Anybody work in the hospitality industry? Please PM me...

[Pangolin]

Hi all,

In another post, I alluded to a situation I experienced while checking our new Intern into a hotel. I'm still looking into this and don't want to give anything away right now, but let's just say it is a hotel chain that caters to people who stay for extended periods of time.

During the check-in process, the front desk clerk withheld giving me a copy of something that, two minutes earlier, she asked me to sign. Upon investigating this further, I found that it was not only this front desk clerk who does this, but it is company policy (confirmed by talking to a manager in a separate location).

This "registration card" as they call it (which is only a piece of paper, not a card) has information about when the guest will check in, when they will check out, the rate applicable during that period of time, and some rules like "no pets without additional fee" and "you can't park here but you can park over there" and things like that. There was nothing about a cancellation policy or other legalese-type language. Really innocuous...

I was astonished when the front desk clerk at one location refused to give me a copy under any circumstances, and said I'd have to talk to a manager (who doesn't work on weekends). And I was even more astonished when the manager at the a separate location said she would have done the same thing, but could not articulate why -- other than "the registration card is an internal document and we don't give internal documents to guests". What? Internal document? Was it an internal document before I signed it???

Anyway, it just felt like they were trying to hide something. Either that, or just being consumer unfriendly. Why would this information be so dangerous in the hands of the customer? Do they simply not want to give the customer something that will refresh their memory as to the terms and conditions they agreed to at the time of check-in? Do they count on people who stumble into the hotel so drunk that they won't remember the rate, time-period and pets and parking policy to which they agreed the night before? And it's not like this isn't "discoverable" if it ever went to court...

If you've got any experience with, or explanation for this kind of behavior, please send me a PM...

Bill

[dsli_jon]

Heya Bill -

..explanation for this kind of behavior..

Not really, but that-is some wierd-feelin' shady-vibe.. I assume you mean these 'types' of Docs - http://www.docstoc.com/docs/12479385...ott-hotel-form / http://www.docstoc.com/docs/22469790...tt-Hotel-Check ..etc, etc..

..not many 'clues', here, either: http://www.marriott.com/marriott/privacy-us.mi ..Perhaps, tho, you could 'press it up the line' / go straight to the Legal Dept and demand some answers?.. it's not 'Amerika' just yet..

PS - Looking very-much forward to driving the 506's and Saturns in the Laserium-pj's and DSLI-rigs.. will be in touch..

cheers..
j

[Galvonaut]

That is a bit suspicious Bill.

Here in the UK we have data protection act laws which mean that if this situation happened one could simply send a request to the data protection act with a request for any document or piece of computer data which holds your name or signature and they would be forced by law to comply.

Maybe the USA has something similar?

Keith

[Galvonaut]

The US has ad-hoc data protection law - I don't understand our data protection let alone the US's!

I presume that any document that you sign becomes a contract and that you if the contract is to be valid a copy should be given to both parties in order to be valid?

[TechJunkie]

I was astonished when the front desk clerk at one location refused to give me a copy under any circumstances, and said I'd have to talk to a manager (who doesn't work on weekends). And I was even more astonished when the manager at the a separate location said she would have done the same thing, but could not articulate why -- other than "the registration card is an internal document and we don't give internal documents to guests". What? Internal document? Was it an internal document before I signed it???

You answered your own question. After you signed it, it became an internal document evidently. We travel all the time and never get back copies of the sign-in sheet we signed. You get info on check in-out times, fees, ect when you reserve the room on their web site. They will than send you an email of the info you agreed upon after you reserve it online. In the end your credit card payment IS your copy of all agreements, and info. You do get a copy of that signed bill at the end.

After you sign in they give you a key. All the other info, IE parking, ect, is in the info book in the room. When we check out we get an itemized bill, pay it, get a copy and move on. I wouldn't even think of asking for a copy of the sign in sheet. Why would you? You already got that info when you booked the room. The signed copy makes it legal on their side, and is therefor considered an internal document. Your paid bill is your copy of the agreement.

The only way I'd worry about getting a copy of the sign-in sheet back is if I paid cash. These days I doubt you could rent a commercial hotel/motel room with cash, so even that point is moot.

[White-Light]

That is a bit suspicious Bill.

Here in the UK we have data protection act laws which mean that if this situation happened one could simply send a request to the data protection act with a request for any document or piece of computer data which holds your name or signature and they would be forced by law to comply.

Maybe the USA has something similar?

Keith

In the UK business is much tighter regulated. The US permits business to exclude far more things and to practice far nearer to the edge.

My guess is if they didn't want you to have a copy, they were requiring you to sign away some of your rights or sign up to an outrageous room rate.

Either way, best rule is never sign anything until you've read it, although that may be little comfort now.

[masterpj]

I recall them being required to give you a copy of something you sign. If anything weird happens I would sue.

[TechJunkie]

You guys are over thinking it. The sign in card is only used as proof you have arrived, thats all. They need this copy, not you. It has some info on it, but its not a contract. All the agreements/contracts are made when you reserve a the room, and you get copies of all that. When you check out its all summarized, you pay for it, and then you get copies of the completed transaction.

I've been to Amsterdam twice, 3 hotels each time, and its been the same way. So I dont know what you guys are on about. This is common everywhere I've been.

If you were a walk-in then you would have to fill out agreement forms, and then you would get a copy.

For whatever reason Bill wants a copy of his sign-in card, but they dont have to give it to him because he already committed to a contract before he even got there. Get it? All the other info he speaks of is in a book in the room. Redundancy is not a legal right anywhere I know of.

[JohnYayas]

Seems odd that Bill would request a copy of it and it seems odd that they wouldn't give it to it. I assume both sides have their reasons.

[TechJunkie]

You're right. I dont see why they couldn't run it though a copier, but it might be a security issue.

If you remember the old days you had to sign a book. They didnt give you a copy of that either.