This Price Is Beyond The Power Of Even A Genie

I work at one of the top hotel reservation websites as a reservation specialist and accept over the phone reservations. I have a caller who says she want to book for a hotel in Las Vegas for her and her daughters. The lady is obviously in her fifties based on the tone of her voice.

Caller: “I want a hotel reserved for me and my two adult daughters in Las Vegas for three nights. I want the room to have an indoor pool, and I want to be close to the airport.”

Me: “Sure, ma’am. Do you have a hotel in mind? Or I can give you some suggestions here on our system that are within your preferences.”

Caller: “No, I have a hotel. It’s called Aladdin Hotel. I’m looking at your website right now; it says $12 a night.”

I am shocked; $12 a night with an indoor pool?

Me: “Oh, let me find that on our system, then.”

After a few minutes, and after thoroughly checking the whole of Las Vegas for an Aladdin Hotel, I can’t find anything.

Me: “Are you sure it’s called ‘Aladdin Hotel’? I can’t find anything on our system with that hotel name.”

Caller: *Irritated tone* “Yessss! I’m looking at it right now on my laptop.”

I search again, and I ask for the hotel’s address and zip code and everything I can use to filter my searches, but to no avail; there’s no Aladdin Hotel.

Me: “Ma’am, we can’t find Aladdin Hotel on our system. I’ll do my best now here; can you spell the name of the hotel?”

Caller: “Are you that dumb? It’s A-L-A-D-D-I-N. Aladdin, like the Disney cartoon, Aladdin.”

Me: “Ma’am, I’m really sorry, but I can’t find that hotel on our system or anywhere.”

Caller: “Oh, my gosh! Connect me to your manager! You are so dumb! Connect me now!”

I connect her to my manager, they do exactly what we did, and they can’t find Aladdin Hotel. My manager connects her back to me and she is now more furious than ever. 

Me: “Ma’am, is it A-L-A-D-D-I-N hotel?”

Caller: “Yes, you idiot!”

She shouts to one of her daughters in the background and says, “How do you spell ‘Aladdin Hotel’? This idiot doesn’t know how to spell!”

Daughter: *In the background* “H-O-L-I—”

Me: “Oh, ma’am, is it the Holiday Inn?“

Caller: “Oh, finally! You get it! Somebody needs to get a more formal education, I see.”

I continued helping her. Unfortunately, it was not $12 a night. Ha!