Columnists

Consumer’s Secret Weapon: Politeness 

ON CONSUMERISM 

By Arthur Vidro 

Politeness is probably the reason I was given a hotel room on one occasion when I lacked a reservation. 

It was nearly one year to the day after graduating from the State University of New York at Albany. I had returned to town for the wedding of Larry and Jodi, who both graduated with me. (They’re still happily married.) 

Age 22 and not wise in the ways of the world, I hadn’t bothered with a hotel reservation. 

I exited a Trailways bus at the depot, secured my one piece of luggage, and strolled up State Street to the Hotel Wellington, where I had lived as a student my junior year. 

The Wellington was far from luxury. Its elevator was from the 1930s. Each room was just a bed and bath and desk. No perks such as coffee machines or hair dryers. But it was cheaper than living on campus, and for me as a student an excellent situation. 

Getting off-campus freed me from the school’s meal plan entirely, allowing me to eat Sunday breakfast without waiting for brunch time, and to have supper much later in the evening than could happen in a student cafeteria. 

A tiny rental refrigerator, the size of two or three shoeboxes, was allowed. (I also had a hot plate, which wasn’t allowed. But I tucked it away whenever it wasn’t in use.) The bathtub had claw feet. There was no air-conditioning; all the windows in each room opened but lacked screens. 

Still, it had been ideally situated for me, as I sought refuge from the loud music on nearly every floor of campus life. So that’s where I went. 

And now two years after having moved out, I was back. 

I walked up to the desk and asked for a room for the night. 

The desk clerk looked me up and down and said he was sorry but there were no rooms available. 

I gulped. Inwardly, I panicked. But outwardly, I stayed polite. 

“Would it make a difference that I lived here, without incident, for a full year as a student?” 

“It makes no difference. You’ll have to go somewhere else.” 

I asked where the nearest alternative hotel was, and he told me. 

Then I realized I was out of breath. 

“I’ve just walked from the bus station,” I stated meekly and without a whiff of anger. “And it’s all uphill.  Might I at least be allowed to sit here and rest for a few minutes before going on my way?” 

Yes, I was allowed. 

“Thank you,” I said, and took a seat. (Just one of countless times in my youth when I should have realized the extent of my breathing problems, but didn’t.) 

I closed my eyes and rested. 

Then a shadow fell over me. I opened my eyes. It was the desk clerk, who informed me I could have a room. 

“Splendid,” I said.  “But I thought all the rooms were –” 

“No, that’s just what I had to tell you. We don’t like renting to college-age people for one night. I wanted to see how you’d react.” 

Turns out some folks had been using the Hotel Wellington as a cheap place for one-night stands, which the hotel wanted to prevent. It also wanted to ward off rowdy or boozed-up room-wrecking parties or end-of-finals celebrations. 

Either my luggage or honesty or mild manner or exhaustion had convinced the chap, correctly, that I was there to attend a wedding and would go to sleep alone and quietly. Because I had remained polite and calm, he had believed me. If I had raised a stink or copped an attitude, I’d have been shown to the exit. 

Remember, folks, that clerks, agents, representatives, and customer service personnel — whether in person or over the telephone — have had it up to HERE with angry, belligerent customers. 

Sometimes a consumer’s anger is justified. 

But your odds of getting satisfaction are much higher if you remain soft-spoken and polite. 

Don’t snarl at a person just because they are following orders. Don’t even raise your voice. Just explain the situation as impartially as possible and ask them what they think could be done for you. 

In a way, politeness can be a consumer’s secret weapon. 

As the great detective Charlie Chan said in one of his movies: 

“Politeness golden key that open many door.”