Advantages to predictability

[indigo_rose99]

I generally stay in the same hotel in Ireland every time I come.  I've tried different hotels, and this one has the most advantages thus far.  One of their drawbacks (true of every hotel in Ireland I can find) is that breakfast opens at 7am.  I really need to be on the road to work by 7:10am, or 7:15am at the latest.  They offer a buffet, which would be fine... if the scrambled eggs weren't nasty goo.  So, every day at 6:30am I call downstairs and tell whoever answers the phone to go request the chef (who arrives at 4am, I'm told) to fry me 2 eggs, "Very very very very well done, to be ready when I come down at 7am."  When I get a newbie on the desk in the morning, this can be a very frustrating conversation.  I'm convinced half the time that they do not pass on my message to the chef.

So every morning at 7:03am I am the first person through the door when they turn on the lights (Ireland is not known for starting on time).  These days the woman who usually mans the front greets me by name (a perk!), never asks my room, and brings me tea and my eggs within 2 minutes.  Lovely.

Today... today I walked in to discover almost every table in the small restaurant had a sign:  "Limerick Travel."   The tables must be reserved.  But... but... I always sit at the same table!  I looked at my table.  No sign.  In a sea of tables with signs, mine was the lone exception.  *laugh*  They must have been waiting for me.

Comments

[ovrclokd.livejournal.com]

oooh... if i ever get to ireland, i'm going to hit you up for the name of that hotel, so we can stay there. it's amazing what a difference know-you-by-name, have-your-stuff-ready service can make in an otherwise crazy day on the road. and saving your table for you? priceless. :)

[reedrover]

When I was commuting up to Calgary, it became much the same for me. I wanted cereal, tea and fruit for breakfast, and not just any ol' Rice Krispies. I finally bought a box of my cereal and gave it to the hotel restaurant wait staff. It took only once, and they caught a clue. I was very pleased by them.