‘You’re not getting a refund': Hotel clerk refuses to engage with Karen guest's requests during checkout

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Aug 5, 2023 7:00 AM EDT

When working at a hotel, you get to meet a variety of different people, and some of them are the type to attempt getting a discount or even an entire refund for the smallest of things that could easily be fixed if only they would use their mouth to communicate effectively instead of to argue. In this case, Karen thought she was going to win gold by conveniently complaining about her bathroom fan not working after she'd already checked out of the hotel. She approached the front desk clerk, OP, and began her short, albeit to the point, rant.

First, OP feigned sympathy and apologized for the inconvenience, then reached for the maintenance log to jot it down. OP also told Karen that it was a pity she hadn't said something earlier, as they would have been able to give her a room transfer. Karen waved it off, and OP thought that was that, but of course, we're talking about a Karen here, so don't imagine for one moment that it was.

I remember my own few instances with Karens… and have learned to spot them from a mile away. Even in when reading OP's post, I knew that OP had not heard the end of it… and as it turns out, OP hadn't. Karen demanded a discount, or a refund, which OP was unwilling to give. Scroll down to read how it all played out. Then, for more, here is a Karen who simply refused to pay a hotel after checking out and stormed out, leaving the front desk and rolling her eyes as she had her credit card details.

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/ArkhamEscapeCreator 2 days ago Playing Possum to Avoid a Karen Medium I swear, guests think that hotel rooms are scavenger hunts for free stuff. The find the smallest thing wrong and expect a complimentary night. 2
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 02
    Font - I had a guest come up to me to report her bathroom fan wasn't working. I think "big whoop, my apartment's bathroom fan doesn't work either, don't see me complaining" What I say out loud is "I'm sorry about that ma'am, I'll make sure maintenance takes care of it." And grab the maintenance log to add it in.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 03
    Font - She stands there expectantly, having just checked out. I ask her "is there anything else, ma'am?" She looks at me like I've asked her a very embarrassing and rude question. "What about... Compensation?" She asks sheepishly.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 04
    Font - "Compensation?" I ask, genuinely dumbfounded. "For my issues" she said, eagerly. I was floored. This lady was asking for a discount over her bathroom fan not working.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 05
    Font - But standard hotel policy, if a guest has an issue with their room, our first course of action is to ask if they want a room transfer. Now, we didn't have any rooms last night, but I bluff. "Why didn't you come down and tell us about it? We could have given you a room transfer."
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 06
    Font - Not strictly true, but I had a cash reservation I could have cancelled in an emergency. She puckers her lips and continues staring at me. Not sure what else to due, I kinda just stare off into space and pretend I don't see her anymore. Like, I didn't want to argue with her, but she refused to leave.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 07
    Font - She finally did go after she realized I was either ignoring her or having a S I've never intentionally frozen like that in front of a guest. My instinct is to be accommodating, but I wasn't going to give her any kind of discount or refund, and she clearly wanted to engage me purely to that effect.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 08
    Font - And, like, in the past, I wouldn't have thought twice about a ten percent discount to get her out of my face, but the owner has been really hard on us lately about getting our numbers up. And the new manager even put up a sign saying "Team No Refunds". So, this lady was up the creek either way.
    via u/ArkhamEscapeCreator
  • 09
    Font - EducationalState4374 +1. 2 days ago Is this a newer thing, these people asking for "compensation" for the smallest of issues? Or have there always been these people and I just didn't know about their existence? I've never even
    via u/EducationalState4374
  • 10
    Font - thought about asking for a discount over an "issue." But on this sub, I see A LOT of hotel folks having to deal with these "guests." Is it because of the so-called influencers on tiktok talking about these "life hacks"? 243 Reply Share
    via u/EducationalState4374
  • 11
    Font - patti2mj 2 days ago I had a guy come to the desk to check out along with another man from a different room (apparently coworkers). He complained that there wasn't a bar of soap on the bathtub. I asked if there was no soap in the room at all and he
    via u/patti2mj
  • 12
    Font - said the facial size bar was at the sink, but none at the tub. I acted all sympathetic and asked " Oh no! What did they say when you called down to the desk about it?" He said that he didn't call. I said "we would have been happy to bring you one." and confirmed
    via u/patti2mj
  • 13
    Font - the amount (full) to be charged to his card. He said his "friend" had the same problem and they were both demanding compensation. His friend looked really embarrassed. I told him that we could certainly have rectified the issue had he called down,
    via u/patti2mj
  • 14
    Font - and that I wasn't authorized to provide any rate reduction. He got enraged and wanted to talk to the manager and I told him to come back at 2pm to do so. He wadded up the folio and threw it at
    via u/patti2mj
  • 15
    Font - me bouncing it off my forehead. I just smiled and told him to have a nice day. His friend looked as satisfied as I was. No discount for you! 4 89 Reply Share
    via u/patti2mj
  • 16
    Font - Notmykl +2. 2 days ago Was he unable to pick up the small bar of soap on the sink to use in the tub? Is the bar of soap left on a tub somehow different then the one left on the sink? Would the gods of soap bars have rained down on him if he'd used the sink soap? 30 Reply Share
    via u/Notmykl
  • 17
    Font - im_a_towel_ 2 days ago +3. This has been happening to me a lot recently. I had one guest who stayed for 2 nights and was P that housekeeping never changed his sheets during his stay and expected a discount upon checking out. I wanted to ask "do you change your sheets every two days at your own house??"
    via u/im_a_towel
  • 18
    Font - Another guest was mad that there wasn't a shower chair in the shower and wanted a discount at checkout. This guest never told us until checkout that they needed a shower chair... how were we supposed to know? T58 Reply Share
    via u/im_a_towel
  • 19
    Font - elegant-atrocities - 2 days ago i mean, she had no response to you asking why she didn't let you know before checkout, Imao. it's a valid question. why didn't she just ask to move rooms if it was an issue? 35 Reply Share
    via u/elegant-atrocities
  • 20
    Font - JenniferG714- 2 days ago TBH it has never crossed my mind to ask/expect compensation from a hotel for something wrong. As long as they fix it I'm good. Even the time the air was not working - they came and fixed it so problem solved. 33 Reply Share
    via u/JenniferG714

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Tags

customer service tales-from-the-front-desk discount front-desk-clerk checkout customer-service-reddit refund karen-guest hotel-clerk annoying-guests karen holidays hotel-guest vacation
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