Should I really feel guilty or hide behind the "I'm just doing my job" excuse?

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-13-2009, 01:05 AM

So as I've mentioned in like every post, I work at a hotel. Well most hotels nowadays need a valid credit card to check in, even if you are going to pay cash for the room because we make far more money that way AND we have our asses covered in case someone damages the room. So now that you're up to speed on our policy, here is the situation I was just caught in.

It's midnight, and our last guest just came in. He's a nineteen year old kid from Columbia, who for his big birthday, is visiting the states for the first time (Why in God's name he choose to come to Utah is beyond me). Anyway, he gives me his credit card which is declined. He asks if he can pay cash, and I tell him we need a valid credit card. So he tries to call his old man in Columbia to try and find out what's wrong with his card or if his father has a CC number he can give me over the phone.

Turns out to reach the province or whatever they have in Columbia, you need a time card or whatever they are called. He does not have one. The poor guy is on the verge of a panic attack and I am trying to keep him calm long enough to get a hold of my boss. I manage to call the big cheese and explain the situation and he informs me that under no circumstances am I to check in ANYONE without a valid card. Really helpful.

Anyway, I manage to get a hold of the one dumpshack motel (the kind where the room next door is probably a methlab) and it turns out they accept cash up front for the entire stay. Now since the kid was dropped off here via shuttle, he doesn't have a ride. I offer to call him a cab, but he says that the only cash he has is a ten dollar bill and a declined credit card.

Fanfuckingtastic.

So, I had to turn this kid away. I gave him the hotel number and told him if anything went wrong, to call me and I'll help him out. Then I gave him a crudely drawn map to the hotel twelve blocks away and he left, hauling his junk through the rougher part of town. I absolutely, one hundred percent feel like shit. I'm worried about opening up the newspaper tomorrow and seeing the headlines "Columbian Visitor Murdered brutally while trying to check in to shithole!" So now I'm nervous, feeling guilty, and have no idea what more I can do to help if he even manages to call me back.

/vent.

**gwahir** · 05-13-2009, 01:08 AM

because this is one of your threads i'm going to need to hear from someone else whether it's worth reading

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-13-2009, 01:18 AM

I can vouch for me. Does that count?

**faesce** · 05-13-2009, 01:22 AM

who the fuck cares about this random fuck

it's his situation not yours you faggot

dont empathize with every random you meet or you're going to turn out softer than a squash in spring nigga

**piranhas** · 05-13-2009, 01:30 AM

Originally Posted by faesce

who the fuck cares about this random fuck

it's his situation not yours you faggot

dont empathize with every random you meet or you're going to turn out softer than a squash in spring nigga

What he said, except for the squash thing. That was a bit weird.

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-13-2009, 01:40 AM

Yeah, I didn't get the squash thing because I'm not a nigga. But I dunno, I just kinda felt bad because I've been stranded in a city with no cash, no contacts, and no ride before and let me tell you, it was a bitch. I can't even imagine how it'd be to be stranded in a whole different country.

**WellAdjusted** · 05-13-2009, 01:50 AM

I would probably feel horrible as well...
But at least you know now... next time someone comes in with a similar situation just don't call your manager, no harm done.

**MrShrike** · 05-13-2009, 02:45 AM

Wait up.

He turns up in another country..and his credit card declines? So he either has no money and/or his credit card is dodgy?

Then he asks you if he could pay cash, but then he tells you that all he has is $10 and a declined credit card? So how was he intending to pay cash for the room?

Then it just so happens that he can't call his father because the phone company...what...they don't accept cash money in their phone boxes? And he has no mobile phone? (That's a cell phone for you yanks)

So he travelled across half of North America without no cash, a non-functional credit card and no mobile phone or other way of contacting home? And then he was jumping up and down in front of you...just hoping you'd throw him a lifeline??

I would be pretty suspicious about this guy. Either he is VERY shifty, or he's an actual complete moron who has demonstrated that he is so dumb that nothing you do could possibly help him. Either way, I think you'd probably find he's the kind of guy who gets around by taking guys like you for a ride.

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-13-2009, 03:13 AM

I am leaning on the complete moron part. He said his old man set everything up, and he didn't bother confirming anything. Sorry, I know the story has some holes in it. He could pay cash, if he could make a withdrawl from the ATM using his debit card (we only accept debit cards if we can charge you the entire stay all at once) instead of paying one night cash and then figuring out the deal with his CC... but we still require a valid card no matter what. He didn't have a cell and apparently couldn't get to Columbia using the phone out in front.

Anyway, it was kind of a shifty story but he was supposedly booked at our hotel for two weeks, which is too long of a stay if he is trying to con us, ya know? He wasn't literally jumping up and down, but he was panicking after the 3rd try to get a hold of his folks. As for his CC I think that it was a brand new one, probably his first that his old man signed him up for, and it hadn't been activated or whatever which has happened before with other guests.

**MalReynolds** · 05-13-2009, 07:24 AM

Whenever I stay at a hotel, I book before hand and they only put like, a $50 hold on my account just in case I kick out a window or something. I've never had a hotel put a hold on the entire length of my visit. That would just be annoying, because they don't release the funds for 3 days. That's paying double for a hotel room and then waiting for a rebate.

That's a shitty policy.

**djwolford** · 05-13-2009, 08:18 AM

Rudolf Hess was just doing his job, and he seemed to be an ok guy.

I'd say that you did the right thing.

**KT.** · 05-13-2009, 10:26 AM

Utah... "rougher part of town" I'm calling BS

**sycld** · 05-13-2009, 10:28 AM

if all he had was $10, how was he going to pay for the hotel room "with cash"?

**KT.** · 05-13-2009, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by MrShrike

Wait up.

He turns up in another country..and his credit card declines? So he either has no money and/or his credit card is dodgy?

Then he asks you if he could pay cash, but then he tells you that all he has is $10 and a declined credit card? So how was he intending to pay cash for the room?

Then it just so happens that he can't call his father because the phone company...what...they don't accept cash money in their phone boxes? And he has no mobile phone? (That's a cell phone for you yanks)

So he travelled across half of North America without no cash, a non-functional credit card and no mobile phone or other way of contacting home? And then he was jumping up and down in front of you...just hoping you'd throw him a lifeline??

I would be pretty suspicious about this guy. Either he is VERY shifty, or he's an actual complete moron who has demonstrated that he is so dumb that nothing you do could possibly help him. Either way, I think you'd probably find he's the kind of guy who gets around by taking guys like you for a ride.

I'm agreeing with you on the VERY shifty part. Colombians are very tricky people. His luggage was probably filled with cocaine.

**Pepsi** · 05-13-2009, 11:33 AM

You asshole. You should have paid for his room yourself.

**djwolford** · 05-13-2009, 12:17 PM

Originally Posted by KT.

I'm agreeing with you on the VERY shifty part. Colombians are very tricky people. His luggage was probably filled with cocaine.

You know, looking at it from Katie's point of view, maybe you should have given him a room, but stayed with him in it to make sure that he didn't break anything.
[in exchange for cocaine]

**Infernus** · 05-13-2009, 12:51 PM

He was mostly likely a serial murder. Good avoidance.

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-13-2009, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by KT.

Utah... "rougher part of town" I'm calling BS

Hey, we were the meth capital of the world for a few years running. That counts for something, right?

**solecistic** · 05-13-2009, 09:32 PM

Just FYI, Visa will not allow you to charge a customer's credit card for damages to a room. It's out of compliance, regardless of hotel policy. You can still collect funds from the customer, but not with their Visa.

**Drunkmike** · 05-13-2009, 09:47 PM

Hes got money on his debit card, so he should have just takin a taxi to the other shitty hotel that accepts cash. Taxis accept debit cards for payment.

**ViciousMentality** · 05-13-2009, 11:15 PM

You shouldn't feel guilty. You tried. Policy is policy. It's your job, and not something you should do and risk getting fired because of some dude who didn't have his shit in order before he visited.

**sycld** · 05-14-2009, 01:18 AM

Originally Posted by ViciousMentality

You shouldn't feel guilty. You tried. Policy is policy. It's your job, and not something you should do and risk getting fired because of some dude who didn't have his shit in order before he visited.

i agree.

tbh, it's good that you feel bad for him, but you did the most you could. you did help him, and he probably did end up sleeping in a bed that night after a little "adventure."

so don't feel too bad...

**KT.** · 05-14-2009, 10:56 AM

he's probably selling cocaine on the other side of town

**ozzy** · 05-14-2009, 12:25 PM

He came to the states for his birthday and now he's going home in a body bag. That's what you get for sending your child to Utah.

**sycld** · 05-14-2009, 04:06 PM

mormons are vicious!

they've got nasty big pointy teeth...

and they can jump really high...

i mean they've got a vicious streak a mile wide!

**ViciousMentality** · 05-14-2009, 04:11 PM

Originally Posted by sycld

mormons are vicious!

they've got nasty big pointy teeth...

and they can jump really high...

i mean they've got a vicious streak a mile wide!

You forgot to mention the heat vision.

**sycld** · 05-14-2009, 04:18 PM

Originally Posted by ViciousMentality

You forgot to mention the heat vision.

dear ms. female:

that was a somewhat botched reference to the Rabbit of Caerbannog, and he didn't have heat vision.

**ViciousMentality** · 05-14-2009, 04:46 PM

Oooooooooh....

My brad.

**Mr. E** · 05-14-2009, 04:57 PM

I wish I had meat vision.

**no_brains_no_worries** · 05-14-2009, 09:45 PM

Originally Posted by sycld

mormons are vicious!

they've got nasty big pointy teeth...

and they can jump really high...

i mean they've got a vicious streak a mile wide!

I told you that in confidence! Dick!

**sycld** · 05-16-2009, 01:31 AM

I don't know about the rest of you, but I really want to hear Satori_Everything's opinion about this.

**pringles** · 05-16-2009, 09:28 AM

The kid was from Colombia, not Columbia. Two different places entirely.

But what you did to him wasn't your fault. You shouldn't feel bad.

**faesce** · 05-19-2009, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by piranhas

What he said, except for the squash thing. That was a bit weird.

you watch your fucking mouth

kids gettin sewn up while dey moms gettin sewn up

**piranhas** · 05-20-2009, 08:47 AM

I have no idea what you are saying, because I dont speak retard.

**faesce** · 05-28-2009, 12:30 PM

your argumentative abilities are astounding

**gwahir** · 05-28-2009, 11:08 PM

faesce's faescade is slipping

**piranhas** · 05-28-2009, 11:55 PM

Originally Posted by faesce

your argumentative abilities are astounding

rubber and glue.

**faesce** · 05-29-2009, 12:23 AM

Dear Casualdiscourse.com,

A recent post of mine contained the sentence "kids gettin sewn up while dey moms gettin sewn up." I'd like to take time now to discuss an editorial error with this sentence. It should read "kids gettin sewn up while dey moms gettin blown up." I apologize for any inconvenience caused by this.

Best wishes,
- Ken

**Atmosfear** · 05-31-2009, 02:12 PM

I had this issue in London when my credit card was stolen in Russia, but because I am such a baller the Ritz not only gave me the room for two nights while my new credit card was overnighted, but they also gave me 500 pounds so I could do what I had come to do in London.