[nagdu] Training Hotel Staff

[Howard J. Levine]

What is the phone phone number and Id for tonight?

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie McGinnity
Sent: Sunday, July 14, 2013 6:42 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] Training Hotel Staff

Margo, I agree completely.  I noticed many people at this convention
who were directed to go to either the pet area or on the grass.  Very
strange since they don't want dogs relieving on their lawns.

I noticed at this hotel the language barrier was a particular issue.
I had to repeat several times to a hotel employee that I did not need
help before he understood.  One of the hotel staff also grabbed at my
dog's leash in an attempt to guide me when I was going the wrong way.
This is only my fourth convention, but one of the things I usually
love about convention is that this doesn't happen.  Usually, the NFB
trains the employees about how to work with blind people.  I wonder
what happened this year.

On 7/14/13, Margo and Arrow <margo.downey at verizon.net> wrote:
> I know we're having the feedback call this evening but want us to look at
> the training of hotel staff.  Some people were asked the questions one
> would
> ask according to the hotel's pet policy and apparently some staff did not
> realize or understand what was meant by service or guide dog.  I contacted
> two hotel managers about all of this while we were there.  Staff were
> asking
> what breed the dog was and how big and the weight.  The managers
understood
> that these were irrelevant questions and promised to talk with staff.
> Also,
> one person was told that those of us with big dogs would only be able to
> stay on the second or third floors which was the pet policy.  That must
> have
> been corrected.  Also, even after our relief areas were set up, staff were
> occasionally sending folks to the pet relief area only.
>
> There needs to be omore consistency there and understanding by staff.  I
> think, too, there might have been some cultural and/or language
> misunderstandings.
>
> There was also an incident when housekeeping knocked on our door and we
had
> our dogs on leashes and the housekeeping staff member didn't look but
> loudly
> proclaimed that we needed to have our animals on leash or crated.  Okay,
> that's fine but both guide dogs were on leash and we were holding the
> leashes and we were close enough for her to see that that was so.
>
> I'm thinking NAGDU might need to monitor the understanding hotel staffs
> have
> regarding service dogs.
>
> Margo and Arrow
>
>
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-- 
Julie McG
National Association of Guide dog Users board member,  National
Federation of the Blind performing arts division secretary,
Missouri Association of Guide dog Users President,
and Guiding Eyes for the Blind graduate 2008
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that
everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal
life."
John 3:16

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