More Competition - The Life of a Hotel Doctor
A caller from the Airport Hilton asked how much I charged.
This is often the first question I hear. If I answer immediately, the guest is likely to thank me and hang up. So my first response is that phone calls are free and might be all he or she needs. What's the problem?....
He wasn't a guest, the caller replied. Hilton management was checking on what hotel doctors charged. There had been an incident…. After hearing what I charged, he responded that this was an improvement and that he would pass along this information.
When I asked about source of the incident, the caller gave me an 800 number. I called it and learned that I was speaking to Doctor's Housecalls. When I asked for the medical director, the person who answered said that I was speaking to him.
When the medical director answers the phone, that doesn't suggest a thriving business. I introduced myself as a long-standing Los Angeles hotel doctor. He immediately went into PR mode and told me of his burgeoning nationwide service. When I pointed out that I'd only learned of his existence today, he admitted that he was just getting started in the city. He asked me to send my CV.
