Over the years, we have added rules and policies on our registration form for guests to acknowledge because when there was an issue, the response was "Nobody told me..." We want to make sure several house policies and rules get communicated up front to avoid any misunderstandings. Of course, now, we get the excuse that they were tired, didn't read it, or we just told them to initial, so they did. Each one of the rules and policies we are trying to communicate has a story behind it. Please read before you sign or initial!
Do you know how many times the bathtub has overflowed because they started the water and went to sleep despite signing that unattended tubs will overflow and it could cost them $1,000?
How about the time someone put a silk cloth over the light to make the lighting softer and it caught on fire? They put it out on the bed spread and carpet. That was a few hundred dollars in damage.
How about the time the dress is hung on the sprinkler head and it sets off the sprinklers?
The common one is not paying attention to the check out date when they initial and it is wrong. We make mistakes. Guests make mistakes. That is why we ask the check out date to be verified at check in. That is when it can be corrected without any problems. Do you know how many times people initial the check out date when it is wrong because they don't pay attention? It is important! Then, they initial that if they check out earlier than the date they initialled above without 24 hours notice, there is a charge. Then they initial that if they stay longer than the check out date initialed above, we may remove their things from the room. These are important policies we are trying to communicate. Do you know how many people are surprised when we act based on their initials indicating they understand our policies? We just had another one over the weekend. Initialed everything, but did not check out. Very upset that we removed their things (which I understand), but we communicated that up front. What are we supposed to do when someone else wants to check in? If we can ever avoid moving people's things, we do. We wait until the last minute. However, when we have promised a guest that room, they have arrived and we have initials about not checking out on time, we are going to do what we have to do.
It is also upsetting for both sides when we have to charge an early departure fee because someone is checking out a day earlier than the check out date they initialed.
Please pay attention to what you are signing and initialing at check in. It can really ruin your day when something goes wrong. I know it is very uncomfortable for us. Thanks for listening.
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2 comments:
I have stayed at the Chancellor Hotel and found it to be a terrific choice. However, I must admit this blog feels more like an opportunity for the GM to vent, spew and continually put the customer in his place. Too bad. I have read the lecture, don't appreciate the demeaning diatribe and will locate another 3 Diamond SFO hotel so I don't run the risk of offending the management. Are you sure you want to be involved in a customer service position?
Ouch! I am sorry my thoughts are so offensive. As the title of the Blog states, it is a collection of entries about the joys and frustrations of running a small boutique hotel. This entry was one of the few frustrations. Most people know it doesn't apply to them, so I trust they will just enjoy the entry for what it is. I love serving people, but it is not easy to do sometimes, as anyone in the customer service business knows. Thanks for reading my Blog.
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