Business Owner-My right to refuse service

Hello everyone-

This is my first post on this forum so hopefully I can get some serious advice on my issue. I am a hotel owner and manager in the state of TX. I understand I can refuse service to anyone as long as I don't violate any federal/state civil rights laws. I know I cannot refuse service based on discrimination of a protected sector/class, such as, race/ethnicity, handicap (ADA), *** and religion (I NEVER would since it is against my moral values). Anyhow, today I had a customer who was irate and frustrated with my check-in policies. The customer made a reservation with the chain's reservation line and provided them a credit card to hold the reservation. Let me state that I am an independent owner/operator under a franchise license agreement with a major franchise brand/hotel group. Even if a customer provides the the corporate reservation line or online on the website with a credit card, the franchisor doesn't charge the credit card...only directly the hotel (merchant) can. He arrived at the front desk and advised the front desk clerk he wanted to pay cash upon checkout. Our policy states he can pay cash at check in or check out however cash paying customers must provide a credit card (for damage, incidental fees or not paying/skipping out on the hotel bill). Ok, so the customer wanted to pay cash upon checkout however he refused to provide his credit card so we can preauthorize and hold the amount of the bill just in case he doesn't pay in the morning with cash. This is my business policy as I need to protect my business interests. We will check in cash paying customers as long as they provide their credit card so we can swipe and put an authorization hold onto the card for the total amount of the bill. We can void the hold once the customer pays in cash upon checkout. So.....the customer refused to provide the credit card and he wanted to check-in. I advised him this is against our company check-in policy and I cannot check him in unless he provided the credit card. He stated that we were in violation with my franchise hotel check-in policy and I advised him this property is an independently owned/operated establishment and I can set my own company policies as long they are not in violation of federal/state/county/city/my corporate franchisor regulations and laws. He adamantly argued with me that I am binded to the franchisor's policies (again, I own this business and my franchisor does NOT regulate/dictate how I can run my business as long as I am within brand/operational standards!) He states he has never come across this issue. So basically this customer refused to give me a form of payment and if I checked him in...he stated would still complain to the customer care line about our hotel check-in policies. At that point, I stated to the customer I am going to refuse service to you because you are not adhering to my check-in/payment policies and you are threatening me and my business by stating you are going to complain to the franchisor's guest service line. Let me state that customer care reports generated by the customer costs me allotment points and fees. So I refused the customer service, he stormed off and told me in front of other customers that he would hire an attorney and call the customer care line. The other customers stated to me he was way out of line and wasn't making sense. My question is "Am I in my legal right to refuse to check him in and refuse service" in this situation?" This has nothing to do with discrimination and has all to do with a business related issue and therefore I refused service. Please give me your serious/honest opinons! Thank you for your time folks!!!

IF he did not comply with standard operating procedures and if you are at liberty to set your own independently of the franchise, he is out of luck. You could not refuse him service if he threatened to complain, but you can for his failure to provide a credit card. That is standard operating procedure.

I was in a store today that did not accept debit cards. I was unable to purchase anything there because I did not want to write a check. Well, if I don't want to write a check and they do not take debit cards, they are not refusing service-----I am not meeting the standard to RECEIVE service in the first place.
I wouldn't worry about this too much, if indeed, everything you said is true.

Thanks for your advice. yeah, everything I wrote on that long thread post is true (no sugarcoating since I wanted honest/serious opinions). He didn't want to comply with my payment/check-in policy, period. I wanted his business but I am so strict with my check-in/payment policies because we have been burned in the past. Also, you had mentioned that I couldn't refuse him service because he threatened to complain...well he doesn't have a valid complaint and corporate would have advised him to contact me to resolve the issue. Again, customer care reports that generate from the complaint line does cost me allotment points and possibly fee's. That's one of the reasons why I didn't want to provide him service cause he would've complained and caused disruption to my business and operations. Well again, much thanks and appreciation for your reply. Cheers!

FORUM MEMBERS-

Please give your opinions/advice/response. Thank you so much everyone. It is much appreciated for your time!