Hotel Front Desk
Los Angeles, CA
Male, 27
For the past two years I've worked the front desk at a boutique luxury beachfront hotel in Southern California. My job can range from simply checking guests in & out to many other duties, including: pretending I work in different departments so that behind-the-scenes chaos is never seen by a guest, shielding guests from stalkers that come looking for them, and picking up used drug paraphernalia from a trashed room. Ask me anything.
I think hands down the most ridiculous thing to ask the front desk to do is wipe a bill clean, ESPECIALLY after the guest actually stayed the night and used the hotel's facilities, food and beverage outlets, and services. I've had people demand that they pay nothing, but they've been staying for one, maybe two or more nights, and haven't complained until they check out. If I was never given the opportunity to fix a problem, then how is it my fault that it didn't get fixed? I understand the small complaint at checkout which warrants me adjusting off the wifi charge if that didn't work, or the valet parking service was terrible, room service arrived late *or never*, but to ask not to pay ANYTHING? C'mon, now! Second to the above would be people who broke a personal item due to their own clumsiness, say like dropping their iPad, then saying I should have the hotel pay for the damage because they couldn't see the stairs leading into the bar. Really?
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I would think it's not necessarily your husband's fault, and nothing suspicious may be going on. What probably happened is that when each hotel's property management system (the program the clerks are using to check him in and out) loads the room type he is staying in (I'm presuming he's on business), their system likely reflects double-occupancy (2), which is probably the smallest guest count that most hotel systems allow in a room, think: most hotel rooms allow at least 2 guests at minimum. This default may just be a matter of course for most systems and properties, and the clerks aren't intending to get people in hot water when they are checking them in and out. Now, if for some reason there's an area on the bill that states an additional guest was added, say a second different name, or an extra charge for an amenity (food for two/beverage/movie charge) that doesn't make sense, then your husband should have some explaining to do!
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Only a guess, but I'd have to say at most 40%, and it's even harder to ascertain because so few people order movies, it seems. The percent of couples that order porn? Got to be less than 10%.
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You could be a super-sleuth and actually ask each nearby hotel what type of key system they use, but you could also be stone-walled because these post 9/11 days most hotels are not going to give that information out to a stranger without a valid reason. However, you could also hang in the lobby acting like you're going to check in and see what the keys look like that are given to guests. Creepy, but it would probably tell you which hotel the key came from.
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Help Desk Technician
Are people appreciative when you help them or do they just treat you like a support monkey?
Certified Nurse Aide
Is it uncomfortable having to help the elderly go to the bathroom and how did you get used to it?
Physical Therapist
What's the most dramatic "before-and-after" improvement you've ever seen with a patient?
I agree it could be a real special request gone answered. I love that kind of humor coming from a prospective guest, and if the room is booked out enough in advance it becomes a personal challenge and team-building activity among the front desk to out-do one another in how close we come to meeting that guest's request. Of course if it's a ridiculous or snobby request, that is just asserting a guest's power prior to check-in, that person will get a stiff official-sounding answer as to why we can't fulfill it. Whimsical and creative and honest wins, in this case.
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Sure, it's their job, but what they are paid as a base wage is typically factoring in that they are going to offset that wage by receiving gratuity. Room service attendants, door and bellmen (and women) can make a decent amount in gratuity if their hotel is busy and/or consistently frequented by affluent guests. However, just as many people on average do NOT tip as do, it's very hard to predict. My thought process is, if you tip, you will often see a return the NEXT time you call. Remember, if you are super-cheap AND a jerk, the staff will talk amongst themselves and you likely will not get speedy service the next time you ask for it. If you just so happen to not have cash on you, no problem, it's just $2-ish, we understand, just offset THAT by being nice and thanking for good service instead.
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This is the cheap internet searchable answer: "They are placed there by a group called a non-profit Christian organization called the Gideons. The Gideons are not preachers, but businessmen who feel called to help with this ministry. They raise money from churches and individuals and use this money to print and distribute Bibles to many places--wherever they are allowed to put them--such as hospitals, prisons, and motel rooms. Through feedback and letters they receive, they have learned of many people who picked up one of their Bibles in a desperate moment and found the faith to turn their lives around. All Marriott hotels have Book of Mormon, too, because Mr. Marriott is/was (don't know if he is still living or not) a Mormon." We don't have them at our property, so it must be an aging habit among hotel owners. Wouldn't it be cool to start a different trend, like placing a box of legos or something cooler in there? I guess whatever floats your boat...
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