Just Assume “Man” Is Short For “Manager”

I’m the assistant general manager at a hotel. My general manager is out for six weeks, so I am the acting general manager. I constantly deal with issues like this when people refuse to talk to me because I’m relatively young and a female and can’t possibly be in the position I’m in at my age.

I’m working the three to eleven shift one night when a guy and his wife come in to check in. I’ve grown accustomed to seeing debit cards for mobile money transfer apps since the health crisis, so I don’t think twice about it when the wife hands me one. Our system accepts those kinds of cards but is super finicky with prepaid cards.

Lo and behold, the card declines. My property doesn’t even take additional authorization for incidentals if you pay with a card; her card declines just for room and tax. They head back out to the car and tell me they are going to go load money on the card.

I hear the front doors open again, and the husband walks back in.

Husband: “If I go to the convenience store down the street and get a prepaid card, can I use that to pay for the room?”

Me: “I can’t guarantee that it will work. Sometimes our system doesn’t accept prepaid cards. It all depends on the type of card and how much money is on the card; prepaid cards will automatically authorize for more at select businesses to account for gratuity.”

Husband: “Okay, but if I load my money onto a prepaid card, why wouldn’t it work?”

We go through the usual back and forth where he phrases the question ten different ways expecting a different answer. You all know exactly what I’m talking about. He isn’t pleased with my responses.

Husband: *In big boy voice* “Is there a manager or a man that I can talk to?”

Me: “I’m the manager on duty. There is nobody else here.”

Husband: “But there’s a man here, right? There has to be a man here.”

Me: “Nope, just me.”

Husband: “Then who is your manager? There has to be a man in charge of you.”

The rest of the conversation was a blur that ended with me demanding that he leave. I was so infuriated by that point.

I’ve worked in hotels for over three years and have never been on the receiving end of blatant sexism. It wasn’t even like this was an “old school” guy. [Husband] was probably in his early to mid-thirties. I feel horrible for the wife, and I hope she doesn’t have to deal with that on a day-to-day basis. I can’t even begin to comprehend how people can still live with that kind of mindset in this day and age.