The Holiday Inn(sane)

(I have just arrived to relieve my coworker off her shift. She usually is very cheerful looking, but now looks very frazzled. She spots me and looks relieved.)

Coworker: “Okay, so, this crazy lady — the wife of [Long Term Stay] — has been going off all evening about her husband. Don’t listen; she’s crazy. And don’t transfer her to him; he says he doesn’t want to listen to her.”

(The phone rings.)

Coworker: “Don’t answer that. It’s her.” *leaves without another word*

(I’m completely confused, and I don’t know exactly what’s going on. But I figure I’ve dealt with worse. The phone keeps ringing and ringing, until finally I pick it up.)

Me: “Hello, this is [My Name], front desk of [Hotel]. How may I help you?”

Old Lady: “Who is this?! [My Name]?! Well listen to me, [My Name].” *sneers out my name* “I’ve been talking to that little b**** [Coworker] all evening, and she was very unhelpful, and if my husband has a heart attack, I’M GOING TO SUE. DO YOU HEAR ME?! I’M GOING TO—”

(She rambles on and on about her husband being sick and about suing, practically spitting on the phone. Her words are coming out in a jumbled big mess. She sounds likes she’s having a fit. I’m trying to figure out what’s going on, and can’t. Every time I try to break in, she raises her voice louder.)

Old Lady: “Don’t you try to interrupt me, you worthless w****! You b****!”

(I hung up. We have the right to hang up if the caller is being abusive and not listening. The phone rang and rang and I didn’t pick up. It rang for THREE HOURS straight, and then finally stopped. I made a note of it in the log, and sighed. Turns out the guest’s wife was angry because she and her husband had a big fight, and her husband didn’t want to speak with her, so she was taking it out on the staff here! The GM spoke with her husband, who was a long-term stay, and told him to tell her not to abuse us. I never heard from her again, thank goodness. Last I heard they were getting a divorce. I wish I could describe how much hate her voice had in it.)