Every year like clockwork that wonderful time known as graduation rolls around and I'm forced to be around hundreds of parents who think their child is the only one graduating. In reality, the University we're located near, graduates THOUSANDS of students every year, but you can't tell that to a proud mom or dad that wants you to cater to their every whim on THEIR special day. Graduation is a HUGE deal at the hotel I work for. We sell out one year in advance and it really only takes about 15-20 minutes to sell out when we finally open for booking. Contracts are sent out and all of the rooms are prepaid. Of course, the rates are sky high and some people are booking 3-4 rooms so they are literally paying thousands of dollars one year prior to their stay with us and sometimes they aren't even sure if their son or daughter is going to graduate. I understand it's stressful for the parents, but let's take their stress and multiply it by about 100 and that's where you find me. I have parents leaving me voicemails BEGGING for rooms. I even had a parent ask me if he could rent out the lobby couch. It's ridiculous. I wish I could sell everyone a room, but I just can't. Then we have the actual day they arrive. Everything has to be PERFECT. We've been renovating all year so it was super stressful making sure every little detail was done and in place by the time these crazed parents and grandparents arrived. Finally, the day came! Renovations were complete and I was like a mad woman checking behind housekeeping. I even ironed sheets for 3 hours the day before making sure everything was just so. We put little snacks in the rooms and flowers that were the university's colors... it was perfect. Or so I thought until a Mrs. Oppie (not her real name!) showed up to check in. This lady arrived around 5pm and was absolutely foul. I don't think I have ever encountered someone so terrible in my life and I hope I never have to again. This lady was just a bitch from the beginning. Let me make this known beforehand: we send out contracts, the guests sign those contracts after reviewing their room types and rates, once it is sent back we charge their credit cards for the full price. This process takes place ONE YEAR before they arrive. On the contract, there is a line dedicated to special requests. It specifically says under this line: "Special requests are just that - Requests. We will accommodate you to the best of our ability but requests are NOT guaranteed." Anyway, Mrs. Oppie arrives and right off the bat says, "I'm here to check in and let's be quick about it, ok? I don't need to hear anything about the shitty breakfast or the slow wirelss. Just give me my keys." I was absolutely DUMBFOUNDED. Everyone I had checked in was so HAPPY to be there and gushing over the newly renovated lobby and guest rooms that it took me a second to respond, which caused her to be even more hateful. "I SAID BE QUICK ABOUT IT!" Snapping back to reality, I began her check in process and reviewed her information. I said: "It's so good to have you here, Mrs. Oppie. It looks like I have two rooms here for you, each room with a King sized bed." I thought she was going to crawl across the desk and rip my face off. She starts yelling how her rooms were supposed to have 2 beds and not just 1 king. I raced to my office and came back with her SIGNED CONTRACTS and showed them to her. She had indeed booked two rooms with kings. This only infuriated her more. "WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT? I DON'T REMEMBER SIGNING THAT!" I apologized if there was some sort of miscommunication, but the contracts were binding as far as room types and there was no way for me to switch her because we were sold out and everyone else had their own contracts too, so I couldn't just give her someone else's room. She just kept screaming and dropping the F bomb so I had to finally ask her to lower her voice. She then proceeded to THROW the contracts back at my face with a quick "just give me the fucking rooms already." I made her keys and sent her about her way. Not even to the elevator, she turns around. "THESE ROOMS AREN'T ON THE SAME FLOOR!! I REQUESTED THEY BE BESIDE EACH OTHER." Again, I showed her the contracts where she had left the "special request" field blank. Instead of listening to her scream some more, I just moved some stuff around and got both of her rooms on the same floor. She was on the elevator and out of my sight at last! The phone rings 5 minutes later... room 412 flashing on the screen... her room... I thought about not answering but knew I had to. I picked up the phone and before I could even get the words "Front Desk!" out of my mouth, she says "THERE'S NO HAIRDRYER IN MY ROOM." I knew there was a hairdryer in the room but she probably couldn't see it because we put them on the closet shelf. I told her where it was and she said "NO. I LOOKED THERE DAMNIT. SEND ONE UP ALREADY." So, I call our trusty houseman and he heads upstairs with a hairdryer. About 15 minutes later he comes downstairs shaking his head. He then proceeds to tell me that there was a hairdryer in her room already and when he showed her where it was, she ripped into him like a monkey on a cupcake. He said her words were: "Why in the fucking hell did they send someone like you up here? Don't talk to me like I'm dumb you fucking retard." All he could do was apologize and just get out fast. Another incident of her slamming a door in our sales director's face and I knew I had to do something. I called her room and asked if she could please come downstairs. When she got to the desk, I made no effort to bite my tongue or be nice. I calmly told her that my staff had done nothing to deserve that sort of treatment and as much as I wanted her to be a guest in our facility, I had the right and certainly no problem to escort her out of the hotel. This obviously made her really mad but she just walked away. Her husband came in about 2 hours later and I told him she had already checked in the rooms. He then told me his wife was a "bitch" and left him and his other son back home without telling them she was leaving. Clearly, this lady had issues. We didn't hear anything else from her until breakfast when she was screaming at our breakfast guy. I walked over and she immediately sat down and pretended she wasn't doing anything. She pissed me off to no end but finally the weekend was over and she was GONE. Out of every single guest I have ever had to deal with (and that's a big number!), I think I hate her the most. Also, out of a 3 day weekend with a FULL hotel all 3 nights, she was the ONLY ONE to complain. What a horrible cunt (I don't like that word, but it's appropriate for her)!
Anyway... happy graduation to her son... the spawn of satan, herself!
