‘The bigger the sign, the less people will read it’: Front desk employees recount their most hysterically funny ‘guests who can't read signs’ stories

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Jan 24, 2025 7:00 PM EST

Working customer service jobs is not for the weak. Customer-facing roles steal a sliver of your humanity each time you clock in, mostly because you have to deal with some rather illogical interactions. Yeah, I don't want to say the meaner word here…but you get it.

If you're in the customer service sector, you might get sick of repeating yourself every five minutes to each customer you meet. Luckily, instead of wearing out your voice before you clock out for the day, signage exists! Yep—"No smoking allowed" and "Restrooms are for customers only." What do you think the Holy Trinity for signs are? Beats me. 

Even with maximum signage, some guests simply can't read for the life of them (or don't want to). Now that customer service employees have a little bit of hope instilled in them with the promise of non-repetitive speech, it hurts even more when they have to tell countless customers that the ice cream machine is broken. If you're already fed up, we have 10+ stories of pure rage bait to get you amped up this week. Scroll below.

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    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • "What is your favorite "guests can't read signs" story?"

    I need to hear other people's stories. My story is the classic, but it happens DAILY, and it really drives me up a wall.
    via carazan
  • Our lobby doors are locked 24/7, not just at night and there is a sign DIRECTLY above the key reader that says, "Ring buzzer if you don't have a keycard." Yet people will
    via carazan
  • stand outside the door until someone else comes through, or I've even had people call on their cell phones to the front desk, angry and saying "I can't get into your hotel?? Your doors aren't working."
    via carazan
  • I do have cameras but I'm usually not looking at them because we have security (who IS supposed to be watching the cameras...) or if I
    via carazan
  • notice them... sometimes I sit there and see if they can problem solve. If it takes too long, I will go on the intercom and ask them if they need help.
    via carazan
  • I don't understand how people even make it out of the airport if they can't read signs.
    via carazan
  • Spirited_... How about getting irate because the room doesn't have 'insert amenity here' that isn't listed anywhere as something it has
    via Spirited_Refuse9265

  • I swear, sometimes it's almost as if folks think they can will something into existence. Why would anyone asl about an amenity that just doesn't exist? Did they not read or are they choosing to be ignorant? That's the annoying game so many front desk employees in particular have to play. Either way, having customer after customer be so uninformed has to take a toll on their opinion of humanity. I don't blame them!

  • carazan Oh my god! Don't get me started!! We have our pool closed for maintenance (its 20 degrees outside and our pool is outdoors anyways??) and we send EVERYONE who makes a reservation an email regarding the pool closure. I personally send a majority of them. There are still guests who check in asking about the pool and when I inform them it's under yearly maintenance, they throw a fit saying they should've been notified. I check afterwards and they in fact were notified via the email they pro
    via carazan
  • codepl76761 attendant is away from desk will return shortly if immediate help please use house phone. translation: stand in lobby at 1am and scream hello.
    via codepl76761
  • acmpnsfal Smoked inside the room, "he doesn't speak English, he didn't understand the ciga tte with the circle and line over it meant no smoking" save it.
    via acmpnsfal
  • SkwrlTail "What time is checkout?" while approximately twelve inches from the sign that says checkout is at noon.
    via SkwrlTail
  • HenTeeTee The bigger the sign, the less people will read it.
    via HenTeeTee
  • mickeymoon0 We have a toaster oven with a belt that rotates. It's mainly for bagels but there are three signs. "Please do not put Croissants in toaster." One is right behind the toaster and has a picture of fire on it. At least once a week someone puts a croissant in the toaster and starts a fire.
    via mickeymoon0
  • elinchgo It's universal. Our patrons couldn't read signs either. I worked in a library.
    via elinchgo
  • nwi_nightauditor At the last hotel I worked at, we were allowed to put a "no rooms available "sign on the doors when sold out. Of course, I'd still get people. coming in asking if rooms. were available.
    via nwi_nightauditor
  • FuzzelFox When I was locking the doors at my old place I put big signs on the doors at eye level saying to use the keyreader to the left with a big arrow.
    via FuzzelFox
  • People would beat the door like it owed them money before reading the sign and using their key to get in. Or they'd pry the doors open with their hands like apes.
    via FuzzelFox
  • Most egregious though was when this couple came in and asked if we were the Spariott (we were not, they were next door) after we just installed a hellishly bright red neon sign on the building saying "SMAMPTON" that made the entire front lawn glow like Sauron's eye was watching them..
    via FuzzelFox

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sign workplace-stories toxic-workplace signs karen-customer work askreddit tales from the front desk reddit story signage workplace reddit thread red flag funny signs karen entitled people toxic-work-environment
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