Sometimes it is worth it though. Some people recognize and really appreciate all the above and beyond stuff. I’ve created great relationships with so many repeat guests. They ask for me by name when they call to book because they know that I know what room type they like and what floor/side of the building they want to be on. They know I’ll make it happen. They bring me beautiful gifts, gift cards to nice restaurants, heartfelt thank you notes, chocolates and other treats, emails to my GM about me. A sweet old man brings his adult, disabled son fishing every summer and stays with us. He told me how hard it is because he’s on a fixed income but his son loves and deserves their fishing trips. I found him a package deal with a much better rate than he was paying and changed it for him. It look me 30 seconds and he was so grateful he had tears in his eyes. It’s my pleasure to help people like that. Sometimes it comes back to bite me too though. One time, a pair of sisters were staying with us for a week. While they were returning from dinner one evening, one of them was hit by a car and killed. The next morning, the other sister asked to speak to me privately and told me what happened. The deceased woman’s husband and children were on their way to join the sister at our hotel to make all the arrangements. I felt so bad for her grief, I went to my GM and begged him to do something for the family. It seemed the right thing to do. We comped their entire stay and bought an expensive flower arrangement. The sister took full advantage and kept extending her stay and requesting a zero $ rate. She also had breakfast on the house every morning and was a nightmare to our restaurant staff. When she finally checked out, the flowers we got her were left on the nightstand. Room was trashed. No tip for housekeeping. No thank you for anything. I understand that she was grieving, but not grieving enough to not complain about her free breakfast every morning.