The Art of Unpleasantness: Tales From the Front Desk and the Guests Who Test Our Sanity
It’s 2 AM. The lobby is silent except for the gentle hum of fluorescent lights and the distant thrum of an ice machine. You, the heroic night auditor, are holding back yawns and scrolling through Reddit (for research, of course), when… the phone rings. Again. And again. And again. Welcome to the glamorous world of hotel front desk work, where some guests seem to make it their mission to test the very limits of your patience—and possibly your sanity.
If you’ve ever wondered why some people seem to go out of their way to be, well, unpleasant, you’re not alone. In a recent r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk post, one brave hotel worker poured their heart out, sharing the saga of a guest whose requests ranged from the mildly annoying to the outright bizarre. Grab your coffee (or thermal bottle of it), because this one’s a ride.
Graveyard Shift: Where Sleep Is Scarce and Patience Is Scarcer
Let’s set the scene: Graveyard shift, 7 PM to 7 AM. Our narrator, u/Delicious_Ad_2070, is no stranger to hotel shenanigans. Enter the guest—let’s call her “The Relentless Requester”—who checks in late, already on edge. The first casualty? The humble tire valve cap. She’s convinced the valet has committed the rare crime of valve cap theft, despite the fact that her car hasn’t even made it into the hotel lot. The seasoned valet, channeling the spirit of every no-nonsense uncle ever, tells her (politely-ish) to check her usual parking spots. Strike one for logic.
But the night is young, and The Relentless Requester is just warming up. Within the next thirty minutes, she’s called the front desk more times than most people text their crush. Lost menu? QR code confusion? Phone dying (but, ironically, not the will to keep calling)? Our hero provides printed menus. She wants cappuccinos with toasts and biscuits—something the restaurant can’t offer—so the front desk crafts a creative solution involving a coffee thermal, milk, and toast. Does this satisfy her? Briefly.
The requests keep coming: extra butter, extra sweeteners, extra plates, a stubborn shampoo bottle (which, plot twist, was just locked), and more. Each call is a new episode in the never-ending sitcom that is night audit life. There’s even a bonus tale: a guest who insists on speaking English in a non-English speaking country, only to reveal she’s a local, sans ID, because she’s “traveling abroad.” Make it make sense, indeed.
Why Are Some People Like This?
It’s easy to laugh (and cry) at these stories, but they beg the question: Why do certain guests seem to go out of their way to be unpleasant? Is there a secret competition for most requests in a single night? A hidden bingo card for “things to annoy the front desk with before sunrise”?
Part of it, perhaps, is the “customer is always right” mentality gone rogue. Some folks believe that paying for a room entitles them to personal butler service, 24/7, for every whim, no matter how minor (or petty). Others may be traveling, tired, stressed, or simply used to having things their way. And then, of course, there are those for whom “unpleasantness” is a form of self-expression—performance art, if you will.
But here’s the thing: behind every front desk is a human being, juggling late-night audits, check-ins, emergencies, and, yes, endless phone calls about butter blisters. Most staff genuinely want to help—just maybe not for the twelfth time in an hour.
How to Be a Good Guest (and a Decent Human)
Let’s get practical. Want to avoid becoming the hotel staff’s next Reddit story? Here are a few pro tips:
- Batch your requests: Need towels, coffee, AND extra shampoo? Mention them all at once. Your front desk hero will thank you.
- Check before you call: Is there a QR code on the table? Is the shampoo bottle locked? Sometimes a quick glance or twist is all it takes.
- Empathy goes a long way: The person on the other end isn’t a robot—just someone trying to make your stay pleasant (and get through the night).
- Remember the golden rule: Treat others as you’d want to be treated. Especially at 3 AM.
The Final Call (Hopefully)
The next time you’re traveling and tempted to phone the front desk for the sixth time in an hour, pause. Breathe. Maybe double-check your room for butter blisters before calling. And remember, a little kindness—like a sweetener in your coffee—makes everything smoother.
Got your own wild hotel tale? Share it in the comments! And to all the night auditors and front desk warriors out there: May your guests be pleasant, your calls be few, and your shampoo bottles always be unlocked.
Original Reddit Post: Why do people go out of their way to be unpleasant?