My last job was at a chain hotel, and there were plenty of problem customers but one in particular that always stood out to me because no matter how much she complained and denigrated us, she still stayed with us twice a week.
Highlights and regular complaints included:
Demanding a smoking room in a state where it is illegal to have smoking-friendly hotel rooms.
Giving contradictory room requests every single time she stayed (Close to the pool but not on the floor the pool is on, a quiet part of the hotel but right next to the lobby, etc).
Complaining the lobby coffee was cold no matter how hot it was. Seriously I learned when she’d usually come in and brew the coffee hotter than normal minutes before she walked in, and she’d say it was too cold and demand I make a new batch.
Telling the front desk to change the lobby and hallway thermostats because her room was too cold, despite the obvious in-room heater.
Demanding room upgrades because she was a frequent-staying rewards program member, no matter how many times it was explained to her we can’t upgrade her room if no upgraded rooms are available.
Complaining when we did upgrade her room, because that’s not the room she booked, why didn’t we just put her in the room she booked.
Constantly comparing us to a location 2 towns despite them technically being a different chain with a different owner on top of being about 20 years newer. I later learned she would try to get free stuff from the other location when she stayed there by comparing them to us.
Sure, none of the top 5 worst incidents in my time there were from her, but what she lacked in severity she more than made up for in quantity. This story is about the very last time she stayed with us.
I had been dealing with her once a week for almost 2 years on the afternoon shift, but tonight I was training to switch to the overnight shift with the old night guy set to retire in a few days. This guest came in around midnight instead of her usual 4pm because of weather but that didn’t stop her from her usual routine. “Coffee’s cold. I’ve stayed here every week for years, why do you need to see my credit card! Well at your OTHER location they ALWAYS give me a gift bag.” and something in the old guy snapped.
With nothing to lose he just slammed his fist on the counter and SCREAMED at her “WELL IF YOU LIKE THE town redacted LOCATION SO FUCKING MUCH WHY DON’T YOU GO STAY THERE. IT’S A THREE HOUR DRIVE THAT-A-WAY, BETTER GET GOING.”
It was the first time in 2 years I saw this guest speechless. She just took her room keys and walked away, and that was the last time I ever saw her. Old guy got fired a whole one day earlier than he was scheduled to leave because of it. We threw him a party.
titsay
yousharknotpass
turnnoffyourmind
tangentwithtanner
snowghoul
gummygunk
gamechangershow
andulkaphoto
