I've been working in the room-service department of a five-star hotel for six months.Good going! Want a cookie?
...the beauty of our service is that all guests are treated equally as nicely — whether we like you or not.Errr, well, yes. Why is that a surprising concept?
Saying that, your hotel experience will be much more enjoyable if we do like you. So here are some important do's and don'ts for your next stay, from the girl who brings you breakfast and restocks your mini bar.Important, eh?
Delivering breakfast to people who are half-dressed (or worse) is not really how I like to start my day.Well, perhaps you should have found another job?
Comment on the weather, ask how our day is going, or tell us about your stay so far. This is a great way for us to assess how happy our guests are.Is that a big concern for you then? It really doesn't sound as if it is...
Although I'm sure my managers feel otherwise, I don't like it when guests take items from their mini bars.Ummm, what? You do know the inflated prices on those things help to fund your wages, right?
The mini bars in each room of our hotel contain over 20 different kinds of snacks and drinks, and I'm in charge of restocking them — meaning that I have to review a master list in every single one of our 144 rooms every day to figure out if anything's missing.
Then, I have to bring the items to each room via a very badly designed, top-heavy cart, or, if it's not on the cart, I have to run across the entire hotel to get it from the supply closet. This whole process can take over three hours.Oh noes! You poor little darling! The horror..!
No-one told me there'd be restocking involved!
Some people are overly critical, but others are afraid to speak up if they aren't satisfied. As long as you tell us nicely, we really do want to hear if there's something we can do to make your stay more pleasant.OK. love, here goes. REFILL THE BLOODY MINIBAR WITHOUT WHINING!
There. How's that?
It was impossible to guess that you never tip menials nor reduce yourself to being pleasant towards service personnel during a hotel stay, JuliaM. After all, you have a bill to settle and these folk are being paid way over the odds already?
ReplyDeleteall guests are treated equally as nicely — whether we like you or not.
ReplyDeleteand
Saying that, your hotel experience will be much more enjoyable if we do like you
Implies to me that one of those statements is not true. I'm a logical person and if everyone was treated equally whether liked or not then it makes no difference if that was liked. So how is it more enjoyable? Karma or something by a third party?
The statements are valid, Lord T. If you wish to fully enjoy a new and temporary environment, you must engage a positive state of mind and 'lend yourself' to the social adjustments and circumstances.
ReplyDeleteDamnit, I missed Lent.
ReplyDeleteIs it no longer legal to beat the hotel servants that annoy you?
ReplyDeleteWhat is happening in the UK.
So, er, she doesn't want to do what the job entails. Every job has elements we don't like. Mine certainly has. I do what everyone does, I suck it up. That's what I'm paid for.
ReplyDeleteStaying away in hotels is one of those elements for me. I am always polite to staff as are other guests I see during my visits. I never use the horrendously over-priced mini bar, so she would like me... I don't however, engage in small talk. Waste of effort.
Actually, I think that she might have a point if the mini bar restocking system is hopelessly inefficient. But that is not the guests' fault is it? The company needs to employ a canban system or set up a keisen team to sort it out.
ReplyDeleteStonyground
"It was impossible to guess that you never tip menials nor reduce yourself to being pleasant towards service personnel during a hotel stay, JuliaM. "
ReplyDeleteHard to guess from that...?
"Implies to me that one of those statements is not true."
Well, quite! Just another person failed by 'Education, education, education..'?
"Every job has elements we don't like. Mine certainly has. I do what everyone does, I suck it up. That's what I'm paid for."
Ever get the feeling we are no longer producing adults?
"Actually, I think that she might have a point if the mini bar restocking system is hopelessly inefficient. But that is not the guests' fault is it? "
Quite!