We stayed at the Four Seasons Maui in September and the Bellman told us the folowing story.

A man and his wife had checked in and were waiting for the bellman to escort them to thier room. The bellman approached them and greeted them by using the common Hawaiian greeting of "Howzit", meaning how are you, how is it going for you,instead of the starchy and more formal "Welcome to Hawaii sir. The man was VERY upset and called the GM to complain. The poor bellman got a serious dressing down by the GM.

I am used to these terms because we have been to the islands so many times and it doesn't bother me a bit, no matter what resort/hotel I am at.

Was this young bellman way out of line for being so informal? How would you have felt?

Well - I wouldn;t have complained to anyone about this greeting - but at a Four Seasons I would certainly expect a more adult, traditional greeting - esp if the couple weren't young.

My reaction would have been: Oh.

I am only hearing the dressed down bellmans side of the story. I also would expect a step up from that reception at a Four Seasons.

I respect your option to lean toward the "less formal" but I equally respect the other guests expectation of a special experience...whatever that means to them.

My first reaction is that if he had been trained properly in the first place, it wouldn't have happened.

Well, I live in Hawaii...and I also would have been taken aback if someone at the Four Seasons had said that to me upon arrival! The hotel has training, and I am pretty sure they tell their staff exactly how they want them to greet the guests. I wouldn't have complained, but I can see how other people might.

What was the bellman doing telling you another employees business?

That is what I find distressing.

It's kind of like calling a customer "Mary" instead of "Mrs. Smith." Younger customers may think that's great, but older customers (including my 74-year-old mother) take great offense. It's always better to err on the side of caution...

Same reaction as nytraveler.

I was brought up that if a person was old enough to be my mother or father, then you call them Mr. or Mrs. I guess this falls into the same category. It's called manners. I guess I just feel bad for the bellman because it had to have been a slip of the tongue.He might have been very embarrassed when he realized what he said. A slip of the toungue has nothing to do with manners. If this young man had been done this more than once, I can only guess that he would have been fired previously.

I have been to the FS Maui many times. You get to know some of the personnel. We had been talking about how many meanings the word Aloha has and other Hawaiian terms. That's why I was told this story. I have had better reasons than this story to go to the GM of a resort. A dirty room, bad meals and housekeeping not showing up would really get my knickers in a twist. THAT'S when I would call the GM.

I am just so darn glad to be back in Hawaii that a slip of the tongue can't possibly wreck my check in process. I truly can understand why people would get upset though. I just can't sweat the small stuff while in paradise.

Like GoTravel, I'm more disturbed that he was talking out of school about other guests. And not being from Hawaii, "Howzit" sounds like ebonic slang to me but don't think it warranted calling in the GM.

My reaction is people obviously don't have enough problems in their life if they get upset over something that trivial. Wow, it must be awful to be disrespected as you check into your 5-star hotel - I hope they have a good therapist back home

Having spent a lot of time in Hawaii, if someone said "Howzit" to me, the first thing I would think is that the hotel hired a real local person. It's not the formal stuffed-shirt greeting that a 4S customer might expect, but it wouldn't bother me.

But if I were the kind of person who doesn't want to meet locals when I travel, then I would have expected the standard, touristy, "Aloha, Ma'am" or "Mahalo."

And I do know that local people speak more informally there. I once had lunch at the same restaurant as then-Governor John Waihee, and I couldn't help overhear him ask his companions, "So you guys like talk about some other kind stuff now?" I don't think he meant it as a slight.

I go along with GT & GB. My biggest concern would have been that the bellman was airing the laundry. As far as the greeting, it would not have bothered me, but a more formal greeting would be a better course of action in a hotel like the FS Maui.
8-)

I would be offended that the current bellman was bothering a paying guest (me) airing the hotel's dirty laundry.

Surely 4 Seasons training would have covered not gossiping with guests.

I think most businesses would have done the same. Even if that couple hadn't have complained, someone else could have overheard it and complained. I'm pretty casual, but I'm always very careful how I speak to the public - you never know how that person is going to react to it.

Heck, just find a 20-27 year old woman and call her "ma'am"...

The GM is at fault. He should have trained the bellman better and he should not have scolded him in front of guests.

Is every place in Hawaii this inept?

If this is what ***** is about, I'll stick with *** and ****.

To me, it really is no big deal that I was told this story. There wern't any names mentioned. It's not as if he pointed to someone and then told me the story. He never said the bellman's name or how long ago it happened. Bellman are full of great stories. If you want to know anything about anything, ask a bellman. I thought it was humerous. I have known the bellman for years, so It's not like he was telling a first timer to this resort. My answer was, when in Rome do as the Romans do? I did say that with a question mark.

Sorry, there was nothing funny about the story, and I am well known for my highly developed sense of humor.

Well I have to say if my worse problem on a vacation was a bellman saying "Howzit" I would consider the vacation a very good one.

I agree with Bob_KY- the couple obviously has a tough life when that sort of situation requires calling the GM! Take a vallium people!