Hotel Shop: must remove battery from tv remote?

I'm doing a Marriott hotel shop next week. The instructions state that I must remove a battery from the television remote control and call the operator. Wouldn't this be a tip-off that I'm a shopper when maintenance comes to my room and sees that the remote is missing a battery?

How do I pull this off? Suggestions?

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Simply take the battery out, drop it in your pocket and then call the desk that 'The TV doesn't work.' Don't mention it being the remote or anything else, it just doesn't work. Maintenance will show up to diagnose the problem and put in a new battery. You can then do your 'dumb blonde', "Geeze, do hotel guests even steal the batteries?" By that time it doesn't matter whether they figure you may be a mystery shopper or not because you will have evaluated the service and the time it took for the guy to show up.

Remove it and reinstall it backwards. Probably done by the previous occupants...

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

mrcomputer101 Wrote:
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> Remove it and reinstall it backwards. Probably
> done by the previous occupants...

I wondered about that, but I thought it could cause damage.

I wouldn't do that, mrcomputer, because sometimes inserting the battery backwards kills the electronics and if it happens to be a 9V you won't be able to anyway, though you could disconnect the battery and leave it in the remote.

Thanks! Great ideas. I am blond and can easily play a ditz

I had no idea you were blonde and meant no insult. I am blonde and can do a very convincing dumb blonde even when I don't intend to

Most remotes use either A or AA 1.5 volt batteries. Reversing them will not harm the remote. Ask my grandkids. They have done this multiple times with my 5 TV's...

Shopping Bama and parts of Georgia.
I'm still learning 24/7.

Phoebe70 Wrote:
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> I'm doing a Marriott hotel shop next week. The
> instructions state that I must remove a battery
> from the television remote control and call the
> operator. Wouldn't this be a tip-off that I'm a
> shopper when maintenance comes to my room and sees
> that the remote is missing a battery?

I have performed 2-3 Marriott shops and several other hotel and resort shops. I have never seen only one scenario listed for the maintenance part of the shop. I have used the burned out light bulb and the non-flushing toilet as issues. If it is an old-style light bulb, you unscrew it, smack it against your hand a couple of times until you hear a little pop sound and put the light bulb back in. If it is the new energy-saving light bulb, you can just loosen the connection or remove the light bulb altogether. For the toilet, you unhook that little hook thing in the toilet tank. I don't know what that thing is called but I know how to do it. And yes, the water in the toilet tank is clean.

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Flash Wrote:
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> Simply take the battery out, drop it in your
> pocket and then call the desk that 'The TV doesn't
> work.' Don't mention it being the remote or
> anything else, it just doesn't work. Maintenance
> will show up to diagnose the problem and put in a
> new battery. You can then do your 'dumb blonde',
> "Geeze, do hotel guests even steal the batteries?"
> By that time it doesn't matter whether they
> figure you may be a mystery shopper or not because
> you will have evaluated the service and the time
> it took for the guy to show up.

I agree with Flash except for the dumb blonde routine. There really is no reason to even discuss the issue with the maintenance person except maybe a "thank you." The less memorable you are, the better. And if maintenance thinks you may be a mystery shopper, they can/will tell other hotel employees. Since most hotel shops require multiple interactions with staff members throughout the course of the shop, the less said, the better. Just my opinion.

I don't think a missing battery would be that uncommon, if the previous guest needed one for a personal item. People steal bigger things than that from hotels.

Former mystery shopper, current merchandiser.

Actually, the battery thing is a terrible suggestion. Besides, you might not be able to open the remote without proper tools as some of them are now screwed shut.

Keep a small eyeglass screwdriver in your laptop bag and then reverse the batteries if the case is screwed shut…or bring some dead a batteries with you.

The problem I have a been recently running into is rooms that have more than 1 TV and 2 identical remotes. When one is dead, you can still use the other one and it seems suspicious to call.

I have also been loosening HDMI cables on the flatscreen TVs more recently. It takes a few more seconds for the engineer to track down, but doesn't damage anything.

For the battery one, couldn't you just save an old battery that doesn't work anymore?

Shopping across Indiana but mostly around Indianapolis.

lbw1000 Wrote:
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> For the battery one, couldn't you just save an old
> battery that doesn't work anymore?

Unless they only use a certain brand and it didn't match.

Former mystery shopper, current merchandiser.

Use older batteries (I used my camera) they always die fast. So take the dead ones with you and switch them out. That way the battery isn't missing, they are dead and you need new ones. Same service interaction.

O.o o.O

Happily shopping New England and beyond!!!!!

Like Steve I have learned to carry a small screwdriver. More and more of those remotes have the battery compartment sealed with a small screw. I have never been required to use just one problem. And, I do a ton of Marriott hotels. You can also trip the GFI in the bathroom so that the outlet won't work, or detatch the toilet "flapper" from the handle inside of the tank, or, as Stveve mentioned, disconnect a TV cable.

Based in MD, near DC
Shopping from the Carolinas to New York
Have video cam; will travel

Poor customer service? Don't get mad; get video.

Flapper? The thing with the chain attached to it? Is that what I was talking about in my post?

The flapper is the rubber thing (that covers the hole) that the chain lifts up when you flush the toilet. If the chain comes loose from the flush handle it won't lift the flapper.

Time to build a bigger bridge.

When you take hours and hours doing the report and make 2 cent a hour let me know.

When was the last time you had a brunch buffet at a Ritz Carlton for the cost of $99 a person and then get a massage afterward and then enjoying a game of golf? That's why you do a hotel shop, not the money

If you spend so much time you could get a brunch and golf etc... time is money

I have no idea what you are saying.

Most hotels I have shopped recently have the backs of the remotes sealed so you can not just pop out the batteries. Maybe it is not only shoppers who take them out! I only steal the shampoo, conditioner, lotion and small soaps if they match my guest bathroom at home.

LOL, one hotel shop I did suggested breaking something such as the toilet........

So I thought I would unhook the chain....... ended up breaking a part off the internals.....oops.....

The guy had to replace a part to fix it........

jleetw1 Wrote:
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> When you take hours and hours doing the report and
> make 2 cent a hour let me know.

Really? Actually, my report took about an hour total. My bill was over $500 and the msc is reversing charges on my credit card. I was able to enjoy a $300/night hotel, restaurant, bar and room service. That is certainly worth an hour of time, and it's hardly 2 cents an hour

The hotel reward points and the earned cash back on my credit card are additional bonuses.

Wanted to let others know..... the remote was screwed shut, and not even my itty bitty screw driver worked. It takes a special key to open it. Instead, I unplugged a cable from the back of the tv.

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