4 from Russia, 2 from Germany, and 2 from Indonesia.
Just thought that bit was interesting.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Here we go again.
So, it is that time of the month...again. Another weekend, another softball block. And that means all hell is breaking loose, in the form of not-so-civil disobedience.
We aren't totally sold out tonight, but we are pretty full, and we can only give out so many late checkouts. It's 2pm for rewards members and we aren't supposed to at all for non-rewards members, but one of my managers told me to go ahead and do a few for noon for them. So of course ONE TEAM is coming down wanting all five of the late checkouts.
I advised them to put all of their things in one room and just have that room be a late checkout so that they late checkouts didn't all go to one team, and they balked. I tried to tell them it would be the same as all of them getting late checkouts, except that other people would get a late checkout too (a way to cheat the system, sort of) and they stared at me like I was speaking Korean. I also told them it would help both them AND the desk, but they wouldn't go for it. So they'll probably tell their teammates to do a late checkout anyways, and not let the desk know, and nothing will get cleaned. Joy.
We aren't totally sold out tonight, but we are pretty full, and we can only give out so many late checkouts. It's 2pm for rewards members and we aren't supposed to at all for non-rewards members, but one of my managers told me to go ahead and do a few for noon for them. So of course ONE TEAM is coming down wanting all five of the late checkouts.
I advised them to put all of their things in one room and just have that room be a late checkout so that they late checkouts didn't all go to one team, and they balked. I tried to tell them it would be the same as all of them getting late checkouts, except that other people would get a late checkout too (a way to cheat the system, sort of) and they stared at me like I was speaking Korean. I also told them it would help both them AND the desk, but they wouldn't go for it. So they'll probably tell their teammates to do a late checkout anyways, and not let the desk know, and nothing will get cleaned. Joy.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
To Hell in a Handbasket. An Easter One.
Well, here I am, not even three hours into my shift (Sunday's are my long days when I work 12 hours, someday I'll put up a post about the shit I go through over my schedule) and I've already had a 911 call. My first one, at that.
There I was, just beginning to blog in the back office, when I hear a warning beep. Remembering my vague fire alarm training, I ran out to check the red alarm box. It read "systems all normal", along with the date and time. So I stand blinking at it thinking two bigs; first, thank god! (because I don't remember at all how to disarm that sucker), and secondly, then what beeped? Insert me doing One of those slow horror-film swivels (complete with the oh-no face.) The phone. The PHONE!
So I check the phone, and sure enough a guest called 911. After a quick call to my manager, I grabbed the cordless phone and master key and ran down the hall and banged on the door frantically (but politely) saying "front desk! Front desk, hello?" An elderly couple opens the door and says, "oh yeah, we called an ambulance. She's just having trouble breathing" (and they gesture to another older woman on the bed.) Oh, she can't breathe? Is that all? I apologized for my rushed entry and asked if I could do anything while they waited. They said no, but thank you, I told them not to hesitate to let me know if there was, and returned to the desk to wait for the EMTs, where I documented the event in our problems/complaints log and called my manager to let her know the rest of the deal.
This originally was going to be a post about how the third shift girl has had some raging hell virus for the past few weeks but won't stay home or take anything and then comes to work (where she coughs with an open mouth, touches everything, and refuses to sanitize anything or actually do any work), but then the whole 911 issue happened so it was mostly a post about that. Don't get me wrong, this girl still pisses me off by infecting us and not giving half a crap about it. My first 20 minutes after shift change were spent running around all floors trying to find some damn Lysol to spray everything with, and then wiping everything down with the Clorox wipes from the fitness center (why we have them in there but not at the desk where Disease Delilah sits on her ass all night is way beyond me.)
And I think this concludes my rant for the day! Although I still have 9 hours and some odd minutes left, so I could easily find something else to write about. Oh, and happy Easter/zombie Jesus Day to you all!
There I was, just beginning to blog in the back office, when I hear a warning beep. Remembering my vague fire alarm training, I ran out to check the red alarm box. It read "systems all normal", along with the date and time. So I stand blinking at it thinking two bigs; first, thank god! (because I don't remember at all how to disarm that sucker), and secondly, then what beeped? Insert me doing One of those slow horror-film swivels (complete with the oh-no face.) The phone. The PHONE!
So I check the phone, and sure enough a guest called 911. After a quick call to my manager, I grabbed the cordless phone and master key and ran down the hall and banged on the door frantically (but politely) saying "front desk! Front desk, hello?" An elderly couple opens the door and says, "oh yeah, we called an ambulance. She's just having trouble breathing" (and they gesture to another older woman on the bed.) Oh, she can't breathe? Is that all? I apologized for my rushed entry and asked if I could do anything while they waited. They said no, but thank you, I told them not to hesitate to let me know if there was, and returned to the desk to wait for the EMTs, where I documented the event in our problems/complaints log and called my manager to let her know the rest of the deal.
This originally was going to be a post about how the third shift girl has had some raging hell virus for the past few weeks but won't stay home or take anything and then comes to work (where she coughs with an open mouth, touches everything, and refuses to sanitize anything or actually do any work), but then the whole 911 issue happened so it was mostly a post about that. Don't get me wrong, this girl still pisses me off by infecting us and not giving half a crap about it. My first 20 minutes after shift change were spent running around all floors trying to find some damn Lysol to spray everything with, and then wiping everything down with the Clorox wipes from the fitness center (why we have them in there but not at the desk where Disease Delilah sits on her ass all night is way beyond me.)
And I think this concludes my rant for the day! Although I still have 9 hours and some odd minutes left, so I could easily find something else to write about. Oh, and happy Easter/zombie Jesus Day to you all!
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Friday, April 22, 2011
Stack your blocks up, nice and high...
One thing that kind of irks me is room blocks. For those of you who don't know, a block is a set of rooms set aside for certain events/people, such as weddings, meetings, and sporting events. Summer and spring our our busiest seasons because of blocks.
It just so happens that this April, we have the immense pleasure of having not one, but two blocks set up (each a on a different weekend), both for softball. Joy. (You can read my post about what the weekend with the first block was like here.) Of course I am used to blocks and know that they will be awful, but that doesn't mean they're any easier to handle just because they're expected.
Now, one would think, that if you were playing in a sporting event and needed quite a few rooms, you would call oh, let's say, pretty darn far in advance. Most of the teams set blocks up months ago, and the team members have been calling since. Well, about a week and a half ago I had someone who called wanting something like ten rooms, all non-smoking doubles (the most common, and quickly reserved, room), and was surprised and even a bit mad I'd say, that we only had smoking suites left. I told her we could try to work with her, and she agreed to try to come to an arrangement.
She began asking questions about rates and such, and I politely told her that I have never set up a block before, had no knowledge of how to do so, and was not authorized to do so, or even to offer her a multi-room discount, but if she called back three days later, when the girl who can and does set up blocks would be back in, she could reserve as many rooms as she'd like. This angered her slightly more, to which I said something like:
"Ma'am, I understand your need to reserve these rooms, but I cannot assist you as I do not know how. Might I suggest calling a bit sooner the next time you need a block?"
She huffed, I apologized again, and went about my day shaking my head at her procrastination for something so obviously important, and wondering why anyone would wait so long if they had known they needed so many rooms for so long, but being glad I could still help, and that everyone else had taken care of it sooner.
Until today. When someone called wanting 7-10 rooms, all two bed nonsmoking, for exactly a week from now. We have four rooms left, all smoking, all with just one bed. This displeased her, and I gently reminded this woman as well that in fact, most of the teams called months ago to secure their rooms, and we just didn't have much left, but could accommodate her with what we had left. She said she'd stay out of town.
It just so happens that this April, we have the immense pleasure of having not one, but two blocks set up (each a on a different weekend), both for softball. Joy. (You can read my post about what the weekend with the first block was like here.) Of course I am used to blocks and know that they will be awful, but that doesn't mean they're any easier to handle just because they're expected.
Now, one would think, that if you were playing in a sporting event and needed quite a few rooms, you would call oh, let's say, pretty darn far in advance. Most of the teams set blocks up months ago, and the team members have been calling since. Well, about a week and a half ago I had someone who called wanting something like ten rooms, all non-smoking doubles (the most common, and quickly reserved, room), and was surprised and even a bit mad I'd say, that we only had smoking suites left. I told her we could try to work with her, and she agreed to try to come to an arrangement.
She began asking questions about rates and such, and I politely told her that I have never set up a block before, had no knowledge of how to do so, and was not authorized to do so, or even to offer her a multi-room discount, but if she called back three days later, when the girl who can and does set up blocks would be back in, she could reserve as many rooms as she'd like. This angered her slightly more, to which I said something like:
"Ma'am, I understand your need to reserve these rooms, but I cannot assist you as I do not know how. Might I suggest calling a bit sooner the next time you need a block?"
She huffed, I apologized again, and went about my day shaking my head at her procrastination for something so obviously important, and wondering why anyone would wait so long if they had known they needed so many rooms for so long, but being glad I could still help, and that everyone else had taken care of it sooner.
Until today. When someone called wanting 7-10 rooms, all two bed nonsmoking, for exactly a week from now. We have four rooms left, all smoking, all with just one bed. This displeased her, and I gently reminded this woman as well that in fact, most of the teams called months ago to secure their rooms, and we just didn't have much left, but could accommodate her with what we had left. She said she'd stay out of town.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Late check outs and unicorns names Larry
When you work front desk at a hotel sometimes you are prompted with questions I know my last entry was about stupid questions, but sometimes you really have to wonder where these people come from. This morning as I’m going through my normal routine when I am bombarded by soccer teams wanting late check outs. I tell them that it is our policy that we can only give out three check outs per day.
I gave them there three rooms only to find out the shift before gave out three as well. In hopes that our poor housekeepers can go home sometimes today I put a stop to these late check outs. I want to know who thought it was a good idea to give late check outs in the first place. Who in the history of hotels started giving them? Because they make life hell, and if I hear “but I am an awards member” one more time someone is going to be decked. Okay, not really I would like to keep my job. BUT Let me explain some things, and make them clear: breakfast ends at 10, the pool is open at 7 and closes at 10, No you can not take home our blankets and pillows, our fire place is off because April and not snowing, LASTLY I live in Indiana not Louisiana I don’t know where or what 49 is nor do I know how to get there.
Thus sometimes working at a hotel can have its advantages. For example this morning a little girl came up to me and wanted me to meet her pet unicorn named Larry. She also drew me a picture of Larry to thank me for letting him stay here. Larry is now hanging in my cubby next to my stash of pringles. It’s the little things like that that help me get through the day.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
HOLY HELL IN A HANDBASKET.
Let me just say one thing before I get into this. I usually LOVE kids. I have a two year old niece that is my world. This does not, however, apply when I am at work.
We have 60 rooms. We are sold out tonight due to a softball tourney, and we have 146 people total in the hotel. And probably about 90 of those are kids. They do. Not. Listen. They are heathens.
They run in the halls (which I can see plainly on the cameras) and then tell me they weren't when I ask them not to.
They scream all day long, and then back talk when I tell them they need to keep it down due to noise complaints.
They use our drowning/safety devices as toys.
They put their feet on the tables, or stand on them.
They take food and drink in the pool DESPITE the three signs clearly posted and me asking them not to many times.
They stand right by my counter yelling while I am on the phone or with another guest.
They use 6 or 7 towels per person in the pool when they only need 1, forcing me to do more laundry.
And the parents/coaches?
They stand idly by and watch. And when I ask them to help me control the girls they say well it's not OURS that are doing it.
Yeah, this is my whole weekend.
We have 60 rooms. We are sold out tonight due to a softball tourney, and we have 146 people total in the hotel. And probably about 90 of those are kids. They do. Not. Listen. They are heathens.
They run in the halls (which I can see plainly on the cameras) and then tell me they weren't when I ask them not to.
They scream all day long, and then back talk when I tell them they need to keep it down due to noise complaints.
They use our drowning/safety devices as toys.
They put their feet on the tables, or stand on them.
They take food and drink in the pool DESPITE the three signs clearly posted and me asking them not to many times.
They stand right by my counter yelling while I am on the phone or with another guest.
They use 6 or 7 towels per person in the pool when they only need 1, forcing me to do more laundry.
And the parents/coaches?
They stand idly by and watch. And when I ask them to help me control the girls they say well it's not OURS that are doing it.
Yeah, this is my whole weekend.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Laundry.
Some like it hot, some like it cold, but we all do our laundry. I get the privilege of doing it at work, so go me. I normally don't mind doing the laundry, because at my hotel every shift is supposed to (although 1st hardly does any and 3rd either bitches up a storm about it or leaves it for first, so either way I'm doing the bulk of it.) But one thing I DO mind is the stains. You would honestly not believe how many I've seen and what they're made of. I've seen it all; blood, pee, grease, coffee, puke, nail polish, makeup... It's endless.
Of course I dislike all of these for various reasons (blood and pee for the ick factor, nail polish and grease because it is impossible to get out of our immaculate white sheets and towels, coffee because they could use paper towel, TP, or Kleenix to soak it up), but the one that makes me actually angry sometimes is MAKEUP. And I'm not talking a bit of eyeshadow or blush. I'm talking full on ridiculous ORANGE foundation.
(Aaah, the orange duckface. A very peculiar species indeed.)
It's flustering for two main reasons; first, WHO has skin that color? No one. It's unnatural. Two, WHY would you smear your uggo orange face all over our nice linens?! I remember when my sister and I started wearing makeup. Our towels weren't a light color or even part of a nice set, but our mom all but eviscerated us if we wiped our made-up faces on her towels. Maybe our family is the only one that cares about our towels, but to me it seems like common sense.
These are just a few I found today.
Hand towel.
Washcloth.
Of course I dislike all of these for various reasons (blood and pee for the ick factor, nail polish and grease because it is impossible to get out of our immaculate white sheets and towels, coffee because they could use paper towel, TP, or Kleenix to soak it up), but the one that makes me actually angry sometimes is MAKEUP. And I'm not talking a bit of eyeshadow or blush. I'm talking full on ridiculous ORANGE foundation.
(Aaah, the orange duckface. A very peculiar species indeed.)
It's flustering for two main reasons; first, WHO has skin that color? No one. It's unnatural. Two, WHY would you smear your uggo orange face all over our nice linens?! I remember when my sister and I started wearing makeup. Our towels weren't a light color or even part of a nice set, but our mom all but eviscerated us if we wiped our made-up faces on her towels. Maybe our family is the only one that cares about our towels, but to me it seems like common sense.
These are just a few I found today.
Hand towel.
Washcloth.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
The B-Word
Today kids I am going to talk about the dreaded b-word, bedbugs. But first let me apologize for any errors in this post as I am typing it originally on my iPod (but will edit it later.)
Every hotel at some point in time has had bedbugs; if they say they never have, they're either a new hotel or they're lying. And I imagine every hotel probably deals with them the way we do; block off that room and the surrounding ones, immediately call Orkin, and don't tell any guests (because if they aren't in that room, there's no need to make them panic.) Despite this, we always get guests wanting to know if we have or ever had had them.
This is really a tricky situation to handle. I personally tell the guests that no we do not have them and that we check the rooms regularly, but if they notice anything to let us know immediately. This usually satisfies them
I'd love to hear how my co-bloggers handle this situation, and would love for our readers to weigh in on any buggy experiences they've had.
Sorry this is a short one, but more to come soon! And be sure to check the blog comments!
Til next time.
Every hotel at some point in time has had bedbugs; if they say they never have, they're either a new hotel or they're lying. And I imagine every hotel probably deals with them the way we do; block off that room and the surrounding ones, immediately call Orkin, and don't tell any guests (because if they aren't in that room, there's no need to make them panic.) Despite this, we always get guests wanting to know if we have or ever had had them.
This is really a tricky situation to handle. I personally tell the guests that no we do not have them and that we check the rooms regularly, but if they notice anything to let us know immediately. This usually satisfies them
I'd love to hear how my co-bloggers handle this situation, and would love for our readers to weigh in on any buggy experiences they've had.
Sorry this is a short one, but more to come soon! And be sure to check the blog comments!
Til next time.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Name Craze!!!
So not to long ago I had a guest who was a foreigner and stopped by the front desk, and was looking at my name tag. Now mind you I have an extremely common name,and the guest repeated my name and was like that is such a beautiful name. He then said I want to have a daughter and name her that.
Later the man came back down and asked me if he could take a picture of my name tag to send to his wife because they really wanted to have another daughter and give her my name lol. I for real did not know what to think.
Just another crazy day in a hotel I suppose :)
Later the man came back down and asked me if he could take a picture of my name tag to send to his wife because they really wanted to have another daughter and give her my name lol. I for real did not know what to think.
Just another crazy day in a hotel I suppose :)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The “Last Night Never Happened” app
The “Last Night Never Happened” app
Just thought this was funny =]
Just thought this was funny =]
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Special people require special treatment.
Within the last few weeks I have had a series of what I call “special questions.” 2 in particular stick out in my mind.
The first one is a male who stayed here for his nieces wedding. Now keep in mind that our hotel was built with no rooms on the first floor, and that we have businesses on both sides of us.
When he walks in he insists that he has stayed here before, that he needs a room on the ground level, and that it needs a GREAT view. I explain to him the since he is checking in at 10am and our check in time is at 3pm, the only clean rooms we have are on the fourth and fifth floors. I also informed him that our hotel doesn’t have rooms on the first floor. He kind of grunted and said “well what the hell will I be looking at?” I graciously informed him that there were pretty parking lots and buildings.
I’m not sure what hotel he stayed at, but it wasn’t here. I’m also wondering what kind of uncle would want to spend most of his time looking out a hotel window instead of spending time with his family. I’m just sayin.
The second one is also a male who wants to go to the airport.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Help please? :S
-So for my first blog I had to share a story of my first day on my own after training in the hotel business. This story may make your cheeks red like mine :)
It was my very first day on my own at the first hotel I have ever worked at, and a guest came down to the front desk and asked me if I could come to his room and help him with his T.V. I said "Sure but I may not know exactly what I am doing since I just started." The guest was an older well much older gentleman and he was extremely nice. I get to his room expecting to just help him turn the channel and to my surprise the man wanted me to help him order a movie. The movie just so happened to be a porno!
I was slightly mortified but I remained calm and the guest might have seen the look on my face and replied "I just thought I'd try something different." So i was just ignoring that comment figured out how to order the movie, verbally told him and darted out as fast as my legs would move. Oh and something funny to add he was a fire victim and his insurance was paying for everything lol.
Talk about one awkward first day!
It was my very first day on my own at the first hotel I have ever worked at, and a guest came down to the front desk and asked me if I could come to his room and help him with his T.V. I said "Sure but I may not know exactly what I am doing since I just started." The guest was an older well much older gentleman and he was extremely nice. I get to his room expecting to just help him turn the channel and to my surprise the man wanted me to help him order a movie. The movie just so happened to be a porno!
I was slightly mortified but I remained calm and the guest might have seen the look on my face and replied "I just thought I'd try something different." So i was just ignoring that comment figured out how to order the movie, verbally told him and darted out as fast as my legs would move. Oh and something funny to add he was a fire victim and his insurance was paying for everything lol.
Talk about one awkward first day!
No reservation? No worries.
Like any other hotel, mine has a pool and jacuzzi spa tub. They are heated and indoors so that they can be used year round. Now, a few important things about our pool/spa:
-They have set hours. You can not swim/be in the pool room before it closes or after it opens. That's why there are set hours. They are posted on the door, and we tell you upon check-in.
-Only REGISTERED GUESTS are allowed in the pool. This is because of our insurance policy. No, you can't rent a room for three people and have ten come in and swim and leave. They can't even be in the pool room. At all. They can visit you in the lobby or your room. NOT the POOL.
-We don't rent out the pool, you have to get a room.
-ABSOLUTELY NO food or drink (AND ESPECIALLY NO SMOKING) is allowed in the pool room.
-Children need to have an adult with them, especially those that cannot swim. This is partly to keep the kids in line, but mostly because we have no lifeguard on duty. I watch the front desk, not the pool. YOU are responsible for your child, not me.
-No running. No diving.
I can't even count how many times one or all of these rules have been broken.
(I'll probably elaborate more on certain instances later on.)
-They have set hours. You can not swim/be in the pool room before it closes or after it opens. That's why there are set hours. They are posted on the door, and we tell you upon check-in.
-Only REGISTERED GUESTS are allowed in the pool. This is because of our insurance policy. No, you can't rent a room for three people and have ten come in and swim and leave. They can't even be in the pool room. At all. They can visit you in the lobby or your room. NOT the POOL.
-We don't rent out the pool, you have to get a room.
-ABSOLUTELY NO food or drink (AND ESPECIALLY NO SMOKING) is allowed in the pool room.
-Children need to have an adult with them, especially those that cannot swim. This is partly to keep the kids in line, but mostly because we have no lifeguard on duty. I watch the front desk, not the pool. YOU are responsible for your child, not me.
-No running. No diving.
I can't even count how many times one or all of these rules have been broken.
(I'll probably elaborate more on certain instances later on.)
Friday, March 18, 2011
Spoiled Housekeeper.
We have recently acquired a new housekeeper, and let's just say she is "privileged". She claims to have a husband so filthy rich that she has never had to work a day in her life. Due to that "fact", and the fact that she lives 25 minutes away from her job, I can only assume that she is working because all of the skydiving classes were booked, and, I don't know, the malls and salons in her town exploded (because why else would you be a housekeeper for fun, if you didn't have to?) That, or else the rich husband is a lie. But, I digress.
She has stated a few times that the position she REALLY wants is laundry. One problem; we already have a laundry person. So she quit. And then came back, saying she would only come back if she could do laundry (at which point she was told no, take the housekeeping position or move on. Which she did.) Well, she came back, but not without a big chip on her shoulder, which causes her to demean our laundry girl, among other nonsense (like lying to all the housekeepers and managers and just being generally two-faced.)
Tonight, her "rich" hubby decided he was going to treat her to a late late showing of a movie, and Sherri Shoulder-chip (not her real name) decided this meant she could call off for tomorrow. No, honey, sorry. We all have to work our scheduled days, that's why there is a request off sheet. When I told her this she became a little testy and began demanding answers to questions, with quite a bit of attitude. Here's a sampling:
"Are you SURE I have to come in? Because I live 25 minutes away and I want to see this movie." Yes. The manager said so.
"Well, how many rooms will I have?" I don't know, it's hard to say. We may still do walk-ins.
"Well what does it look like now?" I'm really not sure, I never work first shift, I'm not the one that sets up your task sheets.
"Well guess for me." I don't know. I've never set up your guys' lists before. I can't guess because I don't know how that works.
"Fine. When do I come in?" 9:30, the same time as always for weekends.
"Fine. See you tomorrow. Hmph." *click*
Aaaah, Housekeeper's Hell.
She has stated a few times that the position she REALLY wants is laundry. One problem; we already have a laundry person. So she quit. And then came back, saying she would only come back if she could do laundry (at which point she was told no, take the housekeeping position or move on. Which she did.) Well, she came back, but not without a big chip on her shoulder, which causes her to demean our laundry girl, among other nonsense (like lying to all the housekeepers and managers and just being generally two-faced.)
Tonight, her "rich" hubby decided he was going to treat her to a late late showing of a movie, and Sherri Shoulder-chip (not her real name) decided this meant she could call off for tomorrow. No, honey, sorry. We all have to work our scheduled days, that's why there is a request off sheet. When I told her this she became a little testy and began demanding answers to questions, with quite a bit of attitude. Here's a sampling:
"Are you SURE I have to come in? Because I live 25 minutes away and I want to see this movie." Yes. The manager said so.
"Well, how many rooms will I have?" I don't know, it's hard to say. We may still do walk-ins.
"Well what does it look like now?" I'm really not sure, I never work first shift, I'm not the one that sets up your task sheets.
"Well guess for me." I don't know. I've never set up your guys' lists before. I can't guess because I don't know how that works.
"Fine. When do I come in?" 9:30, the same time as always for weekends.
"Fine. See you tomorrow. Hmph." *click*
Aaaah, Housekeeper's Hell.
Welcome to Hell.
There are three of us.
We all live in different towns, working at different hotels.
But we all agree, sometimes working in a hotel is hell!
Follow us on the adventure. =]
We all live in different towns, working at different hotels.
But we all agree, sometimes working in a hotel is hell!
Follow us on the adventure. =]
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