I work in hotel room service – here are five things we hate guests doing
A HOTEL worker has revealed the five things staff hate their guests doing.
Brittany Kriegstein lifted the lid from her time working in the room-service department of a glitzy five-star hotel.
During her time rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous at what she describes as “the fanciest kind of hotel you can possibly stay at” – Brittany revealed the things guests do which really grind her gears.
Writing in the Evening Standard, She also outlined the things she wishes guests would do more.
Don’t: Order room service when you’re not fully dressed
The worker revealed that at times guest seem too preoccupied to appropriately clothe themselves when they appear at the door.
“Delivering breakfast to people who are half-dressed (or worse) is not really how I like to start my day”, she said.
“Apparently, lots of guests seem to be too hungry in the morning to abide by simple rules of common decency”.
Do: Make small talk with us when workers bring up your meal.
Room-service workers are required to follow a tight script when handing over meals to guests – but that doesn’t mean some polite conversation is off the cards.
“Comment on the weather, ask how our day is going, or tell us about your stay so far”, she continued.
“This is a great way for us to assess how happy our guests are”.
Don’t: Help yourself to the mini bar if you don’t have to
While managers would beg to differ, Brittany described the tedious process of restocking items which are glugged or eaten by guests.
She said: “The mini bars in each room of our hotel contain over 20 different kinds of snacks and drinks.
“This means that I have to review a master list in every single one of our 144 rooms every day to figure out if anything’s missing.”
Do: Offer constructive criticism
Polite and helpful feedback, Brittany says, helps workers cater better to the wants and needs of their guests.
There are a couple of ways you can do this.
“Tell us in person when we visit your room, leave a note, or talk to the front desk — these are the most efficient ways to make sure a wrong gets righted”, she revealed.
Don’t: Make outrageous requests
Brittany’s workplace was a five-red-star hotel – meaning employees are tasked with going above and beyond normal five-star hotel requirements to ensure a pleasant stay for guests.
However, some guests comically mischaracterise the hotel’s level of service.
“Since we’re a five-red-star hotel, we have to try our best to comply with any and all of your requests”, Brittany continued.
“We’ve orchestrated wedding proposals, served champagne on the beach, and hosted lavish surprise parties.
“Those things are doable for us, but scheduling a charter flight to Guam tomorrow is not”.
Do: Be polite and engaging
Being friendly and courteous goes a long way when when you’re trying to make a paying customer’s experience a memorable one.
Brittany said: “It may seem obvious, but we hotel staff are real people too. Without our uniforms on, we’re no different than the other guests.
“So please, just treat us with respect — it makes the work environment so much more enjoyable”.
Don’t: Get angry when workers visit your room
Workers have a strict protocal to follow which includes restocking mini bar amenities and collecting room-service items.
For those who don’t want to be bothered, there is a simple fix.
Brittany said: “If you don’t want to be interrupted, use your ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign.
“We are not allowed to enter a room or even knock on the door when that sign is hanging, so you’re guaranteed peace and quiet”.
Do: Order room service in advance whenever possible
Last-minute calls can trigger chaotic scenes in hotel kitchens – especially when the chef has hung up his apron and is poised to leave though the back door.
Brittany said: “We don’t just have an endless supply of breakfast food cooking — chefs work in shifts, and it’s really hard to get a breakfast together if the breakfast chef has already left”.
Don’t: Ask about celebrities staying at the hotel
The hotel’s “super-strict confidentiality codes” prohibit employees from spilling the beans on which A-listers have checked in.
Do: Talk about yourself
Discussing your preferences with staff will allow them to play to your likes and dislikes.
“If you say that you like the flowers in our garden, we’ll bring you up a bouquet”, Brittany concluded.
“If your kids don’t like waffles, we’ll come up with a cool breakfast alternative”.