My Life As A Hotel Front Desk Clerk (1)

You may or may not know that from 1993-1996 I worked as a Front Desk Associate for the Residence Inn by Marriott (Note I didn't say Marriott Residence Inn because that's not what it is called-always a pet peeve of mine). Tonight at dinner I was telling Kevin a couple of stories of this life because on Saturday, he decided to extend his hotel trip at a hotel that was sold out for the evening. My life as a hotel front desk clerk comes flooding back and I blurted out "Oh, man there is nothing worse than having to "walk" a guest.

"Walking a guest".....you are oversold so you book them a room at a hotel that is not oversold and when they arrive you tell them to go to the other hotel. Basically it's we value your business but you can't stay here tonight. There really is nothing worse than coming in for a 3-11 shift and having the morning shift tell you that you were oversold and thus will likely have to walk someone. Next you determine who you will walk. It will likely be someone that fits the following criteria:

*Short stay, one or two nights
*Not one of your corporate accounts (If you are a vacationing person, look out)
*Not a regular
*A man is easier to walk than a woman, so likely a man

There are two strategies: (1) Choose a couple of possibles and attempt to walk the first of them that arrives, that way if they pitch a fit you can walk the other one (2) Wait it out and hope that the last person to check in is after your 11:00 and then the next shift will have to do it.

I employed both strategies. Tonight when I was checking in at the Embassy Suites the front desk clerk was telling the other clerk that they were oversold. She then told me that I was fine and I told her that I used to work the front desk and there was nothing worse than-she interrupted and said-walking someone! Yep, walking a guest is miserable, I told her that I hope the guest arrives after 11:00PM. I also told her that after I worked at the front desk I went to work for a hospital laboratory and the only thing worse than walking a guest is calling someone back because we drew the wrong tube of blood.