Floored By Your Lack Of Effort

(I am employed by a hotel chain that owns five-star hotels across the world. I am working with an agency worker who is, for lack of a better word, difficult. He frequently uses his phone on shift, gives orders although his position does not involve management responsibility, pockets tips that are meant to be shared, amongst other things. Today we are working the room dining shift, where we send food to the guests rooms that they have ordered. It’s been a particular un-busy day; not many orders have gone out.)

Me: “Can you start clearing the floor as soon as you’re done—”

Agency Worker: “I need to do this first!”

Me: “Um… yes. I just said to you when you’ve finished to start the clearing, please.”

Agency Worker: “Okay.”

(I silently fume because this isn’t the first instance in which this particular agency worker hasn’t let me finish what I’m saying, or shown much interest in what I’m asking him. I let it go, knowing there is only two hours left before I can leave. 20 minutes later, after sending up some cutlery to a guest on a particular floor, I notice a tray of food left outside one of the guest’s rooms. Knowing that the agency worker is already clearing the floors, I leave it for him – partly because I wanted to see if I can trust him with such a basic job. I come back to the room dining office 10 minutes later, and see the same agency worker sitting in front of the register.)

Me: “Hey, [Agency Worker], did you clear the floors?”

Agency Worker: “Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Me: “Cool, I’ll be right back a sec…”

(Suspicious that he somehow finished nine floors in the space of 30 minutes, I decide to go back to the previous floor I was on, just on a hunch. Lo and behold – the tray is still there. Furious, I return downstairs with the tray in hand.)

Me: “So, [Agency Worker], the clearing is done. Yeah?”

Agency Worker: “Yeah.” *he’s still at the computer, and doesn’t even turn to acknowledge my upset tone*

Me: “Right, so, what’s this, then?” *I present the tray*

Agency Worker: “Oh… well, that must have just been left outside!”

Me: “I saw this exact tray upstairs half an hour ago, [Agency Worker]. Can you please check the floors and do it proper—”

(Before I finish, the Agency Worker once again flips out on me.)

Agency Worker: “I do not do the clearing every 15 minutes! It’s the rules! We do it 10 pm and it is now 9 pm! It’s the rules!”

(Flabbergasted by this response, I just leave him to it.)