Rashes are Easy, Part 1 - The Life of a Hotel Doctor

A woman at a Sunset Strip hotel had seen a doctor for an allergic rash, and now she wasn't feeling right. Rashes are easy, and her symptoms were probably medication side-effects, so I expected no problem. That seemed to be the case, and she agreed to stop the medicine.

She handed me her credit card. I took out my cell phone, dialed the credit card company's computer, and entered a series of numbers at its request. It denied approval. This is often the result of a typing error, so I entered the numbers again. Another denial.

In the distant past, guests would apologize and promise to send a check once they returned home. Some kept the promise, but I soon decided it was better to collect on the spot.

The guest seemed genuinely puzzled. She wondered if the hotel was responsible. At check-in, a hotel often places a hold on a large sum from the guest's credit card to ensure that it gets paid. She wondered if this exceeded her limit. She phoned the front desk, and this proved true. There followed a long series of calls, referrals, consultations, and arguments before management agreed to remove the hold. It worked. The computer reversed itself and approved.