The Legend of Mr. Misery: When Hotel Policies Meet Peak Entitlement
There are certain customer service stories that make you laugh, cry, and consider a new career all in one go. The hospitality industry, where “the customer is always right” meets “common sense is not common,” is a goldmine for such tales. Enter “Mr. Misery”—an unforgettable antagonist in the ongoing saga of hotel front desk encounters, whose battle over a simple ID check spiraled into a three-act drama, complete with raised voices, managerial threats, and (of course) a side of free breakfast.
This is the cautionary tale of how a routine security policy turned into a masterclass in customer service clichés—and why rewarding bad behavior is the true villain of the story.
Curtain Up: The ID That Launched a Thousand Groans
Our story begins with Mr. Misery, a guest who had booked not one, but two hotel rooms—one for himself, and one for his friend, Mr. Humble. When Mr. Humble arrived a bit early, the front desk (helmed by Reddit user u/ScenicDrive-at5) did what any responsible hotel would do: asked for the ID of the person whose name was on the reservation.
Cue the first (and least dramatic) protest. Mr. Humble, living up to his name, grumbled only slightly before calling his stubborn friend. The desk clerk even offered a lifeline: a photo of Mr. Misery’s ID would suffice—flexible, but within the hotel’s policy.
But Mr. Misery wasn’t about to let logic get in the way of a good meltdown. He called the front desk, booming accusations of injustice and brandishing the classic line: “I’ve never heard of this nonsense before!” His wife, the real MVP, ultimately stepped in, calmly sent the requested photo, and diffused the situation—temporarily.
Act Two: The Customer Service Cliché Olympics
When Mr. Misery finally arrived, the drama escalated. Spotting the original clerk, he launched into a tirade about his wounded honor and his guest’s “denial.” The clerk, cool as a cucumber, explained (again) that these were standard policies—if Mr. Misery didn’t like them, he was welcome to stay elsewhere.
That’s when the playbook really opened up. “Are you threatening me?!” thundered Mr. Misery, checking off a classic box. The clerk responded with steely professionalism: not a threat, just an explanation of consequences. Mr. Misery demanded a manager (another cliché!), and received a business card for his trouble.
As u/Silentkiss123 quipped in the comments, “This is going to corporate!” is almost always an empty threat. In their experience, corporate either doesn’t care or never calls. Yet, as many in the r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk community pointed out, these antics are often rewarded—fueling the cycle.
Encore: When Bad Behavior Gets You Breakfast
Just when you think the show’s over, Mr. Misery returns for an encore—this time demanding the clerk’s name for his upcoming complaint. When rebuffed, he claimed he’d been “attacked” (another Olympic-level move), and vowed to take his grievances straight to corporate.
By this point, even other guests were rolling their eyes at the spectacle. As u/Perky214 noted, guests like this should be shown the door with a DNR (“Do Not Return”) slip and a police escort. Others lamented how managers often reward this behavior, with u/CaptainYaoiHands and u/RoyallyOakie observing that Mr. Misery’s free breakfast was a victory for tantrums everywhere.
The original poster, u/ScenicDrive-at5, suspected that management handed over the breakfast vouchers just to get Mr. Misery to simmer down—a move that, as u/Minflick pointed out, only encourages repeat performances. “He’ll do it again because he likes ‘winning’…”
Lessons Learned: The Cost of Rewarding Mr. Misery
So what’s the moral of this melodrama? The front desk did everything right—followed policy, stayed professional, even offered a flexible solution. Yet the loudest voice in the lobby got rewarded, while calm, rule-abiding guests get nothing but a polite “thank you.”
Many commenters, like u/Silentkiss123, expressed their frustration: “They encourage bad behavior and reward people for yelling or making a scene, yet those who have genuine complaints and remain calm are completely ignored…” Others, like u/WordWizardx, pointed out the practical challenges of booting a guest after check-in—sometimes it’s safer to let petty words slide than risk a bigger scene.
The community consensus? Hotels need to stop caving to theatrics. As u/birdmanrules put it, “Complaining should never mean you get free stuff UNLESS the hotel or staff stuffs up.” Otherwise, you’re just training the next Mr. Misery.
Curtain Call: Have You Met a Mr. Misery?
The cycle continues—until management draws a line, the show will go on, with entitled guests everywhere rehearsing for their next big scene. But let’s not forget the true heroes: the front desk workers who stay cool under pressure, keep their humor, and somehow resist the urge to flip the desk.
Have you ever faced a Mr. Misery in your travels? Are you a hospitality worker with your own tales of tantrums and triumphs? Share your stories (and best customer service clichés) in the comments below—because in this business, misery loves company, but laughter makes it bearable.
Original Reddit Post: All this for an ID