Incompetence and restitution

Some things just piss me off. Chief among these is rewarding incompetence. It is bad enough when incompetence causes me discomfort but unacceptable when it starts screwing with my bank account. I know politicians are incompetent but understand I have no choice but to put up with it as long as they can hide their inability from a majority of voters. The latest on a long list of incompetents, politicians notwithstanding, is the Hilton Resort Hotel in Myrtle Beach, SC. Jeannie just returned from a “Red Hat” convention. They splurged and went to the Hilton Hotel. Not Hotel 6 or some grungy little hole in the wall being ran by people with thick accents. The “red hatters” spent the extra money to go first class. Little did they know Paris, not Conrad, trained the desk clerk. Jeannie’s part of the bill shared by four other party animals came to $53.04. That’s not bad for a couple of nights in a first rate hotel even though she likened the food to bland hospital fare. I subtracted the amount from her checkbook and went online to make sure the charges were as stated on the receipt. I suppose it’s obvious I trust no one. Much to my chagrin, but not necessarily my surprise, I found a slight error in the charges. It appears they have charged her $330.24 instead of $53.04. That’s not much money by the Hilton standards but can be substantial to someone on a fixed income. I know they will make it right but I have to wonder how it happened in the first place. These numbers have no relevance to each other. It’s not as if someone transposed a number or even added a number to the front or rear end. It’s not even as though they charged her for the other four guests because the entire bill was only $275.28. Of course, I can’t investigate it until 8:00 in the morning because the accountant in charge of these trivial matters won’t be back until then. In fact, the accountant wasn’t there when the clerk charged the wrong amount. In fact, the accountant hasn’t been there for the entire stay. In fact, the accountant will probably have to investigate this matter before it can be resolved and Jeannie’s checkbook will remain $277.20 short. In fact, no one will suffer the consequences of their deeds because it won’t be worth the time or money. They will simply refund the money after they investigate and assume the customer will be happy to have their money back. In fact, they will be WRONG! This customer expects more from a company whose charges are based on their name, not their abilities. Of course, they might offer us a free night or two at another Hilton of our choosing. That will go a long way in repairing their tarnished reputation with me. Okay, so shoot me, I’m a little bit of an opportunist.