“Read the Notes!”: The Hilarious Struggle of Being the Only Competent Person in the Hotel
If you’ve ever wondered who’s really running the show at your favorite hotel, allow me to introduce you to the unsung hero: the group sales coordinator. Think of them as a one-person SWAT team, swooping in to save the day every time a reservation goes sideways, a guest gets double-billed, or a department head’s brain takes an unscheduled vacation.
Now, picture this: you painstakingly organize every detail, leave notes so clear a toddler could follow them, and still end up holding everyone’s hand because your coworkers treat the reservation system like it was written in Ancient Sumerian. Welcome to the daily grind of u/Top_Farmer_5750, who recently recounted their hotel horror stories in the hilarious Reddit post, “Holding everyone’s hand.” Spoiler: it’s equal parts comedy, tragedy, and a masterclass in patience.
When "Read the Screen" Is Too Much to Ask
Let’s start with the basics. Our protagonist, Top_Farmer_5750, works in group sales—a job that requires building room blocks, setting up billing, and making sure everyone’s reservations are as smooth as a freshly ironed pillowcase. They take pride in their work, documenting every step and spelling out instructions like a teacher on the first day of kindergarten.
And yet, the rest of the hotel staff seems to struggle with the advanced art of… reading. That’s right—reading the notes left for them in the reservation system. Imagine leaving a note that says, in plain English, “2 nights to the group master, 2 nights paid on own.” Simple, right? Not for this front desk crew! Instead, they manage to charge the poor guest for all four nights, then act completely “confused” when the guest calls, fuming, to ask what happened.
What happens next? The classic hotel guest relay: pass the guest from one staff member to another like a hot potato, until everyone’s flustered and the group sales coordinator has to swoop in, cape flapping, to save the day—for the hundredth time that week.
The Magical Mystery of Accounting
But wait, there’s more! Our hero’s woes don’t end at the front desk. No, the accounting department is also in on the fun. A guest provides screenshots and bank statements showing they’ve been double-charged. Accounting shrugs: “We can’t figure it out.” Enter Top_Farmer_5750, who solves the mystery in five minutes by—brace yourself—matching approval codes and reading the data.
Here’s the kicker: the hotel’s controller, who never completed their PEP training (the system used for reservations and payments), makes more money than our overworked group sales coordinator. It’s like watching someone fumble with a jigsaw puzzle after throwing away the box, while the person who actually knows what the picture looks like is paid less for their trouble.
The Endless Parade of Simple Questions
As if all this weren’t enough, the General Manager, that paragon of leadership, keeps forwarding basic guest questions—think “Can I cancel my reservation?”—to the group sales desk. Not a group. Not a corporate event. Just a regular booking that literally anyone with functional eyesight and five minutes of PEP training could handle.
It’s job security, sure, but it’s also a masterclass in frustration. Why is it so hard for people to just read the notes? Why does every guest issue turn into a full-blown crisis? Why does the person with the most knowledge get the least credit?
Why Does This Happen Everywhere?
If you work in hospitality (or, let’s be honest, anywhere with a computer and a team), this story probably feels painfully familiar. The “note-leaver” is always cleaning up after the “note-ignorer.” Maybe it’s the curse of competence—when you’re good at your job, everyone else starts expecting you to do theirs, too.
But there’s hope. The internet is full of tales like these, and every eye-roll-worthy moment is a reminder that, yes, you’re not alone. Whether it’s the controller who never finished training, the front desk staff who’d rather play hot potato than help a guest, or the GM who thinks “forwarding” is a leadership skill, we salute the hard-working folks who keep the ship afloat.
Share Your Own Tales of Workplace Wonder
Have you ever been the “only adult in the room”? What’s your wildest story of cleaning up someone else’s mess at work? Drop your tales in the comments below—or just share this post with your favorite “note-leaver.” And remember: next time you see a reservation note, take a moment to actually read it. You might just save a group sales coordinator’s sanity.
Because really, folks, it’s not rocket science. It’s just… reading the notes.
Inspired by this classic Reddit tale from r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk.
Original Reddit Post: Holding everyone's hand