Deep Sleeper In Deep Trouble

I work in a hotel. On my “audit” shift from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am — thank you, staffing issues — I have this nice guest come to the desk at around 9:00 pm. He has forgotten his key. I ask for his ID, he presents it without issue, and I get him a new key. He then asks for a 3:00 am wake-up call.

Me: *Chuckling* “Early riser, huh?”

Guest: “Nah, got an early flight.”

He leaves, I schedule his automated wake-up call, and that’s that.

Fast forward to around 3:45 am. The front door intercom buzzer goes off. On this property, the front door isn’t visible from the front desk, so it’s locked after hours. Looking at the camera, I don’t see the usual homeless person looking to get in; I see a dude in a suit with a nice black Mercedes behind him. I let him in, and he comes to the desk.

Driver: “I’m looking for [Guest]; I’m his ride to the airport.”

I attempt to call the room, the driver calls the guest’s personal cell, and there’s no answer on either. The driver gives up at about 4:00 and hands me a card with a number on it, asking me to give it to the late guest if he arrives at any point soon.

Fast forward to about 5:10 am. Guess who stumbles off the elevator? I greet [Guest], mention that his ride has come and gone, and hand him the card. [Guest] phones, and he’s in luck; there’s another driver about five minutes away.

Now comes the fun, as I get to hear a rant.

Guest: “You are completely incompetent. You didn’t wake me up! This is such poor service. I’m going to contact your manager, and I’m leaving a bad review!”

I’m finally able to get a word in.

Me: “Sir, in addition to the automated wake-up call, both the driver and I attempted to call you multiple times, on both your room phone and your cell phone. I’m not sure what else we could have done.”

Guest: “You could have come into the room and shaken me awake!”

I’m sure he picks up on the “WTF?” look I have at that. The only reason we enter the rooms is in emergencies.

Me: “I am not your mother. There’s an alarm clock beside the bed, and your cell likely has an alarm, as well. We did all we could at our end.”

I was spared the reply as his replacement driver arrived and the guest ran for the door, all the while telling me my manager would hear about it.

The Karma in the whole affair? He left at about 5:20 am. The airport was forty minutes away in good traffic, which the morning commuter rush was not. If he was flying back to the city on his registration, then there was one flight leaving that morning, at 6:45 am. He was looking at a good hour-plus to get to the airport and less than half an hour to check his bag, clear security, and get to his gate.

Godspeed, sir. I hope you let my manager know if you made the flight.