We cashed in some Starwood points to stay for cheap at the otherwise very expensive Sheraton Roma, a large business hotel in southern Rome near the airport. Our first morning, we had some questions for the concierge. We wanted to know where to get subway passes, where to get a train timetable, and where we might find a laundromat, etc.
Paolo at the concierge desk answered each of our questions with an indifferent "I don't know" and would start to turn away from us until we said "wait, sorry, we have another question..." this scene repeated itself a few times. Paolo's ignorance of pretty much everything was so strange, Jacqueline actually said "I'm sorry, I thought you were the concierge. Can we speak to the concierge?" Paolo replied blankly "I am the concierge."
After about 3 more questions and 3 more "I don't knows" we gave up and Paolo strted to turn away. I had 2 euros in my hand I reflexively started to slide across the counter to him, but I caught myself ("what the hell am I doing!?") and took the money back. The best part, Paolo saw me do it :-)
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3 comments:
Ah, Italian customer service. You think I was bad when we couldn't get the car I wanted when we all drove from SF to LA. You should have seen me in Bologna! I was there for a convention, and the taxi's were on strike.....only during the most important parts of the day. Like in the morning when you were trying to get to an appointment or at night when you were exhausted. Don't get me started (hee hee)
Love the pictures!
xoxoxox
lk
I was trying to imagine the attitude Paulo must harbor for the questions or the questioner to do what he did, and probably enjoyed it. How nice that he saw your body language when you slid the money back, the financial version of another Italian gesture. Dad
haha, that's halarious.
i'm still really damn jealous of your trip. later.
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