At a loss for words - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**space virgin** · 10-12-2006, 06:22 PM

Pardon me, this is a bit long but it's such a bizarre story that I have to share.

So there's this woman I work with. She's one of the sales managers that books the events I and the other event managers (banquet captains) end up running. She's absolutely hilarious but about as off-the-wall as you can possibly get... this is a woman who was caught driving to work in the carpool lane with a mannequin in the front seat. I am not making this up. (That's a whole other story in and of itself, involving a school bus and a 4-car accident that tied up traffic for HOURS. But I digress.)

Today, at the ghastly hour of 4:30am, I had to take over someone else's party in addition to TWO others that I was already doing. The sales person (let's call her Susan) warned me that the client was somewhat anxious, high-strung and high-maintenance. Fantastic.

But I had two very capable, very guest-service oriented people working the party with me, so I knew everything would be fine. (Which it was, for the most part.)

Anyway, during one of the breaks for this meeting, we had warm pretzels with mustard and cheese available on a small buffet. One of the servers was dealing with that while the other was on break and I was dealing with one of the other two events. All of a sudden I get a call on the radio that my over-anxious client has just walked into the freaking kitchen to say that they were out of pretzels. Um, okay, I rush down there, get more pretzels out (there were actually three still in the pan, but whatevski). About five minutes later, my server who was supposed to be taking care of the buffet came up to me and said that she was really sorry, but she had to take care of this old woman (a guest in the restaurant on the other side of the building) who had walked out of the women's room with her pants around her ankles and crap dripping off her legs and onto the carpet.

So my kind server (let's call her Julie) assists the woman as best she can without getting crap on herself. The poor thing is somewhere in her 80's and obviously senile because she has no clue that not only has she shat herself (and all over the bathroom walls and floor and the carpet in the hallway) but she walked out of the bathroom without 1. finishing the job and 2. getting dressed.

Ok, fine... that was dealt with (poor poopy little old lady) and our event continued without a hitch.

At the end of my shift I went to tell Susan that there was a hairy moment when Julie had to deal with said poopy little old lady. Susan LOST IT. She actually told me that "Julie had no business dealing with that woman when she should have been taking care of the buffet!" She said she "didn't give a rip about the old lady, because now [she] will get a call from [the client] bitching about having to run back to the kitchen to get food when [she] promised everything would run smoothly." !!!!!!!

What the fuck?? Sigh.

I told her, nicely, that I disagree and that I thought Julie did the right thing. Needless to say she again told me I was wrong, still flipping out.

Oh well, my direct boss and HER boss both agreed that taking care of the poopy little old lady was the priority over some friggin' pretzels for some over-privileged insurance brokers. If anything, I think Julie should be friggin' commended for taking care of the poopy little old lady instead of backing away and continuing on with the buffet!

Yep, this is my world.

**worldwidemike** · 10-12-2006, 08:26 PM

I agree. Poopy old ladies need to be dealt with pronto! They're like North Korean dictators...you never know what they'll do next...!

worldwidemike

**PlayPal** · 10-12-2006, 08:32 PM

I think "susan" really should stick with dealing with mannequins. They don't have that annoying trait we call human compassion. Soooooo irritating!

**omisan** · 10-12-2006, 10:36 PM

I would've wiped some of the poop on the bottom of the pretzels.

This is why I'm not in the food biz.

**Diorama** · 10-12-2006, 11:26 PM

That's nice that 'susan' really cares about the hotel. I mean christ who cares if a poopy woman is walking around the hotel. Nope fuckin rich business people gotta gorge their fat asses first.

God I hate hotel (any dept.) managers. SV - Hospitality is one wild ride eh.

**TERI** · 10-12-2006, 11:49 PM

poopy old ladies, hahahaha

I commend "Julie", cause there's no way in hell I could have done that. You couldn't pay me enough to do that. it's jut so eww. like ewww. I think we should just change the subject

...... So, how were the other parties? they go off without a hitch as well, lol.

**Majestic58** · 10-13-2006, 04:43 AM

As someone who works with poopy old people on a daily basis... Let me just say that "Julie" is a fantastic individual for taking care of that... Because lord knows, most of the people would have either pretended not to see or delegated the nasty business to someone else.

**space virgin** · 10-13-2006, 10:10 AM

Jill-- I work at a fancy golf club. But the thing is that this place puts such a HUGE emphasis on excellent guest service--*much* more than the hotel I worked at-- that I was shocked at the suggestion that we did the wrong thing by helping someone who was clearly in dire need of assistance. At first I honestly thought she was kidding.

Whatever. She's not that far off (maybe 20, 25 years) from being a poopy little old lady herself.

**Diorama** · 10-13-2006, 11:06 AM

oh yes SV you did mention that to me. I will learn to listen one of these days!

Well tell 'Julie' that we all think she's an awesome worker. She should get employee of the month dammit!

**The Monsignor** · 10-15-2006, 06:41 PM

I gotta second that, I don't deal with poopy kids or old folks, either way... I might have brought it to the attention of someone more compassionate than I, but that would be about it...

As to Susan? eh, someone needs to get over themself...

**bellelass** · 10-16-2006, 07:47 PM

wow.... there really are no words....

**LiveFreeorDie** · 10-17-2006, 05:39 AM

I don't know how anyone with any shred of humanity would actually give someone shit for helping this women. She was dripping shit for christ's sake!! Man.....some people are really really pathetic.

**noke_travel** · 10-17-2006, 07:29 AM

good lord

**expatben** · 10-17-2006, 08:45 AM

All I can say is yikes

**benna2** · 10-17-2006, 09:29 AM

I have a 90 year old grandmother who is suffering from dimensia. I love her more than anything. I sincerely hope that if this happened to her someone would be decent enough to help her out. Your boss needs to ask herself how she would want her mother or grandmother to be treated in that situation.

**space virgin** · 10-17-2006, 12:44 PM

She's not my boss, fortunately. She's a co-worker. My boss *and* Susan's boss believe that Julie did the right thing (and that Susan is a nutcase).

**mermaidnz** · 10-17-2006, 05:03 PM

rofl!

im sure you want sympathy right now, but im still getting over the old lady shitting herself hahahahaha

ahhhh man, a day in the life of you

**voyd** · 10-17-2006, 05:27 PM

CRAP!! Reminds me of a Tucker Max story where he shat all over himself and a hotel hallway rushing to the bathroom...

I felt sorry for the janitors reading that.