Hello, guest
|
Name: Hotel Employee
[ Original Post ]
1) Be nice
2) BE NICE

I work at a hotel. The rates are set, to an extent, and are largely controllable by the front desk agent. If you act like a jerk in your quest for a lower rate, they will yank it away from you. They'd rather lose your business entirely because they're not interested in the big picture, they're interested in surviving the next few hours until quittin' time. If you don't qualify for a "legitimate" discount (AAA, AARP, businessman, government, partnership, et cetera), your only hope is being so nice that they're glad to have at least one non-)(#*$wad staying in the hotel (you'd be surprised).

If you're being as nice as you can be, try pity.

How to work the pity angle:
1) Be tired, but still managing that "happy for my kids" brightness
2) Look disheveled. Wrinkled clothes, flat hair, tired eyes (a little bit of eye makeup will do, light yellow tones and slight black under the eyes) will inspire sympathy if you "just can't afford that rate"
3) Don't bring in all your kids, just one or two: the most tired-looking ones. Having eight children bouncing around the lobby will lose your sympathy immediately
4) Be courteous and polite - please and thank you, people, when did that go out of style?
5) No death glares - If your spouse has a penchant for being rude to the help, or is not committed to scamming a lower rate, then leave them in the car. I've been just about to give nice people a lower rate when their spouse started in on me, and it immediately went to rack (full) rate.

They key is to be everything that a good guest is and a bad guest isn't, make them want to have you in the hotel. They'd rather have nice you in at a discounted rate than the next jerk at full price. One would make the business more money, but the other would help the business run smoothly.

An often forgotten rule is "never ask for a lower rate." Suggest it, tease it, try to earn it. Just asking will never work. The Best Rate? No hotel just gives out the Best Rate because somebody asks. And never say, "What is the lowest rate you can give me?" Why would they give it to you? What did you do to earn that rate, other than stand there and think yourself mighty.

What won't work:
1) Talk about how long you've been driving - The front desk hears that 50x a day, literally. "But I've been driving for 14 hours!" Who hasn't? They're a business and they have to make money.
2) Continually ask for a lower rate - I had an older gentleman who just kept asking "Why isn't my rate lower? I'm old, I need a lower rate" despite my repeated statement that he was already on the senior rate. It just made me mad.
3) Threatening to walk away - Pulling the "Well, I guess we'll just have to go elsewhere" or "Oh well, guess I'm going then" aren't going to work. Sometimes, the rate you want is just too low. The employee would get in trouble, and he'd rather watch you go than be reprimanded the next day.
4) Talking about other hotel's rates - It's annoying and doesn't do any good.
5) Being a lobby vulture - Lobby vultures are guests who hang around the front desk listening to other people check in, waiting for a person who gets a lower rate, then strike demanding "How did they get a lower rate? Why didn't I get that rate?"
6) Asking for your old rates - It's called inflation
7) Don't argue with the rules - If you had the sympathy going earlier, you'd kill it immediately



Other ways:

Having a AAA or AARP membership helps greatly, and is a sensible thing to have anyway, even if you're not a big traveller.

Here is a sneaky one: offer non-monetary compensation. Many hotels have a membership rewards program (Hilton Honors, Best Western Gold Crown Club, etc). If you're not a member, offer to sign up in exchange for a few more bucks off your rate, because those employees benefit off of your signup. It may only work once at each chain (unless you lie), but in today's economy they're desperate to earn something free, such as food or gasoline gift cards (you might want those too). You may hit an honest one every now and then who won't bite, but its worth a shot.
Your Name


captcha

Your Reply here


 
Name: S.M.B. | Date: Jul 12th, 2006 10:31 PM
Useless information! There are some hotels that aren't expensive or nasty. 

Name: nightrider | Date: Jul 15th, 2006 5:01 AM
I'd just as soon drive straight through to my destination or curl up at a rest area in my backseat awhile and wash up in the restroom...free,free,free!!!! And as an added bonus,there's always a soda and snack machine handy there too!!!!! I'll lock my doors and if anyone comes messing around I'll whip out my mace and cell phone,or lay on my horn as I'm starting my car and tearing off on down the highway! 

Name: Keira | Date: Oct 7th, 2006 9:13 PM
I use Hilton every time they have a great kiddie side they always like it when you have the kids! I ordered two standard ajoining rooms once and they upgraded them to a suite! It was fantastic and had all the things i needed: two double beds: two cots, a living area, a kitchen. I have always ordered a suite since! 

Name: Deanna | Date: Oct 23rd, 2006 4:09 AM
******3) Don't bring in all your kids, just one or two: the most tired-looking ones. Having eight children bouncing around the lobby will lose your sympathy immediately*******

I about fell out of my chair laughing!!!! 

Copyright 2024© babycrowd.com. All rights reserved.
Contact Us | About Us | Browse Journals | Forums | Advertise With Us