Never work in a hotel...
Did my work experience in a large hotel (part of a very big worldwide chain) - I wanted to work at a big IT firm, but the only place left they had was in a hotel. Aged 15, I ended up working as a waiter in the hotel resturant for two weeks as the manager took pity on me and said I couldn't possibly be expected to lug bags everywhere as a porter [actually I think he probably didn't want me earning any tips from the guests.].

So I spent two weeks (for no payment) serving middle-aged corporate tw*ts on conferences who complained about everything, wanted service at the speed of light and asked a 15-year-old trainee waiter where they could pick up some 'women of the night for some fun' at the end of the evening. And don't even get me started on the tourists - I'm surprised most of them managed to get out of their own countries.. including the fat American woman who complained I served her a cream tea she'd ordered, because I was supposed to be psychic and work out she was dairy-intolerant... why the hell order a cream-feckin'-tea then!!!

God, I resented those bunch of b*stards - four days in and the rest of the exploited staff made it their mission to train me in the fine art of hotel revenge, such gems included; keeping a magnet under the desk to wipe the strip off the company credit cards, calling the Chef to say that 'Table 4 is complaining about the food' (if you've worked in a kitchen, you'll know what happens to all the food for Table 4), and my personal favourite, accessing the billing system and adding one or two pron films to the bills of 'difficult' customers, espcially those who's bills are sent directly to their companies for payment.

This is why I'm always very nice to hotel staff and try to eat out whenever I stay in a hotel...

Length..Apologies..etc
( HSDriver was probably still at work on, Sat 18 Feb 2006, 1:34, Reply)