Service: The Bad & the Good

You hear lots of stories about the difficulties of finding people to work for basic wages in Yk. I see signs at all the fast food joints looking for help. Javaroma--the one good coffee joint here--has been advertising for a general manager, assistant manager, baristas and other help, for weeks. It looks as though 12-year-olds are working there on weekends. I've been to a restaurant for breakfast where I was warned it would take half an hour because they had only one cook. The difficulty in attracting workers no doubt affects the hotel trade too. That may explain the inconsistency in service here at the Nova Court Suites. OK, I'm living the good life, with maid service twice a week. But that's part of the deal, so when you come home and find the garbage hasn't been removed or the towels not replaced, it's an annoyance. Sometimes they forget to give me a clean dish cloth and tea towel (though the dirty ones have been spirited away). But the biggest headache has to do with towels. At first, I noticed not as many were being replaced. Then I wasn't getting any facecloths. After Carsten left, and I had a huge load of dirty towels, they didn't give me clean ones for a week! And, as you can see in the above photo, some of the linen looks like it's been put through a shredder. When I complain, the answer is: Oh, we don't have enough to go around.

The women who clean the rooms aren't given enough supplies from day to day. The unhelpful redhead at the front desk, shrugs and says she can't do anything. When I suggested to one person, that I'd have to complain to management, she responded: "He can't do anything, it's all handled in Edmonton." This hotel/apartment/suite complex is part of a chain.
I wondered why I kept seeing bags of garbage by the elevator--now I know why: after a week of no pick-up, I too have resorted to the same direct action. I don't know whether my complaints have had an impact, or it's just another example of the inconsistency but my room was cleaned this week on Friday, Sunday & Monday. Today they didn't take my garbage and, for some reason, took away my cutting board. But I did get two facecloths and towels!


On a another positive note: after much fear and trepidation, I had my hair cut and coloured after work today. I'd been told before I came up that the only haircutting place in town is The Chopping Block. However, there are a few other places, including Vixen, the trendiest place in town.


Twenty-year-old Lacey renewed my blondness and gave me a "contour" cut. It was twice the price that I pay in Halifax, but I pay an absurdly low fee there.

Lacey has lived here 15 years and loves it. She couldn't wait to get out of Edmonton where she took her hairstyling course. Her parents take in foster kids. They have five boys now, all with disabilities. Most are crack or FAS babies.