Don't Stay Here

So I was writing a friend to give a hello and I realized that the email would do to update you all. Though that might upset the friend (no longer so 'personal') I'm sure she'll survive. I didn't want to mention this "event" earlier because I was kinda embarrassed by the whole thing but I got over it and I don't have anything else going on to talk about. So for like the 3 of you who read this blog, here's what was up:

So I went to this open house last week for a Front Desk position at this "hostel" on the Upper West Side. I thought I might as well, I'm interested in hospitality. There was a line and I waited and I met with the people and they really liked me and hired me on the spot. Woohoo, right? It paid okay, not "I can move out now" okay but okay where I can make money for a while until something better comes along. But there were no benefits (i.e. I wouldn't be giving up much if I left).

I start the next day and I get a weird feeling right away. The front desk girls are nice but the managers are weird. I'm kinda thrown to the wolves. I feel frustrated and nervous. Basically no one processes me (tax papers, what the rules and regulations are, what my schedule might be) I also had noticed that the whole process of their checking in of guests is weird. No one is assigned a room in advance which means it's kind of chaos, and I notice they are actually not that nice to their guests. I make it through the day and I'm already like "uh oh..I'm going to quit." I decide to go back the next day anyway.

I go back the next day and meet more front desk people who are nice but I'm frustrated again because the girl training me that day tells me that everything I was taught the day before was done all wrong. I'm annoyed. They don't know how to train and I have to deal with the frustration. I make it through the day and I think it will work out after all. But still that nagging feeling of I'm not loving it is there along with the reappearing Wow they're not very nice to their guests.

The third day. I'm tired. It's Sunday so a lot of tourists who have spent the weekend in the city are now checking out. Complaint galore...but with every reason.

You never had hot water

The elevator hasn't worked in a long time and

I'm on the 7th floor with luggage

You said I could stay in my room and now you're saying you made a mistake and instead of fixing it you're just kicking me out of my room in the next 5 minutes

Someone broke the lock on my locker and

stole my passport and all my money (apparently happens every week).

Basically they screw over their guests BIG TIME and could care less. They kinda say sorry but not even in a convincing fake way. They make people pay for the whole stay as soon as they arrive which means if you have a shitty stay they could care less because they already got all your money. It really frustrates me. Who knew I would care about giving good service? It is especially bothersome because of two things:

1. At my last job, even though sometimes it was frustrating, we bent over backwards for our guests. But it made sense. They paid a lot of money. Here they're like "too f'ing bad".

2. I've been a tourist in a country where I don't understand the language and all I want is for someone to be nice to me so that I can have a place to sleep tonight. Everyone who worked there had never even left NYC so they don't get how scary and frustrating it is to be on the road and feel like you have no place to go and it's hard to communicate.

So basically I quit halfway through my third day. Yeah I felt weird and it's going to SUCK when I go back to pick up my check but... whatever. I don't want to be a bitch to people who have done nothing wrong. I don't like it. I won't stand there and pretend I'm okay with it. One of the girls was like "I understand but this is my job." I get that and I admire her for that..but she's never had anything but shitty jobs and I don't think she graduated high school definitely not college so to her..this is the tops. I don't think so..not for me.