There's a bell tower that plays music, usually religious in nature, at every hour or so.
It was definately just playing Cumbaya.
....WHY?!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
It's been awhile..
Sorry for not updating in a few days.
I've noticed quite a disturbing trend with guests lately.
You see, they seem to think that I care about their lives.
Now, I certainly want them to have a good experience at the hotel. But that doesn't mean I need to know about your 6 blood pressure medications and whether they'll be able to get it refilled so that they can stay here for another night.
On a similar note, if I ask you to please sign by the line, feel free to look over the form and ask any questions. I don't, however, need you to tell me the names of each person that will be in each room, your reservation number, your AARP card, and your sister's college roommate's cousin's dog's name.
So the most interesting thing hotel-wise that happened since I wrote actually happened when I was off duty. Two of my friends came to visit me, and I got them a room at the Inn down the road from the hotel I work at. I stayed in my room for the night because the room at the hotel only had two twin beds.
At three in the morning I awaken to my phone ringing. I ignore it once, but then it does again so I groggily answer, in time to hear my friend state, "The inn is on fire." If you ever need an adrenaline boost, those words are very effective.
I made sure that they were safe and not hurt, then threw on some flipflops and ran over to the street near the Inn. Sure enough, there were about 6 fire trucks and 2 rescue squads on the scene. (Note: The hotel is located in a rural area, where fires aren't too common. Thus, I've noticed that if there's any sort of serious call, they bring the whole department because, well, there's nothing better for them to do.)
I decided to go down to the hotel that I work at to see if they knew any details about what was going on. When I got there, my friend, the night desk clerk, was doing homework. I asked her if she knew anything about what was going on up at the Fountain Inn. She had no clue what I was talking about. Apparently everyone had neglected to tell her.
I went back and sat with my friends. About a half hour later, a firefighter signaled that we could return to the hotel. Of course, all of the closest doors were locked, and people were barefoot because they awoke to a fire alarm and ran out without putting on shoes, so they started complaining. So, I went around and unlocked the doors, running into the woman who was working the desk at the inn in the process. She told me what had happened. Apparently someone had played with the fire extinguishers, spraying them all over the hallway, then pulled the fire alarm. the "smoke" my friends had seen was actually foam from the fire extinguishers.
I offered to watch the desk while the desk clerk went upstairs to make sure everyone was situated. She accepted, so I took a couple phone calls of people asking to move because the foam was affecting their asthma.
One of my friends was a bit upset by the whole thing and didn't really feel like sleeping in the hotel room, so I put him up on the couch in the dorm.
This whole process lasted from about 3 in the morning to about 4:30.
I've noticed quite a disturbing trend with guests lately.
You see, they seem to think that I care about their lives.
Now, I certainly want them to have a good experience at the hotel. But that doesn't mean I need to know about your 6 blood pressure medications and whether they'll be able to get it refilled so that they can stay here for another night.
On a similar note, if I ask you to please sign by the line, feel free to look over the form and ask any questions. I don't, however, need you to tell me the names of each person that will be in each room, your reservation number, your AARP card, and your sister's college roommate's cousin's dog's name.
So the most interesting thing hotel-wise that happened since I wrote actually happened when I was off duty. Two of my friends came to visit me, and I got them a room at the Inn down the road from the hotel I work at. I stayed in my room for the night because the room at the hotel only had two twin beds.
At three in the morning I awaken to my phone ringing. I ignore it once, but then it does again so I groggily answer, in time to hear my friend state, "The inn is on fire." If you ever need an adrenaline boost, those words are very effective.
I made sure that they were safe and not hurt, then threw on some flipflops and ran over to the street near the Inn. Sure enough, there were about 6 fire trucks and 2 rescue squads on the scene. (Note: The hotel is located in a rural area, where fires aren't too common. Thus, I've noticed that if there's any sort of serious call, they bring the whole department because, well, there's nothing better for them to do.)
I decided to go down to the hotel that I work at to see if they knew any details about what was going on. When I got there, my friend, the night desk clerk, was doing homework. I asked her if she knew anything about what was going on up at the Fountain Inn. She had no clue what I was talking about. Apparently everyone had neglected to tell her.
I went back and sat with my friends. About a half hour later, a firefighter signaled that we could return to the hotel. Of course, all of the closest doors were locked, and people were barefoot because they awoke to a fire alarm and ran out without putting on shoes, so they started complaining. So, I went around and unlocked the doors, running into the woman who was working the desk at the inn in the process. She told me what had happened. Apparently someone had played with the fire extinguishers, spraying them all over the hallway, then pulled the fire alarm. the "smoke" my friends had seen was actually foam from the fire extinguishers.
I offered to watch the desk while the desk clerk went upstairs to make sure everyone was situated. She accepted, so I took a couple phone calls of people asking to move because the foam was affecting their asthma.
One of my friends was a bit upset by the whole thing and didn't really feel like sleeping in the hotel room, so I put him up on the couch in the dorm.
This whole process lasted from about 3 in the morning to about 4:30.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
SERIOUSLY.... is there something in the water?
Annnnd someone totally just walked into the hotel with their dog.
I give up.
I give up.
I have no clue why it's so busy today...
....but everyone who's calling the hotel seems to have a low IQ.
Another fabulous conversation:
Me: Thank you for calling *hotel*, this is Lori, how may I help you?
Lady: Hi, I was there a few weeks ago and right near the desk there was a painting on the wall, of the gate of the community decorated for Christmas. Is there an artist's name on that painting?
Me: *checks* The artist is *name* and it's dedicated to Lucille LaSouit.
Lady: Is that L-U-C-I-L-E?
Me: L-u-c-i-l-l-e
Lady: and the last name? How do you spell that?
Me: L-a-S-o-u-i-t
Lady: L-a-s-o-i-t
Me:..... L-a-s-0-u-i-t
Lady: Oh. Right. Now, someone said that that was a local artist?
Me: I'm not sure.
Lady: Who would know more information about the painting?
Me: The Friends of the Hotel ********* would.
Lady: Who's the friend of the hotel?
Me: The Friends of the Hotel **********... it's the group that decorates the hotel.
Lady: They decorate the arch?
Me: What?
Lady: They decorate the arch in the painting?
Me: No... they furnish and decorate the hotel.
Lady: But the painting isn't of the hotel!
Me: No, but the painting is IN the hotel. It's in the hotel because the Friends of the Hotel put it there.
...... then i took her information and will pass it along ot the Friends of the Hotel... but my GOD that was a tedious conversation.
Another fabulous conversation:
Me: Thank you for calling *hotel*, this is Lori, how may I help you?
Lady: Hi, I was there a few weeks ago and right near the desk there was a painting on the wall, of the gate of the community decorated for Christmas. Is there an artist's name on that painting?
Me: *checks* The artist is *name* and it's dedicated to Lucille LaSouit.
Lady: Is that L-U-C-I-L-E?
Me: L-u-c-i-l-l-e
Lady: and the last name? How do you spell that?
Me: L-a-S-o-u-i-t
Lady: L-a-s-o-i-t
Me:..... L-a-s-0-u-i-t
Lady: Oh. Right. Now, someone said that that was a local artist?
Me: I'm not sure.
Lady: Who would know more information about the painting?
Me: The Friends of the Hotel ********* would.
Lady: Who's the friend of the hotel?
Me: The Friends of the Hotel **********... it's the group that decorates the hotel.
Lady: They decorate the arch?
Me: What?
Lady: They decorate the arch in the painting?
Me: No... they furnish and decorate the hotel.
Lady: But the painting isn't of the hotel!
Me: No, but the painting is IN the hotel. It's in the hotel because the Friends of the Hotel put it there.
...... then i took her information and will pass it along ot the Friends of the Hotel... but my GOD that was a tedious conversation.
*sigh*
So I just picked up the phone and it was a guest that's currently at the hotel.
Our conversation is as follows:
Me: Thank you for calling *Hotel Name*, This is Lori, How may I help you?
Them: Hi, can you connect me with the Johansen's room?
Me: *Looks at screen*.... Um, what was the name?
Them: Johansen. I think they're on the 3rd floor here with me.
Me:... I don't see that name here. Could it be under a different name?
Them: Um.. it might be under the name of our band, *insert name here*.
Me: I don't see that either.. Are you at the *hotel name* or are you at *other hotel down the street that's on the same phone system as us*
Them: *Hotel name*.
Me: ....ok..... I'm looking at my screen and I don't have anyone by that name here.
Them: Well I know they're here, I just was at the continental breakfast with them!
Me: I'm sorry sir, I don't even have anyone who starts with the last name J on the third floor.
Them: My name is Jones and I'm on the third floor! I'm in room 326.
-Note: due to weird phone extension issues, the hotel down the street has rooms with numbers in the 100s, 200s, and 300s, and the hotel i work in has rooms with numbers in the 400s, 500s, and 600. Which most guests just choose to ignore and call 100s, 200s, and 300s anyway.-
Me: Sir, are you in 326 or 626?
Them: 326, I just said that!
Me: Then you must be in *the other hotel*.
Them: I thought I was in *hotel*
Me: *looks at other hotel's guest list*. They're in the room next to you. 325.
Them: Oh.
*headdesk*
Edit: My friend made the point that maybe the hotels' names just sound too similar.
They don't.
One is Hotel ********** and the other is the ********** Inn, and the *******s are COMPLETELY different words.
Our conversation is as follows:
Me: Thank you for calling *Hotel Name*, This is Lori, How may I help you?
Them: Hi, can you connect me with the Johansen's room?
Me: *Looks at screen*.... Um, what was the name?
Them: Johansen. I think they're on the 3rd floor here with me.
Me:... I don't see that name here. Could it be under a different name?
Them: Um.. it might be under the name of our band, *insert name here*.
Me: I don't see that either.. Are you at the *hotel name* or are you at *other hotel down the street that's on the same phone system as us*
Them: *Hotel name*.
Me: ....ok..... I'm looking at my screen and I don't have anyone by that name here.
Them: Well I know they're here, I just was at the continental breakfast with them!
Me: I'm sorry sir, I don't even have anyone who starts with the last name J on the third floor.
Them: My name is Jones and I'm on the third floor! I'm in room 326.
-Note: due to weird phone extension issues, the hotel down the street has rooms with numbers in the 100s, 200s, and 300s, and the hotel i work in has rooms with numbers in the 400s, 500s, and 600. Which most guests just choose to ignore and call 100s, 200s, and 300s anyway.-
Me: Sir, are you in 326 or 626?
Them: 326, I just said that!
Me: Then you must be in *the other hotel*.
Them: I thought I was in *hotel*
Me: *looks at other hotel's guest list*. They're in the room next to you. 325.
Them: Oh.
*headdesk*
Edit: My friend made the point that maybe the hotels' names just sound too similar.
They don't.
One is Hotel ********** and the other is the ********** Inn, and the *******s are COMPLETELY different words.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Forgot to post this one yesterday....
Yesterday, a woman came up to me and asked if she could speak to the manager. Since the manager wasn't in, she explained her situation to me.
Apparently, she is renting a cottage in the Chautauqua community for the week, but she forgot sheets. I talked to housekeeping and they got her some. But while we were waiting, she mentioned to someone that not only had she forgotten her sheets, she had forgotten to pack any clothes.
It gets better.
She explained that she went to a mall a half hour away and purchased some clothes, but when she got back to the cottage she "realized they were all the wrong size". So now she was just going to "wash the same clothes and wear them over and over".
How does someone forget to pack clothes!? And if they were to overlook that, and they went shopping to solve the problem, how do you get the wrong size????
Later, the SAME WOMAN came up to me.
She said that her daughter had just found a 20-dollar-bill. I told her I would call security and that they would place it in the lost and found.
She then requested that "if no one claimed it in a week, can we have it?"
I just kind of looked at her... and asked if she thought it was hers.
She stated that no, it wasn't hers, but it "wouldn't be right for the Hotel to just keep it if no one claimed it" and that she was "trying to teach [her] daughter that if you do the right thing, good things happen".
Not wanting to argue with her, I had her put the $20 in an envelope and write their contact info on it, and handed it over to security, who in turn looked at me like I was crazy.
Here's hoping I don't have to come in contact with this crazy lady again.
Apparently, she is renting a cottage in the Chautauqua community for the week, but she forgot sheets. I talked to housekeeping and they got her some. But while we were waiting, she mentioned to someone that not only had she forgotten her sheets, she had forgotten to pack any clothes.
It gets better.
She explained that she went to a mall a half hour away and purchased some clothes, but when she got back to the cottage she "realized they were all the wrong size". So now she was just going to "wash the same clothes and wear them over and over".
How does someone forget to pack clothes!? And if they were to overlook that, and they went shopping to solve the problem, how do you get the wrong size????
Later, the SAME WOMAN came up to me.
She said that her daughter had just found a 20-dollar-bill. I told her I would call security and that they would place it in the lost and found.
She then requested that "if no one claimed it in a week, can we have it?"
I just kind of looked at her... and asked if she thought it was hers.
She stated that no, it wasn't hers, but it "wouldn't be right for the Hotel to just keep it if no one claimed it" and that she was "trying to teach [her] daughter that if you do the right thing, good things happen".
Not wanting to argue with her, I had her put the $20 in an envelope and write their contact info on it, and handed it over to security, who in turn looked at me like I was crazy.
Here's hoping I don't have to come in contact with this crazy lady again.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Someone just came up to the desk and asked me how to spell the word "athletic". It was a middle aged woman. She said that she and her husband had been "Trying to figure it out for a while now".
Wow.
Today started off rough when the poeple in charge of setting up continental breakfast didn't show up. I had to send them to the other hotel to get theirs, and they weren't pleased.
Then there was the woman who was sure that she was checking out of room 460. The problem is that this hotel doesn't have a room 460. I looked her up by her last name and she was actually in 620. Then she started to walk away... I had to remind her to turn in her keys.
A very kind gentleman also asked me to find out what kind of paint we use on the doorframes here. Because it was the "highest gloss he'd ever seen". So, I asked my buddy the maintenance guy, and luckily he knew.. rustoleum I think? Anyway. Bizzare request.
Now there are like 200 people here for the Sunday Brunch.. it's crazy loud here in the lobby. The good news is that there are just 3 more hours to go!
Wow.
Today started off rough when the poeple in charge of setting up continental breakfast didn't show up. I had to send them to the other hotel to get theirs, and they weren't pleased.
Then there was the woman who was sure that she was checking out of room 460. The problem is that this hotel doesn't have a room 460. I looked her up by her last name and she was actually in 620. Then she started to walk away... I had to remind her to turn in her keys.
A very kind gentleman also asked me to find out what kind of paint we use on the doorframes here. Because it was the "highest gloss he'd ever seen". So, I asked my buddy the maintenance guy, and luckily he knew.. rustoleum I think? Anyway. Bizzare request.
Now there are like 200 people here for the Sunday Brunch.. it's crazy loud here in the lobby. The good news is that there are just 3 more hours to go!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Most unnerving, uncomfortable conversation yet
A woman just came up to the desk and asked me if the Chautauqua was a Christian community. I responded in the affirmative. She then asked since that was the case, why did we have "those Buddhist, Hindu-like pictures up on the walls". She went on to say that they were very offensive to her.
I asked her to show me the pictures she was talking about, severely suspicious because a) this is a Christian community, b) no one has ever mentioned pictures of that nature, and c) I had certainly never seen them.
She walked me over to a print on the wall. I looked at it for a moment...
me:"I think that's actually a picture of the Virgin Mary."
her: "....oh. So this is a Catholic place then?"
me: "No, it has Methodist ties".
her: "Well, that's worshipping Mary instead of God... it really shouldn't be up there."
me:..."I see."
I then explained that the chautauqua community does try to be accepting of other cultures and religions, citing our upcoming interfaith series seminars. She asked if I "was a part of that movement".
I replied that I did not feel comfortable speaking on behalf of the entire community. She then asked if I was Methodist. I replied in the negative.
She then asked what I was.
Now, I have had an evolving relationship with my spiritual side and religious beliefs for quite some time now. I was raised in a pretty progressive Catholic Church (Not an oxymoron, but I'd understand why one would think it was). I have, however, from an early age, suffered from the fact that I tend to be a logical, analytical sort of person. This has caused me to repeatedly re-evaluate where I stand religiously. I certainly feel that my Catholic upbringing was very helpful in instilling values of social justice and compassion. However, I felt that many of the aspects of the Church's doctrine were incompatible with my own views of feminism, logic, and justice. I have explored alternate faith options, but as of this point in time I most identify with a group called the Secular Humanists. This means (in a very much summarized manner) that I do not believe in an omnipotent supreme being, but do believe in morals and tolerance.
However, I realized while speaking to this woman that it would be a bad idea to share the fact taht I am not religious (This assumption based on her lumping of two major world religions together and declaring them "offensive"). Thus, I stated that I most identify with the Unitarian Universalist church. Which is pretty accurate, because I've gone to some of their services and found them to be much more aligned with my views than other organized religions.
Luckily, this woman didn't really seem to know much about the UU Church (because if I did I'm sure I would have either been exorcised or chewed out), and seemed to drop the matter there.
A part of me is upset with myself for not feeling confident enough in my beliefs, or feeling like i'd have to apologize for them, or not having a "this is who I am, if you don't like it, then that's your problem" attitude. I realize that a large amount of this reaction was due to the fact that Im in my work clothes with the name of the Methodist Chautauqua community on my shirt, thus am representing the community at large. But part of me is still scared of confrontation when someone, particularly an adult that I know to be very religious, asks me about my beliefs.
I don't even want to go into how dispicable and un Christ-like I find this woman's beliefs... I suppose that should be for a different kind of blog.
Edited to add: I've asked a few friends to take a look at the pictures to see if they agree with my assesment of them being either Mary and Joseph or Mary and Jesus... the only thing that has been universally acknowledged is that they are creepy. I'll try to post pictures
I asked her to show me the pictures she was talking about, severely suspicious because a) this is a Christian community, b) no one has ever mentioned pictures of that nature, and c) I had certainly never seen them.
She walked me over to a print on the wall. I looked at it for a moment...
me:"I think that's actually a picture of the Virgin Mary."
her: "....oh. So this is a Catholic place then?"
me: "No, it has Methodist ties".
her: "Well, that's worshipping Mary instead of God... it really shouldn't be up there."
me:..."I see."
I then explained that the chautauqua community does try to be accepting of other cultures and religions, citing our upcoming interfaith series seminars. She asked if I "was a part of that movement".
I replied that I did not feel comfortable speaking on behalf of the entire community. She then asked if I was Methodist. I replied in the negative.
She then asked what I was.
Now, I have had an evolving relationship with my spiritual side and religious beliefs for quite some time now. I was raised in a pretty progressive Catholic Church (Not an oxymoron, but I'd understand why one would think it was). I have, however, from an early age, suffered from the fact that I tend to be a logical, analytical sort of person. This has caused me to repeatedly re-evaluate where I stand religiously. I certainly feel that my Catholic upbringing was very helpful in instilling values of social justice and compassion. However, I felt that many of the aspects of the Church's doctrine were incompatible with my own views of feminism, logic, and justice. I have explored alternate faith options, but as of this point in time I most identify with a group called the Secular Humanists. This means (in a very much summarized manner) that I do not believe in an omnipotent supreme being, but do believe in morals and tolerance.
However, I realized while speaking to this woman that it would be a bad idea to share the fact taht I am not religious (This assumption based on her lumping of two major world religions together and declaring them "offensive"). Thus, I stated that I most identify with the Unitarian Universalist church. Which is pretty accurate, because I've gone to some of their services and found them to be much more aligned with my views than other organized religions.
Luckily, this woman didn't really seem to know much about the UU Church (because if I did I'm sure I would have either been exorcised or chewed out), and seemed to drop the matter there.
A part of me is upset with myself for not feeling confident enough in my beliefs, or feeling like i'd have to apologize for them, or not having a "this is who I am, if you don't like it, then that's your problem" attitude. I realize that a large amount of this reaction was due to the fact that Im in my work clothes with the name of the Methodist Chautauqua community on my shirt, thus am representing the community at large. But part of me is still scared of confrontation when someone, particularly an adult that I know to be very religious, asks me about my beliefs.
I don't even want to go into how dispicable and un Christ-like I find this woman's beliefs... I suppose that should be for a different kind of blog.
Edited to add: I've asked a few friends to take a look at the pictures to see if they agree with my assesment of them being either Mary and Joseph or Mary and Jesus... the only thing that has been universally acknowledged is that they are creepy. I'll try to post pictures
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Vocabulary word of the day: Check out
I never thought I'd have to explain this. But apparently I do...
Check out- v. To turn in your keys and receive a receipt for your stay once you are out of the room.
Thus: NO, you cannot check out if you still have your crap in the room! That defies the whole purpose of checking out! Sure, I can print you a receipt, sure, you can pay for your room. But you CANNOT check out unless you are OUT.
Check out- v. To turn in your keys and receive a receipt for your stay once you are out of the room.
Thus: NO, you cannot check out if you still have your crap in the room! That defies the whole purpose of checking out! Sure, I can print you a receipt, sure, you can pay for your room. But you CANNOT check out unless you are OUT.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
and I thought I was cheap...
On the porch of the hotel, there are newspaper machines.. you know, the ones where you put a couple quarters in and it lets you open the box to get one.
Yeah.
I just got to work (at this ungodly hour) and there was a man outside who had pulled up a chair and was READING the top half of the paper in the display.
The paper costs less than a dollar.
No wonder newspapers are going bankrupt.. jeez.
Yeah.
I just got to work (at this ungodly hour) and there was a man outside who had pulled up a chair and was READING the top half of the paper in the display.
The paper costs less than a dollar.
No wonder newspapers are going bankrupt.. jeez.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, WHINEDAY
Sundays are the worst. There are always a ton of check outs, and in addition, there's the Sunday Brunch.
Customers also seem particularly grumpy. Had to listen to one woman complain for about 10 minutes about how it's ridiculous that we don't serve coffee and tea after 9:30, and how DARE we not inform her about the continental breakfast.. never mind that 1) we have a sign about it and 2) I'm not the one who checked her in, thus it's not my fault she wasn't aware.
Immediately afterwards, another woman came up and gave a peice of her mind. This time, the issue was parking. Now, Lakeside was built 136 years ago, so parking is really scarce. However, they recently put in a great big parking lot about a 1/4 mile away, and there's a free shuttle service to and from the hotel.
But no, that's inconvenient. and obviously it's MY fault. Or so it would seem, given the way this woman was chewing me out.
*sigh*
And now my cousins are here visitng. They have confiscated my phone, and are sifting through the contents with a fine tooth comb. Luckily everything on there is harmless.... i hope.
Customers also seem particularly grumpy. Had to listen to one woman complain for about 10 minutes about how it's ridiculous that we don't serve coffee and tea after 9:30, and how DARE we not inform her about the continental breakfast.. never mind that 1) we have a sign about it and 2) I'm not the one who checked her in, thus it's not my fault she wasn't aware.
Immediately afterwards, another woman came up and gave a peice of her mind. This time, the issue was parking. Now, Lakeside was built 136 years ago, so parking is really scarce. However, they recently put in a great big parking lot about a 1/4 mile away, and there's a free shuttle service to and from the hotel.
But no, that's inconvenient. and obviously it's MY fault. Or so it would seem, given the way this woman was chewing me out.
*sigh*
And now my cousins are here visitng. They have confiscated my phone, and are sifting through the contents with a fine tooth comb. Luckily everything on there is harmless.... i hope.
Dear Guest,
Dear Guest,
I am more than willing to answer any of your inqueries as to where a special event may be. However, please refrain from getting angry with me when I am unable to assist you due to your inability to provide me with ANY information about said event. Telling me that you have a "breakfast" but you don't know what time, where, or with whom you booked the event does not give me enough information to even know where to begin to look.
And I'm sorry our brunch is at a "stupid" time since you're eating lunch at noon and the brunch doesn't start until 11:30. I am not responsible for the scheduling of the kitchen, and I really don't appreciate your tone.
Signed,
Your disgruntled desk clerk
I am more than willing to answer any of your inqueries as to where a special event may be. However, please refrain from getting angry with me when I am unable to assist you due to your inability to provide me with ANY information about said event. Telling me that you have a "breakfast" but you don't know what time, where, or with whom you booked the event does not give me enough information to even know where to begin to look.
And I'm sorry our brunch is at a "stupid" time since you're eating lunch at noon and the brunch doesn't start until 11:30. I am not responsible for the scheduling of the kitchen, and I really don't appreciate your tone.
Signed,
Your disgruntled desk clerk
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
New Cafe!
So, a new open air cafe opened behind the hotel today.
To get to the cafe from the front desk of the hotel, one must go down the hall and turn left. The elevator will be in front of them, and on the left there is a door to the cafe.
I've been giving people directions there for the past hour.
Some of the responses I've gotten:
To get to the cafe from the front desk of the hotel, one must go down the hall and turn left. The elevator will be in front of them, and on the left there is a door to the cafe.
I've been giving people directions there for the past hour.
Some of the responses I've gotten:
- It's not on the porch? No.
- Oh, through the dining room to get there then? No.
- So we need to go around the building? No.
- Ok! *walks out front door* Erm...
Maybe we're gonna have to print up some maps.
Not at All Manic Monday
It's 8:45 and I'm bored already. Seems that the craziness that was yesterday has passed. Already averted one minor crisis today.... the lack of milk at Continental Breakfast. I totally side with the guests on this one... you can't have a continental breakfast without milk! I got so upset when the dining hall at AU was out of milk during finals week. Just not acceptable.
So, I suppose I can fulfill my promise to tell you more about some of those "teasers" I posted awhile back.
Let's see.. we'll start with:
So, I suppose I can fulfill my promise to tell you more about some of those "teasers" I posted awhile back.
Let's see.. we'll start with:
- Gossip. I am not sure whether it's because I'm a good listener or just a captive audience stuck behind a desk, but other employees love to gossip to me. Usually, it's about colleagues, sometimes bosses, and sometimes about guests, particularly the obnoxious kind. I know who's made about person x's promotion, who can't stand their boss, and what guests were absolute slobs and horrible tippers. I also know when the housekeepers catch a quick cat nap, sneak out for a smoke break, or work through lunch so they can leave early. I do, however, tend to keep this gossip to myself, unless I am instructed otherwise.
- Conferences. I shudder typing that word. Right before our chautauqua season begins, we host 3 conferences right in a row. These are groups from churches of a particular denomination from across the state. Each of these groups have slightly different reputations. The one in the middle consists mostly of young adults, and thus tend to be loud but tolerable, though their rooms tend to be trashed. The first tends to have a lot of big tippers and gracious people, with a few bad eggs mixed in... and the last? Ugh. These are the folks with the biggest entitlement complex, the lowest sense of empathy, and the least patience. Conferences in general means that every employee on the Chautauqua complex is absolutely streched beyond their means. Most people work overtime, and 14-hour workdays are not uncommon. Thus, Conferences are dreaded, and take at least a week to recover from.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Dear Guest,
I regret the inconvenience, but we do not have a room with 2 queen sized beds with a lake view in the $100 price range with a private bath and an attached room.
Let's keep the requests reasonable here, ok? Like... a room with 2 queen sized beds and a private bath? Totally doable. Lake view and attached room? You got it. $100 price range? Sure.
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
Good day,
Your disgruntled clerk
I regret the inconvenience, but we do not have a room with 2 queen sized beds with a lake view in the $100 price range with a private bath and an attached room.
Let's keep the requests reasonable here, ok? Like... a room with 2 queen sized beds and a private bath? Totally doable. Lake view and attached room? You got it. $100 price range? Sure.
BUT NOT ALL OF THEM.
Good day,
Your disgruntled clerk
*exhales*
Wow. This morning was without a doubt the craziest shift I have ever worked here. 68 rooms checked out. Well, actually, 67, one still hasn't. I should probably look into that.
Some highlights
Some highlights
- The woman who had 5 different rooms under her name trying to settle up her bill. Didn't bother to you know, talk to each of the family members in those rooms to settle up the bill. Had to do it at the desk, with 5 people in line behind her.
- The 3 women sharing a room splitting the check- one paid by credit card, one paid by check, and the third with cash. I don't make this crap up.
- Note to public: if you don't want people to think something *ahem* obscene occurred in your room, don't leave rose petals in the tub and an empty carton of whipped cream in the garbage. Actually, let me revise. Just don't do it, regardless of what you want people to think; many many unneeded mental images
- another note: just because you can't figure out how to work something, doesn't mean it's broken. Saying something is broken when in fact you just can't figure it out makes you look like an idiot, far more than admitting you can't figure out how to work it does.
- This is a 136 year old hotel. An occasional spider is going to get into the hotel. This does not give you permission to exaggerate and tell the front desk clerk that there are "tons" of spiders in your room. Tons does not = 2.
- The fact that your kids were ill last night is lamentable. It does not, however, entitle you to a late check out. Neither does it entitle you to be an asshole when the front desk clerk explains that you don't get a late check out.
- Best overheard of the day:
Toddler: mommy i gotta go potty
mom: go ahead
Toddler: come with me
mom: I can't go into the men's room because I'm a girl
Toddler: Mom, I wish you were a boy.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Independence Day
Happy 4th of July to all!
Today is one of the busiest days at the hotel. I really don't have too much time to post, but I have a story.
Today, a guest approached and the following conversation took place:
Guest: Excuse me, but there's something that looks like dog poop on the carpet upstairs
Me:... oh my. I will let the housekeepers know.
Guest: Well, I told someone who was up there and she said it would get cleaned at the end of the year.
Me: Well, where is it? In the hallway?
Guest: In the hallway, near the stairs on the second floor. There are two spots, they look like dog poop. If you just give me the carpet cleaner I'll take care of it
Me: Erm. We don't give out cleaning supplies to guests. I'll let the housekeepers know
Guest: Well, will they take care of it?
Me: That is up to them. But I'm sure that they will look into it and decide if it is a priority.
I spoke to the housekeepers shortly after.
There are no dog poop piles on the carpet. Which could have something to do with the fact that we have a strict no pets policy.
What did the guest see, then?
Two small stains on the carpet. They are black. They are small. They look NOTHING like dog poop.
That is all.
Today is one of the busiest days at the hotel. I really don't have too much time to post, but I have a story.
Today, a guest approached and the following conversation took place:
Guest: Excuse me, but there's something that looks like dog poop on the carpet upstairs
Me:... oh my. I will let the housekeepers know.
Guest: Well, I told someone who was up there and she said it would get cleaned at the end of the year.
Me: Well, where is it? In the hallway?
Guest: In the hallway, near the stairs on the second floor. There are two spots, they look like dog poop. If you just give me the carpet cleaner I'll take care of it
Me: Erm. We don't give out cleaning supplies to guests. I'll let the housekeepers know
Guest: Well, will they take care of it?
Me: That is up to them. But I'm sure that they will look into it and decide if it is a priority.
I spoke to the housekeepers shortly after.
There are no dog poop piles on the carpet. Which could have something to do with the fact that we have a strict no pets policy.
What did the guest see, then?
Two small stains on the carpet. They are black. They are small. They look NOTHING like dog poop.
That is all.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
As goes transportation, so goes the nation
Another important thing for you to know is that right down the block from the hotel that I work at, there is another hotel that is run by the same administration. That means that both hotels share staff, and that often my job entails dealing with reservations, questions, etc. for that hotel as well.
Anyway, yesterday a computer network guy came in because the wifi at the other hotel, which i shall henceforth refer to as "the inn", was down. The result of his visit? Now neither hotel has wifi, so I'm stuck with the super slow server on the desktop. booo hiss.
Already this morning I've had a really interesting conversation with one of the maintenance guys. I just found out that he grew up in the DC area, so we were talking about that. Of course, that lapsed into politics, and we both agree that a/the key to fixing the situation that America is currently in is improving the infrastructure of the nation... basically, i'm a Whig.
Just now, I was talking to one of the housekeepers.. she had a Thor's Hammer necklace that I asked her about. Turns out she's big on Norse mythology. I told her about my plan to study abroad in Denmark in the Spring (hopefully) and she was super excited about the program.
Last night was kind of epic. I live at a dorm with other employees of the Chautauqua community.. all college kids. Two of the other girls and I went to the local Walmart (I'm sorry, I know it's bad.. but this is the boondocks, I'd have to travel a half hour if I wanted to shop elsewhere). There was quite a bit of bickering, and it took about an hour and a half to purchase less than a cart full of items.
So... I suppose I'll fulfill my promise to talk (type?) about the previously mentioned teasers... let's see, we'll start with:
Anyway, yesterday a computer network guy came in because the wifi at the other hotel, which i shall henceforth refer to as "the inn", was down. The result of his visit? Now neither hotel has wifi, so I'm stuck with the super slow server on the desktop. booo hiss.
Already this morning I've had a really interesting conversation with one of the maintenance guys. I just found out that he grew up in the DC area, so we were talking about that. Of course, that lapsed into politics, and we both agree that a/the key to fixing the situation that America is currently in is improving the infrastructure of the nation... basically, i'm a Whig.
Just now, I was talking to one of the housekeepers.. she had a Thor's Hammer necklace that I asked her about. Turns out she's big on Norse mythology. I told her about my plan to study abroad in Denmark in the Spring (hopefully) and she was super excited about the program.
Last night was kind of epic. I live at a dorm with other employees of the Chautauqua community.. all college kids. Two of the other girls and I went to the local Walmart (I'm sorry, I know it's bad.. but this is the boondocks, I'd have to travel a half hour if I wanted to shop elsewhere). There was quite a bit of bickering, and it took about an hour and a half to purchase less than a cart full of items.
So... I suppose I'll fulfill my promise to talk (type?) about the previously mentioned teasers... let's see, we'll start with:
- What are your rates?
This seems to be a simple enough question, and at most hotels it would be. But this isn't most hotels. Every room in this hotel is different, and pricing is based on seven categories of rooms. These categories are based on the size of the room, the amenities and antiques within the room, and the location of the room. In addition, there are different prices for weekends than for weeknights, as well as for different times of the year. Oh yeah, and conferences and groups often have special rates.
So, a typical inquiry about room rates usually goes something like this:
Guest: Hi, what are your rates?
Me: Well, did you have a specific date in mind, or just in general?
Guest: umm sometime in August?
Me:..... *thinks that guest needs to look up the word "specific" in the dictionary*... well, what sort of room would you be interested in?
Guest: Oh, just a nice room
Me: *thinks, "Oh, well I was going to give you one of the NOT nice rooms, but since you asked* Do you have a preference when it comes to the size of the bed?
Guest: Do you have any King sized beds?
Me: Yes, that would be $195/night on Friday or Saturday nights, and $165/Night Sunday through Thursday
Guest: Oh my. That's Expensive. Do you have anything cheaper?
Me: We do, but not with a king sized bed.
... and so it continues, with them griping about prices and asking whether they're in a "loud" section of the hotel and whether they're on the lakefront and yadda yadda yadda.
Thus, "What are your rates" has come to be one of my least favorite questions.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Teasers...
I don't have the time to go into these now, but I figured I should make a list things I plan to touch on that have happened since I started working here. Hopefully I'll catch up after a while and will be able to tell you my random stories in real time. Until then:
- That time I got bit by a snake
- The ghost(s)
- Pet policy
- Tornado issues
- Restaurants
- Conferences
- "What are your rates?"
- Chinese Acrobats
- Raccoons
- Gossip
If there's one of these you're particularly interested in hearing about, let me know in the comments :-)
Life Behind the Desk
Hello!
So, I decided to start this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, as a desk clerk at a small hotel, I work 8 hour shifts, most of which consist of doing very little actual work (shh, don't tell). Second, I find that many of the people I interact with and situations I find myself in are often worthy of sharing with others.
Worth noting: I will change names to protect the innocent (and the guilty).
So, a little about me and the hotel.
My name is Lori, I'm 19 years old and this is the second summer that I have worked at the same hotel. During the rest of the year, I'm a student studying Sociology at a University in DC.
The hotel where I work is rather unique. It is 134 years old, and is in the middle of a gated chautauqua community. (for those who don't know what a chatauqua is, look it up on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua). It is a lakefront property, with a large screened in front porch. It's not like your typical hotel, in that each room is unique, and all are furnished with antiques. There aren't any TVs in the rooms, but we have upgraded them since 1875 though, so it has exciting features like electricity and private bathrooms. A/C is a more recent development.
I work at the front desk, which officially involves checking guests in and out and making reservations; unofficially, I serve as an information desk for the whole surrounding area, a storage closet/lost and found attendant, a counselor for other employees, and a maintenance person.
That's all you need to know for the moment, so this ends the introduction!
So, I decided to start this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, as a desk clerk at a small hotel, I work 8 hour shifts, most of which consist of doing very little actual work (shh, don't tell). Second, I find that many of the people I interact with and situations I find myself in are often worthy of sharing with others.
Worth noting: I will change names to protect the innocent (and the guilty).
So, a little about me and the hotel.
My name is Lori, I'm 19 years old and this is the second summer that I have worked at the same hotel. During the rest of the year, I'm a student studying Sociology at a University in DC.
The hotel where I work is rather unique. It is 134 years old, and is in the middle of a gated chautauqua community. (for those who don't know what a chatauqua is, look it up on wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chautauqua). It is a lakefront property, with a large screened in front porch. It's not like your typical hotel, in that each room is unique, and all are furnished with antiques. There aren't any TVs in the rooms, but we have upgraded them since 1875 though, so it has exciting features like electricity and private bathrooms. A/C is a more recent development.
I work at the front desk, which officially involves checking guests in and out and making reservations; unofficially, I serve as an information desk for the whole surrounding area, a storage closet/lost and found attendant, a counselor for other employees, and a maintenance person.
That's all you need to know for the moment, so this ends the introduction!
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