Discount Drama at the Front Desk: When Hotel Deals Turn Into Detective Work
If you think working the front desk at a hotel is all about handing out key cards and wishing guests a pleasant stay, think again. For many hotel workers, the real action happens when a simple request for a friends-and-family discount spirals into a full-blown episode of Law & Order: Hospitality Unit. And as one Redditor's viral tale from r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk proves, not all “discount” guests are exactly grateful for the deal—or honest about how they got it.
In this story, what should have been a routine check-in turns into a paper-chase, a showdown over ID copies, and a masterclass in guest entitlement. Turns out, offering a discounted rate might not be the perk it’s cracked up to be—for either side of the desk.
The Discount That Launched a Thousand Headaches
Let’s set the scene: You’re a hotel front desk agent, armed with nothing but a stack of forms, a battered printer, and a fragile will to live. Your employer’s discount policy is stricter than airport security. Employees get a special rate, close family get a similar deal, and then there’s the “friends and extended family” discount—a step up in price, but still a steal. Sounds simple, right?
Wrong. According to u/ManagerNotOnDuty, the original poster (OP), these discounted bookings are notorious for bringing out the worst in people. Guests regularly try to skirt the rules: faking forms in Photoshop, using expired paperwork, or booking more rooms than allowed. “I even caught people doing that too!” OP laments. If they slip up, management and accounting are “basically putting out a bounty” on the poor agent’s head.
The process isn’t just strict; it’s a bureaucratic obstacle course. Not only do you have to check the form, match it to the guest’s ID, confirm it’s not expired, and double-check room limits, but you also need to physically collect paperwork. OP groans, “I dreaded having to check these people in… the process would take mind-numbingly longer.”
“Sir, This is a Reputable Hotel, Not a Scam Ring”
If you think that’s enough to keep the scammers at bay, think again. Some guests treat the front desk like a courtroom drama. One such “super shiny elite” guest balked at having his ID copied, suspicious that the hotel staff would somehow charge his card or steal his identity. The irony, as OP points out, is that this is a “reputable branded hotel”—not some back-alley operation.
The debate over copying IDs is surprisingly heated. Some commenters, like u/Flyer5231, argue that taking a copy of a hotel guest’s ID isn’t always above board: “I do believe it is illegal to make a copy of an ID, but like you said, it does cut down on scammers, and they can always try another hotel.” Others, like u/silver_zepher, clarify, “State issued ID can be copied (driver’s license), government issued ID (military ID) is not allowed to be copied.” It’s a legal grey area, but as OP admits, “it really helps deter scams.”
But that logic is lost on the guests who see every request for paperwork as a personal affront. Their outrage is matched only by their creativity: faking names, using expired forms, or bringing the wrong paperwork entirely. OP’s colleague even resorted to making guests print forms in the business center, only to be met with more complaints—“Why can’t I just send it to you through email?” (Pro tip: Don’t try to win an argument with a front desk agent making minimum wage. You will not win.)
Low Rates, Low Vibes
The consensus in the comments is clear: The lower the rate, the higher the chance of drama. As OP wryly notes, “low rate equals low quality guest.” u/Silentkiss123 reminisces about how discount stays “were one of the worst things to deal with,” recalling guests who could barely cover the room and incidentals, only to have their cards declined for extra charges at checkout.
And then there’s the parade of “I’ve stayed at x amount of hotels and they’ve NEVER had this issue” complaints. These aren’t isolated incidents, either. u/Sharikacat shares how some associates print forms for an entire “family” of dubious origin, or try to finesse two rooms at the employee rate when the rules allow only one. Sometimes, managers cave just to get rid of the argument—only to be accused of racism or favoritism. “At the end of the day,” Sharikacat says, “be only as firm on policy that the GM or owners uphold.”
Hospitality or Hurdle Course?
So why do people get so angry over showing ID or following basic policies? As commenter u/Margali points out, “I do not understand why people are so reluctant to show ID… hotels need it for incidentals.” But as u/-MazeMaker- dryly observes, “It’s not the hotel they’re worried will scam them, it’s the front desk agent making minimum wage.” Ouch.
Meanwhile, those on the inside know the struggle all too well. “I needed the stable income more than the risk of charges from maxing out someone’s cc,” u/silver_zepher notes—a reminder that most hotel staff just want to do their job, not plot elaborate credit card schemes.
If you ever find yourself at the front desk, clutching a discount form and ready to argue policy, remember: The agent is probably just as tired of the process as you are—and they definitely didn’t write the rulebook.
Conclusion: Be Kind, Bring the Right Papers
Hotel discount policies: They were meant to be a nice perk, but somewhere along the way they turned into a battleground of bureaucracy, suspicion, and “gotcha” games. Next time you check in on a friends-and-family rate, bring your paperwork, your ID, and maybe a little patience. And if your front desk agent looks like they’ve seen things—well, maybe they have.
Got your own hospitality horror story or an opinion on ID checks? Jump into the comments below! After all, sharing your story is one check-in that never requires a form.
Original Reddit Post: Sir, This Is a Reputable Hotel, Not a Scam Ring