A hotel guest demanded a room on a non-existent 4th floor. The receptionist's comeback was perfect.

Anyone who has worked in customer service knows the customer is always right—except when they are demanding a room on a floor that doesn't exist.

A classic story from the Reddit community r/MaliciousCompliance is making the rounds again, detailing one receptionist's legendary response to an entitled guest. The employee, who was working the night shift at a hotel that was fully booked, faced a woman who marched in with a piece of paper and an attitude.

"Customer had a reservation for the 4th floor at a 3-floor hotel so I took her to the roof," the hotel employee wrote in the caption of the now-deleted post, according to Bored Panda.

A hotel clerk greets a guestCanva

The situation began when the woman presented a third-party reservation confirmation. The receptionist immediately spotted two problems: the hotel didn't accept third-party bookings, and the reservation was for a "Days Inn," which the hotel hadn't been for years.

"Ma’am, I believe you, however, unfortunately, you are not in our system because we don’t take third-party reservations. They sold it to you fraudulently,” the employee explained.

The woman wasn't having it. "You’re just trying to steal my money! I have a confirmation number right there," she reportedly screamed. When the receptionist pointed out that her slip was for a fourth-floor room in a three-story building, the guest doubled down with a baffling lie: “I stayed at this Days Inn last year on the fourth floor!”

Gif of Faye Dunaway' as Joan Crawford demanding respect via Giphy

Things escalated when the woman slapped the desk and screamed "Now!" demanding to be taken to her room. Fed up, the employee decided to give her exactly what she asked for.

Grabbing the keys and the woman's luggage, the receptionist led her up the stairs. They passed the third floor, unlocked a maintenance door, and stepped out onto the tarred, open-air roof.

An empty rooftopCanva

With perfect comedic timing, the employee gestured to the empty space. “And here is the fourth floor. I hope it is as nice as the last time you stayed here.”

The receptionist then dropped the bags and retreated to the front desk, leaving the stunned guest alone under the stars. By the time they checked again later, the woman—and her luggage—were gone.

The Reddit community applauded the move. "Bravo!" one user wrote. "There is no way I could have handled that situation without completely losing my cool - my hat is off to you."

This article originally appeared earlier this year.