'You will give me a room!': Demanding customer faces off with a frustrated hotel clerk facing technical issues

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 11, 2023 11:00 AM EST

Some customers just can't take no for an answer, and can't understand why they're being turned away in the first place, even when there's a perfectly good explanation. That's what happened to one hotel front desk person who was working the night shift and encountered an entitled self-proclaimed world traveller. As they worked the night shift, the OP recounts that this Ken called up and tried to make a reservation. When he encountered issues, he just truly couldn't wrap his mind around what was going on. Instead, he resorted to threatening the desk worker, making a fool out of himself in the long run. Service workers should get paid $10 million dollars per year to deal with these types of people! 

After that, check out another tale of retail woe. One supermarket Karen was so absorbed in her own life while checking out that she completely ignored the cashier, making immediate enemies with every other customer in line. 

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    Cheezburger Image 9725280512
    via Linus Mimietz on Unsplash
  • 02
    Smile - r/Tales From The Front Desk. Posted by u/nwi_nightauditor 2 days ago "I travel all over the world blah blah blah..." And your point??
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
  • 03
    Font - Why do entitled people always pull the "I've travelled all over the world and this is the first time [insert whatever they're complaining about here]" card? They then go on to say "you will do what I want!" Got off the phone a little while ago with an entitled Ken who tried to pull that c For context, our server here is about six years and not very reliable, so it seems as if it's down as often as it's up and running. Server was down when I got the call.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
  • 04
    Font - Me: Thank you for calling OP's hotel, this is OP. How may I help you? Ken: Hi, I was wondering if you had a military rate, and if so, what is the percentage? Me: Yes sir, we do. It's a flat rate of $139 plus tax per night. Ken: Well, your website show you have a rate of $118.24. That's cheaper than your military rate. Me: Yes sir, it is. Perhaps that rate is an internet special rate. Ken: Well, what's your regular rate? Me: For what night are you inquiring about? Ken: Tonight. Right now.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
  • 05
    Font - Ken: Oh, that's no problem, you can just put me in a room until your system is back up and then process my reservation. Me: No sir, I wouldn't be able to do that. With the system down, I couldn't process your credit card, and I can't give out keys until I have an authorized debit or credit card on file. Ken: I'm paying cash. Me: I'm sorry, we don't take cash at check-in. Ken (now raising his voice a little): Excuse me? Me: We don't accept cash at check-in. We would need a debit or credit
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Ken (now quite upset): This is f**king ridiculous. I travel all over the world and this is the first time I've heard anything like this. I've had hundreds of hotels copy my card. (Yeah, suuuure you have) Me: Well, that may be sir, but our policy here at OP's hotel is that we have to have a valid card on file before we can give out any keys. Ken: I'm going to be there in about 10 f**king minutes, and you had better either take my cash, or copy my credit card. I don't care which one you do,
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
  • 07
    Font - That was about an hour ago, He never did show up. Oh yeah, and my system is still down. Maybe someday we'll get new computers.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Conn_McD +2. In this particular case, when military discounts are mentioned and they act in the slightest out of line, I go straight into superior officer mode.....which is always satisfying since I was a NCM in my days. Drop the nicety and TELL them how it is in a very direct manner. One of two things typically happen. They straighten right up and realize they've over stepped or they get high and mighty and declare their rank and unit and "You can't talk to me...blahs.. blah...blah". The
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Alternatively they are non uniform...spouses, contract...etc...and they can find somewhere else to stay because the good ones don't act like this and the bad ones are so unbearably bad that you don't want to rent to them for any amount. family, civi
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Cyprovix rates are Government/military normally set close to the per diem allowance for the area. The government says they will pay up to $X for a hotel room in this city, so logically hotels will charge close to $X. In many locations, this results in a large discount. In others, the standard rate is cheaper! But the government doesn't care about that and still pays the per diem price.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - PennyForYourThinks Had some dips scream at me once because we didn't accept cash. He held up the money and yelled "Legal tender for ALL debts public and private!" I said, "Yes, but you don't have a debt to us because you can't make a reservation with cash." +3-
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - pikapichupi +2. your company doesn't have a fallback in place for equipment malfunction?... do they just eat a full night's loss of profit if the system goes down and stays down? that's so interesting 44 Reply Share HelloJoeyJoe Joe I know with this sub we protect our fellow hospitality workers and hate the guests no matter what but... +2. What's up with this hotel where the system just goes down regularly and guests can't check in or be recognized? That seems to be a bigger issue here
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Smile - Lylibean "You will do what I want!" No. No, I will not.
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    Font - Bill___A +1 The customer was out of line here, but the OP was (to a lesser extent) also. A reasonable response might be "Our computer systems are down at the moment, so we are not accepting any new reservations at the moment, but are accommodating those who had already made reservations". And then telephone authorizations could be written down (but it is not kosher to write down the CVV code BTW). I get that there are a lot of guests who are trouble, but inconsistency amongst hotels in th
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Dizzman1 +1 I have honestly traveled all over the world. Including plenty of time in China. And I know that whatever their rules are... Those are the rules. I know that if I want to use somebody else's card (corporate cards from the travel person or whatever) that I better have a prior authorization filled out with the hotel and get it in an email that all is good. F nuckles like this pime off.
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    Font - Ttam91 That the part that annoys me most about my front desk job. How many times I have to tell people I can't just use the card you used to reserve the room without verifying it because then what would stop someone who isn't you from picking up your card off the ground and paying for a 14 night stay in a suite with it?
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    Rectangle - S Scotty he could have conducted himself better but it kind of sounded like you told him that there's no way to check anyone in at all indefinitely. And that is really wierd. I know because I've traveled the world and have never seen that.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - UnstuckCanuck +1 Ken: "I've travelled for years and stayed at hundreds of heroes and they all did this for me." Me: "Great! So you have a list of hotels that do what you want, so you can go to one of them instead! Thanks for calling and bye!"
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - Beckibird +1 I literally just got a call from a guy asking about a military rate and when I told it to him he asked if I had a lower rate. The rate I quoted was $110 before tax and he wanted one below $90 and he said he might call back but I haven't heard anything. We can't control what the system sets the rate at people.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - bertcha88 My favorite always was "I've been staying in hotels for YEARS and NONE of them have EVER put a hold for "INCIDENTALS" on my CARD!!!!!" I'm SO sure that's NEVER happened to you, oh all knowing world traveler, you. And yes, multiple people pulled this one.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk
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    Font - weirdwizzard_72 +3. "You will do what I want." Me: "No. I will be doing what corporate wants." That usually shuts them up.
    via r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk

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