Category: Work Experiences

Reflections: My Top 10 Craziest Restaurant Stories

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Just like in the hotel industry, or any job in the hospitality industry, you are prone to dealing with some of the most ridiculous people, interactions, and situations. Prior to my working in the hotel industry, I worked in the restaurant industry for a little over 2 years before and during COVID. In that very short time span, I’ve seen a lot — so much that now that I’m in the hotel industry, nothing really surprises me that much anymore. So without further ado, I present my craziest restaurant stories of all time.

White Castle Robbery:

It was honestly just another warm summer night, but something so crazy was about to happen next door to us that changed the night from calm to chaotic. Imagine you’re looking out the window, catching your breath, then all of a sudden you see an army of flashing lights and hear nothing but sirens. I go to look out the window, and I see there was about 8 to 14 cop cars surrounding White Castle and spilling out onto the highway. At this point, all of us were mind-blown, curious about what was going on and wondering if we were safe. Apparently, the story we got from some locals and delivery drivers who were driving by was that there was a person in an SUV who drove up to the drive-thru window and began to hold up the cashier. The suspect was arrested on the scene, with K9 officers having to intervene to prevent further incidents. It definitely was a crazy scene and a story I’ll always remember.

Tokyo Drift Maaaaan….

I’m honestly not even sure how to explain this one… I was over by the window washing my hands after taking a phone order, and I just looked up to see a green 90s-00s style car drifting around the corner at a high rate of speed. Keep in mind, it had just finished raining, and the roads were still wet. I’m not even sure how they pulled this off and didn’t lose control. All that I could think of was “Tokyo Drift”!

Yup… That’s a Traffic Light Sir

It was one of those summer days when we were hit with severe thunderstorms and heavy rain. The weather was so bad that we lost power completely and were unable to finish any of the orders or take new ones. All we could do was wait, hoping that the power would be restored soon. Unfortunately, we didn’t regain power until after 10 pm. However, around 7 pm, we made the decision to call it a day and leave.

While we were waiting, we all witnessed one of the most incredible incidents ever… It resembled a scene from an action movie. Suddenly, a car came hurtling down the road at over 70 mph and collided with the traffic light in the median. The impact was so intense that the pole toppled over, fragments of the traffic light scattered everywhere, and electrical wires sprawled across the road. What amazed me the most was that everyone in the car managed to avoid hitting any other vehicles on the highway and walked away completely unharmed!

Upselling $100+ Worth of Food:

Literally, one of the worst parts of this job was answering the phone at times, from drunken crazies to complete Karens and even the craziest people ever. Whenever we answered the phone, we were encouraged to try to upsell additional items or promote certain items. For example, if a customer called to order just a pizza, you would ask them, “Would you like to add any sides, drinks, or desserts?” Of course, you would change this each time depending on the size of the order.

So one night, this particular phone call I took, I will always remember just from the ending alone. When I first answered the phone, I immediately knew something was off, and the more I spoke with the customer, I knew this particular person was intoxicated by their speech pattern and behavior. The order started off with just one pizza, then the customer changed their minds and wanted two more pizzas. After that, I asked them if they wanted anything else. “Would you like to add any wings, sides, drinks, or desserts to your order?” The customer said wings, and when I read off the size counts of the wings, they opted for the second largest order, which if I remember correctly, was a 24-piece. I then asked them if that was all, and we probably repeated the pattern 2-3 more times. When all was said and done, the order came out to almost $100+.

Now I just want to clarify a few things before people jump to any conclusions. First, it is solely the customer’s choice to order that much food. Upselling is not in any way pressuring or forcing people to order more. I always read the order back and even asked multiple times, confirmed, and read the order back again 2-3 additional times. The customer said yes every time. Second, if a customer was intoxicated or under the influence in any way, I, in no way, tried to take advantage of them. There are many calls I took when customers just ordered one or two items, then said no when I asked them if they wanted anything else.

Strike!

Before we get into this next story, I just want to give a little bit of background so that the story actually makes sense. Directly down the road from us, we had a bowling alley which quite honestly has seen better days and really needs a refresh. This bowling alley had a very small kitchen and for some reason instead of making its own food, it decided they wanted to order some of our food, unpackage it, display it to look as though they made it and then mark it up to make profit. The lady who ran the bowling alley absolutely hated this and always got mad at us whenever we stepped foot inside and got very angry at the guy running the kitchen. Finally, the kitchen manager got smart and just called us, and then came to pick it up.

Flash forward to New Years Eve, it was relatively steady but then it slowed for a while since mostly everyone ordered earlier on and it was not quite night time yet. I was hoping to leave early since I had plans to go hang out at my friends house and celebrate New Years with them. Unfortunately, right as I wanted to leave, the bowling alley called and we got an order for 200 pies all at once. Yes… 200 pizzas for the same order all at the same time. Who could eat that many pizzas? Was this a prank? Nope! This was 100% legit! 

I remember being so upset since it was just my luck that right as I wanted to leave this guy wanted 200 pizzas. So how exactly do you make 200 pizzas and make sure everything keeps running smoothly? It’s not easy! What we did was we made pizza’s in sets of 10, then put one set in the top oven and another set in the bottom oven. As this was happening, we loaded up and prepped another 20, and just as that was finished, it was time to box them all. I kid you now, it took 3 of us to get the job done. Two of us stood at the cutting table, and just cut and boxed pizzas while the 3rd person put the pizzas down in the box for us. This process repeated for about an hour until we finally finished! Looking back, I think that is the most pizzas I have ever made for a single order at one time. Still blows my mind to this day when I think about it. 

So if you ever think of ordering this many pizzas, please, make sure you leave a giant tip!

Hot Hands

This is actually one of the few personal stories that doesn’t involve a customer or co-worker, and it is one I’ll always remember. In the store, we had different stations and rotated throughout the night to avoid fatigue. On this particular shift, I started out working the ovens, which can be quite crazy and fast-paced at times. When we made pizzas, we had a screen under them, so when you pulled it out of the oven, you had to put the peel under the screen so that you could separate the screen to let it cool and then box the pizza.

For some reason, as I was going to pull this one pizza out, the pizza slid away from the screen as I was transferring it to the cut table. As the screen and pizza were sliding, I managed to use the peel to keep the pizza from falling, but the hot screen slid onto my hand, causing me to seriously burn my hand. My hand was burned and had an imprint from the screen on it. Luckily for me, it was not bad enough where I would have had to go to the hospital. A simple ice pack and wrap did the trick for the rest of the night, and the following day I was back working the oven!

I remember being super nervous to tell my manager about what happened since this was only a few months after I was hired. I’ll never forget my manager’s response, which I still laugh at to this day: “Seriously? First of all, good reflexes, kiddo. But next time, F the pizza! Let the damn thing fall to the floor. Who cares? We can always make another one real quick. I’d rather have to remake a pizza than this to happen.” We had a little laugh for a moment, which made me feel better and helped me break out of my shell.

So for those of you reading this, that work with ovens… I beg you, please don’t do the same thing I did! It’s not fun at all!

Attack of The Turkeys:

Ahh.. yes, who can forget about the hilarious wild turkey encounters and the mayhem they caused. I still laugh at them today whenever I think about it.

Our first encounter starts with the turkey attacking cars in the parking lot and chasing customers! Yes, you read that right! For some reason during that month we had this turkey that would go all around town and was nicknamed TR-urkey (Toms River Turkey). One this particular day, the turkey was roaming around our side of town and found its way into our parking lot. As it was roaming around the parking lot, it was going up to cars, chasing people around the lot and the neighboring businesses. I’ll never forget the mayhem of how it chased these poor screaming women who just picked up food from us. Not going to lie, it was a little funny watching a turkey taunt people. 

Flash forward a few weeks, and this now brings us to our second most memorable encounter with the turkey. Instead of chasing cars or terrorizing people, the turkey instead decided to play a game of Frogger with the cars on the highway and kept running in and out of traffic as well as stopping in the middle of the highway. There were a few times where it was a close call and I thought that the turkey was going to get hit by a car. I can not even begin to describe the sheer amount of traffic and delays this turkey caused that day. Shortly after this encounter we stopped seeing the turkey. Makes me wonder what ever happened to that little rascal.

Screaming at Me Over A Pizza?

Anyone who works in customer service knows the pain of answering phone calls from customers, especially very irate and angry customers who insist on screaming at you no matter what you try to say to them. I can recall this one phone call when I was first starting out, and this customer began screaming at me as I was assisting him over the phone. The phone call began as a simple phone order, then suddenly, the customer out of the blue began screaming their head off at me. I do not exactly remember what caused the customer to become irate, but I do remember my exact reaction. “Sir, are you seriously yelling at me over a cheese pizza? Really? A cheese pizza? You do realize the longer you keep me on the phone, the longer it will take you to get your order.” I then proceeded to hand the phone to the manager after saying this. Shortly after this, the customer finally placed their order, and no further screaming matches occurred. For the rest of the night, this was our inside joke.

The Legend Of The Green Goblin:

This next story is always one that will stick with me and still does to this day. Almost every night, we had this mysterious homeless man who would walk up and down the highway, always wearing the same thing: a green hoodie, gray pants, and sneakers. We were never sure what his name was, where he was from, or where he was living or camping out. We simply called him Green Goblin, and that’s all we knew him by. I’m not 100% positive how we came up with that or why. If I remember correctly, I think we called him that because when he walked in the dark wearing the green hoodie with the hood up, he looked like the Green Goblin from Spiderman.

Like clockwork, almost every night we saw him walking down the street and would stop at every fast food restaurant’s dumpster to dig for leftovers. He would literally eat anything he could get his hands on. We always knew he stopped at our dumpster sometimes since sometimes he’d scare us unintentionally because we would look out the window and just see him outside suddenly. (Side note, before you even ask, no he was not hostile or crazy. Just a homeless man trying to survive day to day on what he could). Sometimes, when we had leftovers, unclaimed orders, or pizzas that were made incorrectly, we’d put them outside for him so he’d have something to eat. We’d always stash it either on top of the dumpster or in front of it in a bag. When we’d return the next day, the food would be gone.

I’ve always wondered about the origins of Green Goblin and I still think about it sometimes to this very day. Once Covid hit, we never saw him again. As we were all cooped up in the store during Covid we would always speculate what happened to him or where he was. It is as if he suddenly disappeared or never existed. Could he have moved on? Found family? Got shelter? Who knows. It still remains a mystery to this day.

P.S. if you are reading this Green Goblin, I’m sorry I never actually got to know you on a first name basis, but I truly hope all is well for you and I hope the little bit of food we did leave for you truly helped. If you are ever in the area again, please stop by and say hi. We truly miss you!

Look Out! Here I Come!

On this particular night, it was snowing like crazy and there must be a solid few inches of snow on the ground as well as lots of black ice. As it approached closing time, we made sure to throw some extra salt down by the back door, the driveway, and the parking spaces where we parked.

When it was finally time to go home, as I started to go down the stairs, I kid you not, it felt like an ice skating rink. I honestly was not expecting it to be that bad especially since I had non-slip work shoes on. Boy was I totally wrong. Quickly before I lost my balance, I grabbed some salt in my hands and started throwing it in front of my walking path. Here I thought, it was going to be easy going from here to the car… Nope! Wrong again. As I started to make my way to the car, about half way there, I lost all traction and could not move without slipping. I felt my feet slipping and my knees felt like they were about to give way. I knew I had to act quickly, so in haste, I took one big step forward and flung myself onto the hood of my car. As I clung onto my car, I couldn’t help laughing a little, and I remember thinking “This is absolutely hilarious, I am clinging on to my car right now and using it like a life preserver”. I did exactly that until I got to the driver’s side door and was able to open it. From here my luck changed for the better, and I was able to get home without any other incidents.

Thank you for joining me on this wild ride through some of the craziest restaurant stories I’ve experienced. From unexpected robberies to turkey encounters, snow escapades, and encounters with the mysterious Green Goblin, there’s never a dull moment in the hospitality industry. These experiences have not only added a touch of chaos to my work but have also provided memories that will last a lifetime. As I continue to navigate the unpredictable world of hospitality, I look forward to encountering even more unbelievable stories and sharing them with you. Until then, here’s to the countless unexpected, bizarre, and unforgettable moments that make this industry truly one-of-a-kind. Cheers to the next chapter of unimaginable experiences!

Ferret Bites and $5,000 Jackpot: Unbelievable Hotel Story!

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I previously wrote about my craziest hotel stories in two previous posts as well as my craziest restaurant stories coming up in two future posts. However, just recently I think I have finally got a story that tops them all! 

Anyone that has worked in the industry always knows the craziest things always happen on the swing or night shift. This weekend was no different for me… So what exactly does a ferret and $5,000 dollars have to do with each other? Well… buckle up cause this story gets crazy real quick…

Disclaimer: The following blog post does not reflect the views, action or position of MGM Resorts International. All views, opinions and reflections expressed are solely my own. Some details may be modified to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

The Ferret Saga:

I am honestly not even sure how to explain this story, that’s how crazy it is! I was working the swing/night shift at the front desk. I was just wrapping up my shift when I heard another one of my co-workers talking about a phone call they just received from another department regarding a guest’s issue upstairs. The guest was staying on the 32nd floor of the hotel and while they were walking back to their room, there was a loose ferret running around on the floor causing mischief. Apparently, said ferret supposedly bit the guest as they were walking back to their room. Security was immediately called to check on the guest and to try to investigate where the ferret came from and who was responsible for it. (I kid you not…. I am not making this up, I swear! Just wait, it gets better)! It took multiple security officers to wrangle the ferret and safely handle it so no further harm was done to the animal or other guests. At this time, I do not know who owned the ferret, how it made it into the hotel, or what happened to it. All I know is that animal control came to pick up the ferret.

Now, here’s when the craziness really comes in… Apparently the guest later at night decided to go downstairs on the casino floor and play to get their mind off what happened. As the guest was playing they hit a jackpot and won $5,000! I do not know about you, but that is some crazy luck getting bit by a ferret, then also winning a $5k jackpot in the same day! This guest definitely has some luck! Maybe they should go play the lottery after this! This hands down tops every single story I have told on this blog so far and that says a lot since I have plenty more stories to tell!

What did you think of this story? Do you have any interesting stories of your own? Share them with us in the comments section, send them to us via email, or message us on social media and we might include them in a future post.

I hope you enjoyed reading about this craziness. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to leave a like, subscribe to our blog and follow us on social media so you never miss a future post!

Navigating Toxic Workplaces: Advice, Tips & Guidance for Dealing with Managerial Challenges

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I recently had the pleasure of returning back to my community college and got to speak as an alumni speaker. I discussed my experiences in college so far, challenges I faced in the industry and where I am currently in my career. I wanted to take some time to discuss the challenges I faced and shed some light on some of these topics as I know many others may face these challenges too and may need some advice on what to do. 

One of my main goals when I started this blog was to dedicate specific content to act as guides and provide advice to those just starting out. I’m hoping within the next few months to really expand that area of the blog with more content and ideas I have in the works. In the meantime, I hope you find this useful or at least somewhat insightful. 

To clarify, the following incidents, challenges and hardships all happened at my last hotel job not at my current place of employment. Additionally, I would like to state for the record, my co-workers, front desk manager (at the time) and operations manager (at the time) were all amazing people. When I’m speaking about these topics, I’m talking about the managers above them and corporate.

Toxic Work Environment:

It wasn’t always this way… When I first joined the company I did their intern program and was very impressed with their family culture and values. But just like that it all came crashing down in a fiery ball. It was as if one day it was at the drop of a hat. Perhaps this was all going on before I came on and it just snowballed? Who knows… 

I constantly dealt with a certain specific manager who just never respected me, other employees and treated the hotel like a dictatorship. It always felt like this manager had it out for me. They always treated me differently than everyone else but not in a good way. It felt like I always had a target painted on my back. 

Let me give you an example. One day I’m working at the desk with one of my other co-workers and it was slow. Seeing it was slow, I decided to go use the restroom before I got busy again and while I had the chance. So I go to the back office so I can head to the bathroom and this manager stops me and gets into an attitude with me. This is how this interaction went (summarized of course):

Mngr: “Where are you going? You should be at the desk!”

“(Co-Worker) is at the desk. I’m using the restroom while it is slow. I needed to go but couldn’t since it was so busy”.

Mngr: “Oh well…next time you gotta ask or say something. Can’t you just disappear on me”.

“Oh… I have to ask permission to go to the bathroom now? I didn’t know I had to. What is this elementary school? I’m a grown adult. If I need to use the bathroom, I’m going to go nor will I ever just leave the desk unattended. As I said (Co-Worker) is at the desk. I’m sure it will be okay for a few minutes while it’s slow”.

Mngr: “Well… you can’t just leave them alone..”

“… As I’ve said multiple times, it’s slow. Plus they know since I told them I’d be right back… So  I’m going to the bathroom now”.

It was at this point I was so confused and couldn’t understand why I was being lectured and disrespected for simply being a human and going to the restroom. Can you imagine getting in trouble for going to the restroom? This is just one of several examples of the toxic work environment this manager and corporate (more on them shortly) caused not only for me but the other employees.  

At first I tried to give this manager the benefit of the doubt when they first came to the hotel. After many incidents (there are several… you’d be here for a week reading this if I included them all) I tried sitting down with them and speaking with them one on one about the incidents and how I found them unacceptable but this never did anything. 

When things got really bad, I complained to HR and their attitude was “Well it’s your word against ours. Good luck proving it. You have no ground to stand on. All this is verbal plus the messages you showed us don’t really do anything for your case. At this time we will not be making any changes at the hotel. If you are that unhappy, you can just put your two weeks in”. 

WOAH!!!! Did the Human Resources department just tell me I can quit and threaten me by saying “good luck proving it”? THEY SURE FLIPPING DID!!! Oh but wait… It gets worse! Every Time someone complained, HR and corporate ignored us and didn’t do anything about it. Seems every time this manager got wind we complained, they made it hell for us. Which brings me to my next topic…

Fear Tactics & Fear Driven Management

For those not familiar with the topic, Fear based leadership is when leaders lead by fear, threats or combination of both. Threats may include retaliation, disciplinary action, termination, etc. More often than not, fear-based leadership stems from the boss’s lack of confidence in their own abilities. Rather than let the light shine on them and reveal their flaws, they use fear so that they can survive—at the expense of the people they’re supposed to be inspiring to do their best work.

I never really knew how to describe how this hotel manager and corporate style of leadership was at times until I learned of this ineffective style in my principles of management course. Looking back and reflecting on everything, there are definitely examples of this happening. For example a normal leader would tell their team “Hey, please make sure we do (insert a task) like this from now on please because (insert reason). When we do it the other way it causes (problem or issue). Thank you”. 

Unfortunately, I got the opposite style which really got insanely difficult to deal with. “Do this like this or else I’ll write you up”. Most times when I heard this statement my thought to myself would be ‘Well you never specifically said or told us to do it like that before, This is the first time you are saying something about it. How are we supposed to know you wanted it like that? We are not mind readers”. Of course I’m thinking that but I would say something similar but choose my words carefully so I remained professional and did not make the situation worse. Again like I said, I could honestly write 50 blog posts about this stuff but I think you get the picture here.

Micromanagement

I never understood why managers think this strategy ever works. Do they know that this makes things worse by making employees less confident, more stressed and makes them more nervous. For crying out loud, just TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES and let them do the jobs they were trained to do. Clearly they know what they are doing and are qualified otherwise they wouldn’t be working there. 

Now I get it as the manager of the hotel you’re on the line for everything and responsible for the entirety of the operation but come on… There is never an excuse for this kind of tactic. Again as I said TRUST YOUR EMPLOYEES!

One thing this manager always did was leave way earlier than they were supposed to when the hotel was sold out or if there were multiple events going on in the hotel. Typically, the manager was supposed to stay until a certain time when we were sold out and if there were events it was their job to check on the events and if needed jump in and help. Then instead of staying, they would constantly blow up my phone every five minutes and when I wouldn’t answer my phone they’d get mad and get disrespectful. It was worse when this happened in person since it’s not like a phone where you can just silence it and ignore it. 

Again, trust your damn employees. We don’t need you hawking over us every five seconds. Please just let your employees do their job, be there to support them and give them the tools to do their jobs successfully!

Advice, Tips & Guidance:

So what can you do if you find yourself in any of these situations?. The advice I offer is solely based on my situations and what I found works. Each situation is going to be different and may not be able to be handled the same. Always use your best judgment and do what you think is best. With that, here is my advice:

Speak Up!

Stand up for yourself! Don’t let any manager or supervisor treat you with disrespect, or treat you poorly! Now I’m not saying to just scream, yell or attack them for the littlest thing. What I’m saying here is if you find they keep acting disrespectful or treating you very poorly, it’s best to nib it in the bud but remain calm and professional. For example, pull them aside and speak with them privately after the incident or after the shift. If you don’t do this, you are setting a tone that this behavior is okay and it will only get worse.

Stay Positive:

There’s always positivity to be found in a negative or non ideal situation. One of the things that kept me around this job before moving on, besides other factors, was the people I worked with. We were like a tight knit family and became very close with each other. We made each other laugh and smile even on the toughest days when it seemed the odds were stacked against us. 

My best advice is for any sort of environment that is toxic, hostile or sounds similar to what I discussed, get out of that environment as soon as you can. It’s not worth your mental and physical health dealing with that day in and day out. If for some reason you can’t get out of there right away, try to find the positive things and remember what brought you there in the first place.

Know Your Value!

If you are constantly hustling, being a team player and aren’t getting any recognition or shown any appreciation, don’t get discouraged! Keep working hard and remember, when you go to apply for your next job, your future employer will see your value. How so, you may ask? If you put all you do on your resume and cover letter, people will notice you and recognize your value. Overall, if you’re not getting appreciated, definitely find yourself another place of employment/environment where you will be! Trust me, during the first few days of my new job when everyone was encouraging me and supporting me, it really was a welcomed change and reminded me it was all worth it in the end since I wouldn’t have ended up where I was without starting somewhere.

Work, Life, School Balance:

Remember you are not meant to be working 24/7 with no breaks or time for anything else. You have to remember to balance enough time for your college life (if applicable), your social life, and life in general. If you don’t, this is how you get mental and physical burnout. 

Burn-out is a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. It is characterized by three dimensions: feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one’s job, or feelings of negativity or doubt related to one’s job; and reduced professional efficacy.

If you find yourself feeling burnt out, it is best to stop and take care of yourself. This is your body’s way of telling you it’s time to recharge your batteries. Here are somethings I found helpful for dealing with burnout:

  1. Get plenty of sleep each night.
  2. Go outside and take long walks in nature. 
  3. Relax to your favorite music, podcast, tv show or movie.
  4. Kick back with a good book.
  5. Immerse yourself in your hobbies.
  6. Meditate everyday or when stressed. (Deep breaths in, deep breaths out)  

Now I am not saying by any means to not work while in college. I think working while you are in college is extremely beneficial. I found taking what I was learning in the field and bringing it into the classroom really helped me grow and learn. Same goes for taking classroom knowledge and bringing it into the field. My other piece of personal advice is to never stop learning! Always be curious, ask questions and keep pushing to become better.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, while my last year or so at this company was not a pleasant experience, I feel like I did learn a lot, grow as a leader and become better prepared for the future and how to handle similar experiences if they arise. I am extremely grateful to my co-workers, supervisors and line level managers for all they have done. While we may have had our ups and downs together, I loved the time we had together and am grateful to still be close with them all. 

I hope this post was insightful and helpful for anyone facing similar challenges. If you are unsure what to do in your situation, write to us using the Career Advice & Tips button on our Career Resources page! 

Stay tuned for upcoming posts where I document my newest journey in the casino industry!

Restaurant Life During Covid – Reflections & Stories

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When the Covid-19 pandemic hit the world, it forever changed all our lives even to this day as we still try to exit the pandemic. If you were one of the many people working during the heart of the pandemic, it definitely was interesting, challenging and a unique time. Being labeled essential to go and do an everyday job was definitely an adjustment. It honestly still blows my mind to this day. In today’s post, I will be talking about my experiences in the restaurant industry and what it was like working down lock down.

Let The Madness Begin:

I was very fortunate and lucky to be employed the entire time during the pandemic mostly without issues. I can recall everything changed at the drop of a hat. At first, it seemed there was nothing to worry about and the pandemic wouldn’t even come to our area. Sadly it did and with it came the end of normal as we knew it. 

I worked at a chain pizza place on a busy highway that connects the beach towns to the mainland. When the normalness ended, I remember at night the entire strip being pitch black dark, dead quit and no cars even in sight. I honestly felt like I was in a ghost town or a zombie movie. It was crazy to me how to see everything go from normal to nothing in a matter of days. On the strip we were on, the restaurant was one of the only places open. Now imagine this, McDonalds, Burger King, Wendys, and all the major fast food places are either all closed or close before dark. It was mind blowing to me how our pizza place was open and running like normal while everything else was closed. How is this so, you may ask? Well, we did not have a dining room, we only had a small lobby area where the counter was. Essentially we were a take out or delivery only place which gave not only us an advantage but the other chain pizza places that were in the area. 

Of course it was to be expected it was going to be busier since there were curfews, more people at home, no school and everything else was closed. However, we didn’t imagine it was going to be as crazy busy as it was. To put how crazy it was each day, imagine it is Super Bowl Sunday, now multiply that by 10 or 20 each day! On average we got 200+ orders each day. It would be non-stop, just constantly bombarded by orders. At first, we all got very overwhelmed since we were not used to this heavy volume everyday and all at once. However, after a few days of doing it, we noticed the peak times and patterns so, in turn we were able to adjust and got used to it very quickly.

Wait! I’m Essential?

Another thing that took some adjusting was the whole idea of essential workers and being labeled “essential”. I remember thinking “I’m essential? But I only make pizza”? Yea it was really weird being put in the same category as first responders and health care workers. It honestly never made sense to me and still really doesn’t to this day.

I guess it’s as the saying went then “Everyone plays their part”. When you think about it, it honestly is true. We’d be making food and taking care of those working around the clock, as well as those working other important/essential jobs. Of course this came with some hardships though, such as working 9-10 hour shifts, doubles (sometimes), working 5 to 6 days in a row, etc. However luckily for me though, I had really good bosses and a great team. We made sure we took care of each other by making sure we each took breaks, eat, etc. My bosses also made sure if they had to give us crazy hours, they made it up to us by giving us multiple days off in a row as well as rotating us around so we didn’t all get burnt out. I’m extremely grateful for my amazing trio of managers for really being good bosses the entire time before, during and after the entire lockdown situation. They really made working there enjoyable and created a positive working environment.

Craziness & Horror Stories:

Now of course it wasn’t all fun games the entire time, there were definitely some horror stories mostly from customers but a few from co-workers too. You thought hotels were crazy?? Buckle up, these stories are just as crazy!

Doordash Rage

At this point when this story takes place, we were already months into the pandemic and masks are well beyond established. For me, it was just another busy night hustling through all the orders and working hard to keep up. It was the midst of a huge evening rush and this Doordash driver tried to enter the store without a mask and when he was asked to either put one on or wait outside he refused! (Typically if people who didn’t wear masks, we told them to wait outside then when their food was ready, we would just crack the front door open and hand it to them). What happened next at the time was just so insane to me since this job was my first real taste of the craziness the hospitality industry brings daily. So the dasher started screaming, yelling and cursing to the point where one of my managers had to tell him to leave. When my manager kept repeating himself over and over again, the last time he told him to get out and never come back. Needless to say we never saw that Doordash driver ever again.

Sticker Madness

Everytime we boxed an order, we had to use these rectangular stickers that sealed the boxes shut to prove the food went straight from oven to box and wasn’t tampered with. Now the crew I worked with was all guys… So of course if you give a bunch of guys a roll of stickers, you can’t expect them to not mess around with each other.

See! What did I tell you! We not only did this to mess with each other, we also would do this to any food we would make for us (yes, we got free food). Say for example if someone got a small pie, we would take the stickers and cover every square inch of the box so it was impossible to open. It was always funny to be on the pranking end and not the receiving end. It was stupid little things like this that prevented us from going crazy and staying positive during all the craziness.

Supply Chain Struggles:

Of course it’s to be expected there’s going to be disruptions when everyday life comes to a stretching hault. I remember us not struggling too much with supply chain issues. However, we did face some problems once and a while. There were a few times where getting Pepsi products was a struggle. For example there was one period of time where we actually had to go to the supermarket to buy pepsi products since we weren’t getting any in at all. You may be asking why we didn’t just order larger quantities of this was an issue. Unfortunately it wasn’t that easy although I wish it was. 

The only other major supply chain issue I remember facing was when there was a national wing shortage and getting wings in was very difficult. This became a challenge for us since we were seeing higher volume in orders, this meant we were going through things faster than normal. At one point I remember it was only mid-week and we almost ran out of wings. There were a few times we actually did run out of wings. I remember when we were able to get wings in, they were more expensive to get in since demand was high and supply was low. As much as we didn’t want to, we had to at some points only offer the 6 and 8 piece wings instead of offering all the larger sized orders like the 16pc, 32pc, and 60pc.

Final Thoughts:

Overall the pandemic was a very crazy time yet also an interesting time. We saw the world change right before our eyes with the snap of a finger. I think one thing everyone got out of the pandemic was reflecting on and being more thankful for the everyday things they had. I know I definitely became more thankful for the little things. 

I hope this post gave you a brief look into what my experiences were during the pandemic.

Autism in the Workplace: Challenges, Job Options, and Employer Support

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Welcome back to our blog. Today is going to be a rather emotional blog about something that affects many people, including myself. So, let me explain a few things. I was diagnosed as a teenager with Asperger Syndrome, including OCD (Obsessive-compulsive disorder) and ADD/ ADHD (Attention deficit disorder / Attention deficit hyperactive disorder). It made things a bit difficult for me as a kid and of course, later on as I got into the workplace. I am hoping that this blog will shine a light on something that is hidden in plain sight.

What is Autism?

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects information processing. People with autism have difficulties with social and communication skills. They have restricted interests and engage in repetitive behaviors. They also tend to experience sensitivity or discomfort from sensory stimulation such as certain lights or sounds.

Because autism’s symptoms vary greatly, the condition is said to exist on a spectrum, referred to as Autism Spectrum Disorder. Asperger’s syndrome refers to “high functioning” autism, but it’s no longer a formal diagnostic term.

Autism usually manifests by age two. The condition is diagnosed four times more frequently in males than in females, according to the CDC, although women are often overlooked and misdiagnosed. The frequency of diagnosis has surged over the past 20 years; it is not clear whether the incidence is truly increasing, whether experts are more aware of it, or whether the diagnosis has shifted to include lesser degrees of impairment.

There is no cure for autism, nor is one universally sought: Many people argue that autism should not be framed as a medical condition in need of amelioration. For those on the lower-functioning end of the spectrum, targeted practices and therapies can help alleviate symptoms.

Symptoms of Autism

While the severity of symptoms varies greatly, there are invariably impairments to social and communication skills. Some children with autism do not talk at all and remain mute throughout life, while others have mild social challenges. Children with autism also show restricted interests and repetitive behaviors.

Parents may notice that their infant avoids eye contact or doesn’t respond, and it may be difficult for them to form emotional bonds and parental attachment. Children with autism may have unusual responses to sensory stimulation and may be highly sensitive to certain sounds, textures, tastes, or smells. They may have deficits in motor coordination and poor muscle tone.

Autistic children exhibit many kinds of repetitive behaviors early in life, such as hand flapping, body rocking, and making sounds. They may arrange or stack objects over and over again. Some children inflict injury on themselves by repeated actions such as hand biting and head banging. They also have an early preference for unvarying routines of everyday life.

Causes of Autism

No one fully understands what causes autism. The number of children diagnosed with the disorder has increased significantly since the turn of the millennium, but experts are not sure whether that reflects an improvement in diagnostic awareness or a true increase in prevalence.

Research shows that genetics is a factor because people who have a sibling with autism are more likely to have autism themselves. Autism is also more likely in individuals who have an older parent. Very low birth weight is also a risk factor, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and ASD occurs more frequently in people with some genetic conditions, such as Fragile X syndrome or tuberous sclerosis.

Treatments for Autism

There are many effective approaches for managing or treating autism. Early intervention with highly structured behavioral, cognitive, and communication therapies can sometimes dramatically help children with autism learn skills. School-based educational programs designed for children with autism can be effective in improving intellectual functioning.

Programs that make use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) have become widely accepted as the standard of treatment. In most programs, parents are encouraged to be highly involved in their children’s care.

While no medication can correct the impairments common to autism, psychoactive drugs including antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants are sometimes prescribed to help control specific symptoms. Anticonvulsant medication may reduce the number of seizures a person has but not eliminate them.

Autism and Related Conditions

Autism is often accompanied by a range of medical or psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety, ADHD, epilepsy, sleep problems, and gastrointestinal problems. The scientific understanding of this overlap is often elusive.

Addressing co-occurring problems won’t eliminate the core features of autism. Yet treating specific symptoms that people are struggling with can tremendously improve daily life for those on the spectrum.

Autism and ADHD

Studies estimate that 30 to 80 percent of children with autism meet the criteria for ADHD, and 20 to 50 percent of children with ADHD meet the criteria for autism. Clinicians can now provide a dual diagnosis for children with both conditions, per the DSM-5.

Autism and ADHD can look very similar, as both involve struggles with communication, social cues, attention, and impulsivity. Scientists are currently investigating the biological and genetic roots that the conditions may share.

People with both conditions may be more impaired than people with either condition alone. Individuals with autism or parents of children with autism may want to seek a diagnosis if they believe they have ADHD, as that could influence treatment options, such as the decision to prescribe stimulant drugs.

Autism and Anxiety

Nearly 40 percent of children with autism also have an anxiety disorder—which might include social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, or a specific phobia. The overlap of autism and anxiety may be due to the features of autism, such as sensory overload, communication barriers, social challenges, cognitive rigidity, and task frustration. Distinguishing whether symptoms of autism contribute to anxiety or result from anxiety can be challenging.

Parents of children struggling with anxiety can aim to identify what specifically triggers anxiety in their child, and then plan for or modify those triggers. They may explore treatment options such as medication or cognitive-behavioral therapy.

Autism and Depression

People with autism are four times more likely to suffer from depression than neurotypical individuals. This trend may be due to genetics as well as the loneliness, bullying, or rumination that some with autism face.

Depression is difficult to spot because people with autism can struggle to express their feelings. There are similar barriers to treatment, such as the ability to explore emotions in therapy and tolerate the side effects of medications. Still, cognitive-behavioral therapy and antidepressants help some, while social support and employment programs are valuable for all.

There are other conditions that are included but I will not list them all. You can find the full list here at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/autism/autism-and-related-conditions

Keep in mind that no case of Autism is the same and will have different conditions, symptoms, and more. 

Now I am going to move on to the main focus: Autism in the Workplace.

Autism in the Workplace

Individuals with autism can face substantial challenges navigating the workforce. Recent research suggests that 20 percent of adults with autism are unemployed, while other estimates are much higher. This gulf may begin at a young age: Only 58 percent of people with autism aged 18 to 25 worked for pay, while 74 percent of people with intellectual disabilities and 95 percent of people with other learning disabilities worked for pay at the same age.

However, companies are increasingly recognizing the value of cultivating a diverse workforce and embracing those with autism for the unique perspective they contribute. Programs have sprouted up at large companies, such as SAP and Microsoft, which actively hire and support people with autism. The government also provides financial incentives for companies to employ people with disabilities such as autism. These approaches open up the possibility for those on the spectrum to transform their natural interests and abilities into marketable skills.

What are the challenges?

Many adults with autism confront unemployment and underemployment throughout their lives. They may struggle during the interview process, which often relies on eye contact, a bold personality, and creating a bond with the hiring manager. Once in a new role, people with autism may be unable to navigate the social dynamics of a workplace—with regard to assignments, clients, or office politics—and eventually, lose their job.

What are good job options for autistic people?

The passions and fixations that are a hallmark of autism can translate into valuable skills in the workforce. People who are drawn to patterns or puzzles may excel at software testing, quality control, or other roles in the technology sector. Other positions in autism-friendly companies include working on stockroom operations, production lines, data entry, and accounting. Autistic people should explore how their natural interests and talents overlap with the needs of particular positions in the job market.

What are the benefits of hiring employees with autism?

People with autism face a high unemployment rate, but employers and society both gain from hiring workers on the spectrum. Higher functioning individuals can excel in jobs that fit their abilities and interests, from folding laundry to coding software. As autism becomes increasingly prevalent, it’s key for companies to take an abilities-centered approach by identifying what autistic employees are uniquely suited to do and recognizing that they can be reliable and hard-working.

Companies may also be eligible for tax credits and deductions when hiring employees with disabilities. These financial incentives aim to encourage companies to hire differently-abled employees and offset any costs that accompany their condition. Some adults with autism believe that this is the best approach for individuals on the spectrum to obtain and sustain employment.

Should I tell my employer that I have autism?

The decision to disclose an autism diagnosis is a personal choice. It’s up to you to choose when and how you want to have that conversation—with your employer or anyone else in your life.

It’s valuable to discuss the decision with a mentor or loved one ahead of time. Reflect on what you hope to gain, who you want to tell, and how they might react. If your goal is to receive accommodations at work, consider having a discussion with a human resources representative and being specific about what you need. You may also be protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, under which employers must provide reasonable accommodations for workers with disabilities.

How can companies support employees with autism?

Clarity is key for building an autism-friendly workplace: Managers can give clear directives and deadlines to employees, and then help clear any obstacles that prevent those directives from being accomplished. Managers can be open, honest, and appreciative of creativity and different ways of thinking. They can also provide a quiet place to work if the office is loud and ensure that lights are not flickering to address the sensory symptoms of autism.

The traditional interview process focuses on conversation and connection. Replacing that with an aptitude test or skills-based task can help companies hire more capable employees with autism.

In Conclusion

Autism is not really that scary now that you have learned more about it. Those who have autism just function differently, but we are still human. The best thing you can do is to support those who have autism, whether it be as a family member or as a fellow co-worker. When I am working, I often find that if I am at a breaking point, taking a small walk outside helps clear the mind. It could also help to bring along fidget items like a spinner or cube to help with our sensory issues. I want to thank everyone for their support in this.

You can find out more autism by going to:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/autism

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men  are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

 Founding Fathers, The Declaration of Independence

A Year In Review – My First Year In The Hotel Industry

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Better late than ever! Back in May it officially made one year of me working in the hotel industry after working in the restaurant industry for two years while studying Engineering in college. I honestly can’t believe it’s been a year already! Time really flies! It truly feels a lot longer than just a year. 

In today’s post, I’ll be answering some of the most common questions I get about the hotel industry as well as share any tips for those looking to get into the industry for themselves.

What is your favorite part of working in the hotel industry?

To be honest there are many things I love about the hotel industry. One thing I love is how each day is different and not every day is the same. For example, some days it is slow at the hotel while other days it’s crazy busy. I also love being able to bounce around and learn all aspects inside the hotel from guest services to F&B and so on. Another thing I love is how much teamwork and collaboration play in day to day tasks. The amazing team I work with is one of many reasons I love working and coming to work everyday!

What is the most challenging thing you face on a daily basis during your shift?

Wow… such a great question! I think the toughest thing I face on a daily basis is very irate, and upset guests that just scream at you for every little thing. I’ve honestly built up a tolerance for this and it really doesn’t bother me too much anymore. These are always tough situations since each time, the circumstances are different, you’re dealing with a different guest and do not know what to expect. One thing I have learned from dealing with countless of these situations is to just let the guest “vent” to you and just listen to everything before you respond. When you respond you want to be calm, professional, respectful and most of all try to solve the problem at hand.

Have you ever worked with anyone you do not get along with? If so, how do you deal with that for a whole shift?

Such a great question. I’ve actually had this happen to me a few times, as a matter of fact I’m currently dealing with this now. Honestly each person is going to be different. Not everyone is going to like you or get along with you. One thing I always do is no matter how much the person may not like me, I always remain polite and respectful at all times especially in front of house areas. I always hate when coworkers belittle you in front of guests. Not only is it awkward for you, it also makes the guest you are helping uncomfortable. I want to make one thing clear, not everyone I’m currently working with is like this at all! We are all very close with one another and act like a family. 

Other things I do is, when a co-worker acts like this, I always keep my composure and treat them as if they were any other co-worker who I do enjoy working with. Why do I do this? Well, the industry is all about teamwork, collaboration and guest service. I like to look at the big picture and remember why we do what we do each day.

What’s one of the funniest moments you had with a coworker?

This is a tough one… there are so many funny moments, it’s so hard to pick the top moment! I think of the funniest moments is when my old Front Desk Manager ran outside while we all were staying over during a blizzard and began making snow angels, throwing snowballs at the window and even tried to make a snowman! YES TRENT I’m talking about you lol!

Do you ever get free food while on shift?

Yes and no. It honestly depends on if we have events going on in the ballrooms. Say there is a wedding going on, if there is any leftover food from cocktail hour or dinner service, then yes we are allowed to grab some. Some days you get a lot of food while others you get slim pickings.

What is the single most important trait you need to have to be in the hotel industry?

PATIENCE! This is one of the, if not the most important trait and skill to have. You are going to be working in tough environments, situations and sometimes dealing with back to back difficult guests.

What are your future goals and dreams you hope to achieve?

Right now in the short term I would love to get into a management role such as a Front Desk Manager. Long term after I finish school, I would love to work my way up to a General Manager and eventually one day own my own hotel.

Hint! Hint! Totally not dropping any hints here bosses! 🙂

If you could go back in time to when you first started, would you change anything?

Yes and no! I’ve definitely come a very long way from when I first started. There are definitely certain situations that I look back on that I wish played out differently, however though, for the most part I really wouldn’t change a thing. I try to keep growing every day I work and move towards my goals.

Lessons Learned: Creating A New Café From Scratch

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This past semester at my college I had the amazing opportunity as President of the Hospitality Club to help take the lead in opening our own student run café. It was an absolutely amazing and fun journey which I enjoyed every minute of. I proudly present Java Junction:

What Is Java Junction?

Java Junction was created by a vast team of professors, student leaders (such as myself), college professionals and others. Our goal was to take the vacant space left behind from our colleges old food service company, Canteen, and create a new space where students, professors and the community could all gather, enjoy a nice refreshing beverage and snack. Once our costs are covered, all profits go directly back to the business clubs (Hospitality Club, Business Club, Accounting Club, Legal Club, PBL, etc.), help support scholarships for students, and help support the business department in obtaining resources to further help students succeed. 


When students and professors support Java Junction, they are not only supporting the café, they are also helping fellow students. This is where our mission statement For The Students. By The Students was created from. It is the single most important line that helps drive the café and the decisions we make.

Reflections & Reactions:

From the very moment I heard my Professor’s idea to take the old unused café space and turn it into a new café, I was instantly excited and wanted in on it. I will say the entire experience was full of challenges that not only pushed me as a student, it was also very rewarding and well worth the experience. Not only did I gain valuable experience, and grow my skills, I was also able to get college credits while doing so. In order to get credits, us students had to write a brief journal each week about things we learned, insight we gained and reflect on the week.

I remember when we first got approval for the space and the café, there were some interesting discoveries we made. First, the previous operators left the café in a not so clean state and there were many things not up to code. I was honestly surprised by this and shocked with how some of these items went unnoticed and were not addressed promptly. This was good though since I learned certain things I did not know previously.

During week 5 of the experience, the café was in a transition state where we had to deep clean, repair any equipment and update the café so it was up to code and could pass health inspection. It was at this time we didn’t have Ecolab supplies, soap or any basic essentials to clean. I had to “borrow” the Clorox wipes that were in the lobby to clean the café. When I was trying to clean, all I had was cold water and hand soap. I will say it was definitely interesting and reminded me of a challenge I would get as an engineering student where I had limited supplies and had to make something work.

As time moved on, we got our Ecolab supplies, got the necessary updates and FINALLY passed the health inspection. I put such an emphasis on finally since it took us at least 3 or 4 tries to pass.

Progress Photo Gallery:

Grand Opening:

During week 10 of the experience, it was grand opening week and it went very well. It honestly exceeded my expectations of what I thought would happen. Recalling my journal from that week, I wrote the following about the opening:

“This week at Java Junction was both very busy and exciting since it was grand opening week. Prior to the grand opening, there were many steps that had to be completed. First, we had to stock all of our supplies, unpack any foods that were still in storage as well as prepping anything we needed to. After these tasks were done, focus was shifted to completing the POS system set up, setting up all the grand opening décor and getting ready for ribbon cutting. Also this week at Java Junction, I kept up with my marketing and promotional efforts for the café. The designs I created for the loyalty cards for our loyalty program were sent over to the C.R. team for approval, we are in the process of getting a social media account, branded merchandise, QR codes and flyers. (I can’t wait for these items!) Overall all the marketing efforts thus far, and work we have done has paid off tremendously. I can’t wait to keep marketing the cafe and expanding it as it reaches its full potential”.

My Role at Java Junction:

I briefly mentioned this above, however for those who aren’t as familiar with my responsibilities and things I do at college, I want to explain them a little bit more. I currently serve as President of Hospitality Club and sit on the Hospitality & Tourism Management Program Advisory board. As president I am responsible for promoting the club, leading events, assisting professors with club tasks, etc. Being in this role, tied in perfectly with the creation of Java Junction. One of my specialties is marketing and promotion. Let’s take a look at some of the marketing I have done so far for the café:

Lessons Learned:

  1. Mission & vision statements are a must. A vision statement is what goals or what you want to achieve from your business or operation. The Mission statement on the other hand, is a short statement of why an organization exists, what its overall goal is, identifying the goal of its operations: what kind of product or service it provides, its primary customers or market, and its geographical region of operation. These two statements go hand and hand are key elements to creating your business plan, branding and marketing.
  1. Always listen to your guests and customers. They are the lifeline of your business and it is crucial to keep guests and have them coming back. One thing I did for Java, was any time a student or Professor made a suggestion, I made sure I wrote it down in a notebook so that way when we did a food order or sat down to discuss things about the cafe, I could do my best to make their suggestions a reality. 
  1. Conduct your research! What do I mean by this? Well, in order to understand your business model or how to operate the best, conduct a survey or collect data on your target market and competitors. Use this data to help yourself out. For our cafe, I sent out a survey to the entire college to get suggestions, input and menu suggestions. This really paid off a lot! I was able to get a lot of helpful points and suggestions that I was able to use to create the cafe.
  1. Have fun and enjoy yourself! Starting your own business takes a lot of time and effort. You have to enjoy what you’re going to be doing and have a passion for it otherwise what’s the point? My advice to anyone starting their own business is to make sure you enjoy it, have passion and are energetic about it. As the owner, it all stems down from you. If you aren’t into it and are just a wet sock (so to speak), your staff will also be. 
  1. Don’t be afraid to be creative and innovative.

6. Take every opportunity you get! Don’t be afraid to take an opportunity just because you don’t think you’re qualified or are afraid you won’t get it! I always say go for it! What’s the worst that can happen?

10 More Crazy & Strange Hotel Stories told by Front Desk Agents

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Authors: Blake & Hyrax

Grab your popcorn bucket and buckle up! It’s time for yet another post about the most crazy, odd, strange and unbelievable hotel stories. From handsy teenagers thinking this is prom night to crazy adults who shouldn’t even be parents! Yea… this is a wild one we got for you! So without further ado, let’s get to it!

Blake’s Stories

Save Your Drama For Your Mama!

Okay, I think this takes the cake for my most insane story ever as a front desk agent unless Hyrax or any of my co-workers can top this which I don’t think they will. So to better understand the story, just a little bit of context and background on the circumstances. 

About 5 ½ months ago, this guest (we’ll call her Jane Doe for privacy purposes) called the hotel saying their house burned down to the ground and they needed a place to stay. Generally, for this they contact the Room Sales Coordinator where they can work out how long they are staying and a negotiated rate. However it was about 10 p.m. when they called. Generally, people in this situation only stay like a week or two then leave us. I quoted them the lowest rate I could for a week but they said the total amount needed to be under $500 due to the Red Cross giving them a card to pay for a hotel. After crunching the numbers with the help of my Front Desk Manager, we were able to do this for them. 

From the very moment Jane Doe came in, she was a pain and just overly rude. Like listen, I get your house burnt down but when I took like 20 mins with you on the phone and went above and beyond, you could at least be respectful. This was foreshadowing of how the rest of her stay and behavior would be… Yes it gets worse! 

Flashforward to the day after Christmas, all was calm on this Sunday night at the hotel until about 9:20 p.m. at night that’s when it went off the rails. Why, you may ask? Well, Jane Doe decides to call 911 from her room phone. Now, as soon as that happens there is a whole procedure you must follow and carry out as a Front Desk Agent. You have to call the room then if you don’t get a hold of them, you go down to the room with another hotel employee to go check on them. 

So, I called the room three times and Jane Doe did not answer as the line was in use. After calling, I sent my housemen down there while I stayed at the desk to monitor everything. Jane claimed to have “accidentally” called 911 from her room phone and claimed to be “okay”. If you accidentally dialed, you would have hung up right away and been able to answer your room phone. She was clearly not okay, as she was acting very high strung, panicked and looked very upset. She stated to the housemen there was a fight with her partner (boyfriend. Husband, etc.) and there was a whole situation going on. She kept asking if we saw her “partner”  on camera or if we bumped into him. The housemen did not as there were a lot of people coming in and out and I did not for the same reason. Think this story is crazy already? It gets crazier…

Right after asking us if we saw her “partner”, she went outside and was walking laps outside then disappeared for a solid 20 mins. After 20 mins, she calls the front desk and asks if we could check the room, make sure it’s clear and then meet her down there to give her new keys. On the phone she sounded very quiet and I could barely hear her. Anyways, I went to check her room for her and as soon as I opened the door, it was like an episode of Hoarders… Floor to ceiling was covered with crap, the floor was completely covered with clothes, and you couldn’t even open the door. To open the guest room door you literally had to push things over/out of the way. On a side note, she never came down to her room to grab the keys from me so I left.

Long story short, after all this happened, Jane Doe comes to the lobby, stops, shoots me a very evil and crazy look and does so for a solid 30 seconds before walking out. It was at this point like eight cop cars pulled up front so I guess she called them again? After this, I am unsure of the outcome since one the cops most likely took care of it and I did see her the rest of the evening.

So yes, this 100% takes the cake as the most insane hotel story ever for me. I don’t think there’s any topping that… Although anything is possible. Speaking of anything, that reminds me of my next story.

No-no, don’t touch me there, This is my no-no square!

Well… I honestly don’t even know how to tap dance around this one so let’s just get to it. During the peak summer season at nightime, a teenage couple thought it would be fun to do after prom things in the fitness center after coming out of the pool. Little did they know, there was a security camera in the fitness center area watching over them as they did so. I think you know where I’m going with this… Need I explain more? Anyways, as they started to do adult things the evening housemen walked past and caught them as they awkwardly tried to play it off as they didn’t do anything. After that happened, they left the fitness center, kissed as if it was a romance movie then went into their room. This was one of those WTF moments (can I even say that on this platform? I totally think I can…) for me and sticking out is one of the most interesting stories of the summer. Speaking of summer, what’s the summer without a nice refreshing swim in the pool or in this case a parkour course.

Wipeout! Pool Mayhem Edition.

Remember the television show Wipeout? For those who don’t know, it was a game show where contestants raced each other to complete crazy, ridiculous obstacle courses and at the end you can win prize money. Anyway, this story reminds me a little of the show. 

One summer a group of two adults came up to the desk and told me there was an unsupervised kid who was throwing pool chairs into the pool, taking said chairs out and then jumping off them into the pool. The kid was pushing tables towards the edge of the pool deck, jumping off those tables and was also taking tables and chairs, putting them in one stack and diving into the pool from them. The adults said that the kid almost at one point slipped backwards and cracked his head open on the pool deck. Luckily, this didn’t happen since that would have been a headache to deal with.

You Say Potato, I Say Pot-ato.

Ahh yes… Good ol’ Ramada, always good for a good laugh and fun time. While I was at our Ramada property converting the desk for a couple hours while they had their staff holiday party, the front desk agent told me there was a gentleman staying there who was very intoxicated and would keep stopping down by the desk and just talk non-stop. And sure enough what happened? That exact thing just as the front desk agent was coming back to the desk. So the crazy drunk guy came to the desk for 10-15 mins and would not stop talking about mashed potatoes. He kept asking me if I had any mashed potatoes I could give him or if I could smell mashed potatoes since he apparently smelled them. I swear you can’t make this nonsense up…   

Flooding The Hotel & Power Games

Nothing is worse than coming into the hotel and having problems with power, water or any other utility. So during the summer time I remember coming in and the hotel had half power. Literally half of the hotel had power and the other half did. Oddly enough it wasn’t evenly spread out. For example, parts of a floor would be dark, while others had light while the rest of the floor would keep flickering. If this wasn’t interesting enough shortly after having half power, the power went out fully for a couple hours. Ahh yes doing everything old school… So not fun! Luckily, the power did come back on before it got dark and before the crazy evening rushes started.

Bonus Story – Pizza Time!

Speaking of crazy evenings, this next mini story is yet another interesting interaction with a drunk person. A gentleman was attending a wedding and had too much to drink during the wedding so he decided to get a room for a couple hours to rest then go back to the wedding later on. After getting his keys he went to the room to put his stuff down and then came back to the desk. He asked if there were any pizza places around that delivered to the hotel. I gave him a menu, he looked at it and then said to me “Yo man… I’m way too wasted to order right now. If I tell you what I want, give you the cash for it, can you order for me, please?” He then proceeded to pull out his wallet and gave me $45.00 for his order. His pizza came to like $18 with the soda he wanted. I gave the pizza guy $25 total with the tip and the rest of the money was mine. I asked the guy what he wanted me to do with his change and he told me to keep it. So yea, I got a $20 tip just for calling to order a pizza.

Hyrax’s Stories

Charlie The Rock??

So let me first explain how this story actually started. During the time that I was working at the motel, I worked the second shift as per usual. My motel is located right on the edge of downtown, with the main river running thru the city just a few blocks away. Though the river is rather popular for tubing during the summer time, people also love to go fishing in the river and catch some amazing sized trout. (For example, the winning trout was a whopping 8 POUND 7 OUNCES!). Our pool that was located right by our main building had just opened for the season and guests like to relax in the water while beating the heat. 

Once I had arrived for work, my manager and I got to talking about how the situation with COVID was progressing as well as any news for the day. As we walked the property to make sure things were all good, I noticed in the bottom of my eye something in the pool. My manager and I both entered the pool and I looked fully to find a huge rock in the shallow end of our pool. I am not talking about a pebble, this rock was probably the size of a watermelon or smaller. Unsure about why there was a rock in the pool, I went over and grabbed the cleaning net. Once I pulled the rock out of the water, my manager said for me to take the rock into our garden. As we were about to past the gate, a woman bathing on a sunchair beside the gate shouted “Not Charlie!” 

You can imagine the looks on our faces. Just pure utter confusion. The woman explained that her daughters and herself had gone to the river earlier in the day. While river walking, they came across the rock and decided to take the rock for themselves. They brought the rock back to our hotel, washed it in the shower, then gave the name of Charlie. Then since it was so hot, “Charlie” decided to go swim and they put the rock into our pool. These would be probably the most hilarious memories I have of this year. If you were to adopt a rock, what would you name it?

Not Impersonators, It’s Entertainers.

Halloween is my favorite personal holiday. It’s the one day where you can look silly as you wish and no one questions it. The week of Halloween, we had a group of Elvis enthusiasts book our entire property. My manager warned us that calling the group Impersonators would upset the main leader. The group arrived without any issues,  checked in and settled for a weekend of themed shows. 

The first day was Halloween,  in which I dressed up as Symbiote Spiderman.  The second day was themed to Elvis Woodstock,  or mainly the 50s Era. The lobby was full of Elvis singers walking, laughing and talking. The Third day was Parrothead paradise, or Margitaville themed. The funniest scene was watching this woman wearing a parrot costume with wings walk into our elevator. The last day was themed to Cousin Jethro’s Backyard, or hillbilly/redneck themed. All in all, I think it was a successful group event and honestly look forward to the next time they come around.

What day would have been your favorite? Honestly, I enjoyed Halloween as it was the only day I was able to dress up.

Cops Mania

Before I start with this story, let me explain a few things. The title is not stating I had to actually call the cops, though I had to do so sometimes at my old job. My lodge is rather popular to be booked by several groups and events including weddings, meetings, and reunions. We had two events back to back weekends where we hosted two groups of cops at our lodge. 

One group of cops were actually cops from all around Georgia schools to be trained while the other group was retired cops who enjoy going on bike rides named the Blue Knights. Imagine my surprise after asking that there are also multiple groups similar to the Blue Knights but for other types of First Responders and even military branches. 

It was honestly the safest I think anyone would feel with several cops at the lodge. Even the bears were deciding to hide away due to the noise of the motorcycles.. Speaking of  which, that is my next story!

A Big Furry Friend Visits

During one of my evening shifts at my motel job, I had just finished folding the laundry after a rather slow night. I walked back into the office to get a cup of coffee and imagine my surprise when the horse carriage driver came barging into the office. He was rather spooked and slammed the door shut  behind. I walked over to ask what the situation was and he told me of a friend digging around outside in a bin. So at a quick speed, I locked the door and grabbed the mobile phone off the hook in case of an emergency. After a while the bear left and I was able to unlock the door so the carriage driver can go home. 

I am also going to add a Part 2 to this story, though it is probably a different bear. After I had just gotten off work and was heading home, I pulled up to the main street to turn right and head back south home. As I stopped and looked both ways, I noticed something moving ahead of my lights by the bakery. I took a double take to see a big black bear roaming across the street ahead of me. Quite spooked as I knew that some guests were still sitting outside having a drink, I called our Night Auditor and warned her.

Kids – 0, Dad- 1

I was told by my parents that I wasn’t a bad child to raise. Yes, I did get in alot of trouble at times. I was a curious boy who wondered if a RVC would play a sandwich, yes I actually did that. My lodge has 3 floors at our Conference Center , where you check in for the lodge. On the 2nd floor of the Center is our Fireside Room where we have our Table tennis, while the 3rd floor holds a pool table in front of our Tavern. You can imagine how popular the two upper floors to people to relax  

Sometime during our Thanksgiving week, we had a full house at the lodge. Our Tavern was dealing with several guests and groups that night. While the kids decided to wait for a table, they put hand sanitizer all over the door of the 3rd floor. The kids also broke some of our pool cues, but were called out by our staff at the Tavern. Now, most of the time, parents can be like “my child is perfect. You are lying.” I am not saying all parents are like that. This father decided to take matters into his own hands and investigated the situation. He asked the kids first if they put hand sanitizer all over our Elevator door, which they denied. The father, skeptical, asked the kids to hold out their hands. You can imagine what was revealed… The kids had lied to the father. 

 Because kids were bored, our staff had to start logging the pool cues and supplies to guests from the front desk. Another issue would come from kids who decided to stand on top of table tennis, which caused them to break in half. Now things have changed to where we just keep the pool cues and supplies on the 3rd floor to make things easier. Lesson here: Don’t lie to your parents.

We hope enjoyed our post about even more of our craziest stories as Front Desk Agents. We always enjoy creating this posts recapping these kinds of things. Do you have a crazy work story? Share it down below!

Still can’t get enough of crazy hotel stories? Be sure to check out our other post highlighting even more stories. Check it out here: https://touristician.com/2021/11/09/top-10-craziest-stories/

A Day in the Life of a Full Service Hotel Front Desk Agent

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Author: Blake

Ever wonder what it’s like to work in a full service hotel for a day? You’re in luck today! Today, I will be taking you inside a day in my shoes as a front desk agent at a full service hotel. Just a quick note I want to mention, not every hotel is the exact same or runs the same since each property is unique or has different standards. For example, if you work in a select service hotel (a hotel with no ballrooms and select amenities) or a full service hotel (a hotel with ballrooms ,restaurants and expanded amenities), it will change your work environment. I hope you all enjoy it and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to post them down below!

America’s Best Value Under The Sun

Before I take you through my day to day, let’s explore the property I work at and essentially consider a second home. So prior to being a Days Hotel, the property opened as a Holiday Inn in 1974. In 2016 the property was renovated and converted into a Days Hotel. The hotel currently has two ballrooms, a restaurant, indoor pool, fitness center, outdoor patio area. There are a total of 173 rooms in the hotel which makes us the largest hotel in town. 

You may be asking yourself, what’s a Days Hotel? Days Hotel is the same brand as Days Inn. The reason for using the word Hotel instead of Inn is due to the fact of how many rooms we have and also the fact we are a full service hotel. I’ll be honest, I was just as confused too when I first started but when you think about it, it does make perfect sense. 

I know the Days Inn brand does not have the best image to it. You may think of a rundown or poorly kept location on the side of the interstate. Well… you wouldn’t be wrong there about the brand since a lot of locations are like that. However, not every location is like that. Take mine for example, our property is one of the best Days just simply for how well it is run and how well it is maintained. In a future article, we’ll cover this topic more.

Holiday Inn vs Days Hotel Before & After Photos:

It’s amazing how hard it was to find these photos. I really had to dig for them in the archives but I found them. It was totally amazing to see how the hotel has changed from since I was to a kid to now working there. I remember attending a wedding here as a kid and looking back at these photos and comparing them to what I see daily is just crazy and brings back some memories.

Before taking you through a day in my shoes, I just want to quickly point a few things out and explain a few of the changes made to the building. One of the maybe not so clear things is the changes to the Coral Ballroom and restaurant area. Originally as seen below in the 3rd set of photos, the ballroom was a lot smaller than it was now. When the building was renovated, a part of the restaurant was demolished to create the bigger ballroom you see in the after photo. The restaurant is still there today but is smaller than it once was. Of course by doing this that whole dining room was redone. If I am being honest, I sort of like the original restaurant layout and ballroom design better. (If any of my bosses are reading those please don’t fire me lol). However when I think about it, I see why and it makes sense to increase the size of the ballroom so we can host two events at the same time. (Which is what currently happens here a lot of times on weekends).

The only other thing I want to point out that was a major change is the removal of the saunas and hot tub in the pool area. Sadly, I couldn’t find any photos of these amenities as many of these older photos are disappearing. I am very happy to recover these photos and keep the history of the hotel alive. As I work day to day and roam the halls, I can definitely still see touches of Holiday Inn and design elements of from the past still preserved. For example, we still have in the storage area some original Holiday Inn posters with the old school Holiday Inn logo. If my bosses are reading this, DON’T EVEN THINK ABOUT THROWING THOSE OUT!

Just Another “Typical” Day

First, let me begin by saying there is no such thing as “just another day” for me at my hotel. My surroundings are always changing from having 2 weddings in house to having a full house during a busy holiday weekend. Depending on what is going on in the hotel on a particular day, it all shapes how my day will be. Like, I just mentioned having weddings. If I have no weddings, then I can expect for the most part a slower day depending on the time of year. On the flip side, if I have two weddings going on at the same time, I can expect a busier day and know to be prepared for it. Despite having events or not, busy or slow, I still make sure to do the best job I know I can do and am expected to do.  

The Daily Grind

Typically, I begin my day at 3pm and will wrap up my day around 11pm. When I first come in, I meet up with my team and get filled in on everything that is going on and what happened in the morning. After that, I head around to the desk where all the action happens. I typically check my arrivals, my availability and prepare accordingly. Depending on the day, I can get anywhere from 10 arrivals, if it is slow, to over 100 if it is busy. Of course one of my main jobs is to check guests in and out, serve my guests and assist them with whatever they may need. 

Sometimes if there are banquets going on, I will jump in the back and help out as needed. Typically, I only can do that if there is another front desk agent working with me and if it’s not overly busy at the desk. I’m very big on being a team player and helping out where I can. For example, if I go into housekeeping to get more towels, if I see the dryers are done and finished, I’ll take the extra few minutes and empty them for the housekeepers so that it is less work for them.     

Anything Can Happen…

Remember how I said how no day is ever the exact same? With the fact, anything can happen anytime and anywhere in the hotel, it makes each day different
and sometimes challenging. On some days you will have a busy shift but it is quiet where nothing happens and there are other days you have a mix of both. From having emergency situations to dealing with crazy people, anything can happen. Sometimes you even have things happen that you have never seen before and you can’t believe it. Believe me, I have plenty of stories to tell and some I still can’t believe even after some time. For example one of my most recent stories includes a guest screaming at a bush outside and having a solid one on one argument with the bush. I think the bush one though… cause after a while the guest gave up. It’s things like this that make the job interesting and play a part in the idea that not everyday is the same. I can honestly, sit and write about all my crazy stories for hours. If you want to hear some of those stories go check out our Top 10 Craziest Stories as Told By Front Desk Agents blog post.

Advantages of Working Full Service:

At this point, you may be thinking why would I want to work in a full service hotel, it seems like a lot of work. I’ll be totally honest, some days are very challenging and you’re running around like crazy while other days it is a lot slower paced. One reason I love full service is for this very reason the fact there is that balance of slow days and busy days. So you’ll never just be dead slow or insanely busy all the time. I tend to notice this more on weekends where Fridays and Saturdays are insane followed by a relaxed Sunday to end off the week.

Another reason I love full service is the fact of the people you meet during your typical shift from the events going on or the large groups coming in. Sometimes you meet the coolest people from these groups and you suddenly find yourself talking with them as if you knew them for a long time. I think the best example of this that sticks out to me is the time this gentleman came up to me and told me he was inside my hotel when it was being built during the late 1970s. He told me this story of how the police department used the half built building for police drills and training. If that wasn’t cool enough, he took out his wallet and showed me pictures of the hotel during construction and of the drills. Even months later, I still put this at the top of my list as one of the coolest interactions I had.

Sunset At The Days

As the day fades into the night and it turns 11, my shift officially comes to an end. Before I leave for the night, I do any paperwork or reports I need to do, count the drawers again and finally I hand off the night to the night auditor. Typically, I fill them in on what happened all throughout the day, things they need to know and anything that needs to be passed on to the morning crew. Lastly before I clock out I make sure the cabinet with all the towels and extra linens is stocked for the night so it makes the night crew’s job easier. After all that is finished, I head out for the night and wait to do it all again the next day. 

And that is a day in my life! Thank you all for enjoying this blog! 

A Day In The Life of A Front Desk Agent At A Lodge

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Welcome to a day in the life of a Front Desk Agent. I (Hyrax) recently started this job back in September of this year, just before the rush of the holidays. My main job is to check in guests at the lodge, cabins and our campground every day. My work shift is from 3 pm to 11 pm, which overlaps sometimes with Reservations and Managers shifts. I am going to explain how things work from day to day without giving out too much information. So, let my day begin!

The 3 P.M. Grind

I start by arriving at work and parking on our 2nd level of covered parking at the front. I must walk to the 2nd floor of our lodge where our punch clock is located. There, I scan my temperature and my thumbprint to clock in. Once I am clocked in, I walk back down to the Front Desk Reception on the 1st floor. The first major task is to count my drawer, including the number of Park Passes and Annual Park Passes. The next task is to check on our Red Book to make sure there is nothing major to note from previous shifts. I also must check our Whiteboard, which stores our Occupancy numbers as well as our Groups in House and Major notes to know. The last thing I must check is what we call our BEO book, which is a black binder full of the group information and things that will happen at the lodge.

Checking In?

Checking in process starts officially at 4 pm, but guests are told that they always come in early to check. Please understand that we can’t promise early check-ins, keep in mind how hard the Housekeeping staff are at the moment. Even our Tavern and Restaurant is dealing with a major staff shortage due to COVID pandemic right now. I ask all guests to be patient and kind to the front desk workers. We are only able to do so much within our powers to make your stay enjoyable. In order for a guest to check in, I ask for a form of ID and a form of payment to be provided. We must match the information provided to us in the system with the information on the ID. As I check the guest in, I make the keys for their room or cabin using our Key Card system. I also ask the guests to sign three main papers: the sign-in sheet, a bear warning sheet, and the authorization or  charge for remaining (if any) balance. 

Wait… Did You Just Say Bears? Like The Animal?

Yes… I said bears. The lodge is part of a state park located in the mountains, so bears are active. We warn the guests that the bears are actually quite timid creatures and scare easily with any noise. The bear sheet states the rules for campfires and warns of not leaving food or trash out for the bears. After they sign all papers, we present the guests with a Thank You letter, their keys to the room or cabin, and a Park Pass. It is required that all vehicles must have an official State Park Pass located in their rearview mirror with date facing towards the windshield. If a guest is part of the Annual Park Pass, we do refund the guest part of the lodging fees collected upon check in.

The Lodge vs Campground

The main difference between our Lodge and Campground area is the lodging fee that is included. Campgrounds are not charged a lodging fee and have to pay extra for Park Passes if necessary. Campground must also pay the full remaining balance upon check in compared to the Lodge and Cabins which don’t get officially charged until the day of departure. Check In time for the campground is at 1 pm instead of the 4 pm for the lodge and cabins. Guests that are camping can check in either at the Visitor Center at the Campground or at the Lodge (especially if after hours).

My Typical Shift

During my shift, I usually answer the phones if I am not busy. My tasks can range from checking on reservations to making a reservation. If I am busy and alone, I usually try to answer the phone as quickly as I can. As the shift continues, I also must keep track of supplies at the front desk market. I can sell any snacks, forgotten items, and drinks at the front desk. We also sell firewood at the front for anyone to use at the firepits. Yes, we have fire pits around the state park that guests are allowed to use. However, fires are allowed only till 9 pm as quiet hours start at 10 pm.

Sometimes I am able to get a 30 minute break to eat my dinner, but at times I may have to eat at the front desk. When I am alone, it is a rule that states I can not leave the front desk unmanned. Even if I have to go to the restroom quickly, I must put a sign out and lock the doors. Finally, after a long day of working, I must start getting ready to leave for home. During my closing chores, I must print out paperwork necessary for my night audit person. I also must again count my drawer and drop any money over. Once my night auditor comes in and signs off for my paperwork, I am able to head back up to clock out and head home for the night.

And that is a day in my life! It is chaotic but very much enjoyable and relaxing. I put my trust in my fellow staff members to keep all the guests happy and enjoy their stays. Our staff at the front are all laid back and enjoy their job. Thank you all for enjoying this blog!