Surviving, Not Thriving

Join Bill, Liz, and Ms. B as they bring you a spine-chilling episode filled with Halloween guest encounters, hair-raising adventures with bad drivers during trick-or-treating, and ghostly tales that will send shivers down your spine. In this episode, they share extraordinary anecdotes that could only happen in the world of customer service. Get ready for a thrilling glimpse into the eerie and amusing experiences from the customer service front lines. Don't miss the latest episode of TFTSI, where everyday stories turn into creepy chronicles!

#TFTSI #TalesFromTheServiceIndustry #Frontdesk #frontdesklife #Housekeeping #hotel #hotelmanager #hotellife #customerservice #guestservices #guests #guest #SpookyTales #CustomerServiceWoes #HalloweenEncounters #GhostlyAdventures #PodcastEpisode #BillLizMsB

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
All right, let's get this ball rolling before I fall asleep.

(00:05):
Let's do it.
The ball is officially in motion.
That sounded funnier, like in my head.
Yeah, we'll let that comment just live there for good.
Is it going to make it in the episode?
Quite possibly.
Okay.
Welcome back to Tales from the Service Industry.
I'm your host, I'm Bill.
I'm here tonight with the OG3.

(00:25):
It's myself.
It's Ms. B.
What up, guys?
And it's Liz.
And I'm your host, my team.
You okay there?
Yeah, I'm just choking on my wine.
We're good.
Are we all doing okay?
Are we surviving?
We're definitely not thriving right now.
No.
We're making it through.
Yeah.
It's survival.
Yes.
Well said.
Sorry to put an exclamation point there.
It's survival mode.
Totally.
Oh, man.

(00:46):
Well, Bill, are you still doing your budget?
Give us an update on the budget.
Yeah, I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
I'm doing my budget.
Give us an update on the budget.
No, that's boring.
But the budget is done.
Way to go, way to go, way to go.
It's out of my hands now.
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Yay.
So we'll find out on Monday.
Ooh.

(01:07):
How much they jacked it up.
Yeah.
Yeah, we'll see.
I think we put together a really good product.
We'll see how it flies for ownership.
Good.
So I heard through the grapevine that Ms. B had a rough week.
I was about to say, did you hear about all the people I almost got into fights with?
No, that's why I brought it up because I didn't know if you would share that with the
boys.
So.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.

(01:28):
I'm sorry.
I was like, I feel like I need to take some of these classes to get some of these anger
out.
It might get some of your aggression out.
Because I've got some.
So.
Should we all take a class together?
Yes.
Hmm.
That could be like a.
T-S-I outing.
That could be, you know, out of the studio co-host outing.

(01:50):
I would love that.
Lord knows I need it.
Hmm.
I got, I got your wheels turning, huh?
You did.
Wheels turning, bells ringing.
I don't know what the saying is.
All right, Ms. B, who are you fighting this week?
So, well, many, but I guess the one that's like on the top of my brain.
And just so I could like set the scene, just imagine a hotel that is absolutely decked

(02:11):
out in Halloween decorations.
Everyone is in costume.
My hotel went all out and we had costume competitions.
So I was decked out for Halloween.
I was Maleficent.
So I had the horns on my head.
I had a cape.
I had a dress and my makeup was dark goddess queen.
Oh wow.
Black lipstick all out.

(02:34):
So I'm in the back enjoying my Halloween self and my desk agent comes back.
She's trying to work with that headpiece on.
Could you imagine?
I did it.
And so my desk agent comes back.
She's like, Ms. B, I need you to talk to this guest.
I just can't.
I was like, okay, what's going on?
She's like, he's being absolutely unreasonable.

(02:54):
And he says, I'm not being flexible.
So can you please go like just deal with them?
I'm like, all right, deep breath.
I'll go deal with him.
Why don't you go take your 10?
I was like, you're good.
Feel free to stay back here.
I'll handle it.
And so I go out there, my Ms. B self.
I'm like, hi, how can I help you?
And he is like, this is what I need.

(03:14):
And he proceeds to go off.
So basically a little background, we were having some emergency pipe repairs done.
So we found out a round check in time, which didn't really give us enough time to notify
guests checking in.
So we did guest letters and had them sent to the room.
And so this guest is at the desk, super upset and the water wasn't shut off.
So you couldn't use it for X amount of time because they needed it to be on to do something.

(03:37):
But if people used it, then it came shooting down the bottom.
Don't ask me how that works.
This is what I was told by the engineer and the plumbing people.
It's not going to be shut off, but they just can't use it.
They were doing drain work.
I have no idea.
So why didn't they just shut off the water?
They should have because we're going into the story now.
So we're still in chapter one.

(03:59):
So we had to tell everyone, don't use the water because it will come shooting out the
bottom down here if you do.
And most guests, good luck with that.
Right.
Most guests were totally reasonable understanding.
So this one guest comes down and he's like, this is ridiculous.
I have a baby and we need to use the water in the room.
I was like, okay, well, if you'd like, we can move you rooms.
I can move you to an exact same room type.

(04:20):
I actually have one on the same floor.
I can just move you to the other side of the building, but there's no water work going
on and I'm happy to help move you.
He's like, no, you're not being reasonable.
And he's like, I don't want to move.
And I'm like, okay, so you can stay in your same room.
You just can't use the water for like X amount of hours.
And he's like, you're being completely unflexible.
I need another room.
And I'm like, okay, we just did this, but I can move you rooms.

(04:43):
And he's like, no, I want that room and to keep this room and just to use that room for
the day till you guys are all done with your work.
And then I'll go back and I'm like, sir, you can't have two rooms at once.
And I said, I'm happy to move you.
And he's like, no, I have a baby.
You don't understand.
I have a baby.
I understand you have a baby.
You've said it like six times now.
Didn't say that part.
I was like, okay, I understand you have a baby, but can you tell me what exactly you
need to do in this other room that you can't do in your room?

(05:05):
And he's like, well, we just want to like hang out for the day and stuff while you guys
are doing the work.
I said, okay, well you can do all that in your room with your baby.
You just can't turn on the water because we told all the guests like the lobby restrooms
are open, like we have plenty of water down here or you can move rooms.
And he's like, you're being completely un-flexible.
And I said, what exactly is it that you can't do in your room?

(05:27):
Well, we have a baby.
We need to be able to wash bottles, this and that.
And I was like, oh, well I can actually help you with that.
I said, we have a full kitchen and dishwashing down here.
So if you give me the dirty baby bottles, I will wash them for you.
And that's probably more sanitary than how you're cleaning them in a bathroom sink, sir.
And I said, and I was like, I can make sure they're sanitized, this and that.
And he's like, no, absolutely not.

(05:48):
And he's like, no, we just need another room.
So this kitchen is good enough to clean and sanitize the plates you eat off of, but not
good enough for your baby to digest milk from.
I guess.
Like, so it wasn't good enough.
He kept calling me unreasonable, un-flexible, unreasonable, un-flexible.

(06:08):
And he's like, you don't understand.
Did you play, did you play the mom card?
Wait, you're jumping the gun.
Did you play the grammar Nazi card and call him out that there's no such word as un-flexible?
Well, he actually had it.
Oh, it's un-flexible.
He said un-flexible, but he had an accent.
He was not from the States.
Okay, we'll wait and see.
So he again, as I'm trying to come up with different solutions, I'm being very flexible,

(06:32):
trying to come up with new solutions for him.
And he's like, you don't understand.
We have a baby.
And I said, sir, I understand that.
I said, you know, I have a baby too.
And I promise you this solution and this solution will be just fine for a baby.
I would do it with mine too.
And he's like, oh, and then he stopped playing the baby card.
And then he's like, fine.
He said, I want to speak to the manager.
And I said, oh, that's me.
Here's my card.

(06:53):
Well, no, who's your manager?
He said the general manager.
And he's like, I want to talk to her.
And I said, she's not here today.
You're more than welcome to come down and talk to her tomorrow.
Fine.
Well, then I guess we'll just move rooms, but I want to move to a suite.
Oh, of course he does.
And I said, and do you want points on top of that?
Right.
I was like, oh, you do.
And I said, well, let me look at your stay.

(07:16):
You're here for 17 nights.
Ah, jeez.
And I said, unfortunately, I can't move you to a suite unless you wanted to pay for that.
And he's like, well, I'm already moving Saturday.
So it's just a few days earlier.
I'm like, you're moving Saturday?
And he's like, yeah, it's already set up.
I'm like looking at my computer and like, no, you're not.
I'm like, there's no other reservation in here.

(07:36):
And I said, you show that you're in the room you're in for 17 nights.
And I said, there's no second reservation.
I already talked to someone.
They set it up.
They're moving to a suite.
Oh, they are.
I said, are you paying for this?
He's like, no, it's complimentary.
And I'm like, yeah, no, you're not.
And he's like, that's ridiculous.
And I talked to the agent later because I was like, who promised this guy a suite?

(07:56):
And they're like, we absolutely did not promise this guy a suite.
He was hell bent set on getting a complimentary suite.
And we told him it was sold out till Saturday.
And if he wanted to check on Saturday to see if there was a room to move to, he could check
on Saturday.
If it wasn't sold, maybe he could get a complimentary upgrade, but it's based upon day of availability

(08:16):
if it's not booked.
So it's not going to happen.
No, but that's the communication disconnect that's setting the precedent that you cannot
fulfill.
Exactly.
And so I told the agent, I was like, why would you say that?
And they're like, well, it's the truth.
I said, no, but you made it seem like there was a chance he'd get one.
I was like, you know, there's no chance.
And they did not tell me we'd get one, but he seemed to interpret it in his head.

(08:40):
And he's like, oh, that means I can get one Saturday.
He picked what he wanted to listen.
Like yeah, to the conversation.
Did that make sense?
What what you just said?
My sentence.
Yeah.
I hate to break it to you, but yes, it did.
Not because it makes sense, but because I've sat across the table for you from you for
the last year.
Okay.

(09:00):
But he picked what he wanted to hear from the conversation.
Yeah.
I mean, lots of guests do that like all the time.
And I was just so irritated.
And I was like, sir, there is no second reservation set up.
I said what they may have meant was this.
He's like, I'll just go back and talk to the person later.
I said, okay, you do that.
He's like, I want to talk to your manager tomorrow.
Absolutely.
Have a great day.

(09:21):
During all of this, I was in costume and he not once made mention or noticed like it was
like he just thought that was my normal attire.
You didn't like get a chuckle out of him.
I didn't because in the moment you kind of forget you're in costume.
I had a cape.
I had horns and I'm sitting there arguing with this man being like, no, you're not getting
a comp suite.
No, you're not going to get to use two rooms at once.

(09:42):
Like you move or don't.
I was so irritated and I kind of forgot I was in costume.
What part of my horns tells you that I am not the HBIC?
Oh my God.
And then I was so irritated.
I went to the back because it's Halloween.
No one's taking work seriously that day.
Everyone's hanging out in the back.
What other costumes did you have?
Oh, so I want to hear.
And then we had a wicked witch, the green one.

(10:04):
And then we had a serial killer with like serials stab on them.
Haha.
You know, that was super penny.
We had so many good costumes, but so everyone's in the back office, like in the exact office,
just like shooting it.
And I come back there.
I'm like, you guys are going to believe this.
And I say this whole story and it's so funny while he's up there ripping, roaring, I have
a baby, I have a baby.
I'm like, where is that baby, bro?

(10:25):
Let me guess.
Is your wife taking care of him?
Is your wife going to be the one to clean those bottles?
Is that why you didn't want me to do it?
Because it's like, no, she's going to do it anyways.
He's just one of those guys, you know, has probably never changed a diaper in his life.
He doesn't.
Did you get that vibe?
Totally.
He's just the guy that like because I have a baby, I should get special treatment, but
I'm not going to actually do any of the work.
He was one of those like I feel bad for his wife.

(10:46):
100%.
He was one of those douches.
Where was he from?
So I didn't.
It had to be England or something.
Could have been like any of those numbers where it's kind of like British sounding.
I'm not great with accents.
Britishy, Englishy, Londony, Frenchy?
It wasn't super Londony, but was not French.
That's what I'm saying.

(11:07):
It was kind of hard to pinpoint, but there was definitely.
Was it like Peaky Blinders or like Jason Statham?
Yeah, was it like?
I don't remember.
I just remember it was Britishy.
But yeah, he was a pill.
Australian?
South African.
That gets confused a lot.
I don't know.
South African and English.
I don't know what that sounds like, but it was Britishy.

(11:29):
That's what I got guys.
Could be South African.
But yeah, he was a pain in the butt and I was so angry about it and I forgot I'm in
costume ranting and raving and I drive home still in costume calling my husband just ranting
about it and he's just laughing.
Wait, what other costumes were there or was I not listening?
You were not listening.
Oh.
Wicked witch.
Serial killer.
We had.
Sorry, the research department looked into it.

(11:52):
We had a lot of creative costumes.
Some I can't like tell you exactly what it was, but it was like some kind of clown thing
and then there was like a, oh, we had Georgie, the boy from It and he had like creepy contacts
in and get it best Georgie.
He had the little balloon and he had the creepy contacts in and he was a houseman.
So he walked around the floors.
Stop.
Like that with the balloon all day.
I get so freaked out.
Yeah, it was awesome.

(12:12):
The hotel got so into it.
Wow, you guys are lenient.
I wouldn't allow anybody that is entering rooms to be in costume like that.
Oh, that's funny.
Yeah, we did.
My general manager was very into it.
I told the team.
He won.
He won the costume contest.
He did.
I told the team that like if you want to dress up, you have to clear it first.
Yeah.
Number two, no masks.
Well, we had that rule.

(12:33):
We had that.
Number three, if you want to do facial makeup, it has to be very minimal.
So like, oh, we didn't.
You can like accessorize with facial makeup.
You can do like little whiskers and a black nose, but you're not painting your face like
a realistic cat.
Oh no, we had like dead zombies.
We have intense face painting.
Like you swear people went to school for this.
It was awesome.
Here I have some pictures of like the winners.

(12:54):
But I also have the mindset of like you are at work.
Like are you doing this at work?
Like before an event?
I would leave your, I would leave your hotel with the white contacts.
I would leave and the makeup.
And that was me giving him his award.
As Maleficent.
Yes.
I stayed in character during the whole thing.
Oh, we had the queen of hearts.
We had a wicked witch full on.

(13:15):
She was green from head to toe.
It was amazing.
She made her own broom.
Like everyone got very into it.
What position does she have?
That's an accountant.
Okay.
You're sitting in an office.
You're not guest facing.
I told my team, so they're uniformed.
So I said, you can accessorize your uniform, but your uniform must be on.
Fair.
But I had employees like getting ready for our Halloween like employee event.

(13:39):
And they said, Hey Liz, like, can I take my 10 or my break right before the event and
change into a costume and then change back out of it to return back to work.
And I said, yeah, that's fine.
I was like, you know, have a good time for the event.
But other than that, no, they accessorize only sales manager was like Dia de las Muertos.
Like everyone got very into it.
So you guys want to hear about another fun story?

(14:01):
Yeah.
Yeah.
Before you move on.
Yes.
The guy that only heard what he wanted to hear.
Yeah.
That's what I referred to as like the salad bar listener.
Like, Ooh, I like that.
I'll pay attention to that.
Oh, I'm not, I don't like that.
I'm not going to accept that.
But Oh, Oh, but there's sweets opening on Saturday.
Oh, that means I get to move.
Okay.
I'll listen to that.
Exactly.
That's how that turned out.

(14:22):
I hope he left.
I wish something tells me he didn't move.
Ding, ding, ding.
He didn't move.
What?
And do you think he used the water?
Of course he did.
Yes.
Yeah.
Keep shooting down the bottom through the lobby.
See again, through the lobby.
Yeah, that's where it came out again.
The pipe was in the lobby.
All I know is they were in the, I saw them all day and they were like holding buckets
of water and she's my engineer kept coming up to me and be like, you need to call these

(14:44):
guys.
They're still using the water.
It keeps coming out.
I was like, I keep calling.
Nobody's answering.
They're going to come in next week and they're shutting off the water.
I was going to say, why are we going?
I don't know.
I'm not in charge of it.
They told me to make a letter.
Do you really think people in a hotel are going to listen to you?
A lot of people do, but it's those few a holes.
That ruin it for everybody.
Yeah.
So it took them a lot longer to finish the work because the water kept coming out and

(15:07):
like all these issues.
But that guy.
I wonder if that was just like a, you said it was a pipe that burst just need to be repaired.
I don't know.
All I was told was they're doing emergency repairs on something and I made the letter.
That's as much as I knew.
I asked, how's it going to affect my guests?
And I was told how and that I reiterated that information.
That is my, this is my scope of my job.
I know nothing about plumbing.

(15:27):
I know nothing about pipes.
I say, how will it affect my guests and for how long?
And then that is what they do.
So he kept coming up to me and be like, someone keeps using the water.
And I was like, you know, I'm pretty sure I know who it is.
So he sent his engineers up there to bang on his door.
That's what I would do.
You guys aren't using it.
No, no, we're not.
Cause I can't pin pin where it's coming from, but they were pretty sure he was the only
a hole in his room whining.

(15:49):
When they knocked on the door, did the baby cry?
I never saw the baby.
I hope the baby woke up from a nap.
Cause they probably didn't have one.
They probably didn't have one.
That's why he wouldn't, he was being the way he was.
Won't let you use or wash the bottles because why?
There are no bottles.
You never know.
You never know.
It's, you never know.
But yeah, you just continue to be a thorn in my side.
All right, you got another one?

(16:09):
I got so many locked and loaded guys.
It's been a week.
All right.
You know what?
Unofficially official.
It's become a misbe ran.
Oh man.
I always got that.
I'm like, what?
All right guys.
Okay.
So this is kind of just a funny thing that happened and it cracked me up.
So my friend, it's the same one comes back.
I was like, no, it's the same day.

(16:33):
Still in costume.
Yes.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Same day, still Halloween.
Everyone's still in costume comes back.
Ms. B you need to deal with this lady.
I'm like, what now?
I was like, I'm trying to enjoy my Halloween and not work.
I never come out for guest issues.
Like there's just, I'm okay.
Not never, but there's not that many.
And I thought of all days Halloween was so chill, low off.

(16:56):
Everybody's got a problem.
Holy, I swear to God, it was just my luck.
And she's like, so there's this lady and she keeps trying to get Book of Mormons from me.
And I keep telling her no, and she won't take no for an answer.
I'm like, what?
And she's like, just, just talk to this guest, talk to this guest.
Like, okay.
And I'm like so confused what I'm walking into.
So I walk out there and this lady is very impatiently waiting, tapping her hand on the
desk and just like, finally, I'm like, what?

(17:19):
And he said, hi, how can I help you?
She's like, I read on the internet that you can just go up to any hotel and ask for Book
of Mormons and they'll give you one.
I was like, okay.
There's one in the room.
If you need another one, I can have it sent up to your room.
There's multiple people reading it.
Maybe you want some more.
Yeah.

(17:39):
Okay.
What's your room number?
Group reading.
Maybe.
All right.
That's, that's cool.
I'm like, I'm not a guest here.
And I'm like, so you're not a guest staying here.
You just want two books of Mormon.
And she just looks at me impatiently.
She's like, yeah.
Okay.
So we don't just give out our property.
I'm sorry that you've read that somewhere on the internet that we do, but we don't.

(18:01):
Because everything on the internet is true.
Exactly.
You shouldn't trust everything you read on the internet.
Exactly.
So I was like, just bewildered at this request.
And I'm like, so we're going to have to pass on that.
Sorry.
But not.
Just going to have to pass.
But I really need it.
And I said, uh, you, there's a bookstore around the corner.
And that's exactly what he said.
I'm like, I'm really sorry.

(18:22):
You could try a bookstore.
She's like, are they going to have it?
And I'm like, I don't really know, ma'am.
She kept being very like, what am I supposed to do?
And I'm like, that really sounds like a personal problem, lady.
You're going to have to find a book Mormon somewhere else.
And if you were a guest, it would be my problem and I would help you, but you are not a customer
of mine.
Yes.
And then so by the time, so go kick rocks.
Pretty much.

(18:42):
And then my desk agents up there, like just saw like this leaning on her elbow, just watching
the whole thing transpire.
Cause she's just aghast for words.
And I was like, ma'am, I'm really sorry, but we cannot help you.
She's like, Halloween is tonight.
My son needs two of them for his costume.
Shut up.
You're kidding.
Not kidding.
She wanted two for her kid's costume.
And you are dressed as Maleficent arguing with this lady.

(19:04):
Is your front desk agent dressed up?
Oh yeah.
I understand.
Everybody was.
What was she?
He, whatever.
I mean, he was like, we're like black and put like horns on and stuff for his Halloween
costume.
And what did she do?
Just walk into random establishments that might have a Book of Mormon and like ask.
Yes.
I wonder how many she tried before your hotel.

(19:25):
I don't know.
I mean, I don't know.
How about like just do something on your computer and print out what looks like a cover for
it and wrap another book with it or something.
Lauren, I don't know.
That's smart.
People are dumb.
They are.
And she just was not stop hassling us and would not leave us alone to give it to her.
I said, I'm like, look, I'm very sorry.
Maybe try a Halloween store or a bookstore, but you don't just walk into any hotel and

(19:46):
get free books of Mormons because you read it on the internet.
I'm sorry.
There's nothing we can do for you.
I can imagine her Googling where to get a Book of Mormon and like your brand came up
and be like, go into a hotel.
Ask for it.
Is the research department going to check that?
It's a good question.
It's a valid question.
Yeah, it is.
But no, anyone listening.
That's not a thing.
Do you know what her son was dressed up as?

(20:08):
I didn't ask.
I didn't care.
I wonder.
I really wonder what costume it was.
I was just trying to get around my lobby.
She wouldn't leave.
Okay.
I'm going to figure out.
Do you want to know the funny thing?
My housekeeping manager who had heard about this was like, just give her the books.
And I was like, no, you're such a scrooge.
I'm like, absolutely not.
I said, we're not a costume store.
If I give this lady two free books of whatever I'm now going to that's going to go out and

(20:32):
invite everybody to come and do it.
And that's how shit gets on the internet because one guy gave someone a Book of Mormon somewhere
along down the line in one of my brands of hotels.
Eat rocks.
Hmm.
Kick rocks.
Whatever.
Eat them too.
Y'all find this spot on the internet or you think she just made it up?
I think she made it up.
Everything that is coming back is like legit places.
Like from the church.

(20:54):
It says.
Is it true?
No, not really.
Okay.
It's not from the hotel site.
It just says, can I take the hotel Book of Mormon?
And this random internet site says they're donated by their respective churches.
So take as many as you want.
Just ask the front desk for a copy.
Are they donated?
Yeah.

(21:14):
They're donated.
Oh, in the hotel industry, we don't pay for the Book of Mormon, the Christian Bible or
teachings of Buddha.
I know that sounds weird.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Asia Pacific region.
But, um, yeah, you don't pay for them.
They get donated by, well, for the Book of Mormon, it's their church.
For the Holy Bible, it's the Gideon society.
I figured they would make you like buy them as part of a donation to the church.

(21:38):
Nope.
Well, still, I'm sorry.
You can't take my.
And like, it would be a write off for your donation.
Yeah, no, it's not that way.
Interesting.
I mean, if a random hotel guest was staying and just happened to take it home, would I
charge them?
No, no, because it doesn't cost you anything.
No, I'm, that's what I'm saying is I got to charge them.
Probably not because they usually get like damaged, torn, spilled on whatever.
But if somebody like randomly comes off the street and asks for one, no, you haven't spent

(22:02):
a dollar at my property.
Why would I give you anything for free?
Well, especially when they, yeah, if they're not staying there, no.
Yeah.
Like I said, it's also a can of worms, slippery slope.
What next?
Oh, you know, if I go into a hotel and ask for a roll of toilet paper, they'll just give
it to me.
No.
Should we try it?
Oh God.
Don't be that person.
Doing research for a podcast.

(22:23):
And I'm wondering if you can donate me a roll of toilet paper.
You may have heard of me.
My name is Liz.
Man.
I'm the research department, the marketing department, cohost.
Oh my God.
Yeah.
So that was fun.
That was really fun.
That was my Halloween.
That's random.
And that's not even all my stories and all my complaints.
Those were just my two favorites and all the while dressed as Maleficent.

(22:46):
Did you guys have eventful Halloween's at your work?
No, no.
It was quiet at my work.
I do start at like two o'clock in the afternoon.
Nice.
Love that.
Yeah.
It was, it was nice.
Sounds dreamy.
Took the kids out for trick or treat.
I love that too.
We went to one of those neighborhoods that my aunt just happens to live there, but like
everyone in their brother went to that neighborhood and it was insane.

(23:08):
We got there early cause we had dinner and we hung out at her house.
And then it was just like the world descended on this neighborhood.
And I'm not going to lie.
Like it was crazy and not in a fun way, but luckily we like left for trick or treating
a little early.
And so my daughter was able to like trick or treat, but she's young.
And then all of a sudden just this unbelievable crowd of people.
And she's like nearly getting pushed over.

(23:28):
Like having to fight crowds of like, I swear to God, 13 to 16 year olds for candy.
And I'm like, this is ridiculous.
We're going to Halloween mosh party, uh, mosh pit.
I know.
And it was like, it's a family neighborhood with like, I'm like, where did all you people
come from?
You were too old to be trick or treating.
You need to go home right now.
Yeah.
When did you drive your car home?
When did you stop trick or treating?
I want to say it had to be nine or 10.

(23:51):
I think I still walked around the neighborhood dressed up.
That's what we did.
But I was with family that had little ones.
So I was like the tweener helper wrangling the little ones and the parents were just
like in the street drinking.
Yeah.
So I'm pretty sure like our neighborhood went like after 10, it's not cool anymore.
I go beg people for candy.
I'm going to cause some ruckus when I was 13 or 14 on the streets.

(24:14):
I might've been one of those 13 year old a holes walking the kids around.
There was one dude that was dressed like a full redneck, like wearing a shirt.
He had a fake belly.
He had a shirt up over that.
Nice.
But he was drinking real beer and he was rolling with like the little six pack coolers.
It's like, that's the best way to embrace the fact that you're in costume, you're keeping

(24:37):
in character and you're drinking in the street.
I like that.
See, I can understand hanging out all this and like we used to hang out in the neighborhood
because you're hanging out with friends, but were we going door to door with bags asking
for candy?
No.
And these grown, they're not adults yet, but grown children are like going door to door
and depleting all the candy.
But guys, can you leave it for the little ones?

(24:58):
So my kids are right at that cusp of, you know, are they going to be trick or treating
next year?
I really want to do two bowls of candy.
So I want to do one legit bowl of candy for the little kids.
And then another bowl that's all takeout sauce packets, ketchups, soy sauce, hot sauce.
So like, you know, low lights, they can't see what I'm putting in their bag, but it

(25:21):
just looks like a little baggy.
If they're not appropriate.
Should we start collecting them now?
Absolutely.
Hey, you said trick or treat.
I chose option A. Yes.
I can just imagine like a handful of Taco Bell sauces.
Cause the sad thing too is like McDonald's ketchup.
Right your own message on the back.
You see these like two, three, four year olds trying to like go up to get candy being like

(25:42):
mowed down by 13 year olds in terrifying costumes, scaring the crap out of little kids.
I would be the person opening the door and I would be like, yeah, big kids back up.
Let me see the little ones.
Let me see their costumes.
So my aunt basically did that because I was a mob of kids and she didn't have that much
candy.
She wasn't planning on her neighborhood being descended upon.
And she's like, whoa, I don't have much candy left.

(26:04):
She's like, I want little kids only little kids only over here.
Big kids move on.
Yeah.
And she was straight up.
She's like, no, you're big as me.
Move on.
Do you know who Mark Rober is?
No.
YouTube guy.
He was a NASA engineer.
He was the guy that was behind the glitter bombs for people that were porch pirating
packages to never see those videos.
I guess he teamed up with a bunch of different people across the country to do Halloween

(26:28):
pranks on kids that are like not playing by the rules.
So like they did this one where they had like two different houses.
One of them was a bowl that said just take one.
I saw there was a video camera on it.
So then when they went to the next house, they had patched in the video from that camera
to like a fake news feed, you know, this just in, you know, so and so children took more

(26:53):
than one piece of candy.
And as they're knocking on the door, they open the door and there's this big screen
in the back showing this news alert.
Oh my god.
And these kids recognize.
And it's them on the screen.
Yeah.
And they freaked out.
Oh, that's amazing.
There was another one that they did where if they took more than one piece of candy,
like red and blue lights would flash and they had this, you know, PA speaker thing, like,
you know, put the candy back.

(27:14):
It was great.
It was amazing and the best one they had, unfortunately, this one's like they had to
reset it all the time, but it had like a remote collapsing feature to it.
So if the kids took more than one piece, they triggered it so that the table would collapse
and the kids are freaking out thinking that they did it.
Oh my god.
That's funny.
I love that.
But I want to see all the little ones cost down.

(27:37):
I know.
And it was actually really sad because the little ones just got so trampled.
We all had to like stop trick or treating because it's like it wasn't fun anymore.
Kids could even walk.
I want to see the three, four, five, six girls and be like, oh my god, Elsa, happy Halloween.
You know, did you notice like an uptick in just half ass costumes?
Yeah.
Like a kid wearing jeans and a t-shirt and wearing a cowboy hat and was like, I'm a cowboy.

(28:00):
No, that's not a costume.
You're too old to be trick or treating.
No, I saw kids that were like eight that were just not putting any effort into it whatsoever.
No, because you don't deserve candy.
Exactly.
Go work on your costume.
You get one box of dots and then the done up costumes get like four pieces.
Oh my gosh.
Yeah.
No, I'm going to stick you with like the bazooka bubble gum or.

(28:21):
Yeah.
Oh, I used to do that.
I used to do that.
Like the little ones would get the best candy.
Oh yeah.
In good costumes, I would give them the most and the best candy.
Luckily we didn't do that many houses, but we again, were there early enough.
He's a three year old.
The parents were like so obsessed with my daughter and like the little girl she was
with costumes.
They're like, take two, take three.
And my daughter's just like, thank you.

(28:43):
We got her to say trick or treat and thank you each time.
And it's like, those are the kids that deserve candy.
Yeah.
Oh, have you heard?
Oh shoot.
What is it called?
Okay.
It's a new thing.
Like last year or this year, the switch witch.
Have you heard this?
No, this has been around since I was a kid.
Oh really?

(29:03):
So when I was a kid, it was called the candy witch.
Oh, so it's a switch witch.
And after Halloween you have all of this candy, but the parents don't want all of the candies.
So they kind of let the kids go crazy that night.
And that evening the switch witch comes and takes all of their candy and replaces it with
a new toy.
Yeah.
So my mother did that when we were kids.
And the first night we got to enjoy our candy.

(29:25):
I never heard of that.
And then we had to leave all of our candy out for the candy witch.
And the morning came and we got a special prize.
Interesting.
And I do it with my kid.
Really?
Absolutely.
What do you do with the candy?
Uh, eat it.
Okay.
I throw it away.
I eat the chocolatey things and the rest is trash.
I had some very nice coworkers bring the candy.
Oh, okay.

(29:46):
That's one way to do it.
They got from the switch witch and they said, I have Halloween candy if anyone wants it.
I love that.
We made candy for like little candy packets for every guest for arrival from Friday through
Tuesday.
That's so sweet.
I am blown away by how many people said no, thank you.
When we put everything together, we had 167 arrivals for over the four days or whatever

(30:06):
it was.
So we made 200 bags about that.
Well over half of them are still in the back office.
No way.
Wow.
You probably donate those.
Did you offer them to everybody or just people with children?
Nope.
Every single guest.
I would have been like, heck yeah.
Thank you.
Yeah, no, I love that.
I would have been that really nice guest that like walked through the lobby at any point

(30:26):
during my stay and you would have been like, do I have another bag?
Well on actual Halloween, that was the thing.
We had so many bags.
Just take the candy away.
Give them away.
Try and give it away.
And still people were like, no, I'm good.
It's like everybody was just being fed candy.
I would have taken it.
Yeah, my daughter would have taken it all.
I'd be like, no more.
I was actually not even in town on Halloween and it was phenomenal.

(30:49):
You're so funny.
Phenomenal.
Well when you don't have kids, it's like whatever.
It was a perfect weekend to get out of town and take a little solo vacation.
Because who's like on vacation on Halloween?
I don't even think a single person that day said happy Halloween in the hotel.
It was phenomenal.
No Halloween decorations.
It was great.

(31:09):
So you know, that doesn't sound like fun to me.
I love Halloween.
Oh no, I could do without it.
I didn't let the team do Halloween.
We did fall.
So there's like, you know, the gourds and the colors and all that, but we didn't do
Halloween quote unquote.
Oh, missing out.
My property does it up because we have Halloween events.
We had like a Halloween kids party.

(31:30):
We had a pumpkin carving night on Monday.
So it was decked out Halloween.
I felt like you were walking through a haunted house in some areas.
I love that.
I love that.
Oh, boat parade's coming in a couple months.
I'm excited.
Boat parade is coming up.
We have the dates, the 13th through 17th.
Are you going to have us come?
Sure.
Come on.
I want to show my daughter.
Oh my God.

(31:51):
Yeah, come on through.
Okay.
We don't have to have the awkward greeting with the old GM.
Oh, thank God.
Yeah, but if you want to come to the fun side, I'll have you come to the fun side.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yes, please.
That sounds like fun.
Yeah, no, I can just ask like, Hey, can I bring a couple guests?
Yeah.
And all she's going to do is like, Oh yeah, just be there to like check them in.
Yeah.
Okay.
So yeah, ownership is doing a lot of efforts to like make it better this year.

(32:13):
I'm excited.
Which is amazing.
Did you know, so we, we decorated a boat for our 70th anniversary and the decor cost $30,000.
Jesus did not go to Hobby Lobby.
Yeah.
But it's, it's a lot of, you know, the crew and the captain's time doing it for five nights

(32:34):
straight, the fuel.
Mm hmm.
Gas ain't cheap.
That's crazy.
So hopefully this year would be better.
So you guys want one more little rant?
I would love one more because my rant well is dry.
This is my last one.
It's kind of like a little one, but this was my frustration of today.
And I was like, Oh, some fresh, some fresh.
So this is today.

(32:55):
Let's just set the scene.
Okay.
I'm coming into work.
I was off yesterday.
Happy to be back.
Happy to not be.
Are you happy to be back?
I mean, are you ever really just kidding?
No, but I got up.
I got some good sleep last night.
I got to work early.
I walked over to Starbucks.
I got myself my little iced chai and it was in a holiday cup.

(33:16):
Yeah.
It's a, it was red cup day.
So I was in a good mood.
I had a cute holiday cup.
I have a yummy treat drink.
Anyone out there that is a Starbucks fan, you probably already know this, but you can
get all of your fall drinks right now.
All the peppermint mochas.
Yeah.
They're not sponsored though, so you don't have to buy it.
I'm just saying red cups are out there.
It's true.
So anyway, so I'm happy and I'm walking back to the desk and I'm walking through my lobby

(33:41):
and I noticed two of my chairs are gone and I'm like, that's weird.
Like the lobby chair?
So we're not talking like sitting like a dining chair, you know, like this.
We're not talking like one of these small chairs.
I'm talking like two sofas, like two ottomans.
Yeah.
Okay.
The big oversized lobby seating chairs.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Something comfortable.

(34:01):
I think they've been cleaned or something, you know, like maybe they got spilled on,
maybe housekeeping took them downstairs.
But two of them?
Kind of weird.
Okay.
Um, keep walking through the lobby and I'm going to stand up and like, I go to stand
up and then I ask, I'm like, Hey, are the lobby chairs being cleaned?
And they're like, what?
The house manager was like, no.

(34:21):
And I was confused and I look at engineering, like where are they being fixed?
He goes, no.
I'm like, where's the lobby chairs?
So chief goes and looks on the camera.
And stole the lobby chairs.
They just walked in and walked out with them.
No, they came from the guest elevators, picked up the chairs, went back to the guest elevators.
Oh, so well, at least they're on property.

(34:43):
They wanted like extra room decor, but you have no idea where.
No idea where.
Oh, you'll find them eventually.
We were like, what the hell?
Who just goes and takes it?
You see, they didn't stop by the desk.
They didn't ask.
Went and got the chairs and went upstairs.
We're like, wow.
Okay.
What time of day was this?
Was this like during night audit?
Middle of the night.
We're like, okay.
All right.
That's weird.
So then this, we mildly forgot about it and that didn't forget, but you know, it's out

(35:06):
of your mind for a second.
Huge group checking in today.
I'm talking all of our rooms, all of our rooms.
That's like what?
That's close to 300 rooms.
All these guests checking in and they're all with one group and it is a social club that
is all across the country and it costs a bunch of money to get in.
Always have social events.
They have like camping destinations.

(35:27):
Like I had no idea what this was.
It's like a VIP.
No, that's a good guess.
I was trying to figure it out, but it's like a legit club and you have to like pay to get
in.
So this ginormous group checking in, that's over like 300 rooms and check-in was four
o'clock.
It's a Thursday afternoon.
Yeah.
But if these are old people, they're there at 3 30 ready to freaking go.

(35:49):
You wish they've already been to dinner at Olive Garden at two.
Right?
You wish they were there at 10 AM.
We'll hit turn to check in right.
Like right after standup.
I just started seeing old people flooding the hotel and they continue to flood.
It is 10 in the morning.
That's called a silver flood.
It is 10 in the morning.
I am not even done with my morning tea and my housekeeping manager's coming up, not even

(36:13):
time with my morning tea.
My housekeeping manager comes up and he's like, miss B there's old people making out
in the lobby.
What?
These old people are hitting the bar hard.
10 AM.
10 AM.
They're hitting the bar hard so much so they had to pull a room service attendant because
normally during the day the bar really isn't hit to like four or five.
They hit it all day till and past check-in.

(36:36):
That side of the hotel is just packed all day long.
They're drinking so heavily.
They're getting hammered before 11.
Old people are literally making out in the lobby.
Well, they've seen their, you know, homie hookup.
They haven't seen since last year's convention.
Do you blame them?
Crazy.
Let them live.
I'm just impressed.
Like I can't even go that ham at 11 AM.

(36:57):
Yeah, but if, if your sales manager that booked it would have just simply Googled, does this
social club drink?
Oh no, no, no, no.
Their primary source of entertainment is drinking.
We knew.
Oh, they come every year.
Oh, we didn't prep the bartender.
On the resume it said heavy drinkers.
Yeah.
But they weren't expecting them check-ins at four on a Thursday.

(37:20):
They're thinking everyone's going to get there later in the afternoon and the drinking starts
being Friday, Saturday, maybe some before checkout.
No, they started at 10 AM on a Thursday.
So I think they were caught off guard by that.
So they were just sitting in the hotel waiting to check in and drinking occupied themselves
by drinking and sucking things.
So that was fun.

(37:41):
Teeth are removable.
That's disgusting.
Okay.
A foot out there for everyone.
You're so right.
I can imagine somebody like, hold on, my hearing aid is not working.
Yeah, right.
Turn it up.
And do you know what's funny about that?
Do you know how many check-ins today I was yelling?
All of them.
Credit card and photo ID.

(38:02):
What?
Credit card and photo ID.
But no, check-ins were rough and we got them in as early as possible because they were
hanging out in the lobby.
We were like, we need to get them to their rooms.
Yeah, like if a room is ready, let's go.
But they still just hung out there.
I mean, checking in at 10 o'clock as fast as they move, they might've gotten to the
room at three o'clock.
That's true.
That is so true.

(38:23):
So we're checking them in as quickly as we can.
We were doing a pretty good job.
Housekeeping was on it.
Rooms were getting turned quick and we're getting these people up to their rooms and
then we start getting calls.
They love the phone, just blowing up the phones.
And this one, my other associate was working was like, Miss B, I need help.
And I'm like, okay, what's going on?
Like they're asking if they can move the furniture in the room to other rooms.

(38:47):
Like they want to take the furniture from this room, this room, and this room and move
it into this room.
And I was like, no.
They want to set up like a party room?
I mean, I guess, but I was like, no.
And I was like, what, what are we talking like the desk chair?
She's like, no, like the desks and the side tables and like they want to move all the
furniture.
And I said, absolutely, for cannot.
I said the furnitures and fixtures stay in the designated room.

(39:12):
They do not leave the room.
I'm like, make sure to explain that.
So she's like, no, no furniture and fixtures.
Like everything has to stay in the room.
It cannot leave the room.
They're like, ah, okay.
Well, can we get a folding table?
Can we get like a big folding table?
She's like, I will find out from our banquets team.
And so like I asked banquet and my sales manager is like, yeah, if you charge them.
Yeah, like that.
Okay.

(39:33):
You can get a folding table, 20 bucks per table per day.
Yeah, good.
You can rent it.
And then they're like, oh, no, we just wanted the table.
And then there's quarterage and gratuity.
How do they want folding table?
Play cards?
No, for all their alcohol.
That's what the bathtub is for.
They were going hard.
And they still were when I left.
And that's my weekend guys.
Oh, that's your whole weekend.
That's gonna be my weekend.

(39:53):
And I work Sunday morning when they all check out.
Oh, good luck.
Oh my gosh.
And people like that, you know how like our favorite travelers just leave without checking
out at the desk?
No, every single one of those will be at the desk checking out, asking 20 questions.
What's this?
What's that fee?
Why am I charged for parking?
I'm handicapped.
It's going to be that all Sunday morning.
What is this bar bill?
Well, you were at the bar on Thursday for eight hours.

(40:14):
I don't remember that.
Oh, but yeah.
So they're asking about moving all the furniture.
They're drinking.
They're making out.
Sounds like good revenue.
It was like a sorority.
Like everyone wanted to be near their friends.
And I just want to ask them, like, is everyone on the same floor?
And I said, well, considering you guys have the whole hotel, no, you are on every floor.

(40:37):
So I said, I guarantee you can just look left and right on your floor and you're going to
see someone you know, because it's all you guys.
They booked out the whole hotel.
Yeah.
They have all the rooms.
Dang.
It's like, and not even like on purpose.
They didn't say, okay, we're buying out the hotel.
Yeah.
No, they just booked that many rooms.
Wow.
Like there may be one or two leisure's that booked far enough in advance that snuck through,

(40:58):
but it's all of them checked in today.
How long is this drink going to take?
I'm not going to look forever.
Guaranteed.
Yeah.
I'm not getting any younger, you know.
All I know is that when I grew up, I want to be like these old people.
They're like, you made me walk all the way over here.
Do you know how old I am?
I don't want to be that crotchety person.
I want to say and do things that just make people go, wait, what?

(41:20):
And like maybe give them a chuckle.
Yeah.
The old people now just say things like, your hotel's getting cheap.
Like, okay, have a great day.
You know what?
I forgot to share this.
So this is on the topic of like people saying weird stuff.
When we sat down with Mike, before you guys got here, Mike and I were talking and he was
talking about how one of his favorite things to do when people are irate and just like

(41:44):
launching into him is to say something that is completely off base.
You know, somebody's yelling at you about the availability of parking or, you know,
that the rate is wrong or whatever.
Like they're just ranting, right?
He'll, he said he'll look at people and say, I'm sorry, you needed three towels delivered
to your room.
They're like, what?
Exactly.
And he's like, Oh, sorry, sorry.

(42:08):
Completely disarming the conversation.
I like that.
It's kind of just like a cut to like the anger and making them like check themselves and
be like, wait, what?
Oh my God.
That's hilarious.
I would love to try that.
But then they just, no, you're stupid.
I mean, it'd be so simple as even asking someone like, wait, wait, wait, I'm sorry.
What was your name again?
Oh God.
No, they would launch.
Launch.

(42:29):
I've done it.
Depends on how much you care.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm not saying I care a little bit.
No, I know.
But I'm not saying I'm not saying at work, but like just in general, like if you were
out somewhere and somebody was in your face saying like that to be able to like respond
however you want and just disarm the situation.
And you wanted two towels in public.
In public.

(42:49):
What?
What?
Do you know what I did?
Because I'm not good at like coming up with like comebacks or things like that.
I'm not good at that.
Unless it is about Hitler mustaches.
Fine.
I was on a road and I went into the right turning lane, right?
Because I'm going to turn right.

(43:09):
But it was a really small lane.
So I think it was like a bike lane, like and turns up like I pass this intersection all
the time.
People go into it and turn right.
And this guy was taking up like most of it.
So I kind of had to like sneak by.
In a bike?
No, in a car.
Oh, okay.
And so I'm like, it was like sneak by and then I'm turning right and I may blink around
and granted like we're close, but I'm not going to hit you, but you're taking up almost

(43:31):
two lanes.
And so I may blink around and he like looks at me and looks at me in the next car and
was like lifts his arm like what the hell?
Like you know, like he's like yelling and I look at him.
I smile so big and I just start waving hysterically.
Like I know him like hi.
Like you know what I'm waving and I'm smiling and he just like looks terrified all the second
and he just looks and like what the F. Yeah.

(43:53):
And then like puts down his arm and is looking at me like do I fucking like hi?
Like I know you.
I'm like I'll see you later.
Bye.
And he's just like, I don't know.
You should have been like call me.
My favorite when people lose their ish like that is to slow clap them.
Oh, that's a good one.

(44:14):
It also works really well for like, you know, when you're, you're on the freeway, you've
got like, you know, two car lengths back and somebody comes zooming up out of nowhere on
your left side cuts in right between you.
Yeah.
Ends up at the same light two ways away.
Well, yes, but and then you glance in your rear view mirror and you see that the next
car back is like 40 car lengths behind you.
It's like, congratulations for weaseling in.

(44:36):
Right.
Like what was the point?
A thousandth of a second sooner.
Those people can get a slow clap too.
Yeah, for sure.
For sure.
We see a lot of that in our area.
Oh yeah.
There's this one freeway that's like kind of in our area where the right lane goes onto
another freeway, right?
And that freeway is very popular.
So it gets backed up for miles and miles and miles.
So people will just whiz on the left hand lanes and then dart in at the last minute

(44:59):
before it changes.
So I was on this freeway yesterday on my way home.
Okay.
And someone did that and I'm like, God, what a tool.
And like two seconds later, the car in front of him like stopped.
So he must have been judging and he hits their bumper.
And I'm like, karma.
Yeah.
Karma.
So they had to like wheel over to the side and I'm just shaking my head as I drive by

(45:20):
and I'm like, earned it.
So none of this is really funny, but on my way to work, there's an on ramp area where
there's a merge lane in and then the line stops and it's just this really wide kind
of shoulder and it runs for a long time, but it's not designated as a lane.
Okay.
Now, most of the time when cars are getting on the freeway, they'll do the zipper merge,
right?

(45:41):
Everybody alternates.
We all know the rules.
Everything is good.
I've gotten to the point where like, when I get to that section, I watch my rear view
mirror because undoubtedly there's some asshole that's like, hey, I'm going to zip past all
of you in this unmarked lane.
I'll see them coming and I'll just juke right.
Like literally put myself in a position that they cannot go past.
And I love watching them just lose their freaking mind.

(46:02):
My husband does that every single time, but if you're going to take up the middle of two
lanes, but the middle of the two merging, because he's like, no, people being dicks
and he doesn't let people go by.
Yeah.
Oh, a hundred percent do that.
But we're in the car with the baby.
I'm like, you're going to get a shot.
No, no, no.
Maybe not with the kid in the car.
When it's just myself, I could use the insurance.
I'm like, I'm like more of a sitting there like, ugh.
It's expensive.

(46:22):
It is.
I always had the thought of like, if I were to get in an accident, I hope it's the other
person's fault.
And I hope like my car gets totaled and I get slightly injured so I can get a new car.
You sound like a mom, right?
Why?
I hope there's no kids in the car.
It's bad, but it's not too bad.
That's not going to have to stay in the hospital for a few days.
You know, just for them to keep an eye on me.

(46:43):
I get to eat Jell-O, no kids, no sleeping.
I want to have to like go to the chiropractor.
I want to like have to go to the chiropractor or like get my neck checked out or like get
a massage.
I want my own bed.
I want my own bed.
Sleep alone.
Sleep in.
Control the TV with no Minnie Mouse.
That sounds like a vacation.
And morphine.
I don't need to go to the hospital.
I really don't.
I just need my car to be totaled and for me to be just injured a little bit.

(47:12):
Like operations from the airbag.
Yeah.
I want to be able to like go to work the next day.
Okay, maybe like not the next day because I'm so sore.
You know what?
Maybe get like a black eye out of it for the plot.
Yeah.
Okay.
You know, a little bruising.
And the insurance money.
Oh, you know, that's a good down payment on a car.
It depends.
Insurance companies will drip you.
It's when you hire those attorneys that are all over the side of the road.
They think they get you more, but then the attorneys take half of it.

(47:35):
I'll figure it out when the time comes.
You know, I almost got in a car accident on the way here.
When I am alone in the car, I'll be like, you know what?
Hit me.
Go for it.
Please hit me.
All right.
So the last time we got together.
No, I'm sorry.
Not the last time.
The time before the last time.
Two times ago.
Was it two episodes ago?
Yeah.
Okay.

(47:56):
So not our most recent episode, but the episode before that.
The episode before the episode before this.
Okay.
The episode about a month ago.
That's what I just said.
Who's on first?
Two episodes ago.
Exactly.
So in that episode, we introduced a couple of stories that were found on the interwebs
and it was a lot of fun because I mean, yes, we've had some interesting things happen to

(48:16):
us in our careers, but it's always kind of nice to know that other people are in the
same boat of dealing with the ridiculousness.
Yeah.
Ms. B, I know you said you found a good one.
It's in the news.
It's actually current.
It's from this year and was published like last month.
So it's not necessarily like a crazy floor demand story, but I still thought it was interesting
and happened in a hotel.
So the title is crazy embezzlement case, Las Vegas hotel manager refunds $770,000.

(48:47):
That's seven seven zero comma to his debit card.
Wait, to his debit card.
Yeah, to his own debit card.
Okay.
So I was trying to read more.
I'm like hat what?
So basically he would authorize refunds to existing guests for real stays, but instead
of the guest method of payment, he entered his own debit card and the funds and that's

(49:12):
how much in total flew directly into his personal account.
So this wasn't just all in one.
He would do this on like multiple accounts, I guess.
So it said, uh, a daily occurrence for him.
Yeah.
So it said it's, but how did accounting not catch that?
I have no idea.
That sounds like they have a bad accounting department.
Cause I mean your payment.
It sounds like it's like super easily like trackable.

(49:32):
Like why are we getting these refunds?
The method of payment is different.
They should have caught it.
It's money laundering 101.
According to the Metro arrest report, uh, Johnson issued 209 fraudulent refunds back
to a single chase debit card with the money going into a checking account.
So it happened basically 209 different times at a total of 773,000.

(49:57):
He stole over that amount.
So we just did that quick math.
That's about $3,600 per transaction.
How did they not catch that?
I don't know, but how they caught on was coworkers.
So they would like go out that Johnson was spending large amounts of money at luxury
stores such as Louis Vuitton in Versace.

(50:19):
They're expensive dinners, spa visits, private jet flights and more.
So his coworkers asked like, how are you getting this like kind of money?
And he said that Johnson said he'd been working as a private chef for rich clients said the
coworker said in a police interview.
So his coworkers basically like, how are you going to get all this money to do all this
stuff?
Oh, I'm working as a private chef and this literally a hotel manager.

(50:42):
It was trying to see what his exact title was.
Oh, I love this.
There are a few red flags, just a few, few red flags about this case, but in order to
understand it as a whole, we have to take a look at a few bullet points as an awesome
operations manager.
And according to Rolly Haddie, the authority to issue refunds for reservations, customer
satisfaction, the amount of refunds he processed is 209 total of 773,000.

(51:04):
So about 3,700 per refund refunds were placed to his personal checking account, always using
the same debit card.
Defendants suddenly lived a very flashy lifestyle that drew attention.
All of these refunds didn't draw your attention.
It sounds like a really bad accounting department.
Well, it also sounds like a really dumb criminal because you want to get caught, refund it
to your own debit card.

(51:25):
It's under your name.
If you wanted to be smart about it, you get a card based out of they have no banking laws
with and they wouldn't be able to find out what your name was.
Okay, listen, is this you?
Don't do that.
Now this guy's friend is to the police.
Was this you and you did time and now you're back in a different name?
If I did that, I would have a better couch.

(51:46):
I don't, your couch is fine.
My couch is terrible.
Oh my God.
We'll get you a new couch.
Any who's he?
So I just thought that was a super interesting story because that's like in our industry
of story going on right now that it happened recently.
That's nuts.
I know, right?
What'd you find?
Okay.
So I have a pre question to my story.

(52:09):
Have either of you ever experienced ghosts in your hotel?
Yes.
I have worked at some of the most haunted hotels and I've never personally witnessed one.
Do you want to share some of your experience, Bill?
Sure.
Like we did last Halloween.
We did.
We had, yeah.
Um, you weren't with us, but we had a, we did a Halloween.
We, yes, yes, yes.
Uh, what was it?

(52:30):
What was the title?
Something in the night bump.
It goes bump in the night.
It goes bump in the night.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That sounds right.
Yeah.
So one of the hotels that I was at hotel was closed cause it was during COVID.
I was cleaning carpets and I heard a little girl giggle right beside me.
Like imagine like a six year old going, I do remember this.
I quit.

(52:51):
Yeah.
No, it didn't bother me at all.
I didn't feel threatened.
I didn't feel weird.
I kind of looked around and I was like, okay, I heard you.
And then I just went on cleaning carpets.
But wait, haven't you had one recently?
Um, yeah, I have.
And that has not made it to the pot yet.
Your office.
Oh, I haven't shared that one.
No.
Okay.
So I've now had three, uh, three little incidents.

(53:12):
Okay.
So number one, I'm sitting in my office and my closet door is spring loaded.
So it has to be a hundred percent closed or it will be about four inches open period.
And I've spent so much time trying to find like a sweet spot.
Doesn't exist.
I can just imagine Bill trying to like close the door and it reopens, close the door reopens.

(53:33):
So I'm, I'm sitting at my desk.
My back is to the door and I hear the doorknob jiggle just a little bit.
And then the door popped open.
So something jiggled the doorknob.
Yeah.
And like everybody there says that they hear people walking in my office and there's no
one when it's after hours.
Yeah.
I don't, but here's the thing.
Like I don't feel weirded out about it at all.

(53:54):
It's just someone hanging out.
It's just, it's just a thing now.
So you know, the door pops open.
So a couple of weeks ago I was upstairs and my DOS shares the same floor with me, but
he wasn't on property that day.
Now we have this unofficial little challenge where people think they can try and scare
me because I don't scare very easily.
And my office door is open.

(54:15):
This is right around the corner and I can hear that rub of fabric is like someone walking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But no footsteps.
Like somebody's trying to move really slow and quiet, but you can hear the whoosh of
the fabric.
So I'm like, Oh, I hear you.
So I get up really quietly.
He's coming to scare me.
Yeah.
I get up really quietly.
I go around the corner.
I'm almost to the doorframe where I can see that space and I can still hear the sound

(54:39):
and I look around the corner.
There ain't nobody there.
Yeah.
When you looked around the corner, did the sound stop?
Yeah.
Oh.
I think the last one was just two weekends ago.
I was the first one in and I walked into the office and my closet door was open again.
But you're the only one with access to it.
Yeah.
There's only two keys on property for my office and I have one.
Yeah.

(54:59):
So yeah, I walked in.
Does housekeeping come in like PM shift, clean anything?
No, there's an emergency key if they have to get into my office, but it's not on anybody's
key ring.
In an emergency.
Uh huh.
Dang.
And when I leave, I make sure that the door is closed.
My air conditioning is off, so on and so forth.
I came in.
Including the closet door?
Yeah.
Well, no, specifically that door.
And I came in on Monday and my door was popped open.

(55:21):
Ajar.
That's wild.
So I have a story from a year ago today, the haunting tale of Bakersfield Padre Hotel.
So in this hotel, so if no one knows, Bakersfield is a city kind of like central California
in the middle of freaking nowhere.
There's not much to do in Bakersfield.

(55:43):
Cow tipping.
So basically the seventh floor was a scene of a fire that killed a family with small
children and is now a hot bed for paranormal activity according to the staff.
So sounds like a TV show, like caught wind of this and wanted to do like a paranormal
like study.
Okay.
Like from paranormal professionals and they stayed there during COVID so occupancy was

(56:05):
low.
So they were able to like basically have the whole floor to themselves.
Love that.
So impressions of the hotel actually does remind them of the shining if any of you are
familiar with the shining.
Yeah.
So the ghost of a little girl is especially active in the hotel lobby.
The hotel manager said in the TV show episode likes to tug on shirts and aprons.

(56:27):
So imagine just like being a guest checking into a hotel and you feel like a tug on your
shirt like from a little girl.
She also apparently left a handprint on a column in the hotel's cafe, which seems to
come back no matter how many times employees clean it.
Oh, sinks turned on and off by themselves in the downstairs restrooms and the employees

(56:48):
even know to tell guests like, oh, that's just her ghost.
That's here.
No worries.
That's just her ghost.
Yeah.
Gotta lean into it.
And then one of the cooks routinely sees a tall man in a white coat walking down the
hallway and thought he was the chef until one day the chef was cooking upstairs and
the man saw the man downstairs.
Housekeeping staff often feels like they are being watched when they turn to look, they

(57:09):
catch a quick glimpse of a tall man in the long coat who quickly vanishes.
So they say it's a beautiful hotel, but there's just some spooky things and there is a vibe
that is palpable that is bad.
I feel bad for management there because you know, no housekeeper wants to stay there or
clean rooms there.
Bitl and I have both worked in hotels and when something bad happens in a room, none

(57:31):
of the housekeepers want to go in there.
They think there's bad juju and they will not clean that room.
So I feel terrible for management at that hotel.
Oh, actually as I'm reading on this article, are you guys familiar with Teresa Caputo,
star of the Long Island medium?
I've heard the name.
Yes.
The TLC show from back in the day.
Yes.
So she's a medium that actually visited the hotel about 10 years ago and the children's

(57:53):
spirits told her they like staying at the hotel where they can sing and dance and play
in the hallways.
So it sounds like it's a comfortable like place for these little ghosties to stay and
hang out in their afterlife.
I think we should take a road trip.
Yes.
Let's go.
Let's stay in the seventh floor specifically.
We'll pack up the pod.
Oh, let's do an episode from there.
Yes, yes, yes.
But there's one even closer that is supposed to be one of the most haunted hotels like in

(58:17):
America.
I've been there multiple times.
I've never stayed overnight.
I'm dying to stay overnight.
Well, don't say it that way.
Oh, yes.
I'm dying.
But as soon as I say this.
But what's reported there?
You can.
There's documentaries on it.
Oh, whoa.
All right.
Like you can find it.
Yeah.
It's a war time like ship.

(58:38):
Yeah.
And you know how many people have died on that?
How many people?
For sure.
It is old as old and it's got hotel rooms and it was operated by my former hospitality
company.
But it is old.
It is haunted.
It is creepy.
So I knew people who worked there and I would ask and they're like, oh, there's creepy sightings
all the time.
There's people that walk the hallways.
You hear crying in the middle of the night.
They have a hard time keeping staff because they're so freaked out.

(59:01):
Wow.
Yeah, they're always hiring.
Always.
And that's in our backyard.
Yeah.
We can say in a haunted creepy.
I personally have experienced that, but like I attribute it to family members who have
died.
I have never witnessed or been around a ghost.
Oh, no.
Like everything, everything that article kind of said early on of like sinks turning on

(59:22):
and off, lights flickering.
Craziest thing I experienced was the microwave turning on.
It would just turn on random increments.
It would just turn on.
Switch would turn off, but like the switch would be on.
And then all you had to do was like turn it off, turn it back on.
The lights would go back on.
Yeah.
There's got to be logical reason for that.
Well, my dad built our house and it couldn't explain it.

(59:45):
It was like, no, everything is fine.
He checked.
He checked for a really, really long time.
Yeah.
That was your house?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
Like I said, I've experienced it from family members, but my family doesn't take it as
something scary.
They take it as like a term of endearment and specifically this is my mom's mother that
like we think is haunting you.

(01:00:06):
No, it's not haunting.
Yeah, I know.
But, but we will literally spooky things happen.
They don't happen very frequently anymore because she's been gone like 15 years.
We literally would be like, Hey grandma, we hear you.
Hi, how you doing?
Thanks for being here.
And like go about our day.
So it's kind of a positive ghosty experience, but it's freaking creepy.

(01:00:26):
I'm looking at what's the most haunted hotel.
I want to look up this show.
Okay.
Anyway.
Oh my God.
It's one of the hotels.
That's like right in my backyard.
Okay.
Any whosey.
Sorry.
Go on.
Well, we could pull stories all night, but how about we ended here?
Yeah, that sounds good.
Hey, thanks for listening to another episode guys.
We are so happy you're here as we tangent it all over the map on this one.

(01:00:47):
It's a fun one.
Sure.
To check out our website, www.tftsi.com shoot us an email.
We have a shiny new email.
og3tftsi.com and we'll see you again in two weeks or you're here from us again in two
weeks.
Something like that.
Both works.
All of it.
Ms. B, thanks for being here.
Thank you for having me.

(01:01:07):
Bill.
Thanks as always.
You're welcome.
Have a good night guys.
Deuces.
Avenue podcast.net