I work in hotel room service – here are five things we hate guests doing

A hotel worker revealed the five things employees hate about their guests.

Brittany Kriegstein lifted the lid on her time in the room service department of a fancy five-star hotel.

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During her time working with the rich and famous at what she describes as “the fanciest place to stay anywhere,” Brittany revealed what the guests do and what really tests her .

Writing in the Evening StandardShe also detailed the things she wishes guests would do more of.

Don’t do it: Order room service if you’re not fully dressed

The staff member revealed that guests sometimes seem too busy to dress appropriately when they show up at the door.

“Delivering breakfast to people who are half-dressed (or worse) isn’t really how I start my day,” she said.

“Apparently, many guests seem too hungry in the morning to follow simple rules of good decency.”

Here’s what you can do: Make small talk with us when the staff is serving your food.

Room service staff must follow a strict schedule when serving meals to guests — but that doesn’t mean polite conversation is forbidden.

“Comment on the weather, ask how our day is going or tell us about your stay so far,” she continued.

“This is a great way for us to judge how satisfied our guests are.”

Don’t: Help yourself from the minibar if you don’t have to

While managers would disagree, Brittany described the arduous process of replenishing items that were swallowed or eaten by guests.

She said, “The minibars in every room in our hotel contain over 20 different types of snacks and drinks.”

“That means I have to check a master list in each and every one of our 144 rooms every day to see if anything is missing.”

Do the following: Offer constructive criticism

Polite and helpful feedback, Brittany says, helps staff better serve their guests’ wants and needs.

There are several ways to do this.

“Tell us in person when we visit your room, leave a message, or speak to the front desk — these are the most efficient ways to ensure a bug is fixed,” she revealed.

Don’t: Make outrageous demands

Brittany’s place of work was a five star hotel – meaning the staff’s job is to go beyond the normal requirements of a five star hotel to ensure guests have a comfortable stay.

However, some guests comically misrepresent the hotel’s service.

“As we are a five star hotel, we must do our best to accommodate all your needs,” Brittany continued.

“We organized marriage proposals, served champagne on the beach and threw lavish surprise parties.

“Those things are doable for us, but planning a charter flight to Guam tomorrow is not.”

Do the following: Be polite and engaging

Friendliness and courtesy go a long way in making a paying customer’s experience a memorable one.

Brittany said: “It might seem obvious, but we hotel staff are real people too. Without our uniforms, we are no different from the other guests.”

“Please just treat us with respect – it makes the working environment much more pleasant.”

Don’t: Get angry when workers visit your room

Workers are required to follow a strict protocol, which includes stocking the minibar and collecting room service items.

For those who don’t want to bother with it, there is a simple solution.

Brittany said, “If you don’t want to be interrupted, use your ‘do not disturb’ sign.”

“We are not allowed to enter a room or even knock on the door when this sign is on, so peace and quiet is assured.”

Do the following: If possible, order room service in advance

Last-minute calls can create chaotic scenes in hotel kitchens—especially when the chef has hung up his apron and is about to head out the back door.

Brittany said, “Not only do we have an endless supply of breakfast foods — chefs work shifts and it’s really difficult to get breakfast together when the breakfast chef has already left.”

Don’t: Ask about celebrities staying at the hotel

The hotel’s “extremely strict confidentiality codes” prohibit staff from divulging the information A-listers checked in on.

Do this: Talk about yourself

Discussing your preferences with the staff allows them to address your likes and dislikes.

“If you say you like the flowers in our garden, we’ll bring you a bouquet,” Brittany concluded.

“If your kids don’t like waffles, we’ll come up with a cool breakfast alternative.”

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