We Lo-o-ove Conventions. NOT!

From a business standpoint, conventions are good. They keep the hotel full for several days, and that's a good thing. But for those of us who make a substantial portion of our living from new arrivals and vehicles, they can really cut into our income. And sometimes our sanity.
Most people who arrive for a convention will come by taxi. The convention center is two blocks from the hotel, so there is no need to rent a car. So, even though the hotel is full, the garage is empty. And once the new arrivals are here, they're here to stay. Ergo, opportunities for tips are few, especially if one works the night shift. And with two conventions this month, my budget is suffering.
Then there is the problem of tip fatigue. Room service is expensive to begin with, and there is a small gratuity added on to the bill. However, in room service, all charged tips are split between all room service personel, so that $1.25 is split 10 ways. Our room service gal informs me that within a day or so the conventioneers notice the small gratuity on the bill, and the cash tips stop.
I should point out at this point that we are a full service hotel. We are not the Best Western or the Days Inn. We, the bellmen, are expected to help with luggage when the guest has enough to need a bellcart. The bellcarts are the tools that we use to do our job. So when a guest takes a bellcart to his room and keeps it there for a substantial amount of time, they are robbing us of our ability to do our job. This was the situation last Sunday morning when three of our bellcarts went missing while dozens of guests were trying to leave at the same time. Needless to say, we had many unhappy guests, and many frustrated bellmen.
Of course, the economy affects the gratuity as well. Normally, we get $2-5 for pulling around a car, but lately it's often just $1. Where it's normally $10-20 for luggage assistance, lately it's often been $5. This is understandable from some people but confusing or insulting if we know that the guest is well off.
The latest convention was a group of locally based pyramid schemers. Having been in the hotel business for six years, this is my sixth convention, and my sixth year of conventioneers trying to sell me on the company with promises of high income and opportunity of advancement. But what I hear and what I see are two very different things.* If they're making so much money, why...

• do they need to pack 4 to 6 people into one hotel room to share the cost?
• do so many of them have their credit cards declined? (at a rate 325% higher than other conventions and groups.)
• are they so stingy with the tips? (Even the taxi drivers comment on it.)

I did not celebrate their departure, as some of our bellman did (by playing frisbee off the top of the building with the stacks of recruitment DVDs they left with us.) In fact, I met a couple of guys I really liked. But, I am glad that we will be getting back to a normal (and, hopefully, more lucritive) routine. After it quits snowing....and after the four other conferences we have next week.

*This is not a comment on their products or services.