People ask what sort of contract I
have with hotels. The answer is none. Staff call because I’m easy to reach and
quick to respond. Once they’ve called a few times, they’re not inclined to
change.
But hotel doctoring is a glamorous
occupation, so plenty of doctors yearn to break in.
How can they do this? Guests who want
help ask a concierge, desk clerk, operator, or bellman. You might think that
they’re given the name of the house doctor, but there is often no such person.
Except in luxury hotels, selecting a doctor is not a priority, so the choice
may be up to the employee.
This is no secret, so entrepreneurial
doctors know who to approach. But how can he phrase a sales pitch? Proclaiming
that he is caring, compassionate, and skilled sounds creepy. Doctor web sites
and housecall agencies always proclaim this, but you should be skeptical. I’ve
worked for dozens; they may check my license and malpractice history but never
my competence.
The new doctor might offer to charge
less, but he never does. The free market doesn’t apply to a medical fee, and
hotels don’t care about it.
So what’s left? Services selling to a
hotel (florists, tours, masseurs, limousines) often pay a kickback, and there
is a long tradition of hotel doctors doing the same. It’s illegal for a doctor
to pay for a referral, and I hasten to admit that I have no evidence that anyone
is doing that, but when I start hearing “have you forgotten something?....”
hints from bellmen et al, I wonder if a new competitor is making the rounds.
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