Diary of a Hotel Receptionist

MONDAY

Finished at 3:00pm today, Sabrina and I went in search of a retirement gift for Rose, our head housekeeper of 13 years who is retiring from the hotel on Wednesday. We weren’t really sure what we wanted to buy. I didn’t really want to get the usual clock or gold watch, you know, the typical retirement gifts. Although I don’t think Sabrina was bothered either way

“Why don’t you get this?”
“That?”
“Yeah”
“That is a bottle of wine Sabrina”
“Erm… actually, it’s a bottle of wine which is also a puzzle, and you have to solve the puzzle to open the bottle of wine”
“You’re serious aren’t you?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing”
“No come on what’s wrong with it?”
“Well… It’s just a bottle of wine isn‘t it?!”
“But it’s not is it it’s a puzzle as well!”
“I really do wonder about you sometimes”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing?”
“Well I’d like to see you come up with a better idea”

Although I hate to admit it, she did have a point. I was clueless and I had these ridiculous shoes on that felt like my feet were going to explode at any given second. Four shops, 3 phone calls to Sarah and 2 hours later we settled on a set of 70% off, lead crystal champagne flukes from Debenhams. I personally felt a surge of satisfaction however I couldn’t help but feel that Sabrina had other things on her mind.

“Oi! What’s wrong with your face?”
“Nothing”
“Yes there is?”
“There’s nothing wrong with my face”
“Well you can alter it now any way cos we’ve got the present, your ordeal’s over. Sorry for the inconvenience”
“Well I’m not being funny but I said ages ago that I needed the toilet, and you’ve dragged me everywhere and you know I’ve got this water infection…”
“Erm… excuse me, but you were offered a toilet break 20 minutes ago when we were in H Samuels and you said no so don’t start getting shitty with me because you’ve decided to be a martyr and it’s come back and bit you in the ass!”
“Screw you”

Once we managed to get Sabrina to the toilet we went our separate ways. I went home, screamed at mum about a chicken dinner (it’s a long story) then went to bed.

Just 4 more days to go!!!!!


TUESDAY

“Emma, the engineer from Lexmark Printers will be coming out at some point today”
“Ok”
“And when he comes just remember what we talked about”
“I will”

When he referred to what I presume was a previous conversation about the printer, I had absolutely no idea what he was on about and the blank look on my face must have told Simon just that, as he continued…

“Emma if the engineer asks… nobody has been any where near the printer!”
“Right”
“That means that I never took anything out of it”
“Ok”
“I never took anything apart”
“Ok”
“We never turned upside down and shook it like Bev told us to”
“Ok”
“When he comes all you’ve got to say is that it just started spitting out burning sheets of paper on it’s own without anybody going anywhere near it”
“Fine”

It’s probably just as well that the engineer didn’t turn up because I am useless in those kind of situations. But then at the same time I suppose it wouldn’t really be my problem would it?

Just 3 more days to go….


WEDNESDAY

Sat at the desk today, it was absolutely dead

“This time next week I’ll be so busy I won’t know which way to turn”

I kept on telling myself.

I sat there flicking through the daily mail for most of the morning. Aunty Chris kept on popping down which was nice

“What’s for lunch Em?”
“Well... chef says it's a jacket potato?”
“Oooh I don’t want a Jacket potato…..”
“Chris, I’m not getting involved in another conversation about Jacket Potatoes”
“You don’t have to get involved”
“Chef say’s we’re having a Jacket Potato”
“Well I’ll tell him I’m not having that”
“Well you tell him that then”
“I’m going to”
“Are you?”
“Yes!”
“Well in that case can you tell him that I don’t want one either?”
“What do you want?
“Well what are you having?”
“I fancy a tuna sandwich I think”
“Can I have Ham?”
“Yes you can have ham”
“Ok tell chef I'll have ham”
"You leave it with me

Then I started feeling a little bit sad. No more Aunty Chris, no more rows with chef over jacket potatoes, no more rows with chef over anything. That lunch time I went into the kitchen and just looked at his ever so sweet face, and the jacket potatoes. Sitting there in their foil, crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Just the way they should be. I think in all the years I’ve known him, that’s the best batch of jacket potatoes he’s ever made. Will miss the jacket potatoes chef. And you Aunty Chris, but I’m still counting down. Just 2 more days to go!


THURSDAY

Last time I will ever have to do the late shift. In the new job the latest I’ll ever have to finish work is 7:00pm WOOHOO!!!!

I sat at the desk tonight, bored out of my skull, and if that wasn’t enough to confirm that my decision to leave is the absolute right thing to do, the following incident most certainly was.

It was 8:30pm, when the phone rang…

“Hiya it’s Nick at the Ramada”
“Hi Nick”
“You alright?”
“Yeah, you?”
“Yeah I’m fine, listen… have you got a twin room for this Saturday the 17th July?”
“I think so Nick yeah.”
“How much is it?”
“£65 B&B”
“Brilliant. Can I book that Em for a Mr Harris. We’ve over booked him and having a bit of a nightmare getting him in somewhere else”
“Yep that’s no problem Nick”
“Thanks Emma”
“Has he got an email address so I can send him a confirmation?”
“Yep its…”
“Ok Brill”
“Thanks Emma. Oh, and can you make sure you give him a nice room?”
“A what?”
“A nice room”

I had to pause for a minute to take in that ridiculous question

“A nice room did you say Nick?”
“Yeah”
“Well what does that mean? A nice room it’s… it’s a room Nick”
“Right”
“You know it’s a just a standard room”
“Ok”
“I’ve only got what I’ve got at the end of the day”
“Yep I know…”
“Nice room?”
“Emma, I’m sorry I know, it’s fine, thanks, I appreciate it”
“You just said a room Nick”
“I know”
“So it’s just going a be a standard room like you asked”
“Ok”
“Ok then. Bye Nick”
“Bye Emma”


I couldn’t believe it! What a stupid thing to say. It’s like these guests who ring and ask if you’ve got any rooms and you say what type of room and they say

“Just a Normal one”

Normal? Do you know what I mean about the stupidity? But you kind of expect that type of thing from a half soaked guest but when it’s fellow receptionist you expect a little bit more.

All I thought at the time was “Just think Em… this time tomorrow” and then something else happened.

An email came through from Mr Harris. I’d sent him an email confirmation as promised, however it was quickly brought to my attention that I had made a slight error when I read what he had to say.

“My reservation is for 17th July, NOT the 16th July as stated in your email. Please amend and reconfirm”

No problem Mr Harris.

So I sent an email back apologising for the mistake and reassuring Mr Harris that his reservation was for 17th July and not the 16th. Then just as my finger clicked on the send button the phone rang…

“Hi Emma it’s Nick again at the Ramada”
“Hi Nick”
“Erm.. I’ve just had Mr Harris on the phone and he says that there’s a problem with his booking…”
“Oh… right, Nick, I’m gonna be really blunt now and say that you, and Mr Harris, both need to chill out!”
“Ok”
“I’ve just sent him an email saying his reservation is for the 17th July”
“Right”
“It’s all sorted so I don’t know why he’s even ringing you”
“Ok”
“You know I’m just trying to help”
“I know”
“If you ask me he sounds a bit high maintenance this Mr Harris”
“He is Emma we’ve had a bit of a nightmare with him”
“Well you tell him from me that his reservation is fine and to check his emails before he starts ringing people causing grief”
“Ok Emma”
“Ok then. Bye Nick”
“Bye”

What an idiot! Just one more day Emma. Just one more day to go!


FRIDAY

My last day.

Simon and me had a giggle when the boss told us about the visit from the engineer at Lexmark printers who turned up when we were both off duty

“Did you?” he asked Simon sternly “Turn that printer upside down?”
“NO!!!” Simon replied in utter disgust giving me "the eyes" as I sat singgering in my chair “Do I look like some kind of idiot?”
“Well I’m just telling you what the engineer said. He refused to look at it at first because he said that somebody has turned it upside down”
“Well he’s wrong because we didn’t turn it upside down”
“Are you sure?”
“YES!!! God! As if I‘d do something that stupid”

I was nearly on the floor at this point. As if you would Simon, as if you would.

There wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary that went on that day. Just a run of the mill Friday. It didn’t really hit me that I was leaving until I walked out of the door and realised I was never going back.

I left the hotel and went for a drink with the butterfly guy. He got in touch earlier on this week and I could feel myself slowly slipping back, opening my heart up again. I needed to close the door on it, and my last day at the hotel, the thing that brought us together in the first place seemed like the most appropriate time.

I don’t think I can explain how difficult it is to tell someone you can’t even be their friend any more. Somebody who you deeply care about who you know cares about you just as much. Somebody who hasn’t necessarily wronged you in any way or intentionally hurt you, just somebody who wants different things than you do, and the only way you can cope with it is to cut yourself off from them completely.

It’s not the nicest thing I’ve ever had to do, and it’s something I hope I never have to do again. Maybe some time in the future when I don’t feel a twinge in my stomach at the mention of his name things might be different. But until then, I don't feel I have a choice, I hope he understands that if nothing else.

AND SO...

concludes a week in the life of this hotel receptionist who, from 9:00am on Monday morning, will be "Special Events Co-ordinator - Best Western Stoke on Trent"

Of all the words I've written, I don't think there are any that can describe how immensely grateful I am to my hotel family who have given me the support and encouragement to get where I want to be. The ones who have listened to me rant and moan. laughed with me, cried with me, looked after me.

Simon, my big brother, my wonderful Aunty Chris, my work mum Diane, Phil, Sabrina and Sarah, my friends for life. Thank you, all of you for everything.

And I think that now... that's it. I am off to inflict my eccentrcities, my mood swings and my general craziness on another poor bunch.
In a job where people won't ask me to get them an iron or sort out the TV or ring and ask for "Normal" rooms!

Normal rooms? That still makes me giggle

Normal room you say? Well... if you want normal... Then find a different hotel!