Mixed Messages

The mentality of some of the people I have to endure in my job as a hotel receptionist is at best, average the majority of the time. Or at least that’s what I’ve always thought.

But now I’m questioning whether or not it is their mentality or whether maybe, just maybe, it could be me.

Why don’t you read the evidence which has recently presented itself and decide for yourself?

This past week I have received numerous food checks from the bar and restaurant to post on the guest bills.

One stated:

“No Desserts x 2”

Another one stated

“Lasagne & chips (no gravy)”

This afternoon I have checked in a guest and on his registration form it said:

“Newspaper Required – Yes”

That’s just to name a few minor incidents which no doubt, have made you chuckle. It gets better.

Next week we will sadly be seeing the back of one of our longest serving members of staff who has had the privilege of being labelled my “Work mum” Diane the barmaid who is leaving us after 10 wonderful years.

As a close friend and colleague and of course as “the receptionist” I have taken on the duty of organising her leaving party which will be taking place on 18th April. I decided that the best way to advertise this would be to put posters around the hotel stating

“Diane’s Leaving Party”
“Shalimar Restaurant”
“Sunday 18th April 2010”
“Text Emma to Confirm Attendance”

Can’t make it much clearer than that can you? Well…

Last night after having 2 days off, I decided to make a call to our head Chef, another close friend just to see if there had been any feedback floating around regarding the attendance of the event. This was the conversation:

“Have you seen the posters I’ve put up about Diane’s Leaving Party?”
“Yeah”
“Has everyone else”
“Yeah”
“So what’s the juice? Is it going to be a good turnout?”
“Well…”
“Well what?”
“Well… people are getting a bit confused”
“What do you mean confused?”
“Well they’re getting confused because we’re all going out this Sunday”
“So?”
“Well People have being asking if you mean that this Sunday is Diane’s leaving party”
“But Diane isn’t going out this Sunday Phil. This Sunday is a random night out that was organised over a month ago”
“I know”
“And doesn’t the sign say – Diane’s Leaving Party – Sunday 18th April, 2010”
“Yeah”
“Is this Sunday the 18th April?”
“No”
“So where’s the problem? Where’s the confusion?”
“Em… I’m just telling you what people have been saying”

At that point I didn’t really know how to respond. And so I didn’t. Phil knows me well enough to know that my silence speaks volumes. And I know him well enough to know that we were both thinking the same thing. And so we just sat in contemplation and after a few seconds of silence I just said:

“Is it me Phil?”
“No Em, it’s not you”


The other day I received a telephone call from a lady enquiring about a table for 18 people in the restaurant. She asked me if a deposit was required to which I replied yes, she then went on to ask me when she would have to pay it to which I replied, 7 days from the day you make your booking. Her response to that was:

“I don’t get what you mean”

Take deep breathes Emma, it’s not you, just be calm, focus. Ok.

“What I mean is, if you decide to make a booking with us, you need to pay your deposit within 7 days of making that booking”
“I’m sorry you’ve lost me”
“Ok right say for example… today is Wednesday”
“Yeah”
“And you make a booking today”
“Yeah”
“Then the deposit needs to be paid by next Wednesday which is 7 days from now”
“But what if I want to pay the deposit before then?”
“That’s fine”
“Well what do you mean about 7 days?”
“I mean that 7 days is the grace period that we give you to confirm your booking. As long as it’s paid within 7 days of the day you make the booking, that’s fine”
“So if I make the booking today, the deposit has to be paid next Wednesday?”
“Yes”
“I don’t think I can get down there next Wednesday”
“Well that’s fine you can come down before”
“But you just said I get 7 days”
“Right… 7 days is the maximum amount of time you get to pay your deposit, if you want to pay it before then that’s absolutely fine. Just as long as it’s paid before 7 days has passed”
“Right… ok I’m with you”
“Ok?”
“Yes”
“Right… would you like to make a booking?”
“Erm.. I’m not really sure yet? Is it ok if I get back to you?”

I think I cried that day. I’m not quite sure cos I know that I drank an obscene amount of alcohol that night so if I did cry it may have been something to do with that. Who knows? Who Cares?

I understand that at times I can come across as giving mixed messages. I bet it’s hard for you to believe how I can love a job that I spend so much time moaning about. If that’s not a mixed message I don’t know what is.

I mean…Maybe it is me. After all it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve sent someone’s head spinning although that’s normally to do with my indecisive, erratic and unpredictable behaviour. Something I am trying to work on.

The point is that sometimes, no matter how much you try, the messages you give out aren’t always as crystal clear as you intended them to be. You can think that they were but then I suppose in the end. You’ve got to go with the reaction of the recipient, no matter how credible their mentality is.

This past week, I’ve had to take a long hard look in the mirror and think, maybe it is me. Maybe I’m not as blunt and forthright as I always considered myself to be and maybe that’s the reason why I seem to sending everyone I encounter into a head throbbing frenzy.

So from now on I have decided to seize opportunities as they arise to put out crystal clear messages so as not to confuse, aggravate, or upset myself or anyone else.

Whether it’s Thank you, I’m sorry, I miss you or you need to pay your f**king deposit one week from today or your booking gets cancelled. Whatever it might be, from now on the messages I send out will be clear for the world to see, and the evidence of course will be found in the reaction of the recipient.