How May We Hate You?: Notes from the Concierge Desk

by Anna Drezen, Todd Dakotah Briscoe

Most people think hotel employees are effortlessly cheerful, naturally helpful, and genuinely like their work. 
 
Most people are wrong.
 
Find out what really goes on in the world of hospitality with this hilarious book full of funny and absurd stories, anecdotes told in dialogue, factoids, and hoax pop quizzes by two veteran concierges who paid their way while working at a combined 50 hotels in and around Times Square. They are very pleased to help you learn the following:
·         The Truth About Bed Bugs
·         The Mythology of “Loyalty Programs”
·         The 411 on Hotel Residents
·         And so much more
 
Filled with photographs and infographics, How May We Hate You? is both romp and commentary on the hospitality industry and life behind the nametag.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Comedy, Audiobook, Memoir, Travel, Contemporary

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

ANNA DREZEN is a comedian, writer, and actor living in Brooklyn, NY. She regularly performs standup and sketch comedy at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, the People’s Improv Theater, Union Hall, the Annoyance, and many other beautiful basements across the country. Anna is an editor and staff writer for Cracked.com. She’s editor-at-large of Reductress, a satirical women’s magazine (Forbes, “ Best Websites for Women”), and is the coauthor of Reductress’ debut humor book, How to Win at Feminism (HarperOne, Oct. 2016). Anna is also the coauthor of the viral-blog-turned-book How May We Hate You? (Potter Style) about working as a concierge in Times Square. She’s written for MTV, Thought Catalog, Nylon, the Daily Dot, and has been featured in videos on CollegeHumor, Above Average, Buzzfeed, and the Huffington Post. Her sketch group Gentlemen Party (“intensely funny surrealist comedy" -Time Out NY) has performed at the PIT, Chicago Sketchfest, the Del Close Marathon, and the Museum of Modern Art. Anna is also a member of the Story Pirates, an educational organization that performs hilarious stories written by kids. NYU Tisch/RADA grad. She loves soup.

Reviews

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has some funny moments but I have to say the bedbug portion left me very disturbed! 0_0



This book is told by Anna Drezen and Todd Dakotah Briscoe who both worked as Concierge. The things people said to them or asked them was hilarious and crazy!

GUEST: I need a salon appointment. Wash and blow Saturday at 12. (Concierge makes appointment)

CONCIERGE: All right. You are confirmed for a wash and blow at Bon-Bon Salon for Saturday at noon. (Guest rolls her eyes)

CONCIERGE: Is that all right?

GUEST: Well, I'm just very dubious about the quality of a salon that actually has space at 12 on a Saturday. Is there another one you recommend?

CONCIERGE: So you want me to recommend a salon that won't have space at the time you're requesting?

GUEST: Yeah. Let's try that.

Or...

GUEST: What floor is my on?

CONCIERGE: Which floor are you on?

GUEST: 5

CONCIERGE: The 5th floor.

GUEST: Great. Thanks!

These people are crazy :-) There are things like this through-out the book along with lists of tips and random stuff about people, places and things. I think one of my favorite is about a woman named Princess that lives in one of the hotels. She's old and seems like she's off her rocker. But she's funny.

I liked some of the reviews of hotels. I have never read any kind of stuff like that as I don't travel any more anyway, but they were fun to read.



All in all it's a cute funny little book!

*I would like to thank Blogging for Books for a print copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*

MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to bloggingforbooks.com I received a copy of this book to review.

This book was an extremely comical take on the job of a concierge. I loved all the guest conversation mock up they had me cracking up. All the behind the scenes going ons were so funny! I go on vacations pretty often and I must say this book educated me on the roles of hotel employees.

[Angela Meas · Rating 4 out of 5]

From page one I thought this book was going to be fantastic. It was funny and clever and touched on everything I hated about working customer service. Then, about halfway through, I thought it had hit a low point. I almost didn't continue. The side comments became bitter and stabbing remarks that included name calling and belittling that I really thought was unnecessary for the book. It had been so funny without that, so why become angry and biting halfway through? I pressed on deciding I shouldn't review the book solely based on a few negative pages and I'm glad I did.

I completely understand why anyone would have negative things to say about customer service jobs. I hate working customer service. People are rude and treat you like shit, but the book is hilarious without the name calling and it remained a positive outlook on all the horrible crap minimum wage workers deal with.

I have never worked in a hotel, but anyone can relate to this. We have all wanted to scream in some idiots face and tell them how the world is better off without them. How May We Hate You is a great release for your frustrations. You are not alone in your suffering! From horrible customers to the most annoying co-workers, this book will help you deal with all that pent up anger and remind you that it's just a job. And some day it will all be over.

This book was given to me for review by Blogging for Books

[Gary Anderson]

The authors are concierges in the New York location of a national hotel chain. On one level, this is just a couple of people complaining about their jobs and making fun of customers. Some of the stories are a little edgy, although I don’t doubt any of the authenticity. Taken from another view, Drezen and Briscoe are funny, and their views on hotel guests are definitely entertaining. Like I said, I believe all of their stories, but it’s also incredible how travelers can get themselves to Manhattan but then be too stupid or afraid to navigate the place without cringe-worthy requests to their concierge. Drezen and Briscoe also reserve special places in hell for guests who flaunt their wealth or expect miracles based on how they perceive their own status.

[Danica Holdaway · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hilarious and scathing take on the hotel business from two concierges! Silly and fast - it's a great read for a vacation or flight. Lots of grossness, though, be prepared.

[Jessica White · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review and more can be found at A Reader's Diary!

Notes from the Concierge Desk.
This book had SO MUCH potential behind it. How May We Hate You? is told by previous concierges Anna Drezen and Todd Dahotah Briscoe. The goal was to show how awful it is to work in the hospitality industry in New York, just blocks away from Broadway.
I wanted to laugh and enjoy this book, because I, myself, have worked as a housekeeper and know the horrors of what happens in hotel rooms. Trust me guys, we know what you're doing in there. Anna and Todd do have some hilarious moments throughout the book, as well as cute drawings of those delightful little bedbugs crawling all over.
How May We Hate You? started as a blog on tumblr. Which then sparked the idea of putting all the horrors into one book. But honestly, the tidbits throughout this book are truly meant to stay on a blog and float around the internet forever.

A big thank you to Blogging for Books for providing me a copy of How May We Hate You?
Not the best for me, but I'm sure someone out there will find this book hysterical!

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I followed the "how may we hate you" tumblr long ago and with great delight, and then a friend reminded me that they had a book! This is a pretty funny & pretty wild look at what life looks like from behind the designated "whatever you need" desk, deriving humor from a) the endless despair of customer service and b) the mind-boggling weirdness of people (with the occasional c) sincere good interactions to leaven the tone)

Started it as an ebook and ran into some formatting issues- not unreadable by any means, but the library had a physical copy, so I grabbed that instead and passed a lovely evening with short anecdotes, nice charts, and the weirdness of other people

[Sarah Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I've followed their blog for a very long time and have known Todd since he was a kid. This book is full of satire and humor and anyone that has worked with customers/clients in any form can relate 100%. Fun read!!

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy quick read, quite funny. Cute photo of a cockapoo in a baseball cap; memorable drawing of a bedbug.

[Riley K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute comical take on the battles that hotel concierge battle with on a daily basis. It will kind of make you question your own behavior to those in the service industry. I really enjoyed that it was an interactive story. The quizzes and trivia bits were amazing.

If you like tales of absurd people then this story is for you.

[L.A. Kelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just in time for summer travel season comes a book to tell how the other half lives. Not the rich and famous, but the nondescript concierge who only lives to serve. Or maybe not. The authors are two ex-actors who entered hospitality management to make ends meet between gigs. Needless to say by the title of the book, neither one found their true calling at the front desk. How May We Hate You purports to give the dirt on what really goes on in the world of hospitality management, but doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Quibbles and Bits
The book is a short, quick read filled with vignettes and little drawings. The major fault is that it doesn’t go far enough and often reads as half done. It’s not gossipy enough to be a tell-all. The authors hint they’ve witnessed famous people acting in unprofessional or embarrassing manners, but don’t give names. Then why mention it at all? If you’re going to write a book like this and expect me to believe you, sorry I need the dirt. Otherwise, I’m going to think you made it all up.

There’s not enough substance in the writing for it to be an exposé on the life of the concierge either. While heavy on the snark, it’s light on the details and often comes off as merely two people crabbing about their jobs. Mind you, the stories, vignettes, and little quirky lists aren’t badly written. They range from mildly amusing to ho hum. I like a lot of the drawings. The authors apparently have a blog which is probably why much of the writing reads like rehashed posts. If you’re in the doctor’s office it’s a good way pass the time. At a little over 100 pages you’ll probably breeze through it before called for the appointment. I did. In general, a reader will come away with more sympathy toward those who man the front desk, a chuckle or two, but not much else.

Scratching my head on this one
I obviously don’t understand marketing. The physical makeup of this book consists of heavy binding, sturdy cover, and pages of high quality paper. Why? It’s not the kind of book a person keeps forever. It’s a light read that takes about an hour, more fitting for a trade paperback found in an airport gift shop. Even the ebook is expensive at just shy of ten bucks. I don’t get it.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the GoodReads Giveaways program for a free copy of this book.

First let me say that I don't even know what Tumblr is. So I clearly hadn't heard of this blog before, though the book description sounded interesting.

I very much enjoyed this gentle skewering of the world of hotel concierges. I've never worked in the hospitality industry, but I've been a hotel guest often enough to recognize and appreciate the setting. The book is well-structured and makes for an entertaining and quick read.

My favorite parts were the typed-up conversations between the concierge and either a guest or a co-worker. The essays were interesting, too, and they really showed that the authors are not mean-spirited even though they are poking fun at others. The layout of the book is really professional-looking and hits the right tone. I may have even learned something about New York tourism as an added bonus.

This book reminds me of our family trip to Paris last year. We arrived at the hotel late in the afternoon, tired and hungry. The concierge kindly walked us about a block away to a restaurant he recommended, the aptly-named Cafe Paris. If I had any doubt before, the description in this book of the kick-backs concierges receive from restaurants confirmed that our friendly concierge benefited monetarily from this, and probably does so quite often. Not that I'm complaining. The restaurant had a version of their menu in English and we weren't in the mood to be picky. Plus, we passed a more genuine patisserie along the way that we ended up frequenting during our stay. At least there, the woman was appropriately aghast when I ordered a decidedly non-French plain bagel with just cream cheese for my then-four-year-old. =)

Anyway... I would recommend this book to frequent travelers, hotel workers, New Yorkers, or anyone who is looking for a high-quality bathroom reader. (I don't keep books in the bathroom, but that was the description I thought of, and no disrespect if you have a stack of books in there!)

[David Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two comedians in New York wrote a blog about their experiences working at the concierge desk in a hotel. This is the first audiobook I've listened to that I can't imagine working in an actual print book format, as it really was performed by the two authors, and performed pretty well. The comedy itself was weak at times but had some great moments. There are no real shocking revelations to anyone who has spoken to another person before, (people can be jerks), but a decent number of their stories were written and told well.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. It was a short, fun read, and the Kindle edition made it more enjoyable with the interactive tips and quizzes.

The moral of this book: treat others the way you would want to be treated. People in hospitality have it rough sometimes, but most of them do their job with a smile on their face even when they see some of the worst people imaginable. I give hospitality workers a lot of credit.

Since I live in New York, this was hysterical and reminded me of conversations I've had with tourists as well (thank you Bloomberg for building so many hotels in my neighborhood where I get asked all the time if my neighborhood is "safe." For the curious: it is). I also learned something new: Duck Tours. I didn't even know those existed.

I was also kind of hoping this book would be filled with more guest stories instead of snippets. I had to take a star away (oh no, I'm that kind of reviewer) for some typos and formatting issues with the Kindle (such as in Chapter 4 when I was reading about the types guests, at one point it kept directing me back to the beginning of Chapter 4. It kept doing this so I eventually redownloaded the book and had to change portrait mode to auto-rotate so it didn't send me back to the beginning of the chapter. Also, some of the pictures were cut off). Overall, this was a quick, fun, enjoyable read.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

How May We Hate You was funny. Very, very funny. The fact that the stories in the book actually happened make it all the better.
Anna and Todd use short stories, comics, sample conversations, and illustrations to show what goes on in the everyday life of a New York City hotel concierge. From the guests who think they know everything (and are actually completely clueless) to the ones from Toronto (you gotta read the book to understand that one), every page is filled with laugh-out-loud true encounters that seem almost too crazy to be true.
If I had to pick one thing about How May We Hate You that I liked most, it would be the honesty. Anna and Todd don't make themselves out to be angel-like concierges that have to deal with terrible people all day. Instead, they seem like real people who make mistakes and judgements and are just trying to do the best they can.
Some parts of the book were a little slow, and some jokes I didn't quite get, but over all I really enjoyed reading it. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction humor, or anyone who just wants to learn more about what it means to be a concierge.

[Carianne Carleo-Evangelist · Rating 4 out of 5]

Light summer fluff.
Similar to Concierge Confidential: The Gloves Come Off—and the Secrets Come Out! Tales from the Man Who Serves Millionaires, Moguls, and Madmen and Freeman Hall's Retail Hell and Return to the Big Fancy: A Riotous Descent Into the Depths of Customer, Corporate, and Coworker Hell, this book reminds you of just how weird humans can be - especially when dealing with those in a customer service role. Nothing was extremely surprising, and the NYC tips were amusing for this local. Pretty sure I'll never look at a Duck Boat in the same way though.
I had fun trying to place the authors' hotel tenure based on the Broadway shows playing: Annie and Spiderman, CATS had not yet returned.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

How May We Hate You grew out of a very successful Tumbler (with the same name) written by two young comedians that took jobs in the hospitality business to support themselves. If you like your humor served with some snark and a little nastiness on the side, then you’ll find this quite entertaining and at times laugh-out-loud funny.

The book is filled with stories and commentary on the crazy things that people do and say. At only three hours long, it’s short enough to not wear out its welcome with repetition or excessive snark, and was long enough to give me a humorous reading break.

Audio production:
The authors performed the narration themselves often using a conversational dialog or questions and answers. They did a great job that only added to the entertainment value of the book. It was an easy listen and one I would recommend to new audio listeners or those wanting to try the format. It is also a good choice for the car, especially if you make a lot of short trips as there is no plot to forget and the stories are all short.

[Tiffany M · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read and it was a quick read as well. The book kept me engaged and eager to turn the page to read what they had to write about next. It had me laughing at times, sad at times as I remembered doing some of the things they suggest not to, and eager for my next trip now that I'm equipped with so much expert knowledge. The book also gives you a huge insight into the people hotel employees have to deal with daily! Gesh! Makes you reflect back on your stays at hotels over the years and wonder what type of guest you are. It's also a great reminder to treat the concierge nicer next time and to not ask them stupid questions that they shouldn't be asked. This book is a great, entertaining book that you'll want to share with family and friends. I also LOVE how each page is different on not just filled with text. The quizzes are fun and the graphics are entertaining.

[Victorialinda Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book from goodreads giveaways.

I found this book to be an entertaining and a easy read. I am not sure I would have bought this book if I had seen it in a store. Although I laughed and at times felt very bad for the people who have to deal with people like tourist described in this book, I really don't think it is something that I would buy. I do have to give credit to those of you who have to work with people everyday because I know I definitely could not do your job. It did give me a lot of insight on hotels and how hard people work to make sure when others are traveling and on vacation that it is a pleasant experience.

[Tanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"How My We Hate You?" is a fun, quick read written by two hotel concierges who work in New York City. After having a popular blog by the same name, they wrote this book about some of the more interesting (aka crazy) people that they've encountered.

Some sections are written by both of them and others have separate entries by each of them. Even though I don't work in a hotel, I do work in retail. I swear some of the same people have come through my store.

If you're looking an entertaining read, I recommend this one. Especially if you have ever worked in retail or hospitality.

I got this book for free from the Blogging For Books website. All opinions are my own.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Heads in Beds: A Reckless Memoir of Hotels, Hustles, and So-Called Hospitality can be useful. And it is readable. This is obviously a blog. So it is hard to read as a book. And it's full of unpleasant remarks from authors that say they can't fit the environment. Which in the end might give some mild entertainment to some, but also poisons the lives of those who do work in the field as a career and not as mommy's child is going to be an important person in some other field.

[Nycole · Rating 4 out of 5]

First I have to disclose that I won the book in a goodreads sweepstakes. That being said, it was a quick and amusing read, but I wouldn't have paid to buy it.
Having worked for years in the hospitality industry myself, and being a snarky New Yorker, I found this book vastly amusing. The writers a true comedians and could easily turn this book into an ongoing SNL skit. Th one down side was, as in some SNL skits, a few stories went on too long and weren't funny.
All in all a good read and an insight on how not to be a douchebag tourist in New York.

[Diane Dachota · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wanted a quick and funny read, so thought this book about hotel concierges would be a blast. It was just ok. The jist of it seems to be that concierges feel the following: They hate the guests who stay at their hotel, and they expect these same guests to tip them a lot.

I understand there are impossible people you have to deal with in any service job. But come on, your only job as a concierge is to deal with these people. The people in this book seem to think getting Broadway tickets or limos for people is way beneath them. Isn't that your entire job?

Just failed on a humor level for me.

[Erikka · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of people reviewed this book poorly because it isn't a name-dropping tell-all. I quote: "There's nothing cool about smearing hotel guests in public" (87). This book isn't about that. It's sharing stories about experiences as general lessons of how to treat people in the service industry. It's funny, insightful, well-written, and has the best moral lesson of all: Be Nice. It's amazing what can happen when you realize service professionals are human beings. It's almost like they care about you and want to provide you with quality service. Amazing concept...

[Donnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meant as a humor book based on the authors' actual experiences working in NYC Hotels; but actually a fascinating anthropological study of New York tourists and an anthro/sociological look at the systems/culture that is the hotel business in big city America.

Also a reveal of how mean and clueless people can be--and these are people who can manage and afford to travel to a big city, sometimes from other countries. Further, the book is a reminder of how important, and beneficial to self and others, it is to be NICE.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun, quick read. This is just as much about what people working at the concierge desk really do in modern times, as it is funny or horrifying stories about what happened to them on the job.

Real my full review here.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a narrative from this, but instead it is a fun book to browse through and dabble in. Read a bit here and bit further on. Attractive and inviting layout. Fascinating stories, funny insights. Good for bathroom reading. Fun to share. Thank you to Blogging for Books for sharing this title with me in exchange for an honest review.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet pair of bloggers The service industry , in the targets of American narcissism,,,
Unfortunately you make me want to see NYC again but I promise to bring my manners!
Folks this is hisarious! Love the photos/expressions!

[Kristen · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay but not as funny as I was hoping. I would have liked more excerpts of real guest interactions. Those were the best part. Now I finally know what a concierge does though so thanks for that.

[Cristine Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, so funny! Sad that people can be so rude and inconsiderate of those that try so hard to make a person's holiday a good one by helping them with simple things such as directions, play tickets or suggestions of sites to see.