The term “Karen” is really overused and probably deeply annoying to someone actually named Karen. However, unfortunately, if one works in a customer-facing job, it’s almost inevitable that one will have to deal with people who think rules don’t apply to them. After all, all of these “Karen” stories exist for a reason.
A netizen shared their frustration with a “Karen” who demanded that a hotel pool be left open for her kids because she “paid a lot of money to be here.” We also got in touch with the person who made the post via private message and they were kind enough to share some more details.
Rules for things like pools exist for a reason
Image credits: user15449331 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
But one mom decided that if she wanted the hotel pool to be open after hours, it should be
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: WarOnEntitledGuests
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Way too many hotel guests feel entitled to do whatever they want
Bored Panda got in touch with the netizen who made the post and they were kind enough to give a few details about how readers responded. We asked if there were any specific comments they enjoyed or thought were helpful. “Yes, many comments I found useful. Working in a hotel is very challenging, and any suggestions on how to make my job easier is appreciated. I have many stories working in the hotel, so I plan to share more as time goes by,” they shared. The post did end up going viral, so we also wanted to hear their opinion on why so many readers resonated with the story “I think they found it engaging because many people relate to the entitlement of guests in a hotel.”
There is a bizarre attitude that arises periodically when a credit card is swiped across the front desk and the keys are picked up: a false notion that payment for a room is not only a place to stay but the authorization to warp, or simply disregard, the hotel rules. This authority is derived from a variety of interrelated variables. First, money always appears to be power. When guests see a nightly rate or a substantial total on their bill, they interpret it as leverage. They paid, so they assume they own a slice of the establishment and, by extension, are above the regular regulations that apply to others.
Second, there’s a psychological shortcut at work. In everyday life, we exchange money for products or services, coffee, groceries, gas, and are not typically bothered with hidden commitments outside the exchange. The mindset is not effective within hospitality, where the “service” includes a set of expectations and communal norms, quiet hours, security protocols, respect for common areas. Visitors who haven’t bothered to read or sign the fine print might genuinely believe payment is sufficient to have met their side of the bargain. To them, rules exist as an abstraction, if at all, compared to the act of paying itself.
Image credits: Mikhail Nilov / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The idea that if you’ve paid money, you can do whatever you want is way too ingrained in some people
Entitlement is also fostered by social standing. Hotels are often seen as high-end, elitist, and high-class, especially high-end or boutique hotels. Some guests see themselves as VIPs or part of an elite club. That ego can turn into action, staying out of designated smoking areas, ignoring room capacity limits, screaming late at night, because they believe the staff are there largely to cater to their whims. When service staff hesitate or push back, entitled guests do not listen to it as a reasonable boundary but as a personal affront, further reinforcing the idea that they’re special.
Underpinning it all is a clash of cultures involving individual entitlement and common responsibility. Rules at the hotel are meant to protect everyone’s comfort, security, and property. But when guests care about nothing but themselves, another towel requested at 2 a.m., the door left open for friends, or unauthorized pets in the room, they too often disregard the collective impact. They see rules as obstacles to personal enjoyment rather than as guardrails that ensure an equitable and secure experience for all. Because they equate payment with ultimate control, they fail to appreciate the fact that one person’s choice can impact the whole guest population.
To address entitled behavior is more than merely remarking on policy, it is reminding guests of the social compact embedded in hospitality. Payment does lock up a room, but it is accompanied by the implication of agreeing to norms which sustain the shared world. When guests understand that rules are not arbitrary restrictions but essential guidelines, they will be more likely to follow them. Otherwise, the myth that money is carte blanche will keep some travelers enticing their own boundaries rather than respecting the hotel as a gracious host.
The worker also shared some details with the readers
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