That really sums up last week rather nicely. Sunday snowballed into a real mess by Wednesday in regards to rooms to clean vs housekeepers on staff on any given day. Wednesday was definitely the worst of it. By the time my shift was over at 3pm, I saw a total of three rooms ready for the more than three guests we had scheduled to show up. Maybe it shouldn't be in my place to worry over such a thing - I know some people would say that at least. But this how I see it: I am the front line of the hotel and the provider of rooms. If I don't have the rooms or have people waiting, it looks bad and puts people in a bad mood. Luckily, by Thursday, things looked like they were better in regards to our room issue.
I was talking with the night auditor yesterday and it turned out he had a bit of a wild weekend....well...our guests did at least... that included two naked women streaking through our lobby in some sort of drunken state. By the sounds of it, there was a lot of that going on - drunken states, I mean. Considering some of the characters I have to deal with, I'm really quite glad I don't have to deal with what goes on around here at night *laughs*
Speaking of characters, I have three to share with you guys this morning. To be honest, I think this must have have all happened on Wednesday. It was as if the powers that be looked down upon me having this sweet moment with a puppy and smote me by tainting the rest of the day. Btw, it really was a cute moment!
So victim number one called to confirm rooms that she'd apparently cancelled (in a drunken haze, perhaps?) back in the beginning of the month. She had no recollection of it despite the tracking back to her calling the 800 number and confirmation numbers to the effect that she had, indeed, cancelled these rooms. I don't know why, but over the course of the conversation, she admitted to calling them half a dozen times about these rooms so it sounds quite plausible, that she lost her mind and cancelled. Unfortunately, so close to the reservation dates, I couldn't reinstate the reservations - we were booked! I really felt for her....even if she did start crying about how I ruined her life and weekend.
Wow, now that I look up at that first caller, victim seems to be wrong....tormentor, perhaps? Goof? Even better! Subject number two has a reservation- great! They are part of a group checking on on Xday and rather casually mentioned they were going to check in on Yday. Uh...hello - your reservation is for Xday, if you want to show up on Yday, you need to make a reservation for that day - and you know...pay the price for that night. *eyeroll*
And finally, we have the person who checked in knowing he could have his room for four days but wanted it for five. Everyday he came in checking to see if there was a cancellation that would let him keep his room for the extra day - a smart move! However aggressively suggesting I "bump" someone so he could keep his room was a bit selfish, if you ask me. Regardless, I wasn't authorized to make that sort of move and in the end, it looks like he got what he wanted. Saving grace, I suppose, is the drunken women who were so belligerent at 6am about losing their room (and being given a different type of room), were downright chirpy hours later when they checked out. Eh, go figure.
As you can all maybe see, it was another full week for me, which makes me grateful that I'm back to my regular schedule this week and gods know I need that with E actually having his CT scan this week. Though you know what I didn't touch on? My anniversary. It was also on Thursday. *laughs*
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Friday, Interrupted
All I wanted last night was a moment of dark quiet to help abate my headache before drifting off to sleep. While sometimes the best laid plans go awry, really badly made ones are a miracle if they go right. So I was out of luck but thank goodness I generally am fast to fall asleep. And up 6 hours later forcing myself to get more sleep cause I went to bed too early, it seems. Silly me...
Routines are a big thing for me, more than I care to admit cause I think it makes me look more a rigid person when I like to think that I'm really a go with the flow personality. But let's break down yesterday because while I was simmered under light and noise, the final thought before drifting off to dream was a pondering of what my day looks like on paper. A terrifying undertaking in the blistering light of day because my not so secret fear is that I'm going to show myself to be things people insist I'm not.
5am marks the start of my day and already it's good since I managed to get out of bed without stepping on Freya who tends to sleep by my side. With work at 7, I get plenty of time to get ready for it and have my quiet time. Can a person meditate over skinning? I think so. My mind clears as I hack and slash my way through creatures, part of the mantra of peeling and walking off to the next kill. It's not as methodical as mining or flower picking but the peace is there, setting the pace for a calm start.
6:15 am and were off and running - with the girls out of town, I'm responsible for feeding the pets. Scooping kitty kibble into Odin's bowl reminds me to snag a granola bar to tuck in my purse with my carrots. With E up and ready, I get a ride into work so that he can run an errand this morning.
7am is the official start of my shift and it always starts with counting out my drawer and matching up the in house list to the registration list. Between checking out guests and taking calls, I look over the incoming list of housekeeping staff vs how many rooms.
I've been doing really well with my habit of taking sips of water every time I get up. I'm always jumping up to do something so I'm always taking sips. A serving of nuts marks my breakfast taken till about 10am.
By noon everybody who's checking out is gone, FedEx has paid me a visit and I've gone through a round of marking dirty rooms as cleaned. It's been a steady stream of reservations being made, changed and cancelled coupled with a check in or two.
Afternoon's passing with relative peace as I read between nibbles on my carrots. I lament over a piece of poetry I've started a bit before tidying up the desk. I like to hit up frequently touched areas with disinfectant once a week and have to run the vacuum every day. Nicely tidied up, I tuck into more reading for the last hour of my shift.
2pm and a frantic call comes in from my relief. In the end my shift extends for an additional hour to hour and a half. Between the phone going crazy and people checking in, I think towards the end I think cracks were beginning to show in my smile.
430pm found me on the way home to my ecstatic puppy. Too ecstatic as she barely let me get changed out of my work clothes before giving me hugs and kisses. She finally let me collapse on the couch after I played with her.
6ish? Ish!?! Heh...we'll see who amoung you figures that one out. I dealt with dishes, started laundry and did some picking up while fixing dinner.
740pm and my Friday's interrupted before it even gets to start. *sighs*
Routines are a big thing for me, more than I care to admit cause I think it makes me look more a rigid person when I like to think that I'm really a go with the flow personality. But let's break down yesterday because while I was simmered under light and noise, the final thought before drifting off to dream was a pondering of what my day looks like on paper. A terrifying undertaking in the blistering light of day because my not so secret fear is that I'm going to show myself to be things people insist I'm not.
5am marks the start of my day and already it's good since I managed to get out of bed without stepping on Freya who tends to sleep by my side. With work at 7, I get plenty of time to get ready for it and have my quiet time. Can a person meditate over skinning? I think so. My mind clears as I hack and slash my way through creatures, part of the mantra of peeling and walking off to the next kill. It's not as methodical as mining or flower picking but the peace is there, setting the pace for a calm start.
6:15 am and were off and running - with the girls out of town, I'm responsible for feeding the pets. Scooping kitty kibble into Odin's bowl reminds me to snag a granola bar to tuck in my purse with my carrots. With E up and ready, I get a ride into work so that he can run an errand this morning.
7am is the official start of my shift and it always starts with counting out my drawer and matching up the in house list to the registration list. Between checking out guests and taking calls, I look over the incoming list of housekeeping staff vs how many rooms.
I've been doing really well with my habit of taking sips of water every time I get up. I'm always jumping up to do something so I'm always taking sips. A serving of nuts marks my breakfast taken till about 10am.
By noon everybody who's checking out is gone, FedEx has paid me a visit and I've gone through a round of marking dirty rooms as cleaned. It's been a steady stream of reservations being made, changed and cancelled coupled with a check in or two.
Afternoon's passing with relative peace as I read between nibbles on my carrots. I lament over a piece of poetry I've started a bit before tidying up the desk. I like to hit up frequently touched areas with disinfectant once a week and have to run the vacuum every day. Nicely tidied up, I tuck into more reading for the last hour of my shift.
2pm and a frantic call comes in from my relief. In the end my shift extends for an additional hour to hour and a half. Between the phone going crazy and people checking in, I think towards the end I think cracks were beginning to show in my smile.
430pm found me on the way home to my ecstatic puppy. Too ecstatic as she barely let me get changed out of my work clothes before giving me hugs and kisses. She finally let me collapse on the couch after I played with her.
6ish? Ish!?! Heh...we'll see who amoung you figures that one out. I dealt with dishes, started laundry and did some picking up while fixing dinner.
740pm and my Friday's interrupted before it even gets to start. *sighs*
Monday, July 4, 2011
It's the Fourth....Tra-la-la
What's a real shame is what today really means to people. Before I left for Germany back in 2004, I was listening to a program where someone was going around asking people about the significance of today and the answers were shocking. It's not about the weekend long sales, the fireworks display, the picnics and bbqs. It's about celebrating the birth of this nation!
Of course...I'm sure I had some sort of speech that would have had me standing up before my keyboard, heart filled with pride and awe for the nation's history and all that jazz but dear gods...I'm just too tired to try to recreate the feeling I had hours ago.
"Krieger-San, my cherry blossoms are wilting!" Yeah...I just had to softball a lil Archer in here...Wilting indeed, only I'm the blossoms. Bloody hell, it's just barely past noon and already I cannot WAIT to get my ass home, nearly naked and just...dead on the couch.
How is it today was harder than yesterday - there were more checks outs then than today and yet...ugh...people today have just left me downright knackered. Let's see if we can count the ways...
People who come in at peek checkout hour wanting to see a room. They're part of a group that's going to be staying with us and yet was not entirely clear (to themselves) what name(s) the group was under. Bless their hearts, I was running my arse off and they remained quite patient about it.
I'm still not sure partially eaten tin of Danish butter cookies is peace offering enough after yelling at me cause prices aren't what you expected. Or that infernal tapping while I frantically tried to sort the problem out while dealing with the phone.
When checking out of multiple rooms...seriously...you should make sure that EVERYBODY in those rooms is AWAKE and LEAVING! Saves the maid having a heart attack when she goes to clean a checked out room only to find bodies still on the floor.
I don't get how someone can call here, speak really good English and want to talk to someone who's Spanish speaking. Dude, if you know enough to understand ask, perfectly about rooms, it's not much more than that to make a bloody reservation. However, since you do want assistance, accept that you're going to be on hold with our reservation line - they will help you! Stop hanging up on them and calling me in hopes that I've magically learned enough Spanish to be fluent enough to help you!!
Oh and the worst of the bunch....my boss was being a regular Dante Hicks. I think I would have burst out laughing when he told me he wasn't supposed to be here today but since he was growling all pissed off about it, I instead was on edge and just waiting for him to sprout a second head and bite mein off. Wait, I mean him biting my only head, not that I have a second one for him to bite off. Ironically enough, he was damn chipper after leaving when he called to ask me to check on something....bugger.
ugh...so this post has just turned into one great big bitchfest...I feel a bit better though...getting all that crap off my chest. What do you guys thing....am i being a bitchy fae, a bad worker fae or just...a fae who managed to smile sweetly, greet enthusiastically and be overall cheerful despite the stressful morning. Ugh...prolly a combo of all three....
Of course...I'm sure I had some sort of speech that would have had me standing up before my keyboard, heart filled with pride and awe for the nation's history and all that jazz but dear gods...I'm just too tired to try to recreate the feeling I had hours ago.
"Krieger-San, my cherry blossoms are wilting!" Yeah...I just had to softball a lil Archer in here...Wilting indeed, only I'm the blossoms. Bloody hell, it's just barely past noon and already I cannot WAIT to get my ass home, nearly naked and just...dead on the couch.
How is it today was harder than yesterday - there were more checks outs then than today and yet...ugh...people today have just left me downright knackered. Let's see if we can count the ways...
People who come in at peek checkout hour wanting to see a room. They're part of a group that's going to be staying with us and yet was not entirely clear (to themselves) what name(s) the group was under. Bless their hearts, I was running my arse off and they remained quite patient about it.
I'm still not sure partially eaten tin of Danish butter cookies is peace offering enough after yelling at me cause prices aren't what you expected. Or that infernal tapping while I frantically tried to sort the problem out while dealing with the phone.
When checking out of multiple rooms...seriously...you should make sure that EVERYBODY in those rooms is AWAKE and LEAVING! Saves the maid having a heart attack when she goes to clean a checked out room only to find bodies still on the floor.
I don't get how someone can call here, speak really good English and want to talk to someone who's Spanish speaking. Dude, if you know enough to understand ask, perfectly about rooms, it's not much more than that to make a bloody reservation. However, since you do want assistance, accept that you're going to be on hold with our reservation line - they will help you! Stop hanging up on them and calling me in hopes that I've magically learned enough Spanish to be fluent enough to help you!!
Oh and the worst of the bunch....my boss was being a regular Dante Hicks. I think I would have burst out laughing when he told me he wasn't supposed to be here today but since he was growling all pissed off about it, I instead was on edge and just waiting for him to sprout a second head and bite mein off. Wait, I mean him biting my only head, not that I have a second one for him to bite off. Ironically enough, he was damn chipper after leaving when he called to ask me to check on something....bugger.
ugh...so this post has just turned into one great big bitchfest...I feel a bit better though...getting all that crap off my chest. What do you guys thing....am i being a bitchy fae, a bad worker fae or just...a fae who managed to smile sweetly, greet enthusiastically and be overall cheerful despite the stressful morning. Ugh...prolly a combo of all three....
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