For the first time, someone pushed me past my breaking point...

[Hurricane]

Tonight is the first night that anyone has ever pissed me off SO bad that I refused to give them a room (or in this case, two rooms) and told them to leave. I've been mad at people before and I've had interactions with extremely rude people, but this is the first time I've reached the point where I fought back.

The old guy was just being uncooperative for no reason at all.

First he handed me a credit card that wasn't his. I told him I needed an ID. He said it was his brother's card (who was in the bathroom) and his brother's ID was in the car. I told him we'd have to wait until his brother came back because I couldn't use the card without an ID. He said "yes you can" and I said "no I can't." He tried to argue with me about it and finally said he would use his own card and then get them to switch it in the morning at check out so he wouldn't need an ID. I told him the person in the morning would still ask for an ID.

Then, he threw two credit cards on the desk and said "There's my ID." One of the cards had his picture on it so I picked it up and swiped it. He got mad and said asked me why I swiped that card when he wanted to use the other one. The one with his picture was his ID. I told him that he didn't make that clear, but that it was no problem to switch it to the other card. He started bitching about what an asshole I was and how I was a sorry ass and how "they" (in reference to my manager's name hanging on the wall) already own too many hotels (my boss is Jewish, not Indian) and how "they" were fucking up our country. I stopped him right there and told him if this was all going to be too much trouble for him then we could stop now and he could go somewhere else. He wanted to continue.

Next, I needed his license plate number. He told me I didn't need it and that it was a blue Dodge Charger. I probably could have gotten buy with just the description (even though I'm not supposed to), but he had pissed me off so I was going to go by the book and make him give me the plate number. His brother (who had returned from the bathroom) offered to go out and get it for me, but the man told him not to and that I didn't need it. He looked at me again and said "blue Dodge Charger." I told him I need the plate number again and he said "blue Dodge Charger."

That's when I reached my breaking point. I told him that I had a job to do and that if he didn't want to provide me with the information that I was required to collect that I wasn't going to be able to help him. I said I wasn't trying to give him a hard time, I was just trying to do my job. He said I WAS trying to give him a hard time because I was an asshole. I handed him back his credit card and told him that since he wanted to be uncooperative and rude that I was going to cancel the room and he needed to go elsewhere for the night. He was pissed and wanted me to provide him with a print out showing that I canceled his room. I couldn't give him one since a room was never booked, but he refused to leave until he got it in writing. I picked up one of the complimentary note pads and wrote "It was canceled" on it and handed it to him. He was furious and started to leave. He told me on the way out that I better believe Choice Hotels was going to get a call about me. I told him that was good and not to forget to mention that all I did was ask for an ID to use a credit card and his license plate number and that he decided to act like a jackass.

It was at this point that he left.

[Mr.EZ]

Well done. You played by the rules and you won.

[Night Swordsman]

Just remember to stay professional and courteous, even when you have to turn them away like this. There was no justification for his behavior.

You did good. For once. ;)

[Rev. Calibos]

You didn't take a large, heavy object and just start whaling on him?

That took a remarkable amount of self control and it's something to be admired, the fact that this d-bag was able to push you that far and you didn't just snap and start hitting him in the face with the phone over and over and over again.

Well played sir.

[Hurricane]

Originally Posted by Night Swordsman

You did good. For once. ;)

What does that mean?

[The Xenos]

Assholes like that don't deserve Dodge Chargers.

[Wind-Breaker]

I get a call like that almost every day working over the phone customer service (and no I'm not one of the bad ones). I've been doing it for almost 3 years now and I still haven't gotten used to that kind of abuse. The times a have to speak with racists or batshit crazy folks takes to most toll on me. They say presidents age faster due to the stress of their job, the same applies to working customer service.

[Typo Lad]

Tch. I don't get why people act that way to fellows in the service industry. It's like... you're not making them wanna help you.

[Alan Lynch]

Originally Posted by Typo Lad

Tch. I don't get why people act that way to fellows in the service industry. It's like... you're not making them wanna help you.

I was going to post the same thing. Why do people think acting like a tosser is going to get you good service?

[fireSTRIKE!]

fuck it and HIM, 'cane... don't even sweat that asshole... what's happened is now all done with... don't even bother getting aggravated allover again on account of that dick... all the bullshit ain't worth it, believe me...

[Village Idiot]

Don't sweat it. The jerk probably won't do anything. Even if he does, you'll survive.

The trick in working with the public is to set up your mind to ignore the small stuff, and to classify anything other than physical harm as small stuff. It can take a long time to get into that mindset, but it can be done.

[LewisH]

makes me wonder if he wasn't up to something illegal. I stay at hotels on a regular basis and you know going in you need to have your credit card and picture id. I'm in the premium guest club and I still have to present id when I check in. You get it out before you even walk up to the check in desk. (They don't ask for license plate though.)

[Lester C.]

Originally Posted by Mr.EZ

Well done. You played by the rules and you won.

I'm proud of him too, but it's a bit early to say he won. I worked in retail and just because an asshole leaves a store doesn't mean he's going to let it go without holding a grudge and complaining to cooperate or something. Corporate then will buckle, yell at the employee force them to write a letter and give the complaining douche bag all kinds of free shit. Ten years out of retail and I still hate it.

[Lester C.]

Originally Posted by Hurricane

What does that mean?

It's obviously much more important to him than to you, as you don't remember, but you and him had issues in other threads that's better off buried.

[Mr.EZ]

Originally Posted by Lester C.

I'm proud of him too, but it's a bit early to say he won. I worked in retail and just because an asshole leaves a store doesn't mean he's going to let it go without holding a grudge and complaining to cooperate or something. Corporate then will buckle, yell at the employee force them to write a letter and give the complaining douche bag all kinds of free shit. Ten years out of retail and I still hate it.

Yeah, but just because the hotel might bend over backwards to placate the douchebag, doesn't mean it's coming out of Hurricane's paycheck or anything like that.

I've been in the same situation, and while corporate wound up pretty much sucking off the asshole to get repeat business, nothing ever happened to me, beyond a "Job well done, you followed company policy."

I hope the same for Hurricane.