When you use third-party apps to book hotels, you need to contact the third-party apps if you want to make any adjustments.

What would you do if you were working at a hotel and a guest asked to adjust his check-in time, even though he made the reservation through a third party?

That is what happened to the hotel employee in this story, and while he would have been happy to make the change, he didn’t have the ability due to the policies of the other company.

It is not surprising that the guest blamed the hotel, but it really wasn’t their fault at all. Read through the full details below, and see what you think about it.

Nobody is forcing you to stay here

I feel like enough time at the Desk has passed to where I’ve seen most variations of a situation.

But, time and again, there are still surprises. This story is one of them.

A chap came up to the desk to modify his reservation. It started that same day, but he wanted to move to the arrival to the next day.

Okay, sure, easy enough–oops! Great, it’s our good ol’ friend, a prepaid, untouchable third-party reservation!

Why would he blame the front desk manager, though?

I let him know the situation, and he’s immediately upset.

“It’s your hotel, what do you mean you can’t do anything?” he quipped.

I re-explained: “Sir, you paid the third-party. This reservation is locked in as is. You’d have to contact the third-party and maybe they can help. But, I’ll be honest, since this begins today and it’s after check-in time, I don’t know what they’ll do.”

He then let out a very sarcastic and frustrated sigh, and chuffed off with a muttered “Thank you.”

The person with the other company should know this.

A few minutes later, the third-party in question appeared on the phone. Sure enough, they were calling about ‘our guy.’

Once I confirmed I had the info in front of me, the agent said: “So our mutual guest here is trying to change his arrival date to tomorrow. Can you help with that?”

Fighting back a show of annoyance, I simply said: “I’m not able to do that, as according to your policy, this reservation cannot be changed.”

The agent paused for a second and then asked: “I understand. But, would it be okay to make a one-time exception?”

Are they just looking for someone else to blame?

Again, biting my tongue, I responded: “According to your policy, this cannot be altered.”

The agent then tried to pull a fast one and asked for a manager.

I informed them one wasn’t available and that point, they finally gave up and ended the call.

Of course, this guy isn’t happy.

About an hour or so later, Mr. Mister returned, and he was even more angry than before.

I was helping someone else at that same moment, so he ended up checking in with my colleague.

She cheerfully greeted him and asked how he was doing, and without hesitation, he snapped back: “Not good. I gotta stinkin’ check-in today.”

I wonder why he wanted to change the check-in dates.

Remembering who he was, she just sped through the rest of the process and got him on his way in no time.

We laughed about it after the fact, because of how obtuse the whole thing was.

Whatever his reason for changing the dates were, the fact that he already physically came inside to change it was odd.

He is the one who booked the reservation.

Regardless…yes, sir. So, sorry that you unfortunately have to use your prepaid, unmodifiable reservation today, the day you booked for.

We provide the keys to your cell and handcuffs promptly at check-out time. Enjoy your stay in The Slammer Inn!

People need to realize that while using third-party booking sites can save you money, it also comes with some real downsides to be aware of.

Let’s see what the people in the comments on Reddit think about this situation.

This is a great example of why booking direct is a great option.

You didn’t book with the hotel. The hotel can’t honor your request.

Booking directly with the hotel is definitely the way to go.

Here is a great way to handle guests like this.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post this story about a woman who reports her manager after they had zero compassion for a family tragedy.

This person hates dealing with third-party services.

This really shouldn’t be that complicated, and everyone should know that third-party sites are like this. It isn’t the hotel’s fault that the other site has full control over the reservation.

Anyone booking a vacation needs to learn that if you book through a third-party service, it is that company that is your point of contact. Remember, the hotel cannot help you. Overall, it is a simple concept, but people refuse to learn it.