a quick note...
Remember high school?? Long time ago for some…for me it’s been almost 10 years…I can barely remember it, however there are some moments that stick out….the dramatic moments…at the time it felt like the world was ending but now when I look back it was really nothing at all…everything in high school seems to be drama…As an adult I am thankful to not have to deal with the “high school drama”…I know everyone loves high school musical (1, 2 and 3), from the advertising it looks to be a roller coaster of emotion that only disney can evoke….anyway, my point here is that as adults we choose the drama we want in our lives…life isn’t as dramatic as high school seems…it’s just life. So when life is busy it’s not drama it’s what adults call life…my life is super busy right now…new job, new house, new beau…busy, busy, busy…the majority of my friends understand that I can’t hang out every minute of the day or be a slave to my phone…the ones who don’t get it are the thoughtless ones – the ones who think they know how to be civil, but really don’t…so to my real friends I say tank you for the support and to those who I thought we’re my real friends I say grow up – move on…life is too short to be drumming up drama.
It's been a while...
So here’s the thing – I had a job, then I lost my job, then I started courting unemployment insurance, then I interviewed for lots of jobs and finally I was able to breakup with unemployment for a position at a hotel…I thought that it would be a great “springboard” for a career at the corporate level – work five years at property level and then move to corporate…that was the dream…also, the errors of my way…
First of all everyone uses the term “springboard” like it’s going out of style…basically it’s a shitty position masked with a fancy title like “Assistant General Manager” that is supposed to take you further in life…in reality the springy position is another bullshit job where you work 70 hours a week; eat, sleep and dream springboard…I applaud those who can spring themselves further in their career with the shit cards they are dealt…however, I’ve done it all at a hotel and no longer want to spring into anything…I just want the corporate office on the 15th floor – I want to make policy not just try to implement it…that’s a hard go.
You’re now asking yourself, why would she take such a job?? Well, as much as I loved my bf unemployment, it was time to start over…try to achieve my dream of making it to the corporate office…so I took the job; the job with all the promise that required a huge investment and no return in sight.
A hotel truly is a funny place…here’s how my first day went…no training and I was told to handle a complaint – you’re the AGM, you can do this…no problem…so there I was, in a suit, wishing it was some form of yoga pants, talking to unhappy guests…why were they so unhappy, they just spent close to $300.00 for one night to be off the highway which was a 20 minute drive to the picturesque town that was quoted as minutes away on the website…so once the false advertising charges were laid on me, I knew I was screwed…then the guests went into how the front desk staff was rude and unaccommodating in addition to TV not working on top of the 45 minute wait for appetizers at the hotel restaurant…FUCK…that’s all I could think…how did I get myself into this…I want to be back in my yoga pants watching Family Guy (best show ever) not here listening to these people who want some form of compensation for geography in addition to all the other fuck ups of their evening away from the kids, dogs and cat…what’s a girl to do but give the farm away…I really just want these people out of the hotel; I never want to see Mr. and Mrs. Grumpy ever again…so I comped their stay – I know I should be more concerned about profit margin, but they sent me out to the wolves prior to my morning coffee, so really I couldn’t give a shit about their property or profit. In end the guests loved me…they got exactly wanted they wanted, a free night and I got them the hell out of my sight…win-win! Apparently this is not what the GM would have done, but again he didn’t want to go out to deal with this, so too god damn bad.
Solving the guest’s problems became my thing…Only I had to play by the rules…never give the guest anything, just listen and try to sooth them…the other managers never wanted to take ownership, they just wanted to pass the problem to the next manager…it was like a game…like duck, duck, goose and I was always the goose. Here are the highlights…
- the hotel was blamed for the stroke of a guest’s parent who was watching their house, the stress of house-sitting caused the stroke. Not even kidding – possibly the best complaint I have ever heard, also the most asinine.
-A guaranteed reservation was cancelled to sell the room for a higher rate, however this reservation was part of a room block for a wedding party and the cancelled room was for the father of the groom…who tried to check in after the wedding to find that he no longer had a room…oh the fun.
-A perfume vendor left two cases of samples to be picked up later in the week…upon returning to pick them up, they were gone…the staff had taken them – awesome squared.
-A room was cancelled in error – Mary F wanted her room cancelled not Sally F…so when Sally F shows up to find her room is cancelled and the hotel is sold out, the shit hits the fan…when Mary F is charged the no-show fee all hell breaks loose.
There are more incidents…but I won’t bore you…I have no idea how this property was able to opperate…but it did and it turned a profit…just fucked.
Anyway, after a month of service as the AGM the GM was fired and they demoted me becasue I didn’t have enough years of services to be the AGM…they took $17,000.00 annually away from me and told me that I could work as a front desk agent and work towards becoming the AGM…yay me! The best part was, they wanted me to continue dealing with the guest complaints, because I did that well…forget that…I hated that job and for 17k less you can deal with the shitty complaints. So I had to hustle to find a new job…I couldn’t work there…it was degrading. It took me three days to find a new job. I had to say goodbye to the hotel – good ridence…it was a mistake but I learned from it.
I am happy to report that I have taken a new job where I get to work with an awesome group of people and am very happy
My brother should be a film critic...
I love my brother…I love him for emails like this…
Hey, how are you? I just saw a movie that is a must see flick of the year. I swear it is a modern age “notebook”. It was so good. Watch it and report back! It is called “My Sassy Girl”. It was funny, sad and everything. I don’t know why but I just thought it was so good. Tell mum to watch it too. And tell her not to fall asleep. Let me know what you think.
I love that he is so passionate about a modern age “notebook”…just priceless!
End of Summer...
Happy Labour Day…I love that North America has dedicated a day for those who work….now that I have a job I can officially celebrate Labour Day! I am celebrating this day by working – boo to jobs in hospitality…but at least I have a job – so I will be celebrating this holiday with a smile on my face.
Remember when Labour Day signified the end of summer when you were a kid…the last day of freedom before going back to school…the night before you packed your backpack with new binders, pens and pencils, you laid out your new outfit and hoped to Christ it was cool, your mom packed you a lunch and then you tried to go to sleep but you tossed and turned because you were a little bit sad that summer was over and nervous to be starting a new school year.
As an adult Labour Day is the weekend when you get to sleep in for three days instead of two…It’s the final party weekend of summer – the last hurrah before fall arrives…the traditional last weekend to stop wearing white shoes…the last of the barbeques where you don’t need a sweater at night. Summer may be over but fall is almost here and that means a new wardrobe must be purchased!
I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend and is celebrating working hard with a party!
and she's down...
ok, ok…I know, I know…another story involving falling in public…
As we all know diet pepsi makes my world go round….lil bit of an addiction. I usually go through drive through; but yesterday I thought I would mix it up and actually go into Tim Hortons. I made it from the car to curb with no problems…upon stepping onto the curb i missed and went down hard…luckily nothing was broken…just my spirit…thank god diet pepsi heals all.