Hotel guest fails to understand that her breakfast is free of charge, even though the front desk employee told her almost 10 times: 'Well, how dare I tell her that her breakfast will be complimentary!'

Author image for María Cetra
María Cetra • Writer
Jul 31, 2026 10:30 AM EDT

Sometimes customers just like to be angry. As if it wasn't about getting what they want and mostly just winning the argument.

Are entitled customers ever happy? Sometimes it seems as if they just want to be told that they are right, that a policy can be broken for them, or that the employee made a mistake. As if, with their arguments, they weren't looking for compensation, just for the pure happiness 'being right' gives them. I used to think that guests who did a huge scene over nothing were probably just letting out weeks of anger they had accumulated. They aren't mad directly at the employee. They are just using that person as a way to get out everything that they have been gatekeeping. That seems to be the case in the story below.

This hotel guest had already been blessed with some coupons for free breakfast. Unfortunately, they weren't working in the kitchen. Now, a normal and calm person would have gone to the front desk and kindly asked if there was something wrong with them and if there was something they could do about it. The employee would have told her that they were valid and, just in case, give her some new ones, as she did in the story. Instead, what happened was that this woman got riled up over nothing and started to demand things she already had.

She could have just said 'thank you' to the front desk employee and gone back to the restaurant for her free breakfast. But no, she was too busy screaming and making a huge scene to notice that what she was complaining about was something she already had. There was no need for all that. She had gotten what she wanted. Or maybe what she really wanted was to externalize all her feelings onto a poor employee who had nothing to do with that.

So poor employee. This person tried to do something nice and be helpful, and she was 'thanked' with an argument that made no sense. I'm sure this isn't as uncommon as it seems. But it shouldn't be. There is no reason whatsoever to make a mess over something just because you have other problems in your life. This employee did nothing wrong and did not deserve this treatment at all. 
 

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  • 01
    This has to be the silliest thing I've ever been yelled at over so far. The way breakfast works at my workplace is that it's either included in your rate plan or not. If not, you can add it to your reservation for a small fee. Sometimes, coworkers and I like to give out free breakfast coupons to be nice. With the consent of our supervisor, of course. This morning, I have an angry
    via Quirkygoo
  • 02
    A breakfast full of different kinds of food, such as eggs and pastries, sitting on a table.
    via Rachel Park

    A breakfast full of different kinds of food, such as eggs and pastries, sitting on a table.

  • 03
    guest and her mom approach the front desk, saying that their waitress told them that breakfast isn't included in their reservation. They handed me the coupon written up by my colleague, "Jerry," and I looked at their reservation page. Sure enough, no breakfast included, and it looks like Jerry didn't charge them for it. So I assume he just gave it to them to make their day. I tell them that since Jerry isn't here for me to ask what
    via Quirkygoo
  • 04
    happened, and our manager isn't here today, I'll vouch for them and tell the kitchen that they have free breakfast. I was just being nice, so I decided to help them out. That was apparently a mistake. The woman looks at me and says, "...Seriously?" In an agitated voice. I give her a funny look and reply, "Ma'am, it's free." Well, how dare I tell her that her breakfast will be complimentary!
    via Quirkygoo
  • 05
    She starts fussing at me that this is absolutely ridiculous, that when she made the reservation, XYZ.com told her that breakfast was included, and now we're telling her that breakfast isn't included, and how dare we. Blah, blah, blah. I could not get a word in because she would not stop talking. I'm stunned because | just told this woman that her breakfast for her stay was free of charge, and now she's demanding to speak to a
    via Quirkygoo
  • 06
    manager because of it??? Joke's on me for wanting to do something nice, I suppose. I eventually get to ask her, "Ma'am, I'm confused. You're not paying for breakfast. We're giving you breakfast for free. What exactly is the issue?" Her response, "Because when I booked this reservation, it said breakfast was included!" So I explained to her, "Yes, the
    via Quirkygoo
  • 07
    website told you breakfast was included because we sell breakfast in our cafe. But it's ok because you don't have to pay anything anyway. Jerry gave you guys free breakfast for your stay, so you won't have to pay anything for breakfast." She starts going on and on again about how we don't know what we're doing and how dare we tell her that she can't have breakfast (I didn't tell her that?!). Then, at
    via Quirkygoo
  • 08
    some point, she says that the waitress told her that the date on her breakfast ticket is wrong. It wasn't, it was dated for this morning. I told her that the date on the coupon didn't matter because it was correct (for today), meaning that for today she would get free breakfast, and reiterated to her that she had free breakfast for her ENTIRE STAY because Jerry gave them those coupons. I kid you not, I had to repeat the
    via Quirkygoo
  • 09
    phrase "You aren't paying for it, you're getting FREE breakfast" about twelve times!!! At this point, I'm confused about why she's confused. In the end, I just end up telling her, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but I really don't know how else to explain this to you. You are getting breakfast for FREE. You do not have to pay for it. It's as simple as that." She says back to me, "But your
    via Quirkygoo
  • 10
    waitress said no!" Am I wrong for this? Maybe. Probably. But I tensed up so hard, and told her, admittedly a bit condescendingly, "I don't care what our kitchen says. I'm telling you one last time that we're giving you FREE breakfast. FREE. You can either have it for free or you can pay for it. Those are the only two options." That seemed to be what got to her because she looked at me,
    via Quirkygoo
  • 11
    confused, and said, "Oh, so we're not paying for it?" How I didn't lose my mind on the spot will always be a mystery, but I calmly said to her one final time that yes, the breakfast is on the house for her reservation. No, she doesn't have to pay for it. That did the trick, and she finally went back to the dining room and ordered without any other issues. Has to be one of the weirdest interactions I've had yet
    via Quirkygoo
  • 12
    Breakfast set on different plates over a white tablecloth.
    via Brooke Lark

    Breakfast set on different plates over a white tablecloth. 

  • 13
    MrStormChaser "Your breakfast is free. Would you like to be charged instead?"
    via Quirkygoo
  • 14
    JuanaBlanca She couldn't hear you over her outrage. At first I thought that it was "but it's thE PRINCIPLE OF THE thinG!", but she was just too riled up to hear anything that differed from her assumptions.
    via Quirkygoo
  • 15
    KrazyKatz42 Tbf, this all started because the waitress told the guest her reservation didn't include breakfast. Why didn't she just accept the coupon Jerry gave the guest (which I assume she presented to the waitress). Maybe guests need to be told at check in (if given a freebie) that they need to present the coupons for breakfast? Might also be an idea to get the kitchen to check with FD before turning the guest down?
    via Quirkygoo
  • 16
    QuadDad Gotta keep some crayons behind the counter and write "FREE BREKFEST" on a paper then hand it to her
    via Quirkygoo
  • 17
    No-Koala 1918 "But, but the strangers with a Go Daddy account that I used to reserve this room instead of just booking with you told me I get breakfast with my reservation. Now you're telling me I need this coupon, because in fact breakfast doesn't come with my reservation. I think you're lying and that website was telling the truth. After all, what do you know? You're just a clerk. That was an official website. On the Internet!"
    via Quirkygoo

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