An Exercise in Avoiding Boredom

I just returned from a presentation and recruiting trip to Suzhou only to find my hotel room unmade. This was my fault as I had forgotten to switch of the Do-Not-Disturb sign. (*)

The fruits I had received as a welcome gift two days ago were still on their plate, half-eaten. So I called up the room service: “Hello, can you please pick up the fruits in my room.” The answer: “Yes, Sir, I will send someone.”

A few minutes later, the phone rang again. It was the service person I had just talked to. She said: “Sir, I inquired, and you have not received any fruits, so we cannot pick them up.” Me: “Ahem, I don’t know what you call it that I have here, but can you please send someone?” She: “Who shall I send and to do what?” Me: “To pick up the fruits.” She: “But you did not receive any fruits.”

I could see where this was going. I gave up, since there is no point in being right if you have a simple solution. I just put the aging fruits outside my room door.

It is a long way towards a true service economy…

(*) The Do-Not-Disturb sign is a great example of really bad design. It looks like a light switch right at the door, next to the other light switches. So you switch it on when you come in for the first time almost certainly. Later when you figured it out, it is nevertheless not in your face when you leave the room, so I repeatedly forgot to switch it off. I find the low-tech solution of a simple outside-the-door hanger much more effective.