Check-Inception
Due to my part-time night auditor quitting (via text, giving no notice), I covered night audit last night. I think I might have a chance to catch up on some paperwork, but instead, I do enough laundry to take care of a third-world country. And thus, our story begins.
At 5 AM, the phone rings:
Me: “Thank you for calling [Hotel], this is [My Name], how may I help you?”
Caller: “My husband needs to check in. What does he need to do?”
Me: “Does he already have a reservation, or—”
Caller: “—I ALREADY TALKED TO SOMEONE ABOUT THIS. He needs a three o’clock check-in.”
Me: *Thoroughly confused.* “Yes, ma’am, our check-in time is 3 PM. If you will give me his name, I can confirm the reservation.”
Caller: “NO, HE NEEDS TO CHECK IN NOW!”
Me: “Was his reservation for Thursday night or for Friday night?”
Caller: “IT IS FOR TODAY FOR SIX DAYS. HE NEEDS TO CHECK IN!”
Me: “Ma’am, I’m sorry, but I do not have a room available. We were sold out last night, and—”
Caller: “—I TOLD THEM THAT HE WOULD BE CHECKING IN EARLY!”
Me: “Ma’am, if I could help you, I would, but I literally do not have a room to put him in.”
Caller: “This is ridiculous!” *Click.*
Later, the phone rings again.
Me: “Thank you for calling [Hotel], this is [My Name], how may I help you?”
Caller: “I don’t know if you are the one I spoke with earlier, but my husband has a reservation, and you wouldn’t help him.”
Me: “Yes, it was me you spoke with. How can I help you?”
Caller: “Well, I called yesterday, and they said we could have an early check-in.”
Me: “Ma’am, I don’t know exactly what you were told, but we can only accommodate an early check-in if we have rooms available. I do not have any rooms available. In the future, if your husband needs to check in between 3 to 5 AM, you may want to make the reservation for the night before to ensure there is a room available for him.”
Caller: “Well, I want to know what is going to happen.”
Me: “I’m not sure I understand.”
Caller: “What is going to happen to the person who lied to me?”
Me: “Ma’am, I will definitely look into the miscommunication, but—”
Caller: “Well, what are you going to compensate me?”
Me: “Ma’am, I don’t know what you expect, but there is nothing to compensate you for. Your reservation begins at 3 PM today. Your room will be available at 3 PM, so you will be getting what you paid for.”
Caller: “But I just had to spend $100 so he could sleep somewhere!”
Me: “Yes, ma’am. Your husband is free to check in any time today after 3 PM.”
Caller: *Click.*
Sigh…
