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This occurred a while ago, when I was still fairly new to night audit. I sat on this story for a while but enough time has passed now that I feel comfortable sharing it.
Please note that our sales manager at the time (SM) was really more like an AGM and she lived about five minutes from the hotel. She had a tendency to work very late, so she was often still around when I got in at 23:00. She was very involved and very supportive, which is why she appears in this night audit story.
It was around midnight one hot summer evening and I was taking care of some pre-audit paperwork at the desk when a gal wearing a green tank-top walked into the lobby. Green started making herself some coffee after saying hello and thanking me for the existence of our coffee machine.
With her coffee in hand she approached my desk and politely asked me, as if it were a perfectly ordinary question, "do you have any metal spoons?"
She asked this question straight-out, as if she were asking whether we have creamer for the coffee or if it ever snows in Washington. Now that she was close to the desk I could see some details about her: she was dirty and disheveled and her green tank-top was greasy. She had horrible-looking perfectly round brown welts all along her otherwise pasty arms and she did not smell good.
After taking a moment to compute all of this and to absorb the shock of such a brazen question I responded.
No, ma'am we do not have metal spoons. I have plastic spoons; could I give you one of those?
She shook her head and politely said that wouldn't work. "How about a soda can. Do you have any soda cans anywhere in the hotel? They can even be empty, I just need the can."
No, I'm afraid our soda machines and our snack shop are all plastic bottles.
"Hmm, maybe a shaving razor then? Do you have any of those?"
At this point I was 100% certain what was going on, though I was still flabbergasted by the sheer audacity of this woman to come up to the desk and show her cards like she had done. Unfortunately being so green I hesitated and, in a moment of indecision, determined that I lacked solid proof of any undesirable activity and therefore had no grounds on which to deny this guest a usually-complimentary item which we did indeed have at the desk.
I gave her a razor, for which she thanked me, and watched her saunter out of the lobby. As soon as she was gone I phoned my immediate supervisor, who I knew would still be up at the time, and told her that I was 100% certain I had just enabled drug use in one of our hotel rooms.
She asked me "was it that one gal with the [color] hair in the gross-looking green tank-top?"
Yes; did you have problems with her earlier?
"Not exactly, but we've been keeping an eye on her. She's in room 999. You need to call SM right away and tell her everything you just told me."
Okay. She just left like half an hour ago so I should be able to get her, thanks.
I called the SM and filled her in. She immediately instructed me to connect her to the room so that she could tell Green she had 15 minutes to get out before police were called. SM told me to wait at the desk until she arrived; she was on her way.
"Yeah, me and Green. I just got back to the room and if she did something wrong I don't know anything about it because I wasn't here. Did she do something wrong?"There was a look of resigned acknowledgement in her face - not offense or bewilderment, nor surprise. An expression which occupied her face for only a second gave away that she knew this to be true, that she wasn't surprised, and that she was definitely involved. She gave a heavy sigh and left the lobby with no further complaint for the moment.
We've ordered the room vacated due to reasonable suspicion of drug activity in the room.
"She has to leave?"
Everyone in the room must leave. You have ten minutes.
A few minutes later SM arrived. I created a killer key (using it would void any existing room keys for 999), grabbed the master, put up my BRB sign, and headed with SM to Green's room not far from the lobby. We found them already moving their things from the room to the car. At this point Green was silent while Thin did all the talking.
There was a not-quite-heated exchange between SM and Thin wherein it was claimed that Thin didn't even know Green; Thin had no idea there was drug stuff going on; Thin isn't even registered on the room so she should be allowed to stay because she has nothing to do with Green. Of course SM explained that none of this matters, and in fact if Thin isn't registered to the room then she shouldn't be here at all.
Green and Thin got in their car, windows down, Thin still arguing that this is bullshit and that SM is... several unpleasant things. SM politely informed them that they are all DNR and are not welcome to return.
With the guests gone we entered the room to inspect what we had already somewhat seen from the doorway. The beds were displaced, there was trash of all kinds and half-eaten food strewn everywhere, there was dead food in the microwave, there were linens tossed about, and half-used lotion bottles of several types in odd places. We also found the shaving razor sitting in front of the TV with some syringe caps. SM discovered a drink carrier (like from McDonalds; made of paper) hidden under the vanity with a pile of ashes in the middle. The whole room smelled not of smoke but just foul. It was really gross.
We cleaned up and removed most of the garbage to make life a little easier for housekeeping, removed the paraphernalia, and locked the room. We returned to the lobby and DNR'ed the guests. SM elected not to charge them the smoking fine we very rightly could have due to the fact that the room did not smell much like smoke and they were already paying a very large sum (summer rates) for a room they had occupied for only three hours.
We did not call the police.
SM made a point of briefing me on all of the powers (and responsibilities) available to me as an auditor. Turns out I totally can kick people out for any reason I judge to necessitate doing so; also I can likewise deny service, and should do so judiciously. I was not in the wrong to call either of my bosses but if necessary I, as an auditor, have the authority to carry out evictions autonomously - which I gather is unusual for this industry. Since this event I have independently exercised this duty on several occasions, though never since for drug activity.
Through the various connections of our staff we learned that Green was locked up again less than a week later. We haven't heard from Green or Thin since.