Room Service?
"HOW WAS YOUR TRIP?"
- When: Appearing at the hotel with suitcase in hand, with a tired face or discovering a new world. - Who: the reception staff, to make the wait during the process pleasant.
- Means: Just that: “does it come collapsed after twelve hours of flight or fresh as lettuce?”. That is, is it receptive or less? - Our answer: He is not interested in the fact that we traveled by AVE in the opposite direction to the march or that we had a bachelorette party next to us.
"IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME STAYING WITH US?"
- When: Normally during check-in. - Who: there are several profiles that can tell us this beautiful phrase: receptionist, concierge... It means: Are you a regular, what do you know about us?
- Our answer: Conciseness and kindness: “Yes, I really wanted to. Or no, I often stay in this hotel.” There is no need to enter a fight if in a hotel with 500 rooms they do not remember our face. Not in one of 50. In general, there is no need to quarrel . There are other avenues of persuasion.
"NEED HELP WITH YOUR SUITCASE?"
- When: upon arrival and seeing us drag the suitcase like Egyptian slaves building the Pyramids - Who: usually receptionists or bellboys.
- Means: This is a good hotel and we don't want you to get a hernia carrying your suitcase. We want the experience to be light from start to finish. - Our answer: If we have a nanosuitcase, it is not necessary for them to carry it up. If we are in a hurry to open the laptop, it is better that we do it ourselves because sometimes the five minutes that they announce are ten.
"CAN YOU FILL OUT THIS FORM FOR ME? JUST SIGN ON THE CROSS"
- When: during check-in. - Who: the reception staff.
- Means: Your data is important to our sales and marketing department. Sometimes, they are already filled by the reservation and we only need your signature. - Our answer: “Of course”, and immediately afterwards: we will sign as ministers on the day of the appointment.
"WILL YOU LET ME HAVE YOUR CREDIT CARD?"
- When: during check-in. - Who: the reception staff.
- Means: Let's make it easy for both of us. If you go to the bar and have a Coca Cola you will not have to pay and we will charge it to your card. If you decide to take the Bouroullec lamp as a souvenir, we'll make sure you know it wasn't an amenitie. - Our answer: Let's elegantly enlarge the card.
"ARE YOU GOING TO WANT PRESS?"
- Where: At reception or in the same room - Who: The reception staff or whoever accompanies us to the room to show it to us
- Means: we want you to feel at home and not lose your rhythm. Read and inform yourself on paper, as you hardly do now. - Our answer: Let's not beat around the bush and ask for the local newspaper of our town: they won't have it. They will offer a couple of options and we will comply. The International Herald Tribune is a classic at breakfast time.
"NEED A WAKE-UP CALL?"
- Where: At reception or in the same room - Who: The reception staff or whoever accompanies us to the room to show it to us
- Means: People fall asleep. That's a universal truth, and we don't want you to miss the meeting you flew in four hours for, or your time to visit MOMA. - Our answer: “That would be great” and we will give the exact time or a simple “No thanks”.
"DO YOU NEED ME TO TURN DOWN YOUR BED?"
- Where: In the room. Normally we only hear this phrase in certain hotels and if we are in the room at the time of the turndown service. - Who: Cleaning staff in the middle of the afternoon.
- Means: We are a great hotel and we prepare the room for the sweet hour of sleep, but if you are working and you are not going to go out, we will not. - Our answer: "Yes, thank you or no thank you, I don't need it." But you don't have to blurt out something like: “What's going to turn down the bed for me? As if I didn't know!" There are cases.
"ANYTHING FROM THE MINIBAR?"
- Where: In reception. - Who: During check out.
- Means: If you arrived hungry and ran out of nuts and chips, let us know. And the wonderful bottle of champagne in the fridge was sold out, even more so. - Our answer: Always sincere. If we have consumed, we have to pay for it. Thanks to that simple rule the economy works.
"ROOM SERVICE!"
- Where: In the room. It is usually said from the corridor. - Who: Hotel staff. We have seen many movies in which this phrase was thrown by a spy or an assassin, but this is not usually the case.
- Means: You ordered a salad and a chicken sandwich a while ago and here they are. - Our answer: Bring in the kind person who guarantees our survival.
"WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN"
- Where: At reception or at the door, when we say goodbye. - Who: Anyone can and should do it.
- Means: What it looks like: “We would like it to come back. I hope it does, loyalty is basic”. - Our answer: Concise. "Thanks, I'd love to" may work. If the water from the shower seeped through a crack, you should not tell the man who calls our taxi. If wonderful things have happened to us in that hotel, we don't have to go into details either. A “Thank you very much, I would love to come back” is effective.