When the New Front Desk Agent Sets Off All Your Hotel Spidey Senses
Welcoming a new coworker can be an adventure—sometimes a sitcom, sometimes a true crime docuseries. But what happens when your new hotel front desk agent (FDA) goes from model employee to the star of your workplace’s strangest mystery? One Redditor turned to r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk to vent—and the community’s response was as dramatic as a hotel soap opera.
If you’ve ever wondered what red flags look like in the hospitality industry (besides the ones waving outside the building), buckle up. This tale has it all: awkward guest fraternization, questionable military bravado, and more plot twists than your average extended stay.
The New FDA: From Hospitality Hero to “Hmmm...”
It all started so well. According to poster u/cidificj, the new FDA was eager, helpful, and quick to lend a hand to everyone—housekeeping, management, you name it. They soaked up “the tricks of the trade,” learned the ins and outs of PEP (that’s Personal Experience Program for you non-hoteliers), and charmed the team with their can-do attitude.
But as the weeks went by, the shine faded. The new FDA’s work got sloppy. They’d over-explain tasks to the point of confusion, mess up reservations, and—worst of all—fail to communicate mistakes to the team, leaving coworkers to untangle the chaos later. If that wasn’t enough, this FDA started breaking hotel norms: hanging out with guests for hours after shifts, visiting guest rooms during peak check-in (when that's strictly the houseman’s job), and even showing up eight hours early just to “say goodbye to a friend”—a regular, not a long-lost relative.
As the OP put it, “I understand the level of connection with guests but like???” (If you can hear the side-eye in that sentence, you’re not alone.)
When Red Flags Outnumber the Towels
Hotel staff are no strangers to offbeat guests, but when colleagues start acting like they’re auditioning for a reality TV show, it’s time to pause. The r/TalesFromTheFrontDesk community wasted no time diagnosing the situation.
“This is concerning; lots of red flags here,” wrote u/kismetxoxo7, summing up the thread’s general vibe. Many seasoned hoteliers chimed in with a common refrain: when staff fraternize with guests this much, something is usually up—and it’s rarely innocent. “Drugs, it’s always drugs. Smh,” added u/Separate-Cap-8774, who explained that extended-stay hotels are sometimes used by dealers as a base of operations. “Many dealers rent rooms to use as their base...to sell it off as fast as possible.”
Others echoed the importance of boundaries. Hotel policies exist for a reason—protecting both staff and guests from uncomfortable (or illegal) situations. “We were told not to fraternize with the guests...due to this very issue,” said one commenter, emphasizing that management should be looped in immediately.
Stories poured in about similar situations gone wrong. u/fuckyourcanoes shared a heartbreaking account of a relative whose final days in a motel were marked by proximity to dealers and a tragic overdose—proof that these red flags aren’t just workplace gossip; they can signal real danger.
Stolen Valor and Suspicious Stories
If the new FDA’s interactions with guests weren’t enough, their personal tales raised eyebrows, too. The new hire claimed to be a military veteran who “served in Ukraine” and earned a Purple Heart. The housekeeping manager—herself a veteran—found the story fishy. “She said they didn’t meet any of the criterion for veterans,” reported the OP, adding, “like it was just a statement to throw around to be quirky—which I find somewhat disrespectful.”
Reddit users with military knowledge jumped in to clarify. “A bit confused by ‘served in Ukraine’ and ‘Purple Heart’ award,” wrote u/Netrezen, noting that the US military doesn’t give out Purple Hearts for Ukraine service, since there’s no current US campaign there. Others called out the behavior as “stolen valor”—a term for falsely claiming military honors.
As one deleted user put it bluntly: “Your new FDA is lying. Stolen Valor.”
When Your Spidey Senses Tingle: What Should You Do?
By now, the OP’s “hater” worries seem pretty unfounded—in fact, the consensus is that their instincts are spot on. “I think it’s safe to say your Spidey senses tingling for good reasons!” wrote u/LessaSoong7220, who’d worked with a similarly shady colleague before (who, incidentally, also fraternized with guests and turned out to be a thief).
So what’s a conscientious coworker to do? The crowd’s advice was unanimous:
- Document everything. Keep a record of questionable behavior.
- Inform management. Liability is a real concern, and managers need to know what’s happening.
- Keep your distance. Protect yourself and your job.
- Trust your gut. One commenter put it best: “You are not being a hater, you are watching out for you and your coworkers.”
The OP followed through, updating the thread: “I have let my FDM/OM/GM know about all of this...mgmt knows! Thank you all for your comments 😊😊😊”
The Takeaway: Trust Your Team—and Your Instincts
Not every odd coworker is hiding a criminal enterprise, but when the red flags start stacking up like lost luggage at the front desk, it’s time to act. Hotel life is unpredictable—and sometimes, it’s the people behind the counter who are the most unpredictable of all.
Have you ever worked with a “too friendly” colleague who made your Spidey senses tingle? Or seen a suspiciously chatty staff member turn your workplace into a real-life drama? Share your stories in the comments—because in hospitality, everyone has a tale from the front desk.
Stay vigilant, stay curious, and remember: sometimes, the strangest stories are the ones happening right under your nose.
Original Reddit Post: New FDA