Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
32
Entitled Guest Left Shaken After Hotel Owner Tells Him His Wedding Group Is “No Longer Welcome”
Interview With Author
The customer is always right… but only in matters of taste. This doesn’t give any guests the excuse to manipulate and strong-arm hotel staff. Politeness and humility are two of those essential things that people sometimes forget. If you act entitled all the time, constantly badgering them for a good deal, you’ll find that some folks push back. Hard.
Hotelier u/phil_mckraken went on the ‘Stories’ subreddit to share how they got back at an incredibly egocentric lawyer, who reserved rooms for his daughter’s wedding. However, after months of being harassed by the man and his family, the hotel owner decided that enough was enough. Scroll down for the full story about hotel revenge and how, according to the author, “It’s important to remember that the customer is always right. It’s equally important to remember that not everybody is a customer.” The author of the story was kind enough to answer Bored Panda’s questions about rude customers, and you’ll find their thoughts below.
RELATED:
No, the customer isn’t always right. If you constantly act entitled and harass the hotel staff, you’ll have a bad time
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
A hotel owner revealed how a particularly ego-centric guest, who reserved rooms for his daughter’s wedding, finally went beyond all bounds of decency
Image credits: dragonimages (not the actual image)
Image credits: rawpixel.com (not the actual image)
Image credits: New Africa (not the actual image)
Image credits: phil_mckraken
“My regret was not ending the ordeal sooner”
The author of the post told Bored Panda that they’re actually no longer working in the hotel business anymore.
We asked them how common it was to deal with overly entitled customers in their (former) line of work.
“I served many thousands of people, but this kind of thing was very rare,” u/phil_mckraken shared with us.
“I don’t know why people behave this way. Some people just lie, cheat, and steal.”
Bored Panda was also curious about some of the potential red flags to look out for in prospective customers. “In this case, persistence was the early and constant clue. Asking for the same thing, over and over, is a red flag,” u/phil_mckraken said.
“One thing I didn’t mention in the piece was that the contract was never in force since the deposit was never mailed in,” they added.
“My regret was not ending the ordeal sooner. But being a proud creature of the service industry before I was in business, I was in the habit of serving first and thinking later.”
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
Professionalism and politeness are some of your greatest weapons as a hotel worker
There’s no job, no company, and no industry where it’s smooth sailing all the time. No matter your line of work, it’s very likely that you’ll face some serious challenges during your career. In customer-facing businesses, these problems often arise in the form of problematic people.
So, you have to find a way to be resilient so these issues don’t rattle you while also looking for creative ways to solve them. A lot of good customer service is rooted in genuine empathy and professionalism.
To put it simply, you want to solve people’s problems while also respecting your boundaries, as well as those of your colleagues and the hotel itself. Try to stay calm, cool, and collected. Don’t rise to the bait. Get your superiors involved if the issue is getting out of hand. And always remember that outright rudeness and harassment have no place in the hotel industry: if your ‘customer’ isn’t willing to behave like a civilized human being, you don’t need their business.
According to the Landmark Hotel Group, dealing with difficult customers is an essential part of any hospitality career. Especially if you’re working front desk jobs, which are very stressful and require good conflict resolution skills.
Active listening is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal when working at hotel front desks. “Customers want to feel heard and understood, and actively listening to them can help defuse the situation. When a customer is venting their frustrations, let them speak without interrupting and show that you are paying attention by nodding or making eye contact. This will help establish a rapport and let the customer know you take their concerns seriously.”
This means being patient, empathetic, maintaining eye contact, and displaying attentive body language. On the flip side, you want to avoid getting angry or defensive or escalating the situation.
Image credits: hryshchyshen (not the actual image)
A dash of genuine empathy can go a long way when handling especially difficult guests
Meanwhile, Little Hotelier stresses the importance of business owners and managers supporting their staff when dealing with challenging guests.
“When necessary, have a senior staff member step in, give the affected employee a short break, and follow up afterward. Ensure that staff feel supported, as this boosts their confidence and helps with employee retention.”
It’s also important to have a strategy in place for dealing with particularly difficult, aggressive customers. A core part of that means remaining as calm and polite as possible, no matter the complaints. This includes avoiding visual triggers like rolling your eyes or verbal triggers like interrupting or blaming your guest.
“In most cases, an upset guest simply wants you to recognize that they are angry about a situation and acknowledge that they have the right to feel this way. When you respectfully acknowledge the fact that the guest is upset, but then redirect the conversation toward the solution, you will most likely quickly defuse the situation,” Little Hotelier explains.
“Once the guest feels that their voice has been heard and knows that you are going to provide them with a resolution that will improve their stay, they will begin to feel calm again.”
What’s your take on the entire hotel drama, dear Pandas? How would you have reacted to the problematic, ego-tastic customer if you were in the hotel owner’s shoes? Have you ever worked in the hospitality industry before and had to deal with similar issues? We’d love to hear your perspective. You can share your thoughts in the comments below!
Image credits: freepik (not the actual image)
People applauded the hotelier’s way of handling the problematic customer. Here’s what they told them
Poll Question
Total votes ·
Thanks! Check out the results:
Total votes ·
Newsletter
Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls
By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!
What do you think ?
Gerry Higgins 5 months ago
"The Customer is always right" is a too-frequent Misquote. Harry Selfridge owned a department store and he instructed his staff, "In matters of Taste, the customer is always right." Meaning that if the hat & dress look horrid together sell it to them anyway if the customer wants it.
Delicate Fcuking Flower 4 months ago
I seriously fúckíng HATE when people, who don't even KNOW the proper context of this phrase use that phrase to justify being dóuchecanoes
Load More Replies...
KatSaidWhat 5 months ago
Told someone last week that the customer is not always right as he has been a condescending a*s for long enough that everyone is sick of his schtick and if he had a problem with that line to take it to the top boss, who also doesn't like him. Demanding, arrogant and has taken enough advantage of our lovely sweet doctor that we no longer do him any favours or laugh at his off colour jokes. Yesterday he compared us to NHS so he was told he was welcome to go to them instead of having 30 minutes consultations and walking in at his will to disrupt our clinics. I think he knows now as he slinked out after.
Carney 4 months ago
I've been in situations where the provider (vender, owner, whatever) was obviously in the wrong. I suspect all of us have been there at some point. However, when you get on your high horse proclaiming that you - the customer - should always be considered right, you are the problem. I have never and hope I never do expect the provider to bend rules to meet my desires. I may be the customer, but I easily understand that no business, large of small, exists solely to meet my individual needs/desires. If I think the business is in the wrong, there are good ways of resolving the conflict that do not involve acting like an entitled A-hole. Because I travel a lot for my work, I have made it a policy to behave professionally with those operating any type lodging/travel service. If they state a policy with which I am uncomfortable, I simply say "thanks anyway" and go elsewhere. Perhaps this is why I often get a substantial discount or other "freebie" when staying in a repeat lodging.
Gerry Higgins 5 months ago
"The Customer is always right" is a too-frequent Misquote. Harry Selfridge owned a department store and he instructed his staff, "In matters of Taste, the customer is always right." Meaning that if the hat & dress look horrid together sell it to them anyway if the customer wants it.
Delicate Fcuking Flower 4 months ago
I seriously fúckíng HATE when people, who don't even KNOW the proper context of this phrase use that phrase to justify being dóuchecanoes
Load More Replies... KatSaidWhat 5 months ago
Told someone last week that the customer is not always right as he has been a condescending a*s for long enough that everyone is sick of his schtick and if he had a problem with that line to take it to the top boss, who also doesn't like him. Demanding, arrogant and has taken enough advantage of our lovely sweet doctor that we no longer do him any favours or laugh at his off colour jokes. Yesterday he compared us to NHS so he was told he was welcome to go to them instead of having 30 minutes consultations and walking in at his will to disrupt our clinics. I think he knows now as he slinked out after.
Carney 4 months ago
I've been in situations where the provider (vender, owner, whatever) was obviously in the wrong. I suspect all of us have been there at some point. However, when you get on your high horse proclaiming that you - the customer - should always be considered right, you are the problem. I have never and hope I never do expect the provider to bend rules to meet my desires. I may be the customer, but I easily understand that no business, large of small, exists solely to meet my individual needs/desires. If I think the business is in the wrong, there are good ways of resolving the conflict that do not involve acting like an entitled A-hole. Because I travel a lot for my work, I have made it a policy to behave professionally with those operating any type lodging/travel service. If they state a policy with which I am uncomfortable, I simply say "thanks anyway" and go elsewhere. Perhaps this is why I often get a substantial discount or other "freebie" when staying in a repeat lodging.
Related on Bored Panda
41
12