You're two days late, sir.

Hello TFTFD! Long time listener, first time poster. Sorry for any formatting issues!

We've been sold out for quite a while approaching this date. This weekend, I've had more problems caused by not-guests than actual guests. Most notably is Mr. Construction Man. He arrives after 10 PM night before last, and it's my own fault for not verifying his reservation before he gets to the front desk. Mr. Construction Man will be MCM, I will be RF.

MCM: I have a reservation under (Foreman's name).

I take a quick glance through the short arrival list; since we're sold out, and it's after 10PM, it's a very quick glance.

RF: I'm sorry, sir; it actually doesn't look like we have a reservation under that name. Is there any other name it could have been booked under? Unfortunately, we're sold out or else I'd just make you another room reservation.

MCM insists that it was booked under that name, and has me check the in house list to see if it was checked in with the other reservations. However, when I do check, I see that all the other rooms were checked in two days previously. To confirm my hunch, I pull up the No Show list for rooms under that name. Ah-Ha!

RF: I'm sorry, sir, it actually looks like this room was cancelled this morning. It had been bumped for two nights, and my manager tried to contact the other rooms to see if anybody would be using it. I have notes on the room saying that none of the other workers could confirm if the room was needed.

MCM: So you're saying I don't have a reservation?

RF: Unfortunately, sir, that's what I'm saying. It's been cancelled and we are unfortunately sold out, as I mentioned before.

MCM: But why was it cancelled? Do you just cancel any reservation that comes in? What's the point of making a reservation if I won't even have the room I booked? I know it was through next Wednesday.

RF: I understand that, but unfortunately after two days of being bumped, our managers decided to cancel it. We have previously had difficulties when we hold onto the room for longer than that and try to collect no show payments on sold out nights.

MCM seems to understand, briefly, that we don't have a room for him. He looks frustrated but doesn't shout.

MCM: So you're saying that, even though I reserved a room, and have a form of payment on it, guaranteeing it, it's been cancelled?

RF: Yes, sir. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience, but short of having you room with one of the other rooms your company booked for the weekend, we don't have the availability to house you as well. Would you like to contact the workers to have them come down here and authorize your access to the room?

And let me tell you, he did not like that question. He got very quiet. Then he shook his head and took a single step toward the door. He turned around almost instantly, pulling his wallet out again. I was pretty surprised; is a night on a twin-bed rollaway really worth stomping away like a toddler? Was he thinking by playing hard to get, we'd get him a room? Was he gonna try to bribe me?

MCM: Okay, I want one of the back rooms you have.

RF: I'm sorry, what, sir?

MCM: I've been doing this for eleven years. I know you always have rooms put back for staff use here. I want one of those rooms for tonight.

I was flabbergasted. My mouth hung open. I raised my eyebrows, quirked my head, stared him straight in the eye, and my voice - heaven help me - became sarcastic.

RF: I'm sorry, sir. Staff use?

My words were polite, but my tone was atrocious.

MCM: Yeah, one of the staff rooms.

I had to take a moment. I don't know entirely what he was insinuating - that we'd rather hold rooms instead of sell them so we could take a shower? Naps? For when we're overcome with insatiable lust and have to have a massive orgy to satisfy the urges we repress while dealing with the general public? Maybe he thinks we're shy and use a guest room instead of the public toilet?

RF: I'm sorry, sir, but as I said before, I don't have any rooms available. I don't have any holds or any "staff rooms" to rent you. We are actually prohibited from having hold rooms by management, even if they would be helpful in situations like this. We tried to contact your men, yourself, and your foreman to see if the room was required. If we had been able to get any information regarding the necessity of the reservation, we probably would have been able to hold it for you until this evening. However, at this point in the night, we are sold out and it's unlikely we will have any cancellations. We don't cancel reservations wantonly. Like I said, we can try to accommodate you with the rest of your crew, but we don't have any other rooms available tonight.

I was already regretting my tone, but before I could apologize again (this time actually for something - the other apologies were the careless nothings of a customer service representative), he snapped his wallet shut and strode toward the door without looking back. We'll see if he's there once we free up after the weekend.