Dial "M" for Matthew

As I mentioned in my blog entry dated 09/01/2013, I recently started working at a hotel.  The other night, I received a telephone call from a woman who was staying at another hotel, and as she was not happy with her then-current accommodations, she wanted to know if we had room available for the following two nights.

Amanda Seyfried in the March 2012 Issue of Glamour
Photo by Ellen von Unwerth, Dress by Versace
Image obtained from http://www.glamour.com....
No Copyright Infringement Intended

There was, as they say, no room at the inn.  That's the end of the story.  Thanks for reading!

Or perhaps not....  Here's where the story takes two turns that I think might seem odd to most other people, hence my reason for sharing it with you today.

Had we had the room, this would have gone much differently, but as we did not, I asked her if she had communicated her concerns to the staff at the hotel where she was staying.  It has been my experience that people fester in frustration and then complain at check-out or even later, whether by phone or by an unfavorable online review, and that in almost all of those cases, we could have accommodated their concerns quite easily had they just let us know.  I wanted this woman to give our competitor the same opportunities that I wish my own guests had given me.  Unfortunately, she said that she was just too upset with them to talk to them at the time, and that she also didn't want to say anything until she secured other lodging for the next two nights.

I provided the woman the telephone numbers to some other local hotels, and she was extremely appreciative.  Again, one might think that the story ends there, but... not so fast!

Image obtained from http://annechaconas.com/....
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Then I called the competing hotel and spoke with the individual working at the front desk there. That's right.  I gave a professional rival a courtesy call, outlining the situation - and I said that I would expect the same from her.  As the hour had grown quite late, we agreed that it would be inappropriate for her to initiate engagement with the guest at that time, but that forewarned was forearmed.  (Eight-armed is an octopus, but that's another story altogether.)

Here's the thing:  a corollary to the expression "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" might be "I can't fix it if I don't know it's broken."  I firmly believe that, just as it is the responsibility of a service provider to exceed expectations, it is the consumer's duty to point out shortcomings calmly, professionally, and at the point of service - when corrective action can be taken.  Waiting only exacerbates the matter, not only for oneself, but also potentially for others.  

Would you have given your competitor a friendly "heads up," or would you have just gone about your own business?  Have you ever done something like what I described above?  How do you handle things when you are dissatisfied?  Please feel free to share your experiences in the comments below.

I Wish You Peace

Saint Francis of Assisi
Original Artist Unconfirmed
http://www.catholic.org/

~Prayer of Saint Francis~

Lord, make an instrument of your peace,

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. 

Amen

 

I share this prayer today, not to impose Catholicism or Christianity upon anyone, but to ask you to examine the words of this the prayer.  If you don't like the word prayer, then think of it as poetry.  Please read them aloud, listen to them, and take them to heart.

 

I see a great many situations that degenerate from righteous indignation to bullying, with intolerance, anger, and utter disdain along the way. 

 

Redemption, by Ric Larson
Welded Steel on Stone
http://fineartamerica.com/....
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When someone does not meet my expectations, the first thing that I have to examine myself.  Am I being realistic and reasonable?  Does the person have the faculties and the tools to fulfill what I wanted?

Assuming that the answer to both of those questions is "Yes," someone is going to hear about it, but not until I confirm the root cause of the problems - poor planning or faulty execution.

We have the right to express frustration.  While I would never wish to take that away from anyone, my concerns are relative to the manner in which people conduct themselves.  Swearing does not go very far with me, and it often causes me to dismiss arguments wholesale.

If someone genuinely fails, we must hold them accountable for that and provide them with definitions of our expectations.  After that, additional mentions in context are merited in order to share cautionary wisdom with others; however, when those mentions come out of context, when the matter becomes an inside joke, when they just don't stop...  then it becomes bullying.

 

In spite of the very real hurt that we may feel, we must be better than to inflict that upon others.  Otherwise, it festers and gains a life of its own, defining us, consuming us.  There must come a time for redemption - or silence.

 

However you handle it, I hope that it is in such a way that you are able to find peace.

How do you feel about this?  How do you process dissatisfaction, anger, and hurt?  How do you help others to get through their frustrations?  Please share your comments below.