Working at high-end restaurants and luxury hotels might sound like a dream job, but let’s be honest, it’s often more ridiculous than glamorous. From guests ordering gourmet meals for their pet to acting like a $2,000 bottle of wine is just casual hydration, staffers have seen some truly baffling things.
So when someone online asked, “People who work in high-class restaurants and hotels, what’s the most ridiculous, stereotypical ‘rich person’ thing you’ve ever seen?”, the internet did not disappoint. Employees from around the world came forward to spill the beans, and what they shared ranges from hilariously weird to downright jaw-dropping. Scroll down for a hilarious peek into the world of the ultra-wealthy, where money talks, but sometimes it says the weirdest things. And remember, behind every ridiculous story is a hospitality worker trying very hard not to laugh (or cry).
#1
I was a cook in the #1 restaurant in Vancouver Wa. Around 2003-2009 a grandson of a huge hotel chain rolls up in his Lambo. He always ordered about $10 of food and tipped $100. He sat at the cooks counter and me being a line cook we hit it off for our love for college football.
One day he asked if I would come over to his house for a huge boxing match Maywether vs De La Hoya and cook for him and his family. I get there and he has several Lambos a huge house on the river and let’s me do whatever I want in the kitchen. I cook the meal for 4 people and he gives me half of his Filet Mignon and tells me to join them for the fight. I watched the fight and then cleaned and packed up and charged him $300 for the cost.
I get in my bosses car (mine was broken down and I rode my bike everywhere.) I look at the check I got and it said $1700. The cost to fix my car was $1400 so this covered it completely. I drove home with tears in my eyes. I cried myself to sleep that night. Making a cooks wages is crippling.
Fast forward to today I no longer work in the service industry and this guy just opened a homeless women’s shelter a few months ago.
I wish more more people who came into money had 1/10th heart of this guy.
One day he asked if I would come over to his house for a huge boxing match Maywether vs De La Hoya and cook for him and his family. I get there and he has several Lambos a huge house on the river and let’s me do whatever I want in the kitchen. I cook the meal for 4 people and he gives me half of his Filet Mignon and tells me to join them for the fight. I watched the fight and then cleaned and packed up and charged him $300 for the cost.
I get in my bosses car (mine was broken down and I rode my bike everywhere.) I look at the check I got and it said $1700. The cost to fix my car was $1400 so this covered it completely. I drove home with tears in my eyes. I cried myself to sleep that night. Making a cooks wages is crippling.
Fast forward to today I no longer work in the service industry and this guy just opened a homeless women’s shelter a few months ago.
I wish more more people who came into money had 1/10th heart of this guy.
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110points
#2
I operated a premium chain restaurant in Canada. One day this Indian gentleman started coming in, at first by himself. On the first day he spent $200 on wine and tipped $1000. The next day he did the same again. When we saw him the third time I had servers fighting over him. Anyway, one evening he got drunk on wine and Brad the busboy made the mistake complementing his watch. Mr. S. takes off his Tag and gives it to Brad. The next morning Mr. S comes back to get his car and asks if Brad is there, I say yes and go get him, Brad knows what's up and is removing the watch as he walks over to Mr. S. Mr. S says, "Brad I'm really sorry I got drunk last night and gave you my watch." Brad is chuckling as he is removing the watch and says it's no problem and he was just holding the watch until Mr. S returned. The next thing Mr. S. said, I could not believe: "Brad you don't understand, I'm sorry because it was very rude of me to give you a used gift." And at that moment Mr. S pulled out a box with a brand new Tag Heuer inside and handed it to Brad.
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84points
#3
Don't work at any high-class restaurants or hotels, but I currently live in an old yet nice and comfy apartment in Giza (around 20 minutes from the pyramids complex). The landlady is a very nice old lady, probably in her 60s, and is filthy, filthy, filthy rich.
Last year my car had to be repaired after a minor crash for more than a week, and when the landlady found out from the bawabs (doormen) about my situation, she sent one of her English-speaking maids to give me car keys for a BMW 520i, Mercedes-Benz S600, and a brand new Land Cruiser. "The madam insist you use her car until yours is repaired". I was shocked, of course, and asked her if she still could go around with her lending this much cars to me. "No worry, madam has 12 cars in al-Qahirah". Okay, I guess... I ended up only using the Land Cruiser because it's the cheapest one (I think).
Another story is when she knew I would graduate from college soon. She asked me to come visit her place, I did as she asked, and she just gave me a set of keys and some money. "Here, I have nice villa in Ain Sokhna. Go visit it with friend and family, food and drinks is on me, I have maids and cooks there. Car you can use mine, the money is for fuel. Happy graduation." I told her that I just couldn't take it, but she just shooed me away and told me to return her keys only after I really visited the villa. Haven't gone to the place yet, but I will soon enough when I have time.
Ridiculous, yeah, but in a really good way.
Last year my car had to be repaired after a minor crash for more than a week, and when the landlady found out from the bawabs (doormen) about my situation, she sent one of her English-speaking maids to give me car keys for a BMW 520i, Mercedes-Benz S600, and a brand new Land Cruiser. "The madam insist you use her car until yours is repaired". I was shocked, of course, and asked her if she still could go around with her lending this much cars to me. "No worry, madam has 12 cars in al-Qahirah". Okay, I guess... I ended up only using the Land Cruiser because it's the cheapest one (I think).
Another story is when she knew I would graduate from college soon. She asked me to come visit her place, I did as she asked, and she just gave me a set of keys and some money. "Here, I have nice villa in Ain Sokhna. Go visit it with friend and family, food and drinks is on me, I have maids and cooks there. Car you can use mine, the money is for fuel. Happy graduation." I told her that I just couldn't take it, but she just shooed me away and told me to return her keys only after I really visited the villa. Haven't gone to the place yet, but I will soon enough when I have time.
Ridiculous, yeah, but in a really good way.
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49points
Everyone loves eating out, whether it’s a casual burger at a neighborhood joint or a lavish meal at a five-star restaurant. According to Statista, in 2024 alone, full-service restaurant franchises in the U.S. had an estimated output of $80 billion. Dining out isn’t just about food, it’s about the experience. And depending on your budget, the definition of “treating yourself” can vary wildly.
Naturally, if you’re paying top dollar at a swanky restaurant, you expect high-quality service. But here’s the real question: Shouldn’t customers be held to a standard too? What about behaving well, being considerate, and not treating hospitality workers like personal assistants? Because, as some workers will tell you, being rich doesn’t always come with manners.
#4
This isn't as much a specific instance, but something that happens all the time with entitled or rich people. I work at a very expensive hotel in Hawaii and people will just come up to the desk and yell words at you. Like no hello or please, just "LUAU" or "ATM". It's like they aren't even thinking of us as people.
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44points
#5
Ordering the most expensive wine in the house...pouring two 1/2 glasses...taking a sip...and sending it back knowing full well they are paying for it.
To those folks I say THANK YOU! Nothing makes employees happier than free (expensive) booze.
To those folks I say THANK YOU! Nothing makes employees happier than free (expensive) booze.
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40points
#6
I'm none of the above, but a soldier. We held an annual ball at a local marina hotel restaurant/bar, and had it reserved for the evening. Barkeep/host grabs our commander a few hours into the event and says "There's a guy, he's a daily regular for the past fifteen years, wants to grab his usual nightcap. Do you mind?"
The commander agrees and the gentleman comes in, sits at his spot, and proceeds to enjoy the show while "occasionally" covering costs for those of us grabbing drinks, in exchange for a little small talk about what we do. After about three hours, he grabs his coat and heads out.
He then returns about an hour later, and proceeds to shut down the joint with us, still covering drinks "here and there."
The next day when I came in as part of the clean-up crew (grabbing drunkenly abandoned uniform or materials), the host gave me the breakdown after I asked how long their charges normally take to process, as I hadn't seen my bar tab hit my account yet.
Turns out the regular owned a chunk of the marina, and covered a combined $12,000 bar tab as "thanks to the servicemen and women." I had a tab of over $450 waiting on my card, completely covered that night. It was glorious.
**Edit - D**n, I thought this would get buried.
I hope somewhere up there in the north country this old rich dude is still getting his daily nightcap and making people's lives. He was engaging to talk to, pleasurable company, and didn't leave things hanging when one was ready to move on.
If I run into him again, I'll tell him the tab he covered was almost dollar for upvote to the karma I received off this story!
The commander agrees and the gentleman comes in, sits at his spot, and proceeds to enjoy the show while "occasionally" covering costs for those of us grabbing drinks, in exchange for a little small talk about what we do. After about three hours, he grabs his coat and heads out.
He then returns about an hour later, and proceeds to shut down the joint with us, still covering drinks "here and there."
The next day when I came in as part of the clean-up crew (grabbing drunkenly abandoned uniform or materials), the host gave me the breakdown after I asked how long their charges normally take to process, as I hadn't seen my bar tab hit my account yet.
Turns out the regular owned a chunk of the marina, and covered a combined $12,000 bar tab as "thanks to the servicemen and women." I had a tab of over $450 waiting on my card, completely covered that night. It was glorious.
**Edit - D**n, I thought this would get buried.
I hope somewhere up there in the north country this old rich dude is still getting his daily nightcap and making people's lives. He was engaging to talk to, pleasurable company, and didn't leave things hanging when one was ready to move on.
If I run into him again, I'll tell him the tab he covered was almost dollar for upvote to the karma I received off this story!
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35points
To understand more, we spoke to Nikola Rujkov, a hospitality staffer in Munich who is originally from North Macedonia. “Oh, the things we see,” he said with a laugh, “guests can be really hard to manage sometimes.” Nikola has worked in multiple high-end hotels and says some rich patrons leave behind unforgettable stories, not always in a good way.
#7
A young man I’ll call Business D****e tried to send back two bottles of Penfolds Grange, not because of the taste, but because he was trying to impress older potential clients with his stunning wine knowledge (yeah, right).
The potential clients were so grossed out by the display that they paid for the meal and insisted on paying for both bottles and drinking them. Business D****e tried to reach for a bottle to pour himself a glass and the client told him that since it wasn’t up to his standards he couldn’t possibly let him have any. Effective Business Shaming 101. It was like watching Jack Donaghy at work.
The potential clients were so grossed out by the display that they paid for the meal and insisted on paying for both bottles and drinking them. Business D****e tried to reach for a bottle to pour himself a glass and the client told him that since it wasn’t up to his standards he couldn’t possibly let him have any. Effective Business Shaming 101. It was like watching Jack Donaghy at work.
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33points
#8
I am a cocktail server at the huge pool of a 4 star hotel. A woman said in a mono-tone voice and without any eye-contact "I lost my sunscreen. Find it.".
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32points
“Some guests make so much noise, you’d think they were at a nightclub,” he shared. “It’s two in the morning and they’re partying in their suite. When we politely ask them to keep it down, they act like we’re insulting royalty.” Nikola says staff often bear the brunt of this entitled behavior, no matter how unreasonable.
#10
I know it may be technically off topic, but I worked IT (computer tech) in a small, tourist ski town and had a few run ins with properly rich people.
The worst was a local lawyer. Called for support because his email wasn't working. I showed up (no one at my office would take the call, but I was young and eager for work) and asked "What's the problem?"
He told me he didn't have time to explain the problem. That his time was too valuable and I should just "figure it out" because that's what he paid me for. Let me assure you, as someone that bills by the hour, I definitely made that one work.
The others are actually way more positive. Though also super-wealthy.
1) Old lady calls up, computer has a virus. Show up at her "condo." To be clear, "condo" is 4-stories, directly on the ski slope, with a private elevator and dedicated movie theater.
Computer itself is just junk though. Standard Dell crapola from 2004 or whatever. I start the virus scan and it'll take like an hour or more. Half an hour in, this little dog is yipping at me (friendly like) and the old lady picks her up, then asks how much longer. I tell her I can't really say. Scan has another 30 minutes, but if a virus shows up, it could take a lot longer to clean it up.
Old lady, Mrs. Callendar, she says "Oh, no rush, we just wanted to know if we should tell our pilot to warm up the plane yet or not."
Yeah, a $1000 PC, and my $95/hr virus scan are literally holding up a private f*****g plane. And she's okay with that.
For the record, the DOG'S name is "Marie."
And I took about 45 more minutes, and removed a minor virus, then reset her browser's settings to disable about 35 toolbars and fixed the issue.
2) Guy calls because his internet is crapped out.
Show up, typical wireless internet (directional terrestrial) for the area. Mid winter. Go climb up on the roof and hammer a bunch of icicles away from the dish antenna. Come back down, reset everything. No prob. Kids all back online.
He asks if I could help with sat-tv. I say I'd try. Basically same problem. A bit of ice, and dish needs fine-tuning on direction. Fix it, he's happy.
Leaving, he tries to give me cash. I say we bill through the company, but if he has a business card or something, that's easiest. He says, "Yeah, but don't bill the company, I'll write my personal on the back."
Get card, thumb covers part of it. Card says "PepsiCo." Read "President" near my thumb. Expect to move thumb, see "of Western Marketing" or something. Nope. Says: "And CEO."
(Super secret, business card had a coupon on the back. Good for one frito-lay or pepsi soda product, or 75¢ off anything else from PepsiCo.)
3) Guy calls our local repair shop (only one for 100+ miles) asking if we install routers. Sure, yeah. "Do you sell computers?" Yeah, those too. "Well, I'd like to buy... (he counts on fingers or something) Like 5 PCs, one for each room, and 3 or 4 laptops to throw around the place."
This is like $30k sale in a shop that typically does $1000/week in sales tops. Check with boss. He says get credit first. Guy insists he can pay cash, but I should bring it all to his new house next week.
Credit goes through. Show up at mountain mansion. 6000 sq. ft. Entire flat-bed truck of empty wine crates, straw spilling out of their wooden slats.
Go to unload, old, chubby guy walks up in sandals and cargo shorts. "Hey, are you the computer guy?"
"Yeah, that's me." Look at guy, assume he's property manager/butler/cousin/something. "I'm looking for Mr. XXXXX"
"Oh, that's me. Here, let me give you a hand with those boxes."
He helps unload, shows me the place, thanks me profusely for showing up on such short notice, etc. Turns out he was retiring from a CFO gig at a major company in Chicago.
In the process of installing things, I saw the full house. Wine cellar alone was huge. 18 ft. ceilings with a rolling, library-style ladder on a half-moon shelf of wine. Connected directly to that was a walk-in humidor. Outside of that, a massive media/theater room. The whole house was connected to a smart-home system that juggled a DVD jukebox (this was before streaming) to every TV in the house, complete with 12" touchscreen tablet "remotes" that, when carried, would cause the show to follow you from room to room, opening and closing hidden screens, curtains, and activating/dimming lights. Insane, and yet, the guy was super friendly.
The worst was a local lawyer. Called for support because his email wasn't working. I showed up (no one at my office would take the call, but I was young and eager for work) and asked "What's the problem?"
He told me he didn't have time to explain the problem. That his time was too valuable and I should just "figure it out" because that's what he paid me for. Let me assure you, as someone that bills by the hour, I definitely made that one work.
The others are actually way more positive. Though also super-wealthy.
1) Old lady calls up, computer has a virus. Show up at her "condo." To be clear, "condo" is 4-stories, directly on the ski slope, with a private elevator and dedicated movie theater.
Computer itself is just junk though. Standard Dell crapola from 2004 or whatever. I start the virus scan and it'll take like an hour or more. Half an hour in, this little dog is yipping at me (friendly like) and the old lady picks her up, then asks how much longer. I tell her I can't really say. Scan has another 30 minutes, but if a virus shows up, it could take a lot longer to clean it up.
Old lady, Mrs. Callendar, she says "Oh, no rush, we just wanted to know if we should tell our pilot to warm up the plane yet or not."
Yeah, a $1000 PC, and my $95/hr virus scan are literally holding up a private f*****g plane. And she's okay with that.
For the record, the DOG'S name is "Marie."
And I took about 45 more minutes, and removed a minor virus, then reset her browser's settings to disable about 35 toolbars and fixed the issue.
2) Guy calls because his internet is crapped out.
Show up, typical wireless internet (directional terrestrial) for the area. Mid winter. Go climb up on the roof and hammer a bunch of icicles away from the dish antenna. Come back down, reset everything. No prob. Kids all back online.
He asks if I could help with sat-tv. I say I'd try. Basically same problem. A bit of ice, and dish needs fine-tuning on direction. Fix it, he's happy.
Leaving, he tries to give me cash. I say we bill through the company, but if he has a business card or something, that's easiest. He says, "Yeah, but don't bill the company, I'll write my personal on the back."
Get card, thumb covers part of it. Card says "PepsiCo." Read "President" near my thumb. Expect to move thumb, see "of Western Marketing" or something. Nope. Says: "And CEO."
(Super secret, business card had a coupon on the back. Good for one frito-lay or pepsi soda product, or 75¢ off anything else from PepsiCo.)
3) Guy calls our local repair shop (only one for 100+ miles) asking if we install routers. Sure, yeah. "Do you sell computers?" Yeah, those too. "Well, I'd like to buy... (he counts on fingers or something) Like 5 PCs, one for each room, and 3 or 4 laptops to throw around the place."
This is like $30k sale in a shop that typically does $1000/week in sales tops. Check with boss. He says get credit first. Guy insists he can pay cash, but I should bring it all to his new house next week.
Credit goes through. Show up at mountain mansion. 6000 sq. ft. Entire flat-bed truck of empty wine crates, straw spilling out of their wooden slats.
Go to unload, old, chubby guy walks up in sandals and cargo shorts. "Hey, are you the computer guy?"
"Yeah, that's me." Look at guy, assume he's property manager/butler/cousin/something. "I'm looking for Mr. XXXXX"
"Oh, that's me. Here, let me give you a hand with those boxes."
He helps unload, shows me the place, thanks me profusely for showing up on such short notice, etc. Turns out he was retiring from a CFO gig at a major company in Chicago.
In the process of installing things, I saw the full house. Wine cellar alone was huge. 18 ft. ceilings with a rolling, library-style ladder on a half-moon shelf of wine. Connected directly to that was a walk-in humidor. Outside of that, a massive media/theater room. The whole house was connected to a smart-home system that juggled a DVD jukebox (this was before streaming) to every TV in the house, complete with 12" touchscreen tablet "remotes" that, when carried, would cause the show to follow you from room to room, opening and closing hidden screens, curtains, and activating/dimming lights. Insane, and yet, the guy was super friendly.
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31points
#11
I have worked in many restaurants as a waiter, nothing too fancy, but good enough so that rich people that frequent the michelin restaurants in the area drops by some times.
The worst customers i have had are some of these rich a******s that gets seated and refuse to look at the menu and want as little to do with me as possible. They want to order a filet mignon or some other fancy meat dish with red whine sauce etc , a really specific whine that they tasted while they where visiting french vineyards. I tell them that we cant serve the food or wine they have requested, they then stand up and yell at me and proclaims that this restaurant are s**t and they cant seem to understand why their friends or someone they now have recommended this restaurant, and then leaves the building while making a big scene for everyone to watch.
How the hell can i serve them a filet mignon and french wine when i work for a italian inspired seafood restaurant with handpicked and self imported italian wines. Rich a******s...
The worst customers i have had are some of these rich a******s that gets seated and refuse to look at the menu and want as little to do with me as possible. They want to order a filet mignon or some other fancy meat dish with red whine sauce etc , a really specific whine that they tasted while they where visiting french vineyards. I tell them that we cant serve the food or wine they have requested, they then stand up and yell at me and proclaims that this restaurant are s**t and they cant seem to understand why their friends or someone they now have recommended this restaurant, and then leaves the building while making a big scene for everyone to watch.
How the hell can i serve them a filet mignon and french wine when i work for a italian inspired seafood restaurant with handpicked and self imported italian wines. Rich a******s...
29points
#12
Around 10 years ago, myself and my best friend worked for a hospitality company specialising in sporting events. This particular time we were working at a high class horse racing event tending to the owners and shareholders. One particular owner was very snotty to the two of us but we had to grin and bear it all while he bought £500 bottles of wine to drink a single glass and have us throw it away. On the third day of the event a quiet old lady that had sat quietly in the corner with her grandson the entire time approached us after the rude man and his guests that day had been extremely disrespectful to myself and my friend. She was a firecracker. She told us that she had been listening to the treatment we had endured over the previous couple of days and had negotiated to buy the company the rude man worked for and was working to relieve him of the position that he held. I don't know if this ever came to pass but she made the two of us smile for the rest of the week after that. She was the hero we never deserved. I can't remember most of what she said but one particular thing did stick in my mind, the first thing she said to us after the man had left 'I could buy and sell every single person in this room, so I have'. Legend.
29points
“Then there are guests who treat us like their personal butlers,” Nikola continued. “One lady asked me to find her lip gloss at three a.m.! Others ask us to run their errands or track down their lost shoes. It’s wild how some people assume we exist solely to cater to every whim they dream up.”
#13
Worked at a grocery store in uppity Gold Coast Chicago when I was a teen.
We sold soup for lunch and when bagging them, we put it in a paper bag followed by a plastic bag to make sure it’s secure.
Lady buys a soup, I proceed to bag the soup and she says no, I’ll just put it in my bag.
I say, M’aam are you sure?
Mind you she has a Louis Vuitton bag that looks brand spanking new.
15 minutes later she comes in raging that she has minestrone all over her Louis Vuitton and demands to speak to a manager. Smh.
We sold soup for lunch and when bagging them, we put it in a paper bag followed by a plastic bag to make sure it’s secure.
Lady buys a soup, I proceed to bag the soup and she says no, I’ll just put it in my bag.
I say, M’aam are you sure?
Mind you she has a Louis Vuitton bag that looks brand spanking new.
15 minutes later she comes in raging that she has minestrone all over her Louis Vuitton and demands to speak to a manager. Smh.
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28points
#14
Oh yay, I love this one. First and foremost, throw a 6 year old's birthday party at a tapas restaurant called "______ Wine Company." Try to feed them tartare. Scoff when your child asks for balloons or French fries. Try to feed them jalapeno creme brulee for dessert. Try to quiz them on picking out scents in wine. Sigh when they don't care. Keep ordering more wine when they fall asleep on the booth. Complain to in-laws about how exhausting motherhood is. Have to Uber home with a six year old. Everyone else:
Order a walnut salad and then yell at your server for it having walnuts, because you're allergic.
Yell at server because the top of the creme brulee is... Burnt.
Inquire about the immigration status of the chef.
Tip your server $40 immediately after telling her she "doesn't look too bright," tell her she'll get over it.
Shove your server when he comes to warn you that your reservation on the table is officially past the previously agreed upon time. Scream that he isn't allowed to touch you back when he tries to disconnect your arm from his collar.
Edit: these were all different people.
Order a walnut salad and then yell at your server for it having walnuts, because you're allergic.
Yell at server because the top of the creme brulee is... Burnt.
Inquire about the immigration status of the chef.
Tip your server $40 immediately after telling her she "doesn't look too bright," tell her she'll get over it.
Shove your server when he comes to warn you that your reservation on the table is officially past the previously agreed upon time. Scream that he isn't allowed to touch you back when he tries to disconnect your arm from his collar.
Edit: these were all different people.
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27points
#15
Late to this party but I have a positive one to throw in amidst all the negative.
I'm loosely aquainted with someone who is obscenely rich. He dated my best friend for a while back when we were in college. As you can imagine, he bought her fancy things all the time, took her on expensive family vacations with his folks, ect ect. He was a stereotypical rich kid, but he was also kind and still very down to earth.
They dated about a year and in the spring we went spring breaking in his family's condo at a famous spring break beach location and there was just me, my best friend, him and a couple of his friends. The group decided we wanted good old fashioned Waffle House breakfast after a night of revelry. After eating, I noticed he was lingering behind the group. He'd said he had to take a leak, but he stopped back by the table on his way out to the car. Curious, I ran back to the restrooms just so I could pass by the table to see what he'd done.
He left the waitress a small pile of Benjamins as a tip. Had to be 4 or 5 hundred dollars. I couldn't quite tell because they were folded and rumpled from being in his wallet.
My mouth fell open when I saw it and I forgot I was even heading to the restroom. I looked out by the car and he was watching me through the glass windows, held up his finger to his lips mouthing, "shhhh," and beckoned me back out to the car.
I didn't tell, but my eyes were glued to the table as we pulled away in his car. The waitress collapsed into the seat of the table when she saw it. Pretty sure she was crying.
Letting that guy get away was the dumbest thing my best friend ever did in her life.
I'm loosely aquainted with someone who is obscenely rich. He dated my best friend for a while back when we were in college. As you can imagine, he bought her fancy things all the time, took her on expensive family vacations with his folks, ect ect. He was a stereotypical rich kid, but he was also kind and still very down to earth.
They dated about a year and in the spring we went spring breaking in his family's condo at a famous spring break beach location and there was just me, my best friend, him and a couple of his friends. The group decided we wanted good old fashioned Waffle House breakfast after a night of revelry. After eating, I noticed he was lingering behind the group. He'd said he had to take a leak, but he stopped back by the table on his way out to the car. Curious, I ran back to the restrooms just so I could pass by the table to see what he'd done.
He left the waitress a small pile of Benjamins as a tip. Had to be 4 or 5 hundred dollars. I couldn't quite tell because they were folded and rumpled from being in his wallet.
My mouth fell open when I saw it and I forgot I was even heading to the restroom. I looked out by the car and he was watching me through the glass windows, held up his finger to his lips mouthing, "shhhh," and beckoned me back out to the car.
I didn't tell, but my eyes were glued to the table as we pulled away in his car. The waitress collapsed into the seat of the table when she saw it. Pretty sure she was crying.
Letting that guy get away was the dumbest thing my best friend ever did in her life.
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24points
It’s not just the staff that takes the heat, chefs get their share too. “We’ve had requests for only imported shellfish, or avocados that are ‘exactly ripe.’ Like, how do you guarantee that? Some even demand custom menus without allergens or carbs. It’s like being asked to create magic every time.”
#16
My former boss (insanely wealthy), used to stay in presidential suites and would have any and all red removed. He was a high roller at several casinos and they made special chips just for him as a substitute to red chips. He hated the color red because when you’re losing money, you’re “in the red.”.
22points
#17
I don't even work at that nice of a restaurant, but last month I got chewed out over the phone because some lady left her baby's actual silver spoon on the table, and we didn't know where it was so obviously one of us had stolen it.
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22points
#18
I’ve got a pretty good one! I work at a luxury property in California, and we had the co-founder of a large payment processing company stay with us a while back. He only liked to sleep on his own bed, so when he woke up that morning, he paid a team to load his bed into a truck and have it delivered to our property. We then removed the bed in his luxury suite and setup his bed that his team had brought us. He only stayed with us one night and the process was done to send the bed back home the following day. It kind of blew my mind that he went through all that trouble, just so he could always sleep on his own bed. To each their own, I guess!
22points
Some guests truly believe that booking a presidential suite means owning the entire hotel. “One guy insisted we clear out the elevator whenever he needed to use it,” Nikola said. “He wanted no other guests to ride with him. We get it, you paid a premium, but that doesn’t mean you’re the only one who matters.”
#19
I used to work at a ski resort that sits at the top of a steep canyon. The geography is pretty extreme and people don't want to drive through the snow, so everyone with enough money stays directly at the resort. Our rooms generally weren't over the top luxurious, but we had probably the second or third nicest hotel in the resort area and saw some rich clientele.
One time someone in sales or reservations screwed up with a conference which caused the significantly larger and more 5-star luxury style place up the hill to become oversold. So naturally they bumped some of them down to our hotel.
Normally this isn't a big deal. We'd comp them enough stuff like free spa passes at the 5* place and a meal and they'd be happy. They're coming for some random conference that sold a huge block of rooms. They probably didn't even know what hotel they were at or what type of room they were in.
As someone who works at a higher end hotel you get really, really sensitive to peoples' body languages and you can tell when people are grumpy. Normally they're just tired from a long trip or pissed at their spouse or something and it has nothing to do with you, but you can see it 100 yards away.
This guy walked through the door and was broadcasting his s****y attitude like there was a giant lighthouse light strapped on his head. Not only was he pissed off, but he kept making eye contact with me to let me know he was pissed off about the move and pissed off that he had to wait in line to check-in. I knew when he walked up that he was going to go off.
He gave me the typically s****y attitude interrogation. What's going on? Why did this happen? Are you incompetent? Yadda yadda.
It was really unpleasant but I'm a pro. I was doing pretty good at the hospitality verbal kung fu and not giving him anything to be pissed off at me about. He started asking about the amenities of the hotel, looking for an opening.
Do you have a pool? Yes, sir we do. Here's your key.
Do you have a restaurant? Yes, sir. Its really fantastic. Here's a voucher for a meal on us. Would you like me to make you a reservation?
Do you have a spa? Yes. We have steam rooms, sauna, and a masseuse on contract. We also would be happy to take you to the 5* spa at any time. Here's the number for our valet driver. What time would you prefer your appointment?
It's also worth nothing that we're like 100 yards away from the other building. We even had 24 hour valet to come pick them up and drive them around literally on call if they didn't want to walk through the snow. We have a better restaurant than the 5* place at normal prices, a nice gym, nice pool, the whole 9 yards. Thiswas a wipe-your-a*s if you ask nice kind of hospitality environment that most people really enjoyed.
He couldn't really find anything to complain about but he was still interrogating me. Then he asked me about the ski lockers.
Do you have ski lockers?
Yes, sir. The ski locker is on the first floor, just across the walkway from the tram center so you can unload without having to walk up any stairs. The locker number is just your room number. Here's your combination.
Do you have boot warmers?
No, sir. We do not.
He'd finally found something to go off about. The dude threw his head back and let out a big, "Oooooh."
You don't have boot warmers? What kind of place doesn't even have boot warmers in the locker room. You expect me to put on my skis when they're frozen cold in the morning. What am I supposed to do, put them in my room where they'll get all smelly?
Dude proceeded to unleash on my for a good three or four minutes all the pent up rage he'd been building for the last hour or so, except his target was how ridiculous it was that we didn't have electric bootwarmers in his private ski locker at the luxury hotel. I worked in high end hospitality for ten years, and probably the second worst a*s-chewing I ever received from a customer was over our lack of f*****g boot warmers.
One time someone in sales or reservations screwed up with a conference which caused the significantly larger and more 5-star luxury style place up the hill to become oversold. So naturally they bumped some of them down to our hotel.
Normally this isn't a big deal. We'd comp them enough stuff like free spa passes at the 5* place and a meal and they'd be happy. They're coming for some random conference that sold a huge block of rooms. They probably didn't even know what hotel they were at or what type of room they were in.
As someone who works at a higher end hotel you get really, really sensitive to peoples' body languages and you can tell when people are grumpy. Normally they're just tired from a long trip or pissed at their spouse or something and it has nothing to do with you, but you can see it 100 yards away.
This guy walked through the door and was broadcasting his s****y attitude like there was a giant lighthouse light strapped on his head. Not only was he pissed off, but he kept making eye contact with me to let me know he was pissed off about the move and pissed off that he had to wait in line to check-in. I knew when he walked up that he was going to go off.
He gave me the typically s****y attitude interrogation. What's going on? Why did this happen? Are you incompetent? Yadda yadda.
It was really unpleasant but I'm a pro. I was doing pretty good at the hospitality verbal kung fu and not giving him anything to be pissed off at me about. He started asking about the amenities of the hotel, looking for an opening.
Do you have a pool? Yes, sir we do. Here's your key.
Do you have a restaurant? Yes, sir. Its really fantastic. Here's a voucher for a meal on us. Would you like me to make you a reservation?
Do you have a spa? Yes. We have steam rooms, sauna, and a masseuse on contract. We also would be happy to take you to the 5* spa at any time. Here's the number for our valet driver. What time would you prefer your appointment?
It's also worth nothing that we're like 100 yards away from the other building. We even had 24 hour valet to come pick them up and drive them around literally on call if they didn't want to walk through the snow. We have a better restaurant than the 5* place at normal prices, a nice gym, nice pool, the whole 9 yards. Thiswas a wipe-your-a*s if you ask nice kind of hospitality environment that most people really enjoyed.
He couldn't really find anything to complain about but he was still interrogating me. Then he asked me about the ski lockers.
Do you have ski lockers?
Yes, sir. The ski locker is on the first floor, just across the walkway from the tram center so you can unload without having to walk up any stairs. The locker number is just your room number. Here's your combination.
Do you have boot warmers?
No, sir. We do not.
He'd finally found something to go off about. The dude threw his head back and let out a big, "Oooooh."
You don't have boot warmers? What kind of place doesn't even have boot warmers in the locker room. You expect me to put on my skis when they're frozen cold in the morning. What am I supposed to do, put them in my room where they'll get all smelly?
Dude proceeded to unleash on my for a good three or four minutes all the pent up rage he'd been building for the last hour or so, except his target was how ridiculous it was that we didn't have electric bootwarmers in his private ski locker at the luxury hotel. I worked in high end hospitality for ten years, and probably the second worst a*s-chewing I ever received from a customer was over our lack of f*****g boot warmers.
22points
#20
Used to be a bartender, had 4 guys walk up to the bar and order 4 shots of Remy Martin Louis XXIII... which was $435 a 1.5 oz pour.
It’s normally poured into a snifter and a discerning drinker will usually dilute it down slightly because its between 40-100 years aged and is like 55% alcohol by volume.
These four rich wankers didn’t know any of that and wanted it in shot glasses... and the proceeded to throw back $1700 worth of the finest cognac you’ll ever taste.
They tipped me $300 so I forgave them quickly but that was such a rich person thing to do.
It’s normally poured into a snifter and a discerning drinker will usually dilute it down slightly because its between 40-100 years aged and is like 55% alcohol by volume.
These four rich wankers didn’t know any of that and wanted it in shot glasses... and the proceeded to throw back $1700 worth of the finest cognac you’ll ever taste.
They tipped me $300 so I forgave them quickly but that was such a rich person thing to do.
22points