HOTEL WAKE UP CALLS* please vote, this is for work*

[Mobius]

When staying in a hotel, would you prefer to get a real person giving you the wakeup call, or a machine message, so someone doesnt have to hear you all groggy, or you have to talk to a stranger just as you get up?

I really want to know what the public thinks.

ON EDIT:
these are your 2 choices, please pick one from the 2 choices given. These would be your 2 choices if you were staying where I work. I mean this to be a serious post (Mobius, serious? yes I know...Just go with it...) I want to know what people think, so I know what to expect when they go over to the manual system. People are going to be pissed, because there is no possible way to make up to 200 wakeup calls at the exact same time, and have everyone get them when they want. What a stupid fucking change....Fucking corporate idiots, thinking they are giving people better service. when they have never done the job...This is going to be such a damned disater...

[aclog]

1. Go to the right ones

and you can get "full service" wake up calls...


...or so I've heard

[Mobius]

2. well youve heard wrong

Its one of my job duties, and if some slob hits on me, hes lucky if I don't report him. Hotel operators dont have to put up with sexual harassment.

[aclog]

5. you did know

I was talking about dwarven bed jumping right?

[Mobius]

8. dude

Im just in a shitty mood, chill.

[JVS]

28. Is that with a "happy ending"?

[Blue-Jay]

3. I prefer a dwarf jumping on the bed.

Who doesn't, on the other hand?

[Mobius]

6. pick one

those are your 2 choices, If it had to be one of those, which would you prefer?

[Maddy McCall]

23. Hahahaha!

Come to think of it, I do, too. :rofl:

[qnr]

4. No preference, actually

:hi:

[Mobius]

7. but if you had to pick one

of those 2, which would it be?

[qnr]

9. Human, I finally wake up, then get embarrassed that I thanked a machine

[aclog]

11. Or machine

since its not as bad telling a machine to fuck off

;)

[FuzzySlippers]

10. Machine. If an actual person calls, I have to be polite

and thank her/him, and that's the last thing I feel like doing to someone who wakes me up.

[Mobius]

12. THATS WHAT I SAY

people dont want to deal with a real person! The hotel intends to force people to get manual calls, even if they want the machine thinking its better service! What happened to doing what the guest WANTS?

[FuzzySlippers]

14. I dunno. The management are clearly idiots.

[Mobius]

17. THANK YOU

:cry:

[RevCheesehead]

13. Me, too.

I am NOT "perky-in-the-morning" - and have a real hard time dealing with the people in life who are.

[FuzzySlippers]

15. People who wake up perky should be shot.

}(

[RevCheesehead]

16. No fuckin' kidding.

And I require at least an hour of full consciousness before I am able to mumble. Even the cats know this, and steer clear. :D

[Mobius]

18. agreed 100%

:bounce:

[TheGunslinger]

19. My cell phone is my alarm. Don't trust wakeup calls (person or machine)

;)

[Mobius]

21. most people use them as a back up in case of a power outage,

or a dead cell phone battery, a few minutes before or after theor other alarm. Some people actually pride themselves on making sure people get up for important business meetings and such...

[TheGunslinger]

22. I always carry a charger and keep my phone charged every night!

:P

[Mobius]

26. so if there is a power outage

and your phone doesnt charge, that kind of makes you SOL, doesn't it? :shrug: :P

[TheGunslinger]

27. Laptops have USB ports. Phone has USB cable charger, too!

Besides, if the power goes out, the alarm clock in the room won't work anyway and automated wakeup systems won't work either.

:P

[Mobius]

47. actually they do

back up generators in case of emergencies. with that many people you have to make sure you can protect them and the hotel phones all work in a power outage.
try again

[LSdemocrat]

20. If the call is waking me up, I wouldn't consciously notice a difference

However, if I happen to be up, I'd prefer a human.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. I prefer a machine call.....

but actually I don't care.....

As long as the call comes on time.....and I get to wake up!

Sorry this is bugging you so much..

Hope it works out better than you think it will......


:hi:

[pinniped]

25. I usually stay at NV casinos, they are mostly all machine operated.

If I hear it, I usually hang up and go back to sleep.

It doesn't really matter to me but I voted for machine.

[Mutley]

29. Aww, Mobius, relax.

I worked at two hotels with the automatic system and never received more than a handful of complaints. Most people were pleased that the automated system meant a deadly accurate wakeup call. :hug: It'll be okay. As a matter of fact, on a few occasions, when a guest was really nasty to me... I just MIGHT have accidentally set up their wake-up call for 4am. ACCIDENTALLY of course! You know how new technology can have those bugs in it. :evilgrin:

[Daisy Adair]

33. Um, yeah. That "accidental" wake-up call at 4AM will result in a

comped room for the guest. An accident like that happened to me at 3:02 AM. Mine was an honest mistake as I was in room 302 and the employee entered my room # into the time slot of the automated system.

Not a very mature way of handling an upset customer. If you've ever done extensive traveling for business, you'd know that sleeping on the road can be extremely difficult in general. Factor in a hotel employee with a vendetta against a customer that may be on day 14 of 21 on the road and all humor is lost.

Automated or manual, the thought of an employee doing that intentionally as "payback" is disgusting.

FTR, I WAS for the automated system until you posted this. I can't believe you'd have the guts to do this in a manual system.

[Mobius]

41. Id never do that

you are 100% correct. We have pilots with little or barely any sleep. I deal with a ton of people every day. Sometimes they are cranky. They seem to like me, and I hunt managers down if someone is upset. A lot of times they are out on the floor, thus have to be tracked down. Some managers are harder to "track down" than others. So i call security and ask them where the manager is on the camera, and such ...
And yeah, we had Gov Doyle last night, not like it would be good to wake him up late lol.
People dont realize that wake up calls are no joke. We are a 4star business hotel, and people need to get up for a REASON. Id be really pissed too if a million dollar contract or something was lost, because an immature employee had to get even. If you cant handle crabby people, (which most arent) get out of the business.
They key is to let them feel in control of the call. ASK them if it is ok to be put on hold or transferred. ASK them if they need anything else, or what you can do. Make it their choice. People calm down really quickly if you let them know you take their concern seriously.
I have to deal with calling 911 etc, for guest medical emergencies, and have talked to people that were having heart attacks, just attacked, wanted to commit suicide...you name it. My job is no job for an easily irritated child.

[Daisy Adair]

51. Thank you for that. It's re-assuring to see your attitude.

People get cranky; all of us. And we're sometimes ruder than we should be. Extenuating circumstances are not always obvious. Traveling is a TOUGH gig and I couldn't imagine dealing with staff at a hotel who was less than professional despite my mood. We have to deal with enough of that with the airlines, for cripes sake!!

BTW, I am in WI and I think I know which hotel you're affiliated with (not a lot of 4 star spots in this area). I've never stayed there, though... someday. :hi:

[Mobius]

70. well

The Pfister is 5 star, which we will be soon as well ;)

[Mutley]

55. It was a joke.

I have always been nothing but professional at any of my jobs. You seemed stressed so I thought a little laugh might help you out. I thought the :evilgrin: would make that clear. My apologies for the misunderstanding.

[Mutley]

53. Have you ever worked as a lowly peon in the service industry?

Have you ever had some business traveler who's in a bitchy mood look at you with pure contempt for no other reason than he/she has the money to stay in the hotel you are forced to work at in order to be able to feed your family? When you do everything in your power to try and make them happy and they still snatch their hotel key out of your hand as if just coming into physical contact with you will transmit "the poor" to them?

On day 450 of ??? of that a person has to fantasize about ways of getting back at people in order to keep your sanity. People treat you like the dog shit on their shoes, not because they have any goddamn inclination of what your life is like, but because you're POOR. THAT is disgusting.

So get off your high horse and live MY life before you lecture me.

BTW, the :evilgrin: smiley usually is a sign of a J O K E. Mobius is obviously stressed out in anticipation of the shit he's going to take over this new automated system of his, so I figured a little J O K E from a person who knows exactly what he's feeling might help him out a little. I was never less than professional in my jobs.

[Daisy Adair]

56. Rudeness is disgusting, too. And yes, been there, done that.

Have YOU ever had to travel for 14 straight days being away from home and family and coffee and bed for days and weeks at a time? Have YOU been a single mother on the road, delayed flights, constant calls to/from home worrying and fretting and stressing and sweating just so YOU could pay your bills? Similar to what you are saying, walk a mile in their shoes, and don't make assumptions about business travelers.

We all have stories and we all have rude moments, and I hope you were, in fact joking. I wasn't "lecturing", I was, in fact, shocked at the thought of what you suggested, joking or otherwise.

See, I got the impression thoughout this thread that a joke was the opposite of what Mobius was looking for in this thread. My bad.

[Mutley]

59. I said I was joking, I was joking

I said I've never been anything but professional, I was never anything but professional. But sitting there when I finally get a free moment and fantasizing(not really doing it, but THINKING about it) about things like that is the only way to relieve the stress.

And being a business traveler sounds like heaven to me. Sitting in a cubicle sounds like heaven to me. Which is why I've been struggling through school for years so I can get there.

[Daisy Adair]

61. Best of luck to you in your schooling, and I hope you find something

that makes you happy. I'm glad to know it was a joke, and I believed you the first time you said so.

Like I said, I had an actual "accident" happen to me and it sucked really bad. I have a very hard time falling asleep the 1st night in a hotel (which is when it happened). I'd had 2 delayed flights and run about 6 miles through airports that day, screwed up rental car reservations and poor directions from Mapquest - traveling for a total of 16 hours. I had to be up by 6. I didn't get to sleep until after 2 and when the call came at 3:02 I could not get BACK to sleep all night. I was facing a day of training a couple dozen folks on no sleep and aching bones.

Your post seriously made me relive the moments of check-in at that hotel to try to recall if I'd been rude. I really hadn't, it was a quick and maybe the only pleasant interaction I'd had all day. It was an honest mistake. The worst part is, the comped room only helped my employer. A voucher would have been nice.

Seriously, best of luck with your schooling and I hope that you find a fulfilling occupation that makes you happy. The dues we pay now should lead to happy rewards.

[Mutley]

62. Thanks.

Sorry about freaking out on you. It's been a rough couple a days for me. I guess you were the one I ended up unloading on. Sorry about that. And welcome to DU. I didn't even notice until now that you're new. It's not always like this on here. I promise. I hope I haven't scared you off.

[Daisy Adair]

63. It's all good. I don't scare that easily!!

[Mobius]

72. The worst part is, the comped room only helped my employer.

A voucher would have been nice. Excellent idea, I am bring that up at our meeting tomorrow! Good to know!

[Mobius]

69. reply

I am a her, first of all. And it it the MANUAL system they are going to, not the other way around. And the longer I stay in the job, the easier it becomes tounderstand why people are upset.
I keep my sanity by knowing I am doing am awesome job, and thusly will put food on the table.
Yes people have degrading attitudes on rare occasion, but it is their misery to live with, not me.
I appreciate that you meant to be supportive, but you dont know exactly what I am going through.
In my opening statement, I asked people to take this post very seriously, I also made it clear that it was the MANUAL system they were going back to, and that customer service was going to be hindered, not helped.

[Mobius]

38. you dont understand

we HAVE the auto system now, they want to go to manual, and its completely stupid.

[Mutley]

54. They want to go manual?

Why? That's just ridiculous. How many rooms are in your hotel?

[Mobius]

71. 484

and yeah, thats what we say

[Race4Peace]

30. go to their room and dump a bucket of water on 'em. that's funny...

[Mobius]

48. if we want to get sued maybe

...

[crispini]

31. The important thing is I get it on time.

If I were staying at your hotel and I had a choice I'd pick the machine because I think they are more accurate than humans. When I am answering the wakeup call I just pick it up and slam it back down again, anyway.

I'd also have at least 1 backup, just in case.

[Mobius]

42. exactly

its IMPOSSIBLE to have one person make up to 200 calls at say 7:00 am on the dot. This new plan is just lunacy.

[bridgit]

32. will not trust my propriety to a machine per se, or a bell hop...

call it an ethic if you must, but my proximity to my business meeting is my responsibility; beyond that i do not need 'a wake up call' to snap a pic of notre dame

[Mobius]

43. Thats why I take the trust

some people DO put in me very seriously. They are guests in my house, that's the way I see it.

[bridgit]

68. fair enough, i just don't want to wake up in a seinfeld episode...

x( i'll give it try sometime

[LynneSin]

I like the machine with the wake up call

because the last 2 hotels I stayed at you could snooze the automatic wakeup machine and it would call back in 10 minutes

[Mobius]

44. ooh thats cool

i wish we had that system

[LynneSin]

34. I like the machine with the wake up call

because the last 2 hotels I stayed at you could snooze the automatic wakeup machine and it would call back in 10 minutes

[tjwmason]

35. Actual person.

It takes quite a lot fully to rouse me in a morning, as I don't have to interact with a machine I could quite easily get the call and go straight back to sleep - if I'm contacted by a real person, then my mind has to engage to speak back to them which will help me to waken.

[Mobius]

46. phone doesnt stop ringing until they pick it up.

if they pick it up and dont imput the correct code they are given, i get an error message, and we send a bellman up to make sure they are awake.

[tjwmason]

67. It's not the same as speaking to an actual person for me.

But it's pretty obvious that I'm in the minority here - my answer to most questions is chaq'un a son gout, which rather implies leaving things as they are.

[NoPasaran]

36. Machine

The less I have to deal with you whiny earth people, the better.

[davsand]

37. Do they have ANY idea how much staff time this will take?

I'm assuming you work in a hotel that has quite a few guest rooms (If you tell me its called the Bates Motel, BTW, I am SO outta here...)

Assuming you have someplace around 200-300 guest rooms, that will take forever to make all those calls. Are they willing to devote enough staff to actually MAKE all those calls and do it in a timely fashion?

It would seem to me that they just screwed the pooch on saving expenditures on payroll, and I really don't think the PR is gonna be all that good once they do it. They have, effectively, just spent more money to piss off more people. No doubt--this was the brainchild of some idjit that has never had to actually DO that job or even managed people who do.

Gawd. Some days I look at working for the government, and I think I'm surrounded by assholes and idiots. THEN I look at the corporate mentality, and it just staggers me at how bad it is.

Good luck with this one, Mobius.


Laura

[Mobius]

45. 484 guest rooms

half of which are doubles, and in the summer its COMMON to have 2 or 3 different wake up times for the same room.
Bless you for understanding.
I am showing this thread to my manager.

[ThatsMyBarack]

39. A recording....

....is easier to pick up and hang up on (just as you're waking up and the phone rings right by your head!).

[LeftyMom]

40. A recording can't be embarassed by my foul language when I wake up!

:thumbsup:

[Mobius]

49. amen to that

.

[WolverineDG]

50. In a smaller hotel

it might make more sense to have the calls made by a person. But in a large hotel, where most guests want to get up at the same time, it makes no sense. Back in the day before machines did the calls automatically, I always asked for a wake up call 15 minutes before I actually wanted to get up (say 6:45 instead of 7) just so I'd get the call BY 7.

dg

[hippiechick]

52. Conundrum ...

... I prefer a real live person's voice to wake me up, simply because I am soooooo sick of the automatonic society we've become.

Buuuuttt ... having worked 3rd shift front desk at a hotel, I know how bad it sucks to have to be
the one who does the waking-up; and also on some mornings, there are so many calls at a given time that it's a frantic rush to make sure you've got them all within a reasonable window.

[Rhiannon12866]

57. I'd prefer to have a real person call me.

And I wouldn't worry about what I sounded like, because I'd figure they'd already heard everything, much worse than I could come up with.:shrug:

What I wouldn't want to be is the poor operator having to make these calls. Most people don't enjoy being woken up.:boring:

BTW, I once got a personal wake-up call in Moscow. The poor guy on the other end obviously knew no English. Fortunately, I was already up when the call came, since the only thing I heard was a voice yelling "WAKE UP!!!" LOL!:rofl:

[I Have A Dream]

58. I feel very strongly in favor of the machine. I voted as such...

but I just wanted to state that it's a strong vote. Also, I wanted to compliment you on your extremely professional attitude in reference to your job and your guests. Professionalism such as yours is one reason why people choose 4-star hotels.

[Mobius]

73. aww thanks

thats why I got the job! :D

[supernova]

60. Prefer a different ring tone

I wouldn't mind either a machine or a person, but it's the damn phone that JARS me awake. I mean I sit there shaking for a few minutes afterward. :scared:

[Gormy Cuss]

64. Your management needs to bend a little.

It may be a 4-star hotel but not all your guests are there to be pampered every step of the way. I think most business travelers just want the foolish phone to ring at the right time. Having had too many wake-up calls occur 15-20 minutes late I learned to either pick an earlier time or fend for myself.

There are probably VIPs who should have their wake-up calls assigned to a human. If other guests request a human call, it's a nice gesture to have the service available. The remaining guests probably prefer the machine for reasons stated above.

[Daisy Adair]

65. Here's a real idea, Mobius... can you offer guests the OPTION?

Seriously... why not? As you can see, opinions vary depending on the person. Since you have the infrastructure in place for the automation and management seems to think you have the staff for manual, why not offer the option to those with a preference. That, to me, would seem to be a value-added service - the option for those with a preference.

[Mobius]

74. we have said that over and over

but this mandate came down from corporate and we have no choice but to go manual. It all part of a plan to be 5star by spring, and they are completely wrong on this one.

[Dinger]

66. If I Was Staying There, A Machine, If I Worked There, I'd Rather Call

You never know, there could be someone famous I'd get a chance to talk to. Right Mobius????

[Mobius]

75. YEAH

Like James Brown, Bon Jovi. Billy Dee Williams, Gov Doyle OR

Get sexually harassed by Ja Rool, Usher, or have to talk to gems like:
Marv Albert or the Evil One himself, George W Bush.
You get it all.