I just hung up on someone.

Oh, yes I did.

She had booked two rooms here on the internet. She says she has a confirmation page that says they were both booked for the same dates, but mysteriously one of the reservations was for the exact dates a month before the other one.

This lady was charged a no-show fee that has been refunded, her reservation has now been put in for the correct dates, and she calls today.

This is how she starts the conversation:
I pick up the phone and she says, "This is Mrs. Rude and inconsiderate, I have two rooms there, why aren't my rates the same?"

I hate it when people call like that, they give me there name and just expect I have some idea what they are talking about. So, I ask her last name again and while I'm looking for her reservations, she proceeds to go into this big rant about how she made her reservations correctly, but our computer screwed them up, and she has a confirmation paper that says she did it right, but it was wrong and her credit card was charged, but that's fixed now and she wants to know why her rate isn't the same as the first one and blah, blah, blah.

Okay fine, I find her reservations, the two original reservations have two different rates on them. I open the reservation with the wrong date so I can tell her the rate on that one, I don't even get the whole rate out of my mouth and she yells into the phone "No, that's not right, that's not what my paper says!"

I tell her okay ma'am, that's the reservation that was messed up, and that charge has been corrected.

In the meantime she's still talking over me telling me about her confirmation papers, and that our Front Desk Manager helped her out the first time, why can't we just help her out this time.....

I remained silent on the line for a few moments and when she quieted down I told her it would be best if she called back when a manager was here, because even if there is a discrepancy, I can't change the rates on a reservation. I'm not allowed to.

Well, that got her going again. She starts yelling (even though, looking back on it, yelling may just be her preferred tone of voice) for me to just check her other reservations.

I told her again that I had looked at all the reservations and that to change a rate on them a manager would have to approve it.

She will not stop asking me to check her other reservations and change the rate, then she tells me that she "doesn't understand why you're being so rude."

I hung up the phone. I'm sorry but I don't get paid enough to argue with stupid people on the phone, and I refuse to do it.

She called back :)

she says, "Yes, this is Mrs. Rude and inconsiderate, why did you just hang up on me?"

And I told her straight out that I refused to have an argument about her reservations over the phone with her. I told her that I would inform my supervisor of the situation and that she would take care of it, so there was no need to continue the phone conversation.

"Oh" she says.

Then thank you and goodbye.

I almost NEVER hang up on people over the phone. If they start swearing at me, that's an automatic hang up, but otherwise I've tolerated almost everything else. In the four or so years I've put into working in hotels, I've had some pretty drag out arguments with guests over the phone, but not any more. Actually, I refuse to argue with a guest on the phone or in person anymore. I don't believe I should have to put up with that kind of behavior. If you're rude, or start yelling, I'm not dealing with you anymore, you'll have to wait for someone else to do it.

I know part of it is probably hormones making me ornery, but part of it too is the high blood pressure thing. I'm sorry, but I don't need to put my health on the line for what I make here at the hotel. Especially considering they do no offer any kind of health or medical benifits. I can't take the stress, and as soon as I feel my blood pressure start to rise, I'm done.

And I think I've also reached my limit on people who don't have manners. I know I've blogged about that before, and I'm sick of just rolling over for those people. Not anymore, if you can't be polite and respectful, I'm not dealing with you in any way. I know I work in the service industry, but I can refuse service to any one at anytime for anything. I won't abuse that privelage, but I'm not throwing myself in the snake pit anymore.

I'm starting to feel really glad that I don't have that much more time here. It's not that I don't like working here, I do. I love the staff, I like my boss (most of the time) :), It's just that I'm so sick of the people who come in here and stomp all over all of us because they think they can. I can't put up with much more of that, and I'm happy I don't have to.

I guess I'm gonna trade people who stomp on me for one that poops, pees, and barfs on me.

I still think it's an improvement.

Lucky me :)