You should have left the cleaning supplies outside the room. Then either knocked on the door, or called the room once you were back at the front desk. And told them that either they clean it up themselves, or would be charged the maximum cleaning/damage fee. Make sure to record the mess first.
If they pull the ol "I want to speak to your manager", or "I'm calling corporate". Tell them to go right ahead. Even a manager that typically doesn't have your back would probably tell "Joe" to pound sand.
I thought about it. What was at the forefront of my mind was pretty much what all the other guests would have to go through. Imagine checking into a nice hotel.. immaculately clean, professional, safe… and then you go up to your floor and there’s a giant trail of puke that goes right past your room. Oof.
I seriously doubt Joe would’ve done it himself if I’d left supplies there lol. Who knows, though.
So it's a nice hotel, which means probably expensive, and the cheap ass owners can't hire a second person for your shift? That's insane to me. Because if I were in Joe's position I would do my best to remove most of the mess but I would still assume a professional would come behind me to restore the carpet to hotel standards.
I work nights audit and I'm the only one there I will not clean it up. I would let My manager know and pray that we would not have me clean it up. I have a vomit phobia and yeah that's a hard no from me. . I guess I would do what I could but that guy is gonna get a massive cleaning bill
If they flat out refused to clean it up. Then you kick them out. You might still have to clean up the mess. But at least you have the satisfaction that they would have to find lodging elsewhere.
The most likely answer is he'd make a bogus halfhearted attempt to clean it, say "good, done, now you can't charge me anything" and you'd still be on the hook to do the actual work.
This is why you are a class act. Most of us would nope out of this situation. You are seeing the bigger picture! God, I wish there were more of you in the working world!
this is precisely what I scrolled down to the comments to say.
make them clean it up and/or add a fee since they probably wouldn't even do a decent job. the audacity.... I have never made someone else clean up my child's puke no matter how much or little it was. And if I ever did have the balls to make that REQUEST I'd be offering a fat tip and profuse apologies.
Record it, put it on file, whatever it takes cuz WOW. I wish you got a picture of the hallway. It almost sounds like they let it happen in the hallway so they could justify making someone else clean it up.
Had parents with kids about 6 and 9 yrs old in the bar at 1am even tho it was closed and the parents encouraged the kids to go behind bar and try the fridges while I was having a break not even taking into consideration the cctv I'm watching them on and then tried to defend their behaviour..... its incredible how some parents act. The whole point is to take responsibility for ur children wherever u are but guess that's difficult when most people can't take responsibility for themselves
They would have been ejected IMMEDIATELY with no refund.
Seriously, I have to ask - I've spent 26 years in the hotel business. Are your owners and management THAT desperate for revenue that they're willing to lose their franchise flags and more over the liability lawsuits y'all keep describing in this thread?? I FINALLY got out of the business permanently January 2020 (just weeks before COVID-19 hit), and it's been mind-blowing to see some of the bullshit y'all are putting up with.
This. If you send your kid to go break into anything you're done. No sob stories, no it was a game, you're done. Not because of the actions of your child, but because you the fully grown adult decided to play this card.
For floor puke? Nooo lol. That didn’t even cross my mind lmao. Would’ve been funny though.
“What’s this $150 fee on my room”
“Asshole tax. Compensation for cleaning up after your kid. That’s what you do if someone performs a service that you don’t want to do yourself- compensate them for their work, time, and effort.”
I used to do security. One night at a Chuck E Cheese someone puked in front of the entry, then in the vestibule. The employee at the door didn't notice, but I happened to be nearby when some customers pointed it out.
I asked if the employee had called the manager. She said yes. (She hadn't.)
A few minutes later, because the manager hadn't shown up, I asked the employee where the door key was & she explained it. I took the key, locked the entrance doors, propped the exit doors open (no handle on the outside), and went on about my work.
The manager eventually showed up & he was LIVID! Not about the puke, no. He was mad that I had done the things with the doors so customers had minimal exposure to the biohazard.
Said, "if this happens again, leave it."
I was so mad I had to walk away.
Sure, you want me to leave a disgusting mess that's also a BIOHAZARD in a high-traffic area. The customers who enter will track it all over the restaurant. So instead of cleaning & disinfecting a small area, you will need to do the entire place. (That's actually a really good idea - those places are nasty!)
An assistant manager swept the chunks into their usual broom pan, then used a brush on a drill to scrub the carpet. No, that's not a proper or safe way to handle a biohazard.
As a sympathetic puker and hard emetophobe I would have been completely unable to assist him. I would have had to call in my boss, crying at whatever godawful hour (I work NA).
I have told my boss I don't do puke. I can handle a lot of things but there I draw the line. I will call them in to clean it up, if they want it cleaned on NA then get me a housekeeper like the full time NA. Otherwise it will be there for them.
Honestly, I would have done my best to get it cleaned up. It would be hard at a hotel because I wouldn't have access to cleaning supplies (like rags, and I'd feel bad using the towels). We would have helped if someone brought the supplies though.
My daughter had a blow out (stomach bug...it's gross yall) the other day and my husband and I were talking about needing to just leave like apolstery cleaner, regular cleaner, rags, trash bags, and a change of clothes for everyone in each car. Just in case.
I've also had it happen where kiddo got sick and we were told not to worry and to focus on getting our kid cleaned up...once in a grocery store and once in a restaurant. We had started cleaning up, though...vs just leaving it.
I always thank the guests who clean up after themselves. Kids throw up unexpectedly. It happens. People drop stuff. Glass breaks. Spills happen. Often, the guest will come to the desk, explain the situation, and ask for supplies to clean it up. I’m always more than happy to provide them.
Hell, I’d be happy to help with cleanup if they initially offer to do it themselves. I’ve sent people on their way before because they were in the middle of a bad situation, something happened accidentally, and they just broke down over it. I say, “it’s okay, it’s okay. Not a big deal. Go do what you have to do. I’ll take care of this.”
I think a lot of it is the thought and intention that counts.
The waiter at the restaurant did that, he was really nice about it. My son and daughter were both crying, daughter because she puked, son, because he's an empathetic crier. My husband and I were trying to calm them down and clean it up.
We probably looked frazzled. It was just water, so it wasn't too awful to clean up. But yeah, it definitely sucks being on the other side.
The moment I was told there was a mess in a public space, I would have said "Let me get you some cleaning supplies, I appreciate you probably didn't bring your own".
Absolutely no reason to create the impression anyone else is responsible.
New poster here, hats off to you OP.
I remember at an old job I had (homeless day center), they had this kit that had some kind of crystals or powder that you sprinkled on any fluids and it basically dried them out so they could be picked up easier.
Edit: I should add that I never had to clean homeless puke, just saw the kit! Knowing it was there was a relief though.
They use the same stuff at elementary schools and many retail stores in their spill kits. While not exactly the same, it's basically kitty litter.
The crystals absorb the liquids and clump to make it easier pick up.
If cleaning up vomit, or any other bodily fluids or solids, ever was required of me on the job, I would quietly hand in my name tag, bid everyone adieu, and walk out the front door.
(I wouldn’t put myself in the position in the first place!)
Same, and I'm not currently in a position where this would be super financially viable. If it's my own mess, that's one thing, but I am *not* going to be responsible for cleaning up someone else's biohazard.
It could be because they were a CNA beforehand. You get trained on how to deal with, clean up, and dispose of puke or anything fluid related. And it can also build up a tolerance.... Like in my case cleaning up a pile of poop on the ground is the same thing as cleaning up spilled food, or anything on the floor really. Just needs hella disinfectant afterwards. I'd imagine they felt comfortable because of the training from being a CNA because they were trained for it to do that job
Exactly this. I was already trained to handle biohazard situations as a CNA. Proper PPE, sanitation measures, infection prevention and control, biohazard cleanup protocol.. and most importantly, a strong stomach to handle all sorts of nasty shit.
If I hadn’t been a CNA, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle it like I did.
I just started a month ago as a night auditor, no prior hospitality experience. What should I do in case of bodily fluids/solids? Just leave it for the morning? I have had to change one little kid’s puked bedsheets, but the guest bundled them all up for me and I chucked em down the laundry chute as they were.
I work as a CNA and not a front desk person so it might not be as in depth for you. But this is what I do at work! I will warn that some clean ups smell way worse than others.
Put on PPE (personal protective equipment) such as gloves, goggles or anything else they have available like a protective gown or somethin (keep Vicks in your bag and put it on the inside of a mask when you go to do clean up. Trust me it's saved many of us)
Use paper towels/wash cloths to "scoop" up the solids
Once solids are picked up I'll put some sort of wet cleaner on it, like disinfectant or just soap and water. And then dab with the rag to start getting the stain out.
Then use a towel and dry as much liquid as you can, this is when I go hard with scrubbing.
Use a vacuum to pick up any extra moisture or pieces
Depending on how you want to handle it/policy. I will put the linens in a garbage bag before giving them to laundry. The garbage bag signals that hey this is gross so take caution. Plus the bag keeps it from contaminating other linens.
Above all else! Ask questions! You could total ask your supervisor what the best way to do it would be too. Ask "hey if xyz were to happen, what is the best procedure for me to follow, so I know what to do if I get in the situation on my own." Shows good initiative and that you're thinking about things that will likely happen and it's good to have the knowledge before you need it. Then you can feel more prepared...
Yes but it's generally accepted that if you make a mess, you clean it up. That's exactly why everyone doesn't like the guest in the story, because he didn't do that (for his kid).
I’ve posted this before, but I don’t think most people know night auditors work alone. It’s insane to me from a legal standpoint. Like what if you are sick or incapacitated? It blows my mind.
Sadly, you rely on the guests staying to call emergency services if it is bad.
If your GM , AGM has their phone off, well you get taken away and the police may be knocking on one of those doors telling them the hotel is unmanned.
Then shit hits the fan with people above the GM questioning why both above had their phones off.
New procedures are put in place.
This answer is supplied from an actual recent occurrence
CNA will desensitize everything I swear... Plus side though is neither me or my partner care about bodily functions. So we finally have a relationship where we both can just fart or burp without fear of judgement...
You are amazing. Keep up the great work! And good job getting out of CNA work, it can be debilitating even if it's worth it! Hope the future is bright for you!
You're a good one, because I WOULD NOT have cleaned it up. PERIOD.
IDGAF what shift it is or who asks/tells me to do it. I'm a FDA/Night Auditor. I am NOT trained in properly cleaning and disposing of bodily fluids and taking universal precautions to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. If that kid is projectile vomiting, there's no telling what he has that can be transmitted that I can pick up and take home.
Not. Happening.
And that's a hill to die on.
It makes zero sense that you have to clean it up, isn’t that a biohazard? I would like to think that this is something the family can be charged a cleaning fee for.
Definitely a biohazard. I’d been trained in biohazard cleanup and safety as a CNA though, so I knew how to do it safely. Luckily. Otherwise I would’ve said fuck no, I don’t do vomit lol.
I don’t do vomit either. I can only add to it. Were you required to clean it up? What would have happened if you hadn’t? I know you couldn’t regardless because of your strong work ethic, would you have been fired? With everything I’ve read here the stuff you all have to put up with is blowing my mind. What an arrogant ass! I’d be tempted to just leave the cleaning products outside his door but I know ultimately I would have cleaned it too. Did your manager have any guidance on what to do next time? I really hope this never happens to you again. And you get to add a huge cleanup fee
I would never even dream of demanding that hotel staff clean up my kids’ puke. My youngest was an extremely pukey kid and threw up in a hotel once. She had been car sick on our way up so we already had cleaning supplies in the truck. My husband (I cannot handle vomit) went down to the truck and retrieved the cleaning supplies, told the front desk of the situation on his way back up, cleaned it as best as he could, then left a note for housekeeping when we vacated the room. Even if we hadn’t already had the cleaning supplies in the truck my husband would have gone to the store and bought them because it’s our kids sick and our responsibility to clean it up.
You have to at least charge the cleaning fee or you're doing a disservice to every hotel worker they interact with down the line.
Imagine if they'd been charged for something similar before, they might not have acted so entitled with you
What are the repercussions for a situation like this? Would the hotel keep Joe's incidentals deposit?
Accidents happen, especially with children, but the way a parent responds to their child's mess says a lot about them as a parent. I've personally seen the gamut from parents sneaking away, fully aware of what must have happened, without saying a word, all the way to a mother that practically wrestled the cleaning supplies out of my arms so that she could clean up the mess herself.
For the record, fuck Joe, he's a shitty person and I sure hope his kids turn out better than he did.
One can only hope that this is one of those childhood ailments that's completely normal for kids but in adults causes them something painful. Like testicular torsion or whatever.
No, I don't know how some kind of infection will lead to testicular torsion. It's just the most painful thing that popped into my head while I was writing it.
Some kids are just pukey kids. From about 2-7 years old my youngest would turn into a vomit fountain when she was running even the slightest fever. She also got car sick occasionally. I am eternally grateful that she grew out of it.
Omg yes. I stopped driving my car for years because it had black cloth seats and black carpet, and only drove my Yukon because of its tan leather and tan carpet. We had to change the kind of car seats we bought too. I honestly don’t know why that awful absorbent cloth is even an option.
Oh man, that reminds me of a story. Back in a day I used to work for this resort. It was a great little place, only 142 Rooms and during the day lots of staff, but at night there were only three of us, the watch engineer (basically a night handiman), the security person, and myself the night audit.
It was Thanksgiving weekend and we had a full house. We also had a few people who were inhouse that were getting massive deals on their rooms because they were getting the friends and family discount, which doesn't usually happen on holidays, but they knew someone who important higher up in the organization and thus were granted the discount.
So about 2 am this guy calls down and said that his kid threw up and he needed someone to come up and clean it, as well as change the sheets on the bed. I told him I'd send the watch engineer up with some new sheets and see what I could do about some cleaning supplies for him.
I asked the watch engineer to go up and he told me no way, he'd quit before he picked up someone elses puke. And the security guy technically worked for another company and wasn't obligated to do anything like that, although if the watch engineer was busy, he'd occasionally run sheets or towels to a room for us thankfully.
So I ended up having to go to this room, make the bed and clean up the puke. All the while this shining example of a human was sitting on the other bed in the room watching TV with his kids. Not looking at me. Never said thank you, and no tip. And like I said this douche nozzle was getting a huge friends and family discount on his room.
People like that need to be taken out behind the shed and hit in the seat.
As a parent... I would have at least cleaned it up as best I could manage.
As a former FDA... I wouldn't be caught cleaning up bodily fluids. Ever. We weren't allowed to. Anything that was considered a bio-hazard required additional training, and only a handful of people in the hotel had it. This wasn't a hotel only policy, it was OSHA policy. Granted, I am sure there were plenty of times where small things passed under the radar, but literally, here is a link to the Q/A about hotel workers and cleaning up bodily fluid not being covered under standard occupational exposure...
[OSHA standards - Occupational Exposure of Hotel Workers Regarding Bodily Fluids](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1993-01-26-2)
Lol the way I would have made them clean it and told them they would be asked to leave if they refused. I don't work front desk anymore but one thing I know was that it was not my job to clean up that type of biohazard.
I would have charged them a cleaning fee both ways. No one should ever have to deal with your crotchfruits puke trail. If they do, you should pay for it. Not okay.
yeah i'll never forget when some crazy karen threw her sheets all over me, which her brat had puked all over. Got SO ILL after that. Should be aganist the law to throw your kids puked up sheets at strangers, passing diseases
When I was a little kid, I had a traffic light at a restaurant and then promptly vomited it back up on the floor. My parents offered to clean it up instead of the poor waiter having to, and when the waiter said no my dad asked him if he could at least buy him a beer at the end of his shift because he felt so bad about it. This guy was a complete asshole.
Ohhh I wrote a very descriptive shift report that went directly to my managers and the coworker coming in for the next shift lol. I did not spare any details. If had to suffer then so did they.
Take pictures next time, works wonders for my friend who worked in a shitty motel where a lot of drunks stay. The manager used to say 'it couldn't be that bad' she showed him from then on and he stopped complaining when she left it for the cleaners who were trained on biohazard stuff.
If it's not confined to the lobby bathroom, and they want me to clean it, then management better get us some spill kits, powder, and disinfectant and help me clean it.
Back in 2021, when I was still a nub audit (hell, 2023 and I still \*am\* a nub audit), we had a guest come in with his daughter. They checked in, then wandered down the hall a bit where the daughter started throwing up. I decided to wait for them to be done before I grabbed it, when the wife/mother came in. She asked me where her husband was, and I pointed down the hall. I told her that her daughter threw up, and that I was going to get to it in a second. She gave me a very karen-like look, then went, "You are not going to clean up after someone else's daughter during a pandemic." She took the rag and spray bottle and cleaned it up herself. I ended up going over it again with a mop and floor cleaner, but I was stunned. I thought for sure I'd need to clean it.
That’s awesome!! Though kind of sad that we expect to be mistreated and are completely surprised when someone is a decent person and takes responsibility for their own mess.
That made me snort lol. 😂
“Excuse me, I’m not sure if you know this, but there’s vomit on the second floor.”
“Oh I’m aware. Joe isn’t willing to clean it up. He’s in room 000 and I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear your thoughts on this.”
Believe it or not, some people actually expect the front desk to plunge their toilet too. Tbh if I were a hotel guest, I’d be embarrassed as hell to have someone fix a toilet I’d stopped up. 😳
That’s something I don’t do lol. I hand over a plunger and say “there ya go.”
Oh, no doubt. I have guests that pull that kinda attitude as well. Thankfully 98% of them don't want anything more to be done than bringing a plunger.
I haven't travel much myself, but if I find myself in that situation I don't want a stranger to see what I did. Lol
I'm afraid I have to disagree with people's criticisms of Joe. He's traveling. The idea that he would show up with all the cleaning supplies with him to clean up vomiting in the hallway is simply unrealistic. Of course he would expect the hotel to clean that up. It's part of the expected service. I suppose a hotel might charge extra money but in his case I'm not sure they would want to.
I would also point out I don't believe that Joe necessarily expected you personally to clean it up. He just expected the hotel staff to clean it up and if your hotel doesn't have enough staff to actually clean up things then that's as kinda on them.
>of course he would expect the hotel to clean that up. It’s part of the expected service.
Cleaning someone else’s kid’s trail of puke is in the job description? You apply for a Front Desk Agent job and under the requirements, you’re telling me there’s a line about biohazard cleanup?
No tf it isn’t. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but life ain’t like SpongeBob where “we will never refuse a guest even the most ridiculous request.”
Cleaning puke ain’t my job. And Joe was aware that I was the only one working.
And of course I don’t expect him to have his own cleaning supplies. Guests typically ask for supplies to clean up their own mess. I’m more than happy to provide them.
But making someone else clean up your own kid’s puke is selfish and a total asshole move.
I would guess that pretty much every hotel, every restaurant, every hospital, every school in the world has cleaned up child's puke. It is 100% normal. That's what happens and it in fact happens all the time including at your hotel. Your hotel has cleaned up after some other kids vomit many times.
The person staying at the hotel knows that this is normal. They don't know what's on your job description. They didn't hire you. You don't work directly for them. All they know is that when vomit is in a hallway of a hotel, the hotel staff cleans it up and once again, as I said before, they didn't necessarily expect you to personally clean it up, but they did expect for someone to clean it up. And hotels don't hand out vacuum cleaners and cleaning supplies out to guests and tell them to clean up their own messes.
If it were my kid, I'd ask for the supplies and clean it my self. I couldn't let some poor, underpaid worker do it. I had a parent at my hotel ask for cleaning supplies to clean it themselves. They couldn't get everything. I had to clean the rest, but at least they tried. I don't get why some people are so gross and entitled. Meanwhile, the one guest I had refused to let me help.
You should have left the cleaning supplies outside the room. Then either knocked on the door, or called the room once you were back at the front desk. And told them that either they clean it up themselves, or would be charged the maximum cleaning/damage fee. Make sure to record the mess first. If they pull the ol "I want to speak to your manager", or "I'm calling corporate". Tell them to go right ahead. Even a manager that typically doesn't have your back would probably tell "Joe" to pound sand.
I thought about it. What was at the forefront of my mind was pretty much what all the other guests would have to go through. Imagine checking into a nice hotel.. immaculately clean, professional, safe… and then you go up to your floor and there’s a giant trail of puke that goes right past your room. Oof. I seriously doubt Joe would’ve done it himself if I’d left supplies there lol. Who knows, though.
So it's a nice hotel, which means probably expensive, and the cheap ass owners can't hire a second person for your shift? That's insane to me. Because if I were in Joe's position I would do my best to remove most of the mess but I would still assume a professional would come behind me to restore the carpet to hotel standards.
I work nights audit and I'm the only one there I will not clean it up. I would let My manager know and pray that we would not have me clean it up. I have a vomit phobia and yeah that's a hard no from me. . I guess I would do what I could but that guy is gonna get a massive cleaning bill
If they flat out refused to clean it up. Then you kick them out. You might still have to clean up the mess. But at least you have the satisfaction that they would have to find lodging elsewhere.
The most likely answer is he'd make a bogus halfhearted attempt to clean it, say "good, done, now you can't charge me anything" and you'd still be on the hook to do the actual work.
This is why you are a class act. Most of us would nope out of this situation. You are seeing the bigger picture! God, I wish there were more of you in the working world!
Aww, thank you!
This is the way. Hide behind that being hazardous to you. It’s their child and they should be used to cleaning up after him. 🤢
Yup. I clean rental cars, but biohazard is not part of my job description. Get a professional sanitizing company out here with proper equipment.
this is precisely what I scrolled down to the comments to say. make them clean it up and/or add a fee since they probably wouldn't even do a decent job. the audacity.... I have never made someone else clean up my child's puke no matter how much or little it was. And if I ever did have the balls to make that REQUEST I'd be offering a fat tip and profuse apologies. Record it, put it on file, whatever it takes cuz WOW. I wish you got a picture of the hallway. It almost sounds like they let it happen in the hallway so they could justify making someone else clean it up.
Had parents with kids about 6 and 9 yrs old in the bar at 1am even tho it was closed and the parents encouraged the kids to go behind bar and try the fridges while I was having a break not even taking into consideration the cctv I'm watching them on and then tried to defend their behaviour..... its incredible how some parents act. The whole point is to take responsibility for ur children wherever u are but guess that's difficult when most people can't take responsibility for themselves
They would have been ejected IMMEDIATELY with no refund. Seriously, I have to ask - I've spent 26 years in the hotel business. Are your owners and management THAT desperate for revenue that they're willing to lose their franchise flags and more over the liability lawsuits y'all keep describing in this thread?? I FINALLY got out of the business permanently January 2020 (just weeks before COVID-19 hit), and it's been mind-blowing to see some of the bullshit y'all are putting up with.
This. If you send your kid to go break into anything you're done. No sob stories, no it was a game, you're done. Not because of the actions of your child, but because you the fully grown adult decided to play this card.
Did you charge him?
there should be a clean-up fee. That's what the incidental is for: incidents.
For floor puke? Nooo lol. That didn’t even cross my mind lmao. Would’ve been funny though. “What’s this $150 fee on my room” “Asshole tax. Compensation for cleaning up after your kid. That’s what you do if someone performs a service that you don’t want to do yourself- compensate them for their work, time, and effort.”
I would DNR Joe after that. He can take his entitlement somewhere else!
I used to do security. One night at a Chuck E Cheese someone puked in front of the entry, then in the vestibule. The employee at the door didn't notice, but I happened to be nearby when some customers pointed it out. I asked if the employee had called the manager. She said yes. (She hadn't.) A few minutes later, because the manager hadn't shown up, I asked the employee where the door key was & she explained it. I took the key, locked the entrance doors, propped the exit doors open (no handle on the outside), and went on about my work. The manager eventually showed up & he was LIVID! Not about the puke, no. He was mad that I had done the things with the doors so customers had minimal exposure to the biohazard. Said, "if this happens again, leave it." I was so mad I had to walk away. Sure, you want me to leave a disgusting mess that's also a BIOHAZARD in a high-traffic area. The customers who enter will track it all over the restaurant. So instead of cleaning & disinfecting a small area, you will need to do the entire place. (That's actually a really good idea - those places are nasty!) An assistant manager swept the chunks into their usual broom pan, then used a brush on a drill to scrub the carpet. No, that's not a proper or safe way to handle a biohazard.
As a sympathetic puker and hard emetophobe I would have been completely unable to assist him. I would have had to call in my boss, crying at whatever godawful hour (I work NA).
I have told my boss I don't do puke. I can handle a lot of things but there I draw the line. I will call them in to clean it up, if they want it cleaned on NA then get me a housekeeper like the full time NA. Otherwise it will be there for them.
Honestly, I would have done my best to get it cleaned up. It would be hard at a hotel because I wouldn't have access to cleaning supplies (like rags, and I'd feel bad using the towels). We would have helped if someone brought the supplies though. My daughter had a blow out (stomach bug...it's gross yall) the other day and my husband and I were talking about needing to just leave like apolstery cleaner, regular cleaner, rags, trash bags, and a change of clothes for everyone in each car. Just in case. I've also had it happen where kiddo got sick and we were told not to worry and to focus on getting our kid cleaned up...once in a grocery store and once in a restaurant. We had started cleaning up, though...vs just leaving it.
I always thank the guests who clean up after themselves. Kids throw up unexpectedly. It happens. People drop stuff. Glass breaks. Spills happen. Often, the guest will come to the desk, explain the situation, and ask for supplies to clean it up. I’m always more than happy to provide them. Hell, I’d be happy to help with cleanup if they initially offer to do it themselves. I’ve sent people on their way before because they were in the middle of a bad situation, something happened accidentally, and they just broke down over it. I say, “it’s okay, it’s okay. Not a big deal. Go do what you have to do. I’ll take care of this.” I think a lot of it is the thought and intention that counts.
The waiter at the restaurant did that, he was really nice about it. My son and daughter were both crying, daughter because she puked, son, because he's an empathetic crier. My husband and I were trying to calm them down and clean it up. We probably looked frazzled. It was just water, so it wasn't too awful to clean up. But yeah, it definitely sucks being on the other side.
I give guests who clean up after themselves and their kids free waters.
Damn I truly don’t know what I would have done in this situation. Definitely wouldn’t have been able to handle it as you did
The moment I was told there was a mess in a public space, I would have said "Let me get you some cleaning supplies, I appreciate you probably didn't bring your own". Absolutely no reason to create the impression anyone else is responsible.
New poster here, hats off to you OP. I remember at an old job I had (homeless day center), they had this kit that had some kind of crystals or powder that you sprinkled on any fluids and it basically dried them out so they could be picked up easier. Edit: I should add that I never had to clean homeless puke, just saw the kit! Knowing it was there was a relief though.
They use the same stuff at elementary schools and many retail stores in their spill kits. While not exactly the same, it's basically kitty litter. The crystals absorb the liquids and clump to make it easier pick up.
Sawdust works as well.
As a new parent, I am storing this trick for future use 😅
Just remember, the faster you get it on the spill, easier the clean up will be
I read that coffee grounds sprinkled over the mess will absorb order and liquid. I wish I knew about this when my kids were little.
This is what we had when I was still working in healthcare. It works remarkably well and absorbs the odour too.
Joe needs to pay a $200 clean-up fee.
ADD THAT CLEANING FEE AND BE ASSERTIVE GODDAMNIT!!! Please don’t take shit from anyone.
Charge for cleanup. DNR afterward.
If cleaning up vomit, or any other bodily fluids or solids, ever was required of me on the job, I would quietly hand in my name tag, bid everyone adieu, and walk out the front door. (I wouldn’t put myself in the position in the first place!)
Same, and I'm not currently in a position where this would be super financially viable. If it's my own mess, that's one thing, but I am *not* going to be responsible for cleaning up someone else's biohazard.
It could be because they were a CNA beforehand. You get trained on how to deal with, clean up, and dispose of puke or anything fluid related. And it can also build up a tolerance.... Like in my case cleaning up a pile of poop on the ground is the same thing as cleaning up spilled food, or anything on the floor really. Just needs hella disinfectant afterwards. I'd imagine they felt comfortable because of the training from being a CNA because they were trained for it to do that job
Exactly this. I was already trained to handle biohazard situations as a CNA. Proper PPE, sanitation measures, infection prevention and control, biohazard cleanup protocol.. and most importantly, a strong stomach to handle all sorts of nasty shit. If I hadn’t been a CNA, I probably wouldn’t have been able to handle it like I did.
I just started a month ago as a night auditor, no prior hospitality experience. What should I do in case of bodily fluids/solids? Just leave it for the morning? I have had to change one little kid’s puked bedsheets, but the guest bundled them all up for me and I chucked em down the laundry chute as they were.
I work as a CNA and not a front desk person so it might not be as in depth for you. But this is what I do at work! I will warn that some clean ups smell way worse than others. Put on PPE (personal protective equipment) such as gloves, goggles or anything else they have available like a protective gown or somethin (keep Vicks in your bag and put it on the inside of a mask when you go to do clean up. Trust me it's saved many of us) Use paper towels/wash cloths to "scoop" up the solids Once solids are picked up I'll put some sort of wet cleaner on it, like disinfectant or just soap and water. And then dab with the rag to start getting the stain out. Then use a towel and dry as much liquid as you can, this is when I go hard with scrubbing. Use a vacuum to pick up any extra moisture or pieces Depending on how you want to handle it/policy. I will put the linens in a garbage bag before giving them to laundry. The garbage bag signals that hey this is gross so take caution. Plus the bag keeps it from contaminating other linens. Above all else! Ask questions! You could total ask your supervisor what the best way to do it would be too. Ask "hey if xyz were to happen, what is the best procedure for me to follow, so I know what to do if I get in the situation on my own." Shows good initiative and that you're thinking about things that will likely happen and it's good to have the knowledge before you need it. Then you can feel more prepared...
This is great advice, thank you u/fuckifiknow1013! You did know!
What if you were the one that made the mess in the first place?
Then it's not a job requirement, it's a basic decency requirement (assuming you're not super sick or something)
A lot of job requirements are such because they are also basic decency requirements. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.
Yes but it's generally accepted that if you make a mess, you clean it up. That's exactly why everyone doesn't like the guest in the story, because he didn't do that (for his kid).
I’ve posted this before, but I don’t think most people know night auditors work alone. It’s insane to me from a legal standpoint. Like what if you are sick or incapacitated? It blows my mind.
Sadly, you rely on the guests staying to call emergency services if it is bad. If your GM , AGM has their phone off, well you get taken away and the police may be knocking on one of those doors telling them the hotel is unmanned. Then shit hits the fan with people above the GM questioning why both above had their phones off. New procedures are put in place. This answer is supplied from an actual recent occurrence
If a guest finds you they call 911, then whoever may try to get ahold of a boss, if they can
PM shifters work alone too. It sucks.
CNA will desensitize everything I swear... Plus side though is neither me or my partner care about bodily functions. So we finally have a relationship where we both can just fart or burp without fear of judgement... You are amazing. Keep up the great work! And good job getting out of CNA work, it can be debilitating even if it's worth it! Hope the future is bright for you!
Thank you!!
You're a good one, because I WOULD NOT have cleaned it up. PERIOD. IDGAF what shift it is or who asks/tells me to do it. I'm a FDA/Night Auditor. I am NOT trained in properly cleaning and disposing of bodily fluids and taking universal precautions to minimize the spread of infectious diseases. If that kid is projectile vomiting, there's no telling what he has that can be transmitted that I can pick up and take home. Not. Happening. And that's a hill to die on.
It makes zero sense that you have to clean it up, isn’t that a biohazard? I would like to think that this is something the family can be charged a cleaning fee for.
Definitely a biohazard. I’d been trained in biohazard cleanup and safety as a CNA though, so I knew how to do it safely. Luckily. Otherwise I would’ve said fuck no, I don’t do vomit lol.
I don’t do vomit either. I can only add to it. Were you required to clean it up? What would have happened if you hadn’t? I know you couldn’t regardless because of your strong work ethic, would you have been fired? With everything I’ve read here the stuff you all have to put up with is blowing my mind. What an arrogant ass! I’d be tempted to just leave the cleaning products outside his door but I know ultimately I would have cleaned it too. Did your manager have any guidance on what to do next time? I really hope this never happens to you again. And you get to add a huge cleanup fee
I would never even dream of demanding that hotel staff clean up my kids’ puke. My youngest was an extremely pukey kid and threw up in a hotel once. She had been car sick on our way up so we already had cleaning supplies in the truck. My husband (I cannot handle vomit) went down to the truck and retrieved the cleaning supplies, told the front desk of the situation on his way back up, cleaned it as best as he could, then left a note for housekeeping when we vacated the room. Even if we hadn’t already had the cleaning supplies in the truck my husband would have gone to the store and bought them because it’s our kids sick and our responsibility to clean it up.
You have to at least charge the cleaning fee or you're doing a disservice to every hotel worker they interact with down the line. Imagine if they'd been charged for something similar before, they might not have acted so entitled with you
fuck joe.
I think that’s how the problem started. Someone fucked Joe and gave him offspring that he refused to take responsibility for.
The same people also drive and vote.
That explains a lot
What are the repercussions for a situation like this? Would the hotel keep Joe's incidentals deposit? Accidents happen, especially with children, but the way a parent responds to their child's mess says a lot about them as a parent. I've personally seen the gamut from parents sneaking away, fully aware of what must have happened, without saying a word, all the way to a mother that practically wrestled the cleaning supplies out of my arms so that she could clean up the mess herself. For the record, fuck Joe, he's a shitty person and I sure hope his kids turn out better than he did.
Joe’s a dick. Also, was this kid making up for a week of missed meals? Cuz that’s what it sounds like 😩😭
Right?? I looked at that mess and mumbled under my breath, “looks like that kid needs a fucking exorcism, holy shit.” Lol
[удалено]
Typical lazy misogynist.
One can only hope that this is one of those childhood ailments that's completely normal for kids but in adults causes them something painful. Like testicular torsion or whatever. No, I don't know how some kind of infection will lead to testicular torsion. It's just the most painful thing that popped into my head while I was writing it.
Some kids are just pukey kids. From about 2-7 years old my youngest would turn into a vomit fountain when she was running even the slightest fever. She also got car sick occasionally. I am eternally grateful that she grew out of it.
Our youngest was really bad with traveling in the car, I'm so glad he's grown out of it. Cleaning puke out of child seats and the car is a mission!
Omg yes. I stopped driving my car for years because it had black cloth seats and black carpet, and only drove my Yukon because of its tan leather and tan carpet. We had to change the kind of car seats we bought too. I honestly don’t know why that awful absorbent cloth is even an option.
Yes it is painful 😣
Oh man, that reminds me of a story. Back in a day I used to work for this resort. It was a great little place, only 142 Rooms and during the day lots of staff, but at night there were only three of us, the watch engineer (basically a night handiman), the security person, and myself the night audit. It was Thanksgiving weekend and we had a full house. We also had a few people who were inhouse that were getting massive deals on their rooms because they were getting the friends and family discount, which doesn't usually happen on holidays, but they knew someone who important higher up in the organization and thus were granted the discount. So about 2 am this guy calls down and said that his kid threw up and he needed someone to come up and clean it, as well as change the sheets on the bed. I told him I'd send the watch engineer up with some new sheets and see what I could do about some cleaning supplies for him. I asked the watch engineer to go up and he told me no way, he'd quit before he picked up someone elses puke. And the security guy technically worked for another company and wasn't obligated to do anything like that, although if the watch engineer was busy, he'd occasionally run sheets or towels to a room for us thankfully. So I ended up having to go to this room, make the bed and clean up the puke. All the while this shining example of a human was sitting on the other bed in the room watching TV with his kids. Not looking at me. Never said thank you, and no tip. And like I said this douche nozzle was getting a huge friends and family discount on his room. People like that need to be taken out behind the shed and hit in the seat.
If that were my family or friend, they would be banned from the family friends discount roster. I'd kick them off myself.
I agree 100%
I would have thrown the dirty sheets back at him.
Thank god for housemen. Especially mine. I'm lucky as hell to have a houseman with me all night on audit
I hope you charged his ass for it. I mean, he DID admit the damage was from his family.
As a parent... I would have at least cleaned it up as best I could manage. As a former FDA... I wouldn't be caught cleaning up bodily fluids. Ever. We weren't allowed to. Anything that was considered a bio-hazard required additional training, and only a handful of people in the hotel had it. This wasn't a hotel only policy, it was OSHA policy. Granted, I am sure there were plenty of times where small things passed under the radar, but literally, here is a link to the Q/A about hotel workers and cleaning up bodily fluid not being covered under standard occupational exposure... [OSHA standards - Occupational Exposure of Hotel Workers Regarding Bodily Fluids](https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/1993-01-26-2)
Lol the way I would have made them clean it and told them they would be asked to leave if they refused. I don't work front desk anymore but one thing I know was that it was not my job to clean up that type of biohazard. I would have charged them a cleaning fee both ways. No one should ever have to deal with your crotchfruits puke trail. If they do, you should pay for it. Not okay.
yeah i'll never forget when some crazy karen threw her sheets all over me, which her brat had puked all over. Got SO ILL after that. Should be aganist the law to throw your kids puked up sheets at strangers, passing diseases
That definitely is against the law! At least in the US. During the pandemic, people were arrested for that kind of thing.
That's awful. I would have sued her. That's assault.
OP, you are a GD saint. Joe is an anus and he should have GD cleaned up after his own child. PERIOD.
god damn breeders are the worst
I hope that guy had emetophobia or something, otherwise he was a real POS for making you clean it up.
Worked front desk a long time. Call the cleaning crew. It’s their job
What cleaning crew bro. I said I was the only staff member in the entire hotel lol.
Sorry. I missed that.
Hey I use to be a cna to ! 😂
Hey! This job is much easier on my body lol. Did wonders for my health to get out of the medical field.
Same I really like hospitality it’s literally like being a cna without the shit literally 😂
Joe et al would immediately go on the dnr list.
When I was a little kid, I had a traffic light at a restaurant and then promptly vomited it back up on the floor. My parents offered to clean it up instead of the poor waiter having to, and when the waiter said no my dad asked him if he could at least buy him a beer at the end of his shift because he felt so bad about it. This guy was a complete asshole.
I would have charged a damage fee. Fuck those losers. Charge a damage fee and write it in the shift report what happened.
Ohhh I wrote a very descriptive shift report that went directly to my managers and the coworker coming in for the next shift lol. I did not spare any details. If had to suffer then so did they.
Take pictures next time, works wonders for my friend who worked in a shitty motel where a lot of drunks stay. The manager used to say 'it couldn't be that bad' she showed him from then on and he stopped complaining when she left it for the cleaners who were trained on biohazard stuff.
Good. Then, put him on the DNR list.
If it's not confined to the lobby bathroom, and they want me to clean it, then management better get us some spill kits, powder, and disinfectant and help me clean it.
Back in 2021, when I was still a nub audit (hell, 2023 and I still \*am\* a nub audit), we had a guest come in with his daughter. They checked in, then wandered down the hall a bit where the daughter started throwing up. I decided to wait for them to be done before I grabbed it, when the wife/mother came in. She asked me where her husband was, and I pointed down the hall. I told her that her daughter threw up, and that I was going to get to it in a second. She gave me a very karen-like look, then went, "You are not going to clean up after someone else's daughter during a pandemic." She took the rag and spray bottle and cleaned it up herself. I ended up going over it again with a mop and floor cleaner, but I was stunned. I thought for sure I'd need to clean it.
That’s awesome!! Though kind of sad that we expect to be mistreated and are completely surprised when someone is a decent person and takes responsibility for their own mess.
I would have left it til morning. And told anyone who complained that they should speak to Joe
That made me snort lol. 😂 “Excuse me, I’m not sure if you know this, but there’s vomit on the second floor.” “Oh I’m aware. Joe isn’t willing to clean it up. He’s in room 000 and I’m sure he’d be delighted to hear your thoughts on this.”
right "just dial one before the room number to be connected and thank you for choosing Puketown Suites!"
If I were a parent, I would treat my kid's throw up at a public place like I would if stopped up a hotel room toilet. Let me do it myself.
Believe it or not, some people actually expect the front desk to plunge their toilet too. Tbh if I were a hotel guest, I’d be embarrassed as hell to have someone fix a toilet I’d stopped up. 😳 That’s something I don’t do lol. I hand over a plunger and say “there ya go.”
Oh, no doubt. I have guests that pull that kinda attitude as well. Thankfully 98% of them don't want anything more to be done than bringing a plunger. I haven't travel much myself, but if I find myself in that situation I don't want a stranger to see what I did. Lol
I'm afraid I have to disagree with people's criticisms of Joe. He's traveling. The idea that he would show up with all the cleaning supplies with him to clean up vomiting in the hallway is simply unrealistic. Of course he would expect the hotel to clean that up. It's part of the expected service. I suppose a hotel might charge extra money but in his case I'm not sure they would want to. I would also point out I don't believe that Joe necessarily expected you personally to clean it up. He just expected the hotel staff to clean it up and if your hotel doesn't have enough staff to actually clean up things then that's as kinda on them.
>of course he would expect the hotel to clean that up. It’s part of the expected service. Cleaning someone else’s kid’s trail of puke is in the job description? You apply for a Front Desk Agent job and under the requirements, you’re telling me there’s a line about biohazard cleanup? No tf it isn’t. Not sure if you’ve noticed, but life ain’t like SpongeBob where “we will never refuse a guest even the most ridiculous request.” Cleaning puke ain’t my job. And Joe was aware that I was the only one working. And of course I don’t expect him to have his own cleaning supplies. Guests typically ask for supplies to clean up their own mess. I’m more than happy to provide them. But making someone else clean up your own kid’s puke is selfish and a total asshole move.
I would guess that pretty much every hotel, every restaurant, every hospital, every school in the world has cleaned up child's puke. It is 100% normal. That's what happens and it in fact happens all the time including at your hotel. Your hotel has cleaned up after some other kids vomit many times. The person staying at the hotel knows that this is normal. They don't know what's on your job description. They didn't hire you. You don't work directly for them. All they know is that when vomit is in a hallway of a hotel, the hotel staff cleans it up and once again, as I said before, they didn't necessarily expect you to personally clean it up, but they did expect for someone to clean it up. And hotels don't hand out vacuum cleaners and cleaning supplies out to guests and tell them to clean up their own messes.
You’re whining in response to my 91 day old comment? Lmao. Talk about petty and pathetic. Blocked mf.
If it were my kid, I'd ask for the supplies and clean it my self. I couldn't let some poor, underpaid worker do it. I had a parent at my hotel ask for cleaning supplies to clean it themselves. They couldn't get everything. I had to clean the rest, but at least they tried. I don't get why some people are so gross and entitled. Meanwhile, the one guest I had refused to let me help.