An Open Letter To The Nags Head Inn
As you know, several weeks ago I stayed at the Nags Head Inn with a dear friend of mine. Her recent bout of chemotherapy had rendered her nearly immobile due to, among many other things, terrible pain and severe blistering of her feet. Being the eternal optimist that she is (and that you have to be when battling this disease) she had hoped to be feeling better by the time we checked out, two days later. We hoped for the best, knowing that the beach house we had reserved would not be available until mid-afternoon on the day of check-out. We knew that if her condition did not improve, there was no way she could endure the period from hotel check-out to beach house check-in without an appropriate place to rest (i.e., in a bed with her feet elevated). Unfortunately, her condition did not improve over our two days at the hotel, and we were left with quite a dilemma.
Hoping to find a modicum of compassion at the Nags Head Inn, I asked the staff at the front desk if we could stay a few hours past check-out, given the extraordinary circumstances. Much to my surprise, considering the typically generous attitudes I've encountered when visiting other establishments in the Outer Banks, the answer was no. I was told over and over again, in no uncertain terms, that the policy of the Nags Head Inn is to charge an extra day to anyone who stays past check-out. I questioned several members of the staff about this policy, including the general manager, and received exactly the same response each time. (What they lack in compassion, they more than make up for in consistency.) Not wanting to let this regrettable episode ruin what would otherwise turn out to be a very nice vacation, I decided to pay the additional $175 so that we could stay the extra few hours.
Ignoring the cancer issue for a moment (and the fact that this occurred on a Sunday, of all days) I have stayed at many hotels where the staff was more than happy to let me delay my checkout for reasons as innocuous as a meeting that ran too long or a poorly-timed airline flight. In all cases I received a friendly "Take as much time as you need. Don't worry about it. Just be sure to stay with us the next time that you're in town." And I do, precisely because of their attitude. (As opposed to your company's incomprehensible "Pay us or get out!" attitude.) This may seem somewhat foreign to you, but many establishments desire return visits from their customers. They are willing to go out of their way, and maybe even forfeit a small amount of short-term profit, in order to ensure a long-term relationship with their clients. Perhaps there are so many people seeking hotel rooms in Nags Head that you don't have to concern yourself with pleasing your customers, since there will always be more. Frankly, I cannot think of another reason why a hotel with your attitude would still be in business otherwise.
Now, given the fact that our checkout was delayed because my friend was terribly ill, I cannot help but find your corporation's attitude anything but utterly appalling. Even if you are profit-driven enough to charge someone an extra $175 because they couldn't finish packing in time, how can you possibly sleep at night after forcing that kind of ultimatum on a cancer patient? Is the money that important to you? Is it so important that you are blinded to kindness and compassion and concepts as simple as helping others? I have to believe that even the most greed-possessed among us would decry your actions.
Yet, your email response to my concerns states that "You knew when you came to the area that there would be a gap between check out time at any hotel and check in time at your rental home. This was a chance that you chose to take." In other words, "It's your own stupid fault!" While I would ordinarily be offended by such a statement, I must confess that I am entirely unmoved by this declaration, as it is exactly the kind of response that I have come to expect from the Nags Head Inn. And although I agree that we knew the potential for an unpleasant outcome existed, I found it much more likely that the unpleasantness would result from an impending hurricane and mass evacuation, rather than the wanton and callous disregard of our situation by a cash-obsessed corporation. As I explained previously, we were quite hopeful that she would feel better by the time we checked out. We were also quite hopeful that if not, we could rely on the kindness of the people in the Outer Banks to see us through. This attitude had never failed us in the past, but of course we had never stayed at the Nags Head Inn. And despite the fact that this disheartening experience has deeply tarnished my view of the business community in the Outer Banks, I remain quite confident that if we had stayed at any other hotel in the area, we would have been treated with respect and compassion, and this most frustrating occurrence would have been avoided.
Instead, I was told by your front desk staff that the only way housekeeping could have all available rooms ready for other patrons was by ensuring that every customer checked out on time. This statement, which I find very difficult to believe, is also implied in your email. The only way that this statement can possibly be true is if the cleaning of every available room in your hotel begins at check-out time. Otherwise, a customer could stay somewhat beyond check-out time without hindering your ability to clean all available rooms. Therefore I am very curious to know which claim is correct. Does the cleaning of every available room in your hotel begin at check-out time, or is the statement which your front desk staff made, and which your email implied, untrue? (I can likely help you answer this question, as there were a number of housekeepers still cleaning rooms on our floor when we checked out later that day.) Assuming that the cleaning of all rooms does not begin at check-out, and we could have therefore stayed somewhat longer without rendering the room unavailable, I can only come to the conclusion that the motivation for charging us an extra day was greed. It is readily apparent that the Nags Head Inn is much more concerned with their customers' wallets than with the customers themselves.
And while it is true that we were most generously offered a seat by the pool (which was surrounded by screaming children slinging wet Nerf footballs about) this is hardly a comfortable arrangement for someone whose persistent pain can only be made slightly more tolerable by extensive bed-rest and a never-ending parade of pills. (We were not offered, as you claim, a stay in your conference/hospitality room unless that room consists of the chairs in your lobby.) And if you understand in the least how cancer can ravage not only one's body, but one's self-image (which, given your company's actions, seems unlikely) you just might be able to comprehend why someone with this horrible disease would not want to be put out on public display, even in surroundings as ideal for the compromised immune system as a hotel pool. In fact, you might even be able to understand how contemptible, condescending and absolutely abhorrent your comment is that we "would not be out in the hot sun." You obviously just don't get it.
Your email goes on to state that "you would not consider anything but staying in that room at no charge." This is untrue. The only alternative offered by your staff was the "pool option" which I described previously as an inappropriate, if not completely absurd, alternative. I did ask the front desk staff whether prorating the room was an option, and I was told that it was not. (Although I felt that it would have been fair for us to pay a portion of the daily rate, assuming that the outlandish housekeeping claims mentioned earlier were true, I must agree that prorating the room is not an option, as I cannot imagine any corporation with even the slightest amount of human concern asking for a prorated amount.)
Finally, your email states "I know that you do not want to see the Nags Head Inns view on this." This could not be further from the truth. I have been waiting nearly two weeks to hear your view. I was very curious to find out how a corporation, and the people within that corporation, could justify treating their customers in such a manner, particularly one as ill as my friend. I had hoped that by hearing your rationalizations, I could somehow understand your actions, and perhaps convince myself that this most discouraging situation was not due to an intentional disregard for the happiness and well-being of others, but a terrible misunderstanding that could be resolved. Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be the case, and I fear that we are all the worse for having endured it. I sincerely hope that no one associated with the Nags Head Inn is ever affected by the scourge of cancer, but if they are, I pray that they find more compassion in their journeys than did we.
John Morris
Fredericksburg, VA
As you know, several weeks ago I stayed at the Nags Head Inn with a dear friend of mine. Her recent bout of chemotherapy had rendered her nearly immobile due to, among many other things, terrible pain and severe blistering of her feet. Being the eternal optimist that she is (and that you have to be when battling this disease) she had hoped to be feeling better by the time we checked out, two days later. We hoped for the best, knowing that the beach house we had reserved would not be available until mid-afternoon on the day of check-out. We knew that if her condition did not improve, there was no way she could endure the period from hotel check-out to beach house check-in without an appropriate place to rest (i.e., in a bed with her feet elevated). Unfortunately, her condition did not improve over our two days at the hotel, and we were left with quite a dilemma.
Hoping to find a modicum of compassion at the Nags Head Inn, I asked the staff at the front desk if we could stay a few hours past check-out, given the extraordinary circumstances. Much to my surprise, considering the typically generous attitudes I've encountered when visiting other establishments in the Outer Banks, the answer was no. I was told over and over again, in no uncertain terms, that the policy of the Nags Head Inn is to charge an extra day to anyone who stays past check-out. I questioned several members of the staff about this policy, including the general manager, and received exactly the same response each time. (What they lack in compassion, they more than make up for in consistency.) Not wanting to let this regrettable episode ruin what would otherwise turn out to be a very nice vacation, I decided to pay the additional $175 so that we could stay the extra few hours.
Ignoring the cancer issue for a moment (and the fact that this occurred on a Sunday, of all days) I have stayed at many hotels where the staff was more than happy to let me delay my checkout for reasons as innocuous as a meeting that ran too long or a poorly-timed airline flight. In all cases I received a friendly "Take as much time as you need. Don't worry about it. Just be sure to stay with us the next time that you're in town." And I do, precisely because of their attitude. (As opposed to your company's incomprehensible "Pay us or get out!" attitude.) This may seem somewhat foreign to you, but many establishments desire return visits from their customers. They are willing to go out of their way, and maybe even forfeit a small amount of short-term profit, in order to ensure a long-term relationship with their clients. Perhaps there are so many people seeking hotel rooms in Nags Head that you don't have to concern yourself with pleasing your customers, since there will always be more. Frankly, I cannot think of another reason why a hotel with your attitude would still be in business otherwise.
Now, given the fact that our checkout was delayed because my friend was terribly ill, I cannot help but find your corporation's attitude anything but utterly appalling. Even if you are profit-driven enough to charge someone an extra $175 because they couldn't finish packing in time, how can you possibly sleep at night after forcing that kind of ultimatum on a cancer patient? Is the money that important to you? Is it so important that you are blinded to kindness and compassion and concepts as simple as helping others? I have to believe that even the most greed-possessed among us would decry your actions.
Yet, your email response to my concerns states that "You knew when you came to the area that there would be a gap between check out time at any hotel and check in time at your rental home. This was a chance that you chose to take." In other words, "It's your own stupid fault!" While I would ordinarily be offended by such a statement, I must confess that I am entirely unmoved by this declaration, as it is exactly the kind of response that I have come to expect from the Nags Head Inn. And although I agree that we knew the potential for an unpleasant outcome existed, I found it much more likely that the unpleasantness would result from an impending hurricane and mass evacuation, rather than the wanton and callous disregard of our situation by a cash-obsessed corporation. As I explained previously, we were quite hopeful that she would feel better by the time we checked out. We were also quite hopeful that if not, we could rely on the kindness of the people in the Outer Banks to see us through. This attitude had never failed us in the past, but of course we had never stayed at the Nags Head Inn. And despite the fact that this disheartening experience has deeply tarnished my view of the business community in the Outer Banks, I remain quite confident that if we had stayed at any other hotel in the area, we would have been treated with respect and compassion, and this most frustrating occurrence would have been avoided.
Instead, I was told by your front desk staff that the only way housekeeping could have all available rooms ready for other patrons was by ensuring that every customer checked out on time. This statement, which I find very difficult to believe, is also implied in your email. The only way that this statement can possibly be true is if the cleaning of every available room in your hotel begins at check-out time. Otherwise, a customer could stay somewhat beyond check-out time without hindering your ability to clean all available rooms. Therefore I am very curious to know which claim is correct. Does the cleaning of every available room in your hotel begin at check-out time, or is the statement which your front desk staff made, and which your email implied, untrue? (I can likely help you answer this question, as there were a number of housekeepers still cleaning rooms on our floor when we checked out later that day.) Assuming that the cleaning of all rooms does not begin at check-out, and we could have therefore stayed somewhat longer without rendering the room unavailable, I can only come to the conclusion that the motivation for charging us an extra day was greed. It is readily apparent that the Nags Head Inn is much more concerned with their customers' wallets than with the customers themselves.
And while it is true that we were most generously offered a seat by the pool (which was surrounded by screaming children slinging wet Nerf footballs about) this is hardly a comfortable arrangement for someone whose persistent pain can only be made slightly more tolerable by extensive bed-rest and a never-ending parade of pills. (We were not offered, as you claim, a stay in your conference/hospitality room unless that room consists of the chairs in your lobby.) And if you understand in the least how cancer can ravage not only one's body, but one's self-image (which, given your company's actions, seems unlikely) you just might be able to comprehend why someone with this horrible disease would not want to be put out on public display, even in surroundings as ideal for the compromised immune system as a hotel pool. In fact, you might even be able to understand how contemptible, condescending and absolutely abhorrent your comment is that we "would not be out in the hot sun." You obviously just don't get it.
Your email goes on to state that "you would not consider anything but staying in that room at no charge." This is untrue. The only alternative offered by your staff was the "pool option" which I described previously as an inappropriate, if not completely absurd, alternative. I did ask the front desk staff whether prorating the room was an option, and I was told that it was not. (Although I felt that it would have been fair for us to pay a portion of the daily rate, assuming that the outlandish housekeeping claims mentioned earlier were true, I must agree that prorating the room is not an option, as I cannot imagine any corporation with even the slightest amount of human concern asking for a prorated amount.)
Finally, your email states "I know that you do not want to see the Nags Head Inns view on this." This could not be further from the truth. I have been waiting nearly two weeks to hear your view. I was very curious to find out how a corporation, and the people within that corporation, could justify treating their customers in such a manner, particularly one as ill as my friend. I had hoped that by hearing your rationalizations, I could somehow understand your actions, and perhaps convince myself that this most discouraging situation was not due to an intentional disregard for the happiness and well-being of others, but a terrible misunderstanding that could be resolved. Unfortunately, this has not turned out to be the case, and I fear that we are all the worse for having endured it. I sincerely hope that no one associated with the Nags Head Inn is ever affected by the scourge of cancer, but if they are, I pray that they find more compassion in their journeys than did we.
John Morris
Fredericksburg, VA
I doubt they're going to get your letter, thunk themselves on the head and say, "WOW, WHAT was I thinking???" Sounds like they are people who are NEVER WRONG. :rolleyes