Thanks for the contact, but we're not authorizing any further distribution or promotion of the Doubletree PowerPoint file. Posting it on a public website is a little different from having it circulate hand to hand via individual email accounts, and any posting out there has been done by privateers who either didn't consult us or ignored our request to take the show down. We're motivated not only by awareness of a basic fairness issue -- it's one thing to have a little fun at a bad hotel's expense over one bad service incident, another to actually destroy a property and the associated jobs and careers, as now seems possible -- but by an interest in seeing how far the thing gets by email alone. So, thanks for the heads-up, but please be aware that we don't authorize redistribution of our work and are asking that you remove it from your website.

As for email, I am stunned at how far this little PowerPoint file has circulated. Since it left my desktop November 21, I’ve heard from nearly 2500 amused, sympathetic hospitality professionals, marketing/PR people, QA managers, business school professors... you name it. Without my help the show found its way to the highest levels of the Doubletree empire; a credible third-party source told me that by the week before Christmas, the PR director of Hilton (Doubletree’s corporate parent) had received the file by email more than 80 separate times. That ought to be enough. Because of the high number of people who have tracked me down, I'm ashamed to have to resort to "canned" language -- but here are fast answers to the most-asked questions.

Is this for real?

Yup. Although "Night Clerk Mike's" real first name is a slight variation on "Mike" -- also with four letters, also starting with "M" -- this was an absolutely authentic response to a real service incident. To people who call, the hotel in question is saying nobody named "Mike" works there. But what kinds of nuts would invent a complaint filled with so many specifics -- and put their real names on it?

Who are you guys?

We are two directors of a web design/information consultancy in the Pacific Northwest. We've left our firm's name out of this.

Why did you spread it all over the Internet?

In truth, we sent it initially to the hotel; two clients/friends in downtown Houston, and Shane's mother-in-law. That was it. Yes, the last screen says: "And we hope they send it to THEIR friends!" Call us naïve, but we figured that meant perhaps twenty or thirty people. We never dreamed it would get passed around like this. Trust us. We had NO IDEA. All website postings, including the one at urban legend clearinghouse snopes.com, were done by others without our permission or approval.

Can I have a copy of the presentation?

Uh, no. Given how far it's gone, we've decided not to facilitate any further distribution of the show, in hard copies or electronically. We think we've made our point.

Can I use the presentation in training classes?

We've had numerous requests to save and show the presentation to business school students, hotel and airline trainees, etc. as an example of customer relations gone horribly wrong. OK, but we have two requirements: please go into the file and alter, "X" out, or delete the names of the Doubletree Club managers that appear on the first page... and our e-mail address, which appears on the last page. We are beginning to think that even Night Clerk Mike and his bosses may have suffered enough -- and don't deserve to be forever synonymous with bad service. Also, we're already getting more email than we can handle gracefully. Thanks.

How far has it gone?

Well, now that Cairo and the Maldive Islands have checked in, we've heard from six continents. Most hospitality professionals seem amused and sympathetic (though one former hotel manager suggested we get psychological counseling). We have had a few stern lectures from fellow road warriors/"civilians", though, who explain how out of line we were to expect our "guaranteed" rooms held for us. About 2 percent of correspondents call us jerks and worse.

What has the hotel done?

Both a Hilton brand manager and the GM of the Doubletree Club Houston called to apologize. They are very aware, at both levels, that the PowerPoint has been seen by thousands. The Doubletree Club apparently is getting enough phone inquiries to interfere with business (so don't call). They are saying there's no "Mike," but confirming that the incident occurred and that they're changing training policies. Doubletree’s brand director sent us a list of actions taken at both the hotel and corporate levels to improve employee training and overbooking policies.

Are you seeking publicity?

We've turned down numerous interview requests. The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, MSNBC and Travel Weekly ran short blurbs without our help and based on prior versions of this FAQ. The only reporter we’ve cooperated with was a writer for USA TODAY, because she’d already interviewed the GM of the Doubletree Club Houston. Her accurate account appeared January 4. We hope Hilton Corporate sees we're more focused on improving service culture than doing damage in public. We’re only communicating with people who took the time to contact us.

Or goodies?

No. A couple of competing chains offered us gift certificates, which is nice of them, but we politely refused. Without our asking, Hilton's Director of Guest Assistance sent us each certificates for two free room nights at any Doubletree. Given that we did not set out to pry free stuff out of the company, we sent 'em back.

When the Doubletree Club GM asked what we wanted in the way of compensation for our negative experience, we agreed that as Christmas was coming a donation to Houston's Toys for Tots campaign in the hotel's name would be nice instead. The hotel, Doubletree corporate HQ and Hilton Guest Services each made sizable contributions.

With so many people apparently getting copies of the show, I'd like to try to extend that impulse. If you got a laugh out of it, perhaps you could kick the price of a Doubletree Hotel club sandwich toward any charity you like in the name of Night Clerk Mike. Maybe even notify the Doubletree Club in Houston that you've done so. Their address is 2828 Southwest Freeway, Houston TX 77098. If you forwarded the PowerPoint to friends, we'd be grateful if you chased it with this follow-up request.

So... what's it all mean?

Hopefully, that while $#!@& happens, service matters -- and hand-to-hand email has power. We urge you not to draw conclusions about the whole Doubletree brand on the basis of our little complaint. Every hospitality brand has good properties and awful ones. (Thanks for so many great personal horror stories, by the way.) But we do urge travelers to be bold when they get the short end of the stick. Perhaps, now that "Yours Is a Very Bad Hotel" has attracted attention in corporate offices of many hospitality providers, managers and customers alike will be a little more aware of the power customers wield.

Have a great year and thanks for getting in touch.

Tom Farmer

For more information, please contact Mainsail president Mark White at mwhite@mainsail.com or 510-647-1500.

Based in Brussels, Chris Clark is senior vice president of strategic services for Mainsail. He is also the author of "Byte Back," a monthly humor column for Adweek Magazines' Technology Marketing.

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