The Great Wall of China and The Petronas Towers Essays

The Great Wall of China and The Petronas Towers Essays The Great Wall of China and The Petronas Towers Paper The Great Wall of China and The Petronas Towers Paper As Asia in the recent past has opened itself up economically to the world through trade and business, so too has it opened up to tourism and the benefits that come with this new and ever-changing industry. More specifically, the variety of visitor attractions on offer around the world has developed significantly in the past twenty years (Stevens, 2000), especially in Asia, and is influenced by a variety of factors. This essay will examine two distinctly different yet similar visitor attractions in China and Malaysia, namely the Great Wall of China and the Petronas Towers, and appropriately analyse issues such as product development, market segmentation, transportation, and the overall business environment. By comparing and contrasting these attractions, it can be seen that they overlap continuously to give a dynamic representation of the visitor attraction market as a whole. Before delving into the history of these attractions, the term visitor attraction as it relates to the management and organisation of attractions in general must be defined. A complete definition, given by the English Tourism Council, states that A permanently established excursion destination, a primary purpose of which is to allow public access for entertainment, interest or education; rather than being principally a retail outlet or venue for sporting, theatrical or film performances. It must be open to the public without prior booking, for published periods each year, and should be capable of attracting tourists or day visitors as well as local residents. In addition, the attraction must be a single business, under a single management nd must be receiving revenue directly from visitors. (English Tourism Council, 2000b:24) This is relevant for both destinations, with the Great Wall allowing public access for education, open without prior booking, attracting all different visitors as well as local residents, and is receiving revenue from these tourists and The Petronas Towers, which is open without prior booking, attracting international visitors as well as locals especially for shopping interests, and is owned under a single management. Defining these two attractions in depth, it is found that both attractions fall under the category of Human made buildings, structures and sites that were designed for a purpose other than attracting visitors. (Swarbrooke, 2001:5) As well, since both attractions are owned by the public sector, their main priorities are conservation, education, public access, and increased leisure opportunities for the community. (Swarbrooke, 2001:10) In order to fully understand these two visitor attractions, it is imperative to go back to their beginnings and uncover the rich historical development that each attraction possesses. The Great Wall is by far the most famous fortification in the world, stretching more than 8,850 kilometres across China. (BBC, 2009) Its early origins can be seen from the 5th century through to 1644 when Beijing was taken by the Mongols from the North at the Shanhaiguan entrance of the Great Wall. Turnbull, 2007:6) Most of the ancient walls have eroded since then, and the Great Wall that most tourists witness today is that from the Ming Dynasty. It should be noted that the costs of the wall were great, with a possible one million people losing their lives building the wall throughout history, it has been given the title of the longest cemetery on earth. (Noll, 2010) Tourism can be said to have been developed from the 17th-20th century along with The Great Walls fame and popularity, reaching attraction status in 1957 with the opening of Badaling. Visit CHN, 2009) Restoration and rebuilding took place throughout the 20th century for tourism development and benefits, and in 1987 was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (UNESCO World Heritage Centre, 2010) With the opening up of trade with the West and its induction into the World Trade Organisation in 2001, China has developed adequate tourism facilities and attractions centred on the Great Wall for the new, large influx of visitors including museums, restaurants, hotels, chair lifts, and souvenir stalls to name a few. (Pillai, 2010) Contrasting the extensive historical development of The Great Wall going back centuries, The Petronas Twin Towers are a relatively new attraction. The Petronas gas and oil company began in 1974, and is still today owned by the Malaysian government. As of 2009, Petronas has risen to 80th largest company in the world according to Fortune 500 as well as being Asias most profitable company. (Fortune Magazine, 2009) In 1990, a competition was held to find the best architect and design group to develop a world renowned symbol for Malaysia. Pelli Crosby, 2005:7) Developing on the 100 acre site that formerly belonged to the Selangor Turf Club, the winning architects Cesar Pelli and Djay Cerico under the direction of Julius Gold, began work in 1991 on what was to be the Petronas Towers. (Pelli Crosby, 2005:8) After 7 years, $1. 6 billion dollars, 10,000 workers, and eight million square feet of shopping and entertainment facilities later, the Petronas Towers were complete. From 1998-2004, t he Petronas Towers held the position as tallest building in the world, which ended when it was surpassed by Taipei 101. The Skybridge, which is the main tourist attraction, is the highest two story bridge in the world, and only 1700 tickets are given out per day. (Petronas Twin Towers, 2010) As the historical context has been put into place, it is now relevant to examine the provisions at both visitor attractions to gain better insight into their respective operations. The Great Wall of China operates at several different sites along the Wall, although for a detailed analysis, focus will be placed on the site of Badaling which is the most popular entry since it is the nearest to Beijing. The entry to the Badaling section of the Great Wall is located 200 meters to the North of the pass, where there is a Tourism Information Centre with an information desk offering guide maps, routes, and services all in one spot. (badaling. gov. cn, 2009) As well, the increasing need to generate alternative revenue streams has led to an expansion of the core activities in many new and existing attractions, with very few now opening without some element of retail or catering. (Fyall, Garrod, Leask, Wanhill, 2008:5) This can be seen through the entry, where the tourist will find souvenir shops, handicraft artists, and paintings, some of which are prize winning works by the Beijing Tourist Commodity Design Competition. (badaling. gov. cn, 2009) South of the pass, is the Badaling Hotel and International Dining Room that was built in 1986 by the Beijing Municipal Government and has received since then, more than 100 foreign heads of states, including U. S. presidents and the Queen, as well as nearly two million tourists. badaling. gov. cn, 2009) Some of the more recent provisions have been controversial, in that they may be changing the feel of the Great Wall from a heritage and cultural site, to a theme park style attraction. These provisions include bear pits, where tourists can feed the local sun bears, as well as the Biconvex Pulley which lifts tourists to the fourth tower (of eight) for a round trip price of 60 yuan. (Travel China Guide, 2010) At other sites, such as Mutianyu, toboggan rides down are a popular new attraction. This could be due to current trends indicating an increasing need for attractions to appeal to broader audiences and to generate ever greater levels of external income, resulting in an increased mix of product offering and choice for the visitor. (Fyall, Garrod, Leask, Wanhill, 2008:7) There are also cultural offerings on display, including the Circle Cinema and the China Great Wall Museum. The Circle Cinema is the largest 360 degree circle cinema in the country. (badaling. gov. cn, 2009) The Great Wall movie is presented on the seamless screen using the latest technology and 10 projectors. Next door is the China Great Wall Museum, which looks at the Great Wall in its entirety from its history, military achievements, architecture, culture, and art. Its main purpose is for education, with interim exhibitions and academic seminars. (badaling. gov. cn, 2009) Comparing the Great Wall attractions to the Petronas Towers, it can be seen that the latter is more focused on commercialism than history and therefore offers a different array of provisions for tourists and locals alike. Until recently, the main attraction was the Skybridge at the Petronas Towers which connects the two buildings on the 41st floor. A total of 1700 tickets were given out for free at 9:00am every morning and groups of 15 are taken up to the bridge. Afterwards, the visitor could then go shopping in the adjoined Suria Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) Shopping Complex. However, recently, many new changes have taken place to expand the attractions offered. (Petronas Twin Towers, 2010) Visit packages are now be offered that not only include a visit to the famous Skybridge, but also a visit to an observation deck on a top floor of Tower 2 and a meal at the Malaysian Petroleum Club (MPC) within Tower 2 of the building. (Petronas Twin Towers, 2010) These packages will be priced from as low as RM3 for the Skybridge only up to RM350. Sometimes destinations only develop because of one specific visitor attraction, which is the case of the Petronas Twin Towers. Thus it is said, The marketing of these destinations tends to focus on these attractions so that they are often the symbol of the destination in the minds of tourists. (Swarbrooke, 2001:22) At the Suria KLCC, there are a range of luxury shops including Marks and Spencer, Louis Vuitton, and Tiffany and Co. s well as restaurants, a cinema, the Philharmonic Orchestra and Concert Hall, an art gallery, and a Science Discovery Centre. (Suria KLCC, 2010) The shopping and attractions bring economic benefits to Kuala Lumpur, and broaden the appeal of the Petronas Towers within the destination as it is designed with a seamless flow and user-friendly experience. This is significant, since visitors want attractions which are easy to use and where as little of their precious leisure time as possible is wasted on mundane tasks such as queuing. (Swarbrooke, 2001: 166) Before focusing on the market potential for the Great Wall, it is important to understand its catchment area. World famous attractions such as the Great Wall have a large, international catchment area with visitors from all over the world coming to the attraction. Identifying the catchment area is crucial because its population size determines likely visitor numbers and because it helps marketers to decide where to place advertisements for the attraction. (Swarbrooke, 2001:77) As well, the importance of catchment areas is pertinent as unlike commodities, the product offer has to be consumed at the place of production. (Fyall, Garrod, Leask, Wanhill 2008:349) However, while the international market is important, it is crucial to understand that domestic market potential is far greater than the international inbound market. This is due to the introduction of Golden Weeks, an improving economy, and a rise in the middle class- mainly higher income urbanites. (Mintel, 2010) To demonstrate this increase, the tourism sector has risen by 9% in revenue in 2009, and is looking to achieve an increase of 14% in 2010. (International Herald Tribune, 2010) Although leisure travel is a fairly new concept to the Chinese, as the economy grew in the 1990s, domestic trips grew 54% from 1996-2006. (IHT, 2010) The year 1999 saw the introduction of the Golden Weeks holidays aimed to increase domestic tourism. These weeks included the Lunar New Year (January-February), the National Holiday (October), and the government is looking to reinstate Labour Day Holiday (May). (Mintel, 2010)

The Problems of Pollution essays

The Problems of Pollution essays I think that pollution is a serious and growing problem throughout the world today. Pollution is the contamination of the earths environment with materials that interfere with human health, the quality of life, and natural functioning of living things and their surroundings. Although some environmental pollution is a result of natural causes, most of it is caused by human activities; therefore I believe that humans have created a problem which should be taken care of before other things. There are two main categories of polluting materials, or pollutants, biodegradable and nondegradable. Biodegradable pollutants are materials, such as sewage, that rapidly decompose by natural processes. These pollutants become a problem when added to the environment faster than they can decompose. Nondegradable pollutants are materials that either do not decompose or decompose very slowly into the natural environment. Once contamination occurs, it is difficult or impossible to remove these pollutants from the environment. Pollution has a dramatic effect on natural resources. Ecosystems such as forests, wetlands, coral reefs, and rivers perform many important services for the earths environment. They enhance water and air quality, provide habitat for plants and animals, and provide food and medicines. Any or all of these ecosystem functions may be seriously impaired or destroyed by pollution. Moreover, because of the complex relationships among the many types of organisms and ecosystems, environmental contamination may have far-reaching consequences that are not immediately obvious or easy to predict. For example, the use of aerosols, which contain chemicals called CFCs, can damage the ozone layer. Destruction of the ozone layer is predicted to cause increases in skin cancer and cataracts, damage to certain crops and to plankton and the marine food web, and an increase in carbon dioxide due to the decre ...

Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Research Paper Example I will the use the comparison to explain the low and slow adoption Rate of Windows 8 in the Enterprise. Ultimately, I will use the benefits of each version to show how they affect perceived usefulness and perceive ease-to-use. The Technology Adoption Model (TAM) refers to an information system, which depicts how users accept and adopt technological innovations. TAM establishes various factors, which determine how and when users will adopt new technology. The named factors include the perceived ease-to-use and the significance of the new technology (Furneaux, 2006). Any new technology should be easy to use and able to enhance performance. In this context, Microsoft 8 should have an operating system that satisfies these factors. However, Microsoft 8 has many failures and has an operating system that has low perceived ease-to-use and little significance. As such, it does not satisfy the TAM factors and hence enterprise will not be considering moving to Windows 8. Indeed, Windows 8 does not meet the needs of Microsoft users. Windows Vista operating system is applicable on personal computers. It entails built-in accessibility settings and programs that enhance its usability in a computer. Indeed, the accessibility settings and programs are ease-of-use features, which enhance hearing and seeing thus enabling users with visual, cognitive, and hearing difficulties to use personal computers (Microsoft, 2013). Additionally, the availability of the Ease of Access Center in Windows Vista promotes the access and use of this version through improving the speech recognition and magnification capabilities (Microsoft, 2013). Additionally, Windows Vista Aero Glass and the updated graphical user interface also improved the usability of Windows Vista. The highlighting within the minimizing, maximizing, and exiting buttons for all applications improved the ease-of-use in this Microsoft version (Microsoft, 2013). As such, Windows Vista has significant change of usability and ease-of -use. However, there are other changes in the user interface, which seemingly make no sense. Overall, the above technological aspects amount to benefits, which improve the perceived usefulness and perceived ease-to-use of Windows Vista. Windows 7 has improved usability and ease-of-use, which depicts through the accessibility options and programs that makes usability easier. It also allows for the personalization of a PC by allowing changes in the PC’s colors, font size, and sounds (Microsoft, 2013). Windows 7 has a magnifier that enlarges item of the screen and an On-Screen Keyboard that makes it easier to use a computer (Microsoft, 2013). Additionally, Windows 7 encompasses innovation of speech recognition and touch technology that equally improves usability. More so, Microsoft users can enjoy speech recognition in Windows 7, which enables them to command and dictate any application in a computer (Micro

The recent Supreme Court decision allowing large corporations to run Essay

The recent Supreme Court decision allowing large corporations to run their own political ads - Essay Example However, just before the crucial 2010 midterm congressional election period, this law was partly upended by the United States Supreme Court. In the case of Citizens United versus Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court, by a 5-4 votes, ruled that corporations and unions were constitutionally allowed to spend as much money as they can on campaign ads supporting particular candidates (Francia 16). However, the corporations were still prohibited from donating money directly to campaigns. Ever since its ruling, the court’s decision to allow large corporations run their own ads has received mixed reactions among politicians, scholars, lawyers and the rest of the citizens. Whereas some people have been in favor of the ruling, others have strongly contested the decision, terming it a threat to democracy (Carney 2). Those against the ruling argue that the decision favors republicans, threatens democracy and allows for election interference by the corporations, as they can now r un their own ads in support of a specific candidate (Kosterlitz 5). However, this is just fear of unknown. For as much as the ruling might have negative implications on the federal elections, these arguments are not true and, as far as I am concerned, the decision will not have drastic effects on the politics of the United States of America, especially the elections. Therefore, to arrive at the conclusion that the ruling will not threaten the democracy of this nation but actually help it, this paper will make several observations. First, the argument that the court’s ruling greatly favors republicans is not true because, as opposed to the previous years, nowadays most large corporations hedge their bets and give donations to both parties. In fact, they give donations to whoever is in power, or possibly going to be (Carney 2). This explains why the Obama campaigns were able to do so well. All the funds used in the campaign did not only come from individuals, a huge portion cam e from large corporation, that is, their PACs. Therefore, the ruling will not favor republicans, but it will favor the most promising or prominent party. Secondly, the claim that large corporations will greatly dominate or interfere with the politics of the country is perplexing (Carney 2). For quite a long time even before the ruling, large corporations, such as New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, among others, have had the ability to further their political needs. Under the political action committees (PACs), they have been given the permission to support and donate to political parties or candidates. Moreover, most unions or corporate lobbyist PACs have been running ads about various issues or in support of various candidates. Therefore, it a fact that this ruling will not change the politics or the election of the country, but it will just eliminate the middleman, PACs (Carney 2). Finally, the ruling is good for small businesses because it could promote free market competition. Previously, before the court’s ruling, small businesses could not compete effectively with the large corporations because they had no PACs and lacked money to give to powerful lobbyists, who had PACs, to act on their behalf. Large corporations, such as Wal-Mart, had great influence on political issues of the country and, thus, received favors from the political divine, leaving the small firms to deteriorate further and go out of business. However, with the ruling, the small firms

A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay Example for Free

A Good Man Is Hard to Find Essay One might think that Grandmothers are sweet and loving, and often innocent due to their advanced age and condition. We, as society, think of them as great examples of people that radiate love, mentors, and defenders of morality and good manners. However, this is not the case in A Good Man Is Hard to Find, by Flannery O’Connor. As the story unfolds, her personality reflects that hidden evil we all carry inside and how detouring on a route takes a whole family to face disastrous consequences, yet one person finds redemption from that evil. A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a story that symbolizes redemption, because there is a sinner, there is a journey, and there is redemption. In our society we tend to minimize, and sometimes erase the word â€Å"sin† because, for the most part, it bothers people’s conscience. Although the word â€Å"sin† is not explicitly exposed in the story A Good Man is Hard to Find, the action and consequences of sin are vividly present throughout the story, in all the characters, especially the Grandmother. The main character and sinner in the story is the Grandmother because she is described as an egocentric person, since the situation they face is that they are all captives of the serial killer, â€Å"The Misfit†, and she bargains for her life only. The grandmother said, â€Å"You wouldn’t shoot a lady, would you? † (Flannery O’Connor 313). This is an obvious example of how she doesn’t stop to think about the rest of her family. In addition, one might think that in various occasions the Grandmother makes simple comments that compare different times of her life, the present and how things used to be. On the other hand, Grandmothers’ comments represent the comparison between the dark past of society and the reality that it hasn’t changed much. During the trip, Grandmother makes a comment that reflects her comparisons; she said â€Å"In my time, children were more respectful of their native states and their parents and everything else. People did right then† (Flannery O’Connor 308). In the same scene, Grandmother contradicts herself by saying, â€Å"Little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do. If I could paint, I’d paint that picture,† (Flannery O’Connor 308). No argument, she is a barefaced hypocrite. Furthermore, the way she dressed to go on a road trip, as the author describes the grandmother, â€Å"Had on a navy blue straw sailor hat with a bunch of white violets on a brim and a navy dress with a small white dot on print. †(Flannery O’Connor 307). Also, her jewelry â€Å"her collars and cuffs where white organdy trimmed with lace and her neckline she had pinned a purple spray of cloth violets containing a sachet. (Flannery O’Connor 307). Her exaggerated outfit, plus the extreme jewelry for a road trip reflects her ego and her desire to be noticed as a lady. Whether one believes in God, or not, we all embark on the journey of life, in which we experience an inner transformation. Any journey has a destination; however, decisions made during the trip may alter the destination and its outcome. Flannery O’Connor uses the road trip to represent the pilgrimage Grandmother and her family must go through. Since the beginning of the trip, Grandmother took unnecessary stuff, â€Å"her big black valise that looked like a head of a hippopotamus†, and her mascot â€Å"Pitty Sing, the cat† (Flannery O’Connor 307), knowing that this action will incommode the family and eventually be a factor of the cause of the accident. One might think that the baggage represents only inconvenience; nonetheless, this represents ones’ regrets or transgressions that haven’t been forgiven nor forgotten. During the trip, the Grandmother makes an important remark about her past when she used to date Mr. Teagarden by saying, â€Å"She would of have done well to marry Mr. Teagarden because he was a gentleman and had bought Coca-Cola stock when first came out and that he had died only a few years ago, a very wealthy man. † (Flannery O’Connor 309). It shows her nostalgia and regret of not marrying that man but it certainly also shows her ambition. She evidently hasn’t experienced true love. Thus, it certainly shows that her baggage did not consist only of clothing and jewelry, but of nostalgia and regret. In addition, the same illusion of her romance with Mr. Teagarden triggered the inner desire in her dream to go visit the plantation and the house where, as Grandmother said, â€Å"You sat down with your suitor after a stroll in the garden. † (Flannery O’Connor 311). Eventually, in a self-centered act, she â€Å"craftily† (Flannery O’Connor 311) lies, causing the detouring of the route. They have taken a dangerous dirty road, as the author describes it â€Å"was hilly and there were sudden washes in it and sharp curves on dangerous embankments† (Flannery O’Connor 312). As a result, while driving on that dangerous road, the accident happened due to Grandmother’s recklessness. This situation metaphors the choices one makes in life and their consequences. The accident is just a sign of how one falls through the journey. There could not be a redemption story without a Savior, and a sinner to whom needs to be redeemed. After the accident, everyone got out of the car and saw the car approaching far away, â€Å"on top of a hill†, giving the sense that help is coming from above, which in a Biblical way, is symbolically showing that help is coming from heaven. In addition, when they arrived, â€Å"the Misfit† gets out, standing in front of them, â€Å"looking down at them† (Flannery O’Connor 313). He is accompanied by two fellows; one wearing a â€Å"shirt with a silver stallion†. All of these details represent a Redeemer, or a Godly figure. In addition, the Redeemer quickly finds who is in need to be redeemed when Grandmother makes a terrible mistake by recognizing the criminal â€Å"You’re the Misfit† she said (Flannery O’Connor 313). At this point, she has commended her whole family and The Misfit confirms that saying â€Å"it would have been better for all of you, lady, if you hadn’t reckernized me. † (Flannery O’Connor 313). Grandmother responds, â€Å"You wouldn’t shoot a lady, would you? † (Flannery O’Connor 313). This action confirms the Misfit that she is the sinner who hasn’t repented from all her sins since she reflects the egocentrism of worrying about her life only, without any given thought about the whole family, not even the children. The Misfit uses the desperation and impotence of the lady to make her realize that there is no escape from the inevitable. As he starts killing the family using the help from his assistants, Grandmother starts to appeal to the Misfit’s heart by saying, â€Å"You’ve got good blood! I know you wouldn’t shoot a lady! † (Flannery O’Connor 316). As the other half of the family was killed, Grandmother tells the Misfit, â€Å"You are one of my own children† (Flannery O’Connor 317) appealing that he would feel loved and would let her live. Nonetheless, she got shot and the Misfit said, â€Å"She would have been a good woman, if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life. † (Flannery O’Connor 317). This is the vivid example of redemption because in order to know good, and be good, we must face that adversary that puts one to the test and pulls out the good from within. One might relate to the Grandmothers’ feelings of impotence and desperation because when suffering, or facing death, one realizes the true beauty of life and its richness that most of the time are unnoticed due to one’s blindness from sin. In conclusion, A Goodman is Hard to Find is a story that symbolizes redemption because there is a sinner, there is a journey, and there is redemption. As the story unfolds, her personality reflects that hidden evil we all carry inside and how a route’s detour takes a whole family to face disastrous consequences, yet one person finds redemption from that evil. One might think that Grandmothers are all sweet, loving, often innocent, mentors, and defenders of morality and good manners. Nonetheless, this was not the case in this story.

Xerox :: essays research papers

COUNTRY ISSUES Culture, Social, and Demographics:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When examining any company and their possible expansion into new markets you must first examine the culture, social, and demographic issues impacting foreign businesses. The Colombian culture has begun to show a bias towards American products as recently as 1998. As written in Carol Casper's New York Times article, 'There is a lot of interest in U.S. concepts and products...'; in not only Colombia but also all of Latin America. The interest has caused more American firms to begin to see these developing attitudes and expand their businesses into Latin America. For Xerox to also take part in this expansion they would be able to take advantage of the new interest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Colombians, although, are not welcoming these companies with open arms. There is an interest in the U.S. businesses but as Dianna Jean Schemo reports; it is not uncommon to be threatened by the cartels of Colombia. These cartels want in on the inflow of money and will get involved in kidnappings and murderer if they see it necessary. In 1996, the last year these figures are available, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported 19,645 homicides while in Colombia there were 26,627. For the fear of being on the wrong end of such instances American businesses need to be extra careful when trying to penetrate the Colombian marketplace. Xerox would not be as impacted by the threat of cartel interference. The cartels become more involved with restaurants and oil companies that have developed in Colombia. They have not developed any interest in the technology industry as of yet.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Colombia has a population of 37 million Spanish-speaking people. The annual growth rate is 1.7% and 95% of the population is Roman Catholic. In the urban areas a 93% literacy rate was found, as opposed to a 67% literacy rate in rural areas. This is due to the fact that only five years of primary school are offered in rural areas. This information regarding the population is encouraging. Although the rural population's literacy rate is low, the urban rate is quite high for a Latin American country. This rate leads me to believe that for Xerox to expand in this market with its technology/communication equipment would not be a problem. The majority of the targeted population where Xerox would be selling their products could understand the benefits of their product and would want to purchase Xerox products. Political/Governmental Concerns:

Room Division Management Sample Case Study

Rooms Division Management Case Study#3: 10% Total /40 MarksThe Safe Deposit Box That Wasn’t Amanda stood beh†¦ Rooms Division Management Case Study#3: 10% Total /40 Marks â€Å"The Safe Deposit Box That Wasn’t Amanda stood behind the front desk of the Metropolitan, a 376-room upscale hotel, and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach. It was just her second day on the job, and there was so much to remember! She glanced over at Ron, standing at the other end of the counter.It was comforting to have him working the shift with her—he had worked for the Metropolitan for two years and had been a big help yesterday whenever she got flustered or confused. Her first day was extremely busy because everybody was checking in for the annual Aluminum Siding Trade Show and Convention that started today. In a way, it was good that her first day was so busy, because she hadn't had time to be nervous. But today, most of the hotel's guests were off attending the show at the convention center downtown and the Metropolitan was relatively quiet. Amanda gazed across the opulent lobby at the bank of house phones.A middle-aged woman in a tight, leopard-print jumpsuit was speaking angrily into one of the telephones, her free arm, festooned with gold and black bracelets, waving in the air as she pounded home her points to the unfortunate soul on the other end of the line. At this distance Amanda could faintly hear the clicking of the bracelets but could not make out what the woman was saying. Finally the woman slammed the receiver down in its cradle and started looking frantically around the lobby. When her eyes settled on Amanda, the woman grabbed the gold vinyl suitcase at her feet and strode purposefully toward the front desk. Oh, please,† thought Amanda, â€Å"don't come over here, go talk to Ron! † But the woman stayed on course, and Amanda had plenty of time to take in the big hair, the heavy makeup, and the wounded, self-righteous ex pression before the woman stopped in front of her and said: â€Å"There's something wrong with your phones! † â€Å"Ma'am? † â€Å"I can't get through to my husband's room. I kept dialing ‘326,' but I couldn't get through. † Ron stepped in smoothly. â€Å"Our house phones no longer connect directly to the guestrooms. † â€Å"Yeah, yeah, that's what the operator said. That's not very convenient, you know,† the woman responded. We changed our system in order to provide more privacy and security for our guests,† Ron continued. â€Å"Did the operator reach your husband for you? † â€Å"No, she started explaining why dialing ‘326' wasn't working and I told her what I thought of her new system before I hung up on her. † From her training, Amanda remembered that you were never to put callers through to guestrooms if they only asked to be put through to a certain room number. You always had to ask whom the person was calling , so you could confirm that the person knew the guest and was not simply calling rooms at random.Thieves, for example, had been known to call room after room until they found one that was empty, then go ransack the room. â€Å"What's your husband's name? † Amanda asked. â€Å"We can try to connect you here at the front desk. † â€Å"Virgil Jones,† the woman responded. Amanda moved to the computer and called up Virgil's reservations record. Yes, a Virgil H. Jones was registered in Room 326. â€Å"Mr. Jones checked in to Room 326 yesterday—let me try and reach him for you. † Amanda picked up the front desk telephone, dialed, and listened to the phone ring ten times. Sorry, there's no answer. † â€Å"That's okay—just give me a key to the room then,† ordered the woman. Immediately a red flag went up for Amanda. New as she was, she was well aware that key control was an extremely important issue at the Metropolitan. â€Å"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's against our policy to give out keys to guests who are not registered. Mr. Jones is the only person registered for that room. † â€Å"But I'm his wife! Look,† the woman rummaged through her handbag and came up with her driver's license, â€Å"here's my I. D. I'm Sheila Jones.See? That's me there. † â€Å"I'm sorry, Ms. Jones,† Amanda said. â€Å"Had your husband told us you were coming, we would have noted it in the reservations record and there'd be no problem. But we're not allowed to let unregistered guests into rooms. † She glanced at Ron. â€Å"That's right, Ms. Jones,† Ron said. â€Å"We'd do the same thing for you. It's actually against the law to admit an unregistered guest to a room. † â€Å"My husband doesn't know I'm coming. I didn't think I would get off work, but my boss finally gave in. † Sheila Jones put on an ingratiating smile. â€Å"Can't you break the rules just this once?I really want to surp rise Virgil. † â€Å"I'm sorry,† Amanda said, â€Å"we really can't. † She looked at Ron again for support, and he nodded in agreement. â€Å"Is your husband here for the big convention? † Amanda asked. Sheila nodded sulkily. â€Å"Then he's probably at the Grandthorpe right now—that's the big convention hotel downtown. That's where the trade show is. † â€Å"I'll never find him there,† Sheila fumed. â€Å"You're welcome to look around in our restaurant and lounge to make sure he's not still here. † â€Å"It would be a lot easier if you'd just let me in the room,† Sheila grumbled. â€Å"I'm tired—it was a long drive. Amanda tried to give Sheila her best empathetic smile. â€Å"I'm sorry. I'll tell you what—if you can't find him, let us know and we'll put you in another guestroom temporarily so you can freshen up. † â€Å"I suppose that'll have to do,† Sheila said wearily. â€Å"I'm not gonna bother looking for him. I'm tired, and if he's not in his room he's probably at the convention like you said. Just give me a room. † After Sheila collected a key to Room 287 and left in a huff, Ron congratulated Amanda for a job well done. â€Å"You did the right thing. Her I. D. proves she's Sheila Jones, but it doesn't prove she's Virgil's wife.She probably really is his wife, and ninety-nine times out of a hundred probably nothing bad would happen if we let a wife or a husband or a brother or somebody into a room. But it's not worth taking a chance on violating the privacy or compromising the safety of our guests. It's that one time in a hundred that can lead to serious trouble. † Thankfully, Sheila did not make another appearance and the rest of the morning passed uneventfully. Just after Amanda returned to the front desk after lunch, a short, balding fellow in a shiny blue suit approached the desk and gave her a big smile. â€Å"Hi, I'm Virgil Jones, Room 326.Any messages or mail for me? † â€Å"No, Mr. Jones, but someone was asking about you. A Ms. Sheila Jones was here. She said she was your wife and wanted to wait for you in your room, but we had to turn her down. † Virgil looked startled rather than pleased. â€Å"Where is she now? † â€Å"We put her in another room so she could freshen up. Let me call her and let her know you're here. † Amanda called Room 287 and in a few minutes Sheila appeared in the lobby. â€Å"Hi, baby! † Virgil called out when he saw her, rushing up and giving her a bear hug. Sheila looked at Amanda over Virgil's shoulder and tried to pull away. That's enough, honey. † She extracted herself and approached the front desk. â€Å"Thanks for the room,† she said to Amanda. â€Å"I feel so much better after my shower. † â€Å"You're welcome. † â€Å"I forgot to bring my room key down with me. Can I return it later, or do you want it right away? I'll be moving over to Virgil's room now. † â€Å"Just leave it in the room, that's fine,† Amanda said. â€Å"Do you need any help with moving your luggage? I can send a bellperson up. † Virgil shook his head. â€Å"We can handle it. Thanks. † __________________ The next day Amanda experienced her first time alone at the front desk.Ron had an early dental appointment and wouldn't be in until 11:00. Even though the front desk manager assured Amanda that he would be available in case things got busy, Amanda crossed her fingers and hoped for an uneventful morning. It was just before nine o'clock when Sheila appeared in the lobby again, dressed slightly more conservatively in a tight purple jumpsuit. She smiled at Amanda and held up a safe deposit box key. â€Å"Good morning. I'd like to get into our safe deposit box, please. † Thank goodness I don't have to say ‘no' to her again, Amanda thought gratefully. â€Å"Yes, Ms. Jones, right this way, please. Quickly , Amanda mentally reviewed her training in how to handle safe deposit box requests as she led Sheila into the small safe deposit box room just to the right of the front desk. One side wall contained the bank of safe deposit boxes; the master key to all the boxes hung by a chain secured to the wall. Pushed against the opposite wall was a narrow table with a file box on it. Let's see, Amanda mused, I'm supposed to ask for identification, pull the card, get the card signed, initial the card—okay, I can do this. â€Å"Can I see some identification, please? † Sheila groaned. â€Å"Not this again,† she grumbled.She opened her handbag and came up with her driver's license again. â€Å"Thank you,† Amanda said, and looked under the â€Å"J's† in the file box for the right card. There it was: Box 116, signed out by Mr. Virgil H. Jones. â€Å"Will you sign the card, please? And I'll initial your signature. † Amanda gave Sheila the card and a pen and in dicated the narrow table. Sheila signed the card and gave the pen to Amanda; Amanda initialed the card and recorded the date and time. â€Å"Thank you. † Amanda put the card back in the file box. â€Å"Now I'll put my key in the box and turn it. † Amanda found Box 116 and turned the master key in the appropriate lock. And now your key. † Sheila stepped forward and turned her key in the second lock. Amanda swung the box door open, pulled the long, narrow drawer from the box, and handed the drawer to Sheila. â€Å"I'll be right outside—just let me know when you're finished. † â€Å"That won't be necessary,† Sheila said—somewhat grimly, Amanda thought. â€Å"This will only take a second. † Amanda turned her back discreetly while Sheila placed the drawer on the table. Amanda heard the metallic creak of the lid lifting, then a sharp intake of breath from Sheila, and then something like a sob. Amanda resisted the impulse to turn aroun d.It's none of our business, it's rude, and it might get us into trouble, she remembered Ron telling her, so never watch guests get into their safe deposit boxes. Amanda was thinking of quietly leaving the room when she heard the lid close and Sheila said, â€Å"Okay, I'm done, thank you. † Amanda turned around and took the box from Sheila. The lighting in the room made it hard to tell, but Amanda thought Sheila's eyes were redder and puffier than before. Amanda returned the drawer to its box, swung the box door shut, and turned both keys in their locks. She let the master key hang by its chain and handed the guest key back to Sheila. Is there anything else I can do for you? † â€Å"No, thanks,† Sheila sniffed with a sad smile. â€Å"You've done quite enough. † __________________ The next day was Amanda's day off. Ron was at the front desk with another guest service representative named Dennis when Virgil Jones approached just after 8 a. m. , looking puzzl ed. â€Å"This is going to sound like a strange question,† he said, â€Å"but—have you seen my wife? † â€Å"No, sir, not this morning,† Ron replied. â€Å"I didn't hear her get up, and her suitcase is gone. † Virgil rubbed his chin for a moment, then shrugged. â€Å"I'm sure she'll turn up,† he turned to go. Like a bad penny,† he said under his breath as he walked away. About 20 minutes later, Virgil was back at the front desk, looking considerably more anxious than before. â€Å"I can't find my safe deposit box key,† he said to Ron. â€Å"Do you have a spare? I need to check on something right away. † Ron shook his head. â€Å"I'm sorry, sir, but, for security reasons, we don't have spare keys to any of our boxes. † â€Å"What do we do now? I've got to get into that box! † â€Å"Well, you have two options,† Ron said. â€Å"One, we can call a locksmith. The firm we use is good about coming out right away.They're usually here between a half hour and an hour after we call—and I believe the last time they came out for this they charged around $80. Whatever the charge is, we will add it to your room bill. Or, two, I can call our maintenance department and have one of the staff ‘punch' the lock for us. He can probably be up here in just a few minutes, but if you choose this option there's a $100 charge because we'll have to replace the lock. † â€Å"Call the maintenance guy,† Virgil said grimly. â€Å"I'm not waiting no hour. † â€Å"Very well. † Ron moved to the front desk phone and spoke a few words into it before returning to Virgil. â€Å"He'll be up right away.Do you remember your safe deposit box number? † Virgil was churning his fingers through his hair, a worried expression on his face. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"Maybe 110, 218? I don't know. † â€Å"Well, we can look it up in our files. Excuse me for a moment. â €  Dennis was busy with another guest, so Ron answered the front desk telephone. When Ron hung up, he smiled and waved to a young man just getting off one of the lobby elevators. â€Å"Ah, here's Ted already. † Ted was in a gray maintenance uniform and carrying a box of tools. â€Å"Come with me, please,† Ron said to Ted, and then, â€Å"Mr. Jones, right this way. † The three men entered the safe deposit box room.Ron opened the file box and turned to Virgil. â€Å"Can I see some I. D. , please? † Virgil pulled out a fat wallet and gave Ron his driver's license. â€Å"Thank you. † Ron put the license on the table and flipped quickly to the â€Å"J's† in the file box. There was the card: Box 116, signed out by Virgil H. Jones. Ron compared the signature on the license to the signature on the card, nodded, and gave the license back to Virgil. Ron noticed that Virgil had not gotten into the box since he had first opened it up, but that Sheila Jones had signed for it yesterday. Ron looked at the initials alongside the signature: â€Å"A. M. —Amanda Muldinado—and shook his head. Rookies, he thought. â€Å"It looks like you reserved box 116, Mr. Jones,† Ron said. â€Å"Sign here, please, and we'll get it open for you right away. † Ron pushed the card over to Virgil before turning to put the master key in the master-key lock for box 116 and turning it. Virgil started to sign the card but stopped. â€Å"I see my wife's signature here. She got into the box yesterday? † â€Å"Looks like it,† Ron said. Behind them Ted set down his box of tools. After a couple of sharp blows, Ted said, â€Å"All set. † Ron pulled the long drawer out of box 116 and handed it to Virgil. â€Å"We'll leave you alone now, Mr.Jones,† Ron said quickly, and motioned for Ted to exit. Ron was hardly back at the front desk before Virgil reappeared. â€Å"Is everything all right, Mr. Jones? † à ¢â‚¬Å"No, everything is not all right,† Virgil said in measured tones. â€Å"Something's missing. † Ron's heart started to pound. â€Å"Oh, no! What's missing? Can you describe it? † â€Å"There was a solid gold I. D. bracelet in there with the name ‘Mitzy' engraved on it,† Virgil said grimly. â€Å"Now it's gone. † â€Å"Oh, no,† Ron said again. â€Å"And now my wife is gone,† Virgil continued. â€Å"I hope this hotel makes a lot of money,† he said with quiet fury, â€Å"because the Metropolitan's going to pay for my divorce. Discussion Questions Several issues are raised in this Case Study relating to class discussion on Security, Innkeeper’s Act and the Privacy Act. Why does Virgil Jones think that he might have grounds to compel the Metropolitan to â€Å"pay for his divorce†? Or, to put it another way, did Amanda, Ron, or any other hotel staff member make any serious mistakes in dealing with Virgil or Sh eila? If so, what were those mistakes? Point out in your discussion the things the hotel staff did right in relation to guest security. Explain in