Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Born to make mistakes.

As you can probably tell from the title, I've made a mistake. The only problem I can see is that, I don't know how to fix it. At least not without hurting myself. No, not in the physical sense. Life can be so complicated when you don't have a teacher. Of course, it would be to my best interest if I asked for help. But I'm dumb in that department. Either way, I've made a mistake. And I get to fix it....it's going to be painful, and really really hard. I'm going to have to work on it for a long long time. Probably the rest of my life (people can't drop things as easily as they preach, and I'm guilty as charged as well). oh well though, I guess that's how life is best lived. To make a mistake and then learn to get over it. ciao.

Monday, July 30, 2007

Good-bye my friend.

They want to take her away from me. They want to take away my best friend. The one who seemed to read me the best. They say it's necessary. They don't take care of her. And my apartment is too small. They want to take her away from me. My secret keeper. My confidant. I could tell her anything, and I would always tell her everything. She knows me. She knows my thoughts, my feelings, she knows my dreams, all my hopes and fears. She knows my heart. She knows more about me than any other person in this world. I tell her everything. Not because she can't talk back in words, but because she doesn't judge me. She continues to love me. Like I've always loved her. When I go home, she's still the first one I go see. If I'm having a bad day, and I get mad, even if it's at her, she still comes to me and loves me. She has taught me the meaning of unconditional love. She sticks by my side, she is my best friend. She always has a smile on her face. And they want to get rid of her. It's just too much work for them. If I could have only one gift for the rest of my life, I would wish that they take the time to care for her until I am able to take her with me. If nothing else at all.....that is what I would request. She is the bridge between my family and I. The special link, between father and daughter. She would do something funny, or learn a new trick. My dad would come find me, so happy he would be. He would come find me and we'd share something in common. We'd finally have something to talk about together. It felt like it used to be. Just me and my dad. But he wants to get rid of her. He says it's something that's needed. Says it'd be better if she had a younger family to play with. I feel as though they don't care about her enough. I wish so bad I could bring her home with me, to my apartment. But it's too small. She'd get bored so fast. So to whomever gets to take her home....love her and spoil her. She will be your best friend.

Sunday, July 29, 2007

"May I check in early?"

So many people come in to the office ready to check in to their rooms when it's as early as 11, sometimes 10 o'clock in the morning. And when their room is not ready when they arrive, oh goodness! they are panic stricken!! (literally). They start to wonder if they'll ever get a room before we depart for the day. We kindly explain that check in is not until 4 pm, and that it is on Every confirmation letter regardless of whom they've booked through. See the way it works out here, is we own and manage five different properties in the kimball junction area. Each unit is individually owned. So we do not check people in and out of every unit of every property (somehow this slice of information is somehow tossed to the back of people's minds). Therefore if we are 100% sold out, most likely the unit will not be ready until 4 pm anyway. Another reason for this is because our housekeepers do not have their needed cleaning supplies in the building of the units of which they are assigned to clean. Our housekeepers have to drive their own cars to the unit, and carry in their cleaning items. Then when they are done they have to transport those same items plus dirty laundry back to their cars, and then continue on to the next place for the next room assignment. It takes approximatly 45 minutes to clean a room, and that includes the switching of the laundry. Now, please note that the estimated time previously stated is for a seasoned housekeeper who knows what they're doing. If by chance it is a person who is new, it could take an hour and half (I know because I cleaned a unit once, and somehow still missed some items that needed to be cleaned). Now, if I were to explain this to a guest as I would like to do, I would get fired. Because sometimes I just want to scream at them and say "YOU ARE NOT THAT IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU SHOW UP PEOPLE FALL OVER THEMSELVES TRYING TO PLEASE YOU. So you've got money, WHOOP-DI-DO!" hahaha! as you can see for yourselves, I would get fired. I will admit it is quite tempting sometimes. The best part of an upset guest, is when we have the right (where we won't get fired) to tell them to leave. Such was the case this past winter, when we had a "1st rate citizen" come into our office to check in early.
Megan and I had just arrived at the office to switch out agents, and we were lucky enough to catch this "1st rate citizen" yelling at Arthur, about his room not yet being ready. Megan went to the back of the office and then stood next to Arthur to help with the situation, while I went and talked to the other lady in the office. Soon, we could hear the guest yelling at Arthur, "Are you trying to be a lawyer or something?" (I'm not aware of what provoked this cry, but it was slightly funny since Arthur was a law student. He told me later on that he was tempted to inform the guest, that since he was attending law then yes, he was). They informed him that check in wasn't until 4, and that he'd have to wait. Our "1st rate" guest was some what okay with this bit of news, and asked to at least know the location of the units he and his friends would be occupying, so he could see how close they were to each other. The units that were scheduled for him, were not side by side, as he had requested. and that just sent him into a tizzy fit. He started screaming, and complaining like I've never before seen. Saying that He's had a long trip and just wants to go somewhere to rest and get ready to ski with his friends, but he NEEDED his units to be side by side. We tried explaining that we do not own every condo on any property that we use, but that we did the best we could with the time of year he had chosen to take a vacation. He then walked out, and came back in asking if we had another unit that he could go check out, and if it was clean as well. Megan called the housekeeping manager, and asked about the new unit, while Arthur got the keys and a map for the guest. As it turned out, the new unit was clean and ready to go. So they sent the guests on their way. The three of us went over and talked with the sales rep. from Hamlet Homes, with whom we share the office. At that time I informed both Arthur and Megan that if they had any other guests who were rude like that ever again, when We are doing our best to accomodate them, and they are still throwing a fit, then we are allowed to ask them to leave, and they will get a full refund back, because we do not have to take their harrassment. Megan and Arthur were quite pleased with this news, and stated that if they came back, they would probably tell them that. Not even one minute after that statement, those same "1st rate citizens" stormed back into the office even more upset because they couldn't find the unit they were going to go check out. Both of them tried to explain how the unit was numbered, and what to look for to find that unit. The "1st rate citizen" screamed "STOP WITH THE NUMBERS, I WANT AN ACTUAL UNIT! I MEAN I COME HERE EXPECTING A ROOM AND YOU TELL ME IT'S NOT CLEAN, THEN YOU GIVE ME ANOTHER UNIT, THAT I CAN'T EVEN FIND!! GOSH, WHO RUNS THIS PLACE HERE! BECAUSE THEY SUCK. I MEAN COME ON!! DO I LOOK LIKE A SECOND RATE CITIZEN TO YOU?!?!" My first thought was "yeah! you do!" hahahaha, but of course I kept my mouth shut. Megan calmly said to the guest, "Nobody thinks that sir, we are doing the best that we can. But we are nearly 100% sold out". And she was very polite, and I was quite proud about her attitude since I could tell she just wanted to yell back (which would have been cool, but also bad). She politely, but strongly, and almost coldly, said to the guest, "Sir if you are truly unhappy with our services then you are welcome to leave, and our manager will give you a full refund. The guest demanded that to happen, and tore up his registration cards, leaving the pieces on the ground as he left, saying how crumy our service was. Unbeknownst to him, he gave us something to laugh about.
And that is why check in is not till 4pm, and NO you may NOT check in early. We truly don't care who you are either.