‘I’m just doing my job': Guest tries to get hotel employee fired during work trip, guest's boss finds out and fires them instead

Author image for Eleonora Bader
Eleonora Bader
Apr 23, 2024 7:00 AM EDT

Working at the front desk, you get to see a lot of different guests in your lifetime. It's hard to keep up with the complaints that people have, it's ridiculous. Some people want a discount because the room wasn't the right temperature when they entered. Other people want a discount because you didn't smile enough. Then again, some people don't even want a discount, they just want to make you miserable. Honestly, I'm so glad my customer days are behind me… I don't know if I could put up with it anymore.

This hotel employee met the type of person you try very hard to stay away from when working a shift… this guest was a liar, and also a thief. She tried to get the employee fired under false pretenses, but luckily, the employee was able to bait her into being honest about her intentions.

You can read the full story below, and when you're done, check out these wholesome posts for overworked employees who really need a vacation.

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  • 01
    "I told him everything, and he fired her."
    via Canva
  • 02
    .h" Guest tries to get me fired for doing my job, admits she's doing it "just to be a b and the results are highly satisfying.
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 03
    This happened back in April. tl;dr at the end. Around mid-morning, an attractive young woman came into the lobby and asked for a key to her cousin's room (who we'll call "Shi-Shi Garcia"). Cousin: "Can I get a key to room 207?" Me (checking...): "Is Ms. Garcia here with you?" She sighed loudly and immediately lost her patience. Zero to sixty. Badgered me for half an hour. She called someone (who she said was Shi-Shi, but I had no way of knowing) and put that person on speakerphone. Together, the
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 04
    you just do your job and let my cousin into our room." Finally sick of the a I snapped back "Doing my job means your cousin plops down on that couch and waits for you to get back here and let her in. What I'm doing is extra. It's special treatment. I'm being nice, and I don't appreciate I don't have to do this for her--in fact I could get in trouble for it!" the a The cousin took the key, sighed loudly, and walked back to her room without even so much as a sarcastic "thank you." That could have
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 05
    in a few more derisive remarks. After I said "Have a nice day," with perhaps too much bite, she told me she's going to try and get me fired because "What you did is illegal." Then, while I was speechless, she smugly turned on a dime like a model on the runway and strutted back to her room. That could have been the end of it. I called my manager. She was very sympathetic and laughed it off, reassuringly. I puzzled over it a while, then grabbed my cell phone, set it to record, took a deep breath,
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 06
    Me: (knock, kna-knock knock) "Front desk" (Shi-Shi opens the door, holding her cell phone up to her ear, saying something inaudible into it) Me: "Hey so do you want me to call the police and oust this person from your room?" Shi-Shi: "No no no--no. She's actually in the restroom." Me: "Is it okay that she's in here?" Shi-Shi (innocently): "Yeah. That's fine." Me: "Thennn why are you upset that I let her in?" Shi-Shi (talking into the phone): "Hold on, can I- can I- can-can--is there a way I can
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 07
    My goal was to bait her into saying it's okay for the cousin to be in that room. She walked right into it. At the moment I knocked, she was actually on the phone with Noice Hotels, filing a complaint about me--which is why she says "Can I call you back?" and gets off the phone as soon as I start asking questions. She followed me back to the desk where we talked a little longer. I asked her to clarify why she was threatening me with firing and she replied, "I'm just doing it to be al h." That con
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 08
    Shi-Shi: "Okay." (long pause) Me: "So it's okay that that person's in the room?" Shi-Shi: "That is correct." Me: "Then what's the problem?" Shi-Shi: "The problem is... your... customer relations." Me: "So it's not that I let her into the room... like you threatened me with earlier." Shi-Shi: "No not necessarily? I did that? Because I'm upset with you? So I'm doing it to be a kh. If you want me to be honest with you."
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 09
    The only reason I recorded this stuff was to defend myself against a write-up or worse. I was content to let the whole thing go. She had her key and filed her complaint and my manager was on my side. Great. That could very easily have been the end of it. The next day, however, after they checked-out, Housekeeping discovered Shi-Shi and her cousin had stolen all our pillows and left their own raggedy, old pillows in the pillowcases. Did they think we wouldn't notice? Naturally her card declined f
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 10
    but it was a man who answered. I told him we'll have to cancel this reservation because Shi-Shi and her cousin are not welcome at the SI `n Inn. He asked why and I told him the whole story; the key, the a , "I'm just doing it to be an," and the pillow swap. I did not mention the recordings. He apologized profusely. Again and again, he apologized. He said they put their employees up here all the time and we've always been great. He thanked me, apologized once more, said he'd "talk to her," and en
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 11
    He called her supervisor, who called the hotel and spoke with my manager. My manager told him the whole story and mentioned the recordings. Ladies and gentlemen, it saddens me to tell you: Shi-Shi and her pretty cousin were let go. They were fired in a strange city, a thousand miles from home, in the middle of a business trip. Sad. Edit: One of the mods asked me to remove the audio clips. At a commenter's suggestion, I supplied transcriptions instead. tl;dr a guest tried to get me fired on false
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 12
    Mastervodo. Don't know if this counts as petty or pro revenge, but f ck me, it's the best story I've heard this week about some f. job! customers getting a dose of instant karma. Good 2.1k Share Silentlybroken Pro revenge without even meaning to as well. She had no idea who that guy was, just had to let him know why h face wasn't coming back. Made me unreasonably happy that th face got fired. Treat other people like s t? I'm suitably happy when karmath slaps you in the face.
    via u/Mastervodo, u/SIlentlybroken
  • 13
    _procyon Sorry for being dense but I'm confused. So Shi Shi was because you wouldn't let her cousin right? Then you checked the camera footage and let her in? So did Shi Shi then pretend like she didn't want you to let her cousin in, and you did it without her knowledge? This isn't explained very well. Also did the cousins work together and were on the same business trip, or one was on a business trip which happened to be to her cousins city? I don't expect you to know this but it's weird.
    via u/_procyon
  • 14
    LobbyJockey OP. I don't like you, but I really am trying to help. They are cousins. Originally, I thought Shi-Shi had just brought her cousin along, but then I was told they both got fired. Double the pleasure. She was angry because I fought with her cousin (and then both of them when the cousin got Shi-Shi on the phone) about giving the cousin a key to the room. I did end up giving the cousin a key, which is what they both wanted. Shi-Shi tried to get me fired out of 100% pure, needless, petty
    via u/LobbyJockey
  • 15
    Lilliannette . This is one of the most satisfying* posts I've ever read on this subreddit. I don't work a front desk job myself. I always pick one hotel in particular and they've always been fantastic whenever I go! I'd certainly hate to do this job. I already avoid retail because people suck. Good on you though and such beautiful sweet karma. Rightly deserved!
    via u/Lilliannette
  • 16
    beef_weezle. I think the real moral is "don't where you eat". If you're on a business trip, representing your company, don't act like an a t. 80 Share
    via u/beef_weezle
  • 17
    throw4w4y528 I'm just shocked by the pillow planning. Stealing towels/pillows is one thing (still wrong, but could be a spur of the moment decision), but bringing replacement pillows? Like how long did they plan that out? 177 Share Beth Braddock We recently blacklisted a problem guest for stealing them (he lives locally and stays here for some unknown reason). Multiple and repeated complaints of s ent from staff, nothing. Steal our pillows and off you go. (I'm aware it's easier to prove pillow t
    via u/throw4w4y528, u/BethBraddock
  • 18
    Archonet please, not another peep, just go the to sleep I love it when people tell me they're gonna get me fired. I get to sh on their dreams, because they often think it'll get them what they want if they threaten my livelihood. "I'm sorry you feel that way, but that isn't the first time I've heard that at this job, nor will it be the last. You are more than welcome to bring your complaint to the manager in the morning, however as you have threatened my livelihood I will be exercising my right
    via u/Archonet
  • 19
    joungsteryoey. I don't wanna go as far as to say "she was probably a bach at work too and they were looking for an excuse to let her go." That may very well be the case and it crossed my mind. But we don't know that, so let's not let guests like this direct our thoughts in a petty manner. No she doesn't deserve the benefit of a doubt, but in general we shouldn't assume. That said, as a representative of a company that behavior is pretty reprehensible and it's nice to see that the company took st
    via u/joungsteryoey
  • 20
    Powwa9000 - If they were thousands of miles away staying at that hotel, how and where did they get old pillows from to switch out? Do people actually travel with a few of their own pillows? 5 Share dauphineep. I think they may have been somewhere else, not in OP's city. They'd already checked out from stay 1 and the new reservations were for a second stay. They might live close enough to to OP's city that it was easier to drive. My husband brings a pillow when we travel, I'm too lazy.
    via u/Powwa9000, u/dauphineep
  • 21
    ihateunsaltedbutter · WOW. This is the most satisfying story I've ever read on Reddit, partly because of my own experience of working front desk. You made us all proud. 4 Share cassandraterra ⚫ Ok, all in all, yes, I love this story. But my main issue is that They stole from you guys and tried to come back!!! What the hell level of stupidity is that?! And think about where those pillows have been. They probably have other people hair, skin and saliva in them!
    via u/ihateunsaltedbutter, u/cassandraterra

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boss firing hotel guest employee fired workplace stories reddit pillows tales from the front desk hotel employee housekeeping hotel room key work trip company business employment
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