These customer service workers dish on the most terrible customers they've ever had the displeasure of serving. Their stories are equal parts shocking, infuriating, and oh-so entertaining.
1. Take A Breath
I used to work at a bustling downtown coffee shop. We had this hard-to-please corporate guy. One day, he asked for a coffee and a cranberry scone.
We were fresh out of cranberry scones and when I told him, he completely lost it and began swearing at me. But I was NOT going to let him speak to me like that.
I stared him down and said, "Dude, you're an adult losing it over a scone. Get your act together". Then I just helped the next customer like nothing happened. The funny thing? He apologized the next day and never gave us trouble after that.
2. Just Look!
At the pawn shop, a lady thought she gave me a $100 bill, but I only gave her change for $20. Boy, did she hit the roof, swearing up a storm, and calling me all the names you've heard. She was convinced she'd given me the hundred, because she remembered putting it in her wallet earlier.
I must have told her a zillion times to check her wallet just in case, but she was set on believing she gave it to me. Finally, she caved and looked, and would you believe it? The $100 bill was right there. Instantly, she chilled out. She was so embarrassed.
3. Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Cold
I used to work at a car wash during high school. One day, a guy opened his car door straight into my head while I was cleaning his rims, knocking me out. Instead of apologizing, he criticized me for not removing soap residue from his panels, which I couldn't see since I was on the other side.
Still dazed, I handed my towels to the manager, said, "Deal with him, will you"? and left through the garage back door. Fast forward six years, and I'm bartending at a local restaurant. A customer came in...and I could believe my eyes. Guess who it was? The same jerk, this time with his wife.
From the get-go, he's unhappy about everything. I stay cool and keep it short. When they choose to eat in the bar and ask for menus, I oblige. After attending to other patrons, I go over to take their order.
The guy remarks, "You're taking our order? Thought we'd have a blonde waitress". His wife's clearly uncomfortable so I respond, "Your wife requested a young, hunky bartender". She slips me five bucks under her plate while he's whining about the food.
A month later, he blows up at one of our waitresses, unprovoked. I seize my chance for payback. Even though I'm a bartender, I step up and kick him out. He flips, ranting about how he's known the owner his whole life, hinting I'd lose my job.
Undeterred, I hand him the owner's business card and said, "Bob's in at 9. Give him a call". The next day, Bob calls me at 11 and remarks, "Heard you booted Tyson out". I confirm and explain what happened.
Bob listens and after a pause says, "You did well. That guy's a jerk. You're in charge when you're behind my bar. Keep doing what you're doing".
4. Picture Imperfect
I used to work at a photo lab and we often had customers who'd blame us if their pics didn't turn out right. One lady gave us 800 holiday snaps to print. They were purely bad shots—too dark and blurry.
When she picked 'em up, she threw a tantrum saying we'd messed up her perfect shots. She claimed her pricey camera couldn't possibly produce dark and blurry images. We just refunded her to avoid the drama, even though we'd wasted time and materials on it.
Half an hour later, she called saying a photo lab across town had beautifully reprinted all her photos—all clear and bright.
I had to break it to her that the guy who owned our lab also owned that place and there's no way it could have duplicated 800 photos in such a short time. Plus, their printer was out of order that day.
She didn't take it too well and hung up!
5. The Moment Of Truth
While working at the camera counter of Best Buy, a family speaking thick-accented Chinese—mom, dad, a guy and a girl—showed up. I tried to assist them, but all they said was, "We're just browsing". They chatted amongst themselves in Cantonese, clueless I'm fluent in it—I'm completely Chinese, plus a first-gen Canadian with barely any accent.
Here's their conversation that they had right in front of me, presumably thinking I couldn't understand.
Guy: "What's your take on this camera"?
Girl: "I know squat about cameras, ask the guy working here".
Guy: "That guy? Nah, he'll just feed us lies".
They were discussing this within arms' reach, staring right at me when mentioning "the employee". I'm not sure what they thought—maybe because I spoke English without an accent or maybe they mistook me for some other Asian. They kept on.
Guy: "This one's slick. I wonder how swift it is. Do you know"?
Girl: "No idea. Ask the guy working here".
Guy: "I told you to forget that weirdo. He'll probably lie".
I was stunned, thinking, "Wow, they've no clue I'm getting every word".
They kept back and forth, like this -
Guy: "How many megapixels does this camera have"?
Girl: "I'm clueless about cameras, dude. Ask the guy".
Listening to them, I shook off my disbelief and decided enough was enough. I stepped in and responded, in flawless Cantonese, "That camera is 5-megapixels. It's mentioned right on the tag".
They went stone-faced and silent. The entire family. They thanked me and took off soon after, likely super-embarrassed.
Rachata Teyparsit, Shutterstock
6. A Toilet Situation
A guy wanted to return a toilet seat, but our store doesn't allow that for plastic seats. He tried telling our customer service rep that he only took it out to see it but she stuck to the rules since there was no manager to overrule. He started acting all mad about it and started yelling, especially because the rep was pretty timid and didn't really respond.
Then, another cashier butted in and accused him of lying about the seat being dirty. This really ticked him off. I had to step in, told her to take a break and took over the situation. The guy asked what she said but I just dismissed it and told him we wouldn't be doing the return. He tried arguing, but I shut it down quick. I told him to either take his seat and try again tomorrow with the manager or to just go home with it. Either way, he was taking it with him.
That settled it and he left. Since then, our store's been making sure there's always a manager on duty.
7. Playing Chicken
My first gig was at a mall's Chick-Fil-A. The Xmas rush was brutal, with loads of grumpy, unreasonable people. One incident tops the list though.
A mom with five rowdy kids makes a huge order. The place is packed, queues at every register, and the entire time they're waiting, this family are hollering, "Where’s our food"? and "Hellooo"? It was a scene.
Finally, her massive order, packed into two hefty bags, is ready. They disappear to a table. But that's not the end of it.
About 10 minutes later, the mother returns, receipt in hand, screaming that her order isn't correct. She claims she's missing everything apart from 3 bags of fries and some "pre-chewed" chicken nuggets. She plops a nugget box on the counter with chewed-up nuggets inside.
We definitely didn't serve her chewed nuggets. We'd all just rallied to fulfill her huge order, and handed her two crammed bags of food. She kicks off a major fuss, accusing us of conning her and demanding the food we'd already given.
She starts threatening to call the authorities. Meanwhile, the place is swamped with increasingly irritated folks waiting behind her. While she's mouthing off, a passerby taps her shoulder. What he said next was priceless.
He tells her, "Miss, you left your bag of food under the table," and hands her an enormous bag of food. Yep, the food she's accusing us of withholding. Coincidentally, one of her kids cries out, "The chicken nugget tasted funny, I hate them"! She snaps, "Shut up” and raises her hand to him.
Now that her plan has been hilariously busted, we all stare at her, wondering what she'll do next. She grumbles, "I don't have to take this," snatches a customer's drink off the counter, and pitches it behind the register.
She tries to storm off, her kids tailing her, to no avail. But here's the kicker. A cop, waiting in line behind her on his lunch date (with his girlfriend who happens to work in social services) witnesses everything. He detains the woman, and his girlfriend takes her details, vowing to report her for child endangerment and attempted theft.
Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock
8. Free For All
Years back, I was a waiter and we had this usually pleasant woman as a regular. We messed up her salmon one time, so to make up for it, our boss gave her a free meal voucher, good for a single meal.
A couple days later, she shows up with a crew of like fifteen people. It's barely an hour to closing time and they all order seafood, steak, and drinks. These guys were horrible to us, and they were just downright trashy to me and my buddy, who was also on shift.
One dude even chucked his plate over an overcooked steak, smashing it and causing a mess. After all this, it was time to hand over the bill to the lady. She looks at this several hundred-dollar total and whips out her free chow card!
My bud takes the card, knocks off a meal from the bill, and gives her the edited total. She goes ballistic. "I have a free meal card! This was one meal for all of us! It should be free"!
My buddy just freezes and calmly tells her that's not how the card works, and gently calls her out. He hints that she must've known she can't expect a free feast for fifteen just because of one meal card. The lady throws a fit, pours her drinks all over my friend who then rushes to call the boss.
My mate stays chill, but the boss loses it. He tells the lady to take a hike and never come back. Man, what a wild night.
9. There’s No Arguing With Stupid
I'm a tech guy for a cable place. One customer rings up saying his TV's broken. I soon clock it's 'cause there's no power.
He then spent an hour yakking at me saying that shouldn't matter. He reckons that since he's paid up, we should make sure it works, power or no power.
He's convinced we're the only ones who need TVs to have power to work. He won't shut up about how it's probably 'cause we're not digital like our rivals.
Sign up to our newsletter.
History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.
10. The Tipping Point
So I was born in the US, but I work at a Chinese place run by a couple who aren't from here. Their English isn't the best, so they kinda struggle when things speed up. Mostly, I do the talking with customers because of this.
This lady walks in and as I take her order, she goes, "Can you even speak English"?! I answer her, without a hint of an accent, "Yeah, I do". She gets all puzzled, claiming she can't get a word of what I'm saying, and demands to see my boss. I knew just what to do. With a smirk on my face, I bring my boss to her, explaining the situation.
The boss takes over, talking to her in his choppy English. She straight-up loses her cool, while I'm just standing there, cracking up inside. Another customer, who saw the whole thing, hands me a fiver, probably impressed by how I kept it together dealing with such a loon.
11. Reaching My Limit
In high school, I worked at Subway where this awful man and his wife popped in almost every day. The guy, in his 30s, was never in a bad mood. Nope, he just loved being a jerk to us fast-food kids, thinking it was hilarious.
Enough was enough one day so, I took this dude's half-made sandwich and slam dunked it into the trash, telling him to hit the road. He was like, "You can't talk to customers this way," and I was like, "Well, I just did".
Next thing, he's on the phone to the boss, naming and shaming me. I was absolutely ready for a pink slip. But guess what? The owner backed me. She was well aware of who this guy was, and also knew that I wasn't someone who'd snap unless really provoked. So, she told him he was no longer welcome and I got to keep my job. Phew!
12. Full Of Gas
I was working at a gas station in a posh neighborhood when a classic rich jerk rocks up in his super pricey Lambo. He gets all bossy, demanding top-tier gas be pumped into his ride.
Our guy starts to do it, but Mr. Moneybags yanks the nozzle and yells "You're too dumb to do this right". Just for context, in Oregon, we pump the gas—it's a state rule. So, unsurprisingly, this guy made a mess, spraying gas all over his shiny show-off car.
He goes ballistic, storms in, and makes a scene in the store where I'm on cashier duty and playing manager. He's blowing his top, demanding the boss and insisting we pay for a repaint and his gas.
I'm trying to smooth things down, but he's on a rampage and isn't interested. Then I see a cop about to walk in for some refreshments. Inspired, I tell the angry man, "Look, you pumped the gas, you spilled the gas, you gotta pay".
He loses it. He bellows, "What you gonna do if I just get in my car and leave"? Perfect timing—the cop walks in just as he says it. So I coolly reply, "Well, I can't do much, but that cop over there might charge you with theft".
At this, Mr. Angry turns around to see the cop, grinning wickedly, nodding non-stop at him. Yes, he pipes down, pays up, and thankfully we never spot him again.
Juergen Faelchle, Shutterstock
13. Don’t Bring A Knife To A Gun Fight
Back in the 70s, my old man worked as a doorman at a chill college bar. He wasn't super buff, just fit, and the bar had a no T-shirt rule.
One night, a guy strolls in wearing a T-shirt. Dad tells him the rule and gives him a spare shirt he had. The guy pops it on, heads into the bar like no biggie.
Half an hour later, Dad spots his shirt on the dance floor, under beer-soaked boots. Finds the guy, back in his T-shirt, and he's like "Dude, what the heck"? The guy rambles off some excuse. Dad tells him to scram and things go wild.
For context, the guy was a tiny shrimp, all of 5'6" tall. He pulls a knife and starts mouthing off at Dad, who's like "Whoa there. Chill. Let's not do something stupid". Luckily, he wasn't alone.
There was a fellow doorman, a linebacker from the local football team. Super tall and built like a truck. He was pretty scary, according to Dad. And as Dad's trying to calm down our guy, this beefy bouncer buddy does a sneak-up.
Next thing you know, linebacker-dude swoops in, shoves Dad aside. He's towering over guy, thighs as big as the guy's chest, and he's like "Listen here. If you don't want that thing where the light don't shine, start walking".
The guy mumbled under his breath and bolted.
14. This Is My Last Resort
I used to fix computers and do house calls Simple stuff, change a part, test it, enter details on my Blackberry, job done. Got a call and arrived at a not-so-great building.
The guy at the door was on crutches, had bad teeth, and didn't look super clean. Funny thing, he was actually nice. But his house... man, it was a complete mess.
His girlfriend was chilling among towers of newspapers and trash bags. And there were roaches.. like, crazy amount of roaches. On the walls, sink, chair, keyboard... you name it.
Still, had a job to do. While working, we made small talk. He said he got hit by a car, that's why the crutches. He was nice, even offered me a drink. Just as he asked, I saw roaches in the cat's water bowl, like it's their own jacuzzi. The thing I needed to install wasn't ready, so had to wait while the computer loaded.
I felt kinda sorry for him, as he said I was the nicest person he met and others usually just ran away. Finished the job, wrote notes on my Blackberry and bolted. A roach fell out of my pocket at the next job. Gross.
I got a call a few weeks later, recognize the address, and it gives me a shudder. Asked the dispatcher if I was there before, he begins to laugh, saying "Your final notes were: 'OH GOD ROACHES EVERYWHERE'". I had to convince my boss not to send me back there... not even the pocket roach saga worked. Great.
15. The Slimy Sandwich
So, I was working at a sandwich shop for about a year. One day, I prepped this guy's hot chicken sandwich. I tried to hand it over to him, and he gave me this weird look before kicking off, accusing me of spitting in his sandwich. I kept telling him this wasn't true, but he wasn't really hearing me.
After shouting at me for what felt like ages, I kept my calm. I offered him a new sandwich, made by someone else, even gave him a refund. But the guy decided to be difficult. He stuck around our store, telling everyone I was going to hork a loogie in their food, swearing loads. I was waiting for my boss to step in and boot him out, but they were acting like nothing was happening.
The last straw was when I was serving a family with young kids. They were obviously uncomfortable, and I just snapped. I had been super patient with this dude but had enough. I shouted at him, saying that we're a family-friendly place and he needs to stop acting up and leave.
For some reason, my outburst did the trick, and he left, still swearing and being rude. I apologized to the family—for him, and for my shouting. Almost got fired over the whole thing, but thanks to my manager standing up for me, I kept my job. Still got a lecture about the 'customer is always right' spiel and being respectful, though.
16. Where’s The Manager?
I used to run a CVS store and one day during a busy period, I jumped on a Photo Lab checkout to lend a hand. I invited the closest customer over, but then this other lady kicked up a fuss, claiming it was her turn. I told her she'd be next after I served the current customer.
When her turn came, she ripped into me, complaining that I was rude...yada yada yada. I let most of it slide. But she just kept at it until I told her, "Look, I opened this extra register just to keep things moving. But hey, if you'd rather join the regular queues, be my guest". That stopped her in her tracks.
She found one of the shop floor staff who was busy stocking up the candy aisle and demanded to see the manager. The staff member put out a call for me over the PA system and I strolled over, grinning ear to ear, to introduce myself as the current manager. She was speechless...and stormed out.
Just over an hour later, I'd knocked off for the day. Turns out, the woman had sent her husband back to the store to find me, but I'd already left. They ended up making a complaint to head office. My boss's advice? Don't take the job so personally—that was all.
17. No One Outpizzas The Hut
Once, at Pizza Hut, this mad dude stomped in, beefing about his delivered pizzas. He was yelling so much that my cashier, legit scared, asked me to step in. I was the only boss around, so it was down to me to sort this out.
The guy's demanding I give him the merchant copy of his credit card receipt. He's like "I don't want you having any paper with my signature on it"! I've tried telling him three times we can't do that legally. Even showed him on the cash register screen that his purchase was voided.
Still, he's adamant I hand it over. That was my limit. I finally snap, "Listen, I'm not giving it to you, no matter how loud you shout. Leave now, or I'm calling the authorities. Remember, I have your info and CCTV footage of all this drama".
Suddenly, he leaps at me and grabs for the receipt. He rips off the top bit and marches out. Now all he's got is the part showing what he ordered, leaving behind his signature and the tip. The whole show was 'cause he didn't want the driver getting the $3 tip he’d signed for.
18. Dinner And A Show
So, here's a story from my grad school days. Balancing studies with endless shifts at KFC wasn't a cakewalk. There was this one customer, a real piece of work who was a pain for our all-female staff. He was a regular, and the manager turned a blind eye to his nonsense. He'd always order a bucket of chicken.
So one day, this guy, 'Romeo', shows up at the counter while I'm working. Dressed in some loose flowy outfit, the creepy grin on his face was giving me chills. He starts this silly rant about him being special, driving half the customers out. I was stunned and scared, to be honest. He then tells me his order and asks if I have anything else to "show" him, winking disgustingly.
Despite my revulsion, I put his order through. When I handed it over, he started complaining about wanting "something more". With all the patience I could gather, I told him sternly that there was no more to offer and he better leave before I call the authorities. The guy gave a puzzled look and turned purple with rage.
After a moment of shock, he let out a deafening roar, ripped off his garment, and there he was—in all his unclothed glory. His attempt to grab me was unsuccessful, and then he started screaming threats at me. All of a sudden, he slumped over the counter and started crying. That's when I decided to bolt.
I messaged my boss later that day, told him I was done. They paid me for four more weeks though, handy considering the whole mess.
19. Extra, Extra, Extra
I used to sling sandwiches at a deli, and one time this rude lady stormed in demanding a sandwich. I assured her everything would come out just right, including double-checking her order. She requested her sandwich to be drowning in honey mustard, so I made sure to note "extra honey mustard" on her order slip.
Her order came out looking fine, tons of honey mustard right there. However, she grumbled about a mustard deficit when I delivered the sandwich and demanded I fetch more. So, I hustled to the back, snagged a fresh gallon jug of honey mustard, and plunked it down on her table.
Her pals cracked up, while she turned red with fury. She took her complaint to the manager who found the whole situation sidesplitting and could only respond with laughter.
20. How Dare You!
My first job was in a Walgreen's photo lab. There was this sweet lady who swung by sometimes to develop her pics. Whenever her photos were ready, we'd chat because I loved her images. One day while we were talking, a new customer showed up.
When I asked this new lady how I could be of help, she blew her top because she hated how her photos looked. She chucked them on the counter, fuming, and demanded to see my boss. So, I called up my boss who came and tried to cool things down.
The uptight lady pointed at me, blaming me for her bad snaps, along with the usual threats of complaining, getting me axed, yada yada yada. I was dumbstruck and just apologized, admitting I didn't exactly know what went wrong.
I explained to her that I followed the correct procedure and mostly, the machine did the job. She instantly shot back, "So what good are you then"?
Out of nowhere, the cool-picture lady speaks up, hugely angry, "Who do you think you are? Blaming him and risking his job over your pictures? He even apologized. You should be ashamed of yourself".
That mellowed the angry lady, who finally realized she was outta line and beat it. I thanked the nice lady. I gotta admit, got a bit choked up afterwards.
21. The Squeaky Wheel Gets The Grease
So, I work at this local auto-service place, right? One day, a regular couple rolls up wanting to grease the fittings on their car. I tell them we've got it and let the guy working under the car know what's up. A couple minutes later, my coworker tells me there's no fittings to grease on this car.
I check it out and yes, he's right. So, I head off to tell our customers not to sweat greasing the fittings because they're sealed. The dude flips. He starts accusing me of trying to cheat him because he's blind and his wife drives him around.
I tell him: I'm not getting anything from lying about this. I wouldn't have charged him a dime. But even if I wanted to, he'd be paying nothing. He fires back that all the young folks these days are into "cash and getting high," threatening to get his brother-in-law involved for a "little chat".
I tell him, sure, bring him along, I'd say the same thing to him because I really don't get what the issue is! Ten minutes of pointless arguing later, they leave, clearly irritated. Fast forward a couple hours, and this big dude walks in. Says his brother-in-law called him, saying I was trying to pull a fast one on him.
I share my side of the story, and he reveals his brother visited another garage, who also told him there was nothing to grease. His response blew my mind. I ask him why he's here then and he says to make sure I wasn't messing with the disabled.
I ask him how on earth does he think I'm doing that, he just tells me to stop, and walks out. Worst part? Despite all this drama, this couple keeps coming in. And not once have they apologized for accusing me of scamming them.
22. Escape Plan
Back in the day, my job was fixing TVs at people's homes. I showed up at this older lady's house. Her ancient set was busted, needed a new tube. Fixing it just wasn't worth it, and I told her so.
She didn't take it well. "Fix it now"! she demanded. Tried telling her it wasn't possible, and getting a new or used TV was a smarter move. As I'm saying this, out staggers her husband, in tattered jammies with drool swaying from his lip. She tells me he's got Alzheimer's, but to just carry on fixing the telly.
I tried explaining again that it wasn't possible, but she's relentless, shouting, "Fix it"! Her husband gets more agitated, stumbling towards me, drool stretching and wailing increasing. Honestly, it was freaky.
I made a move to head back to my shop but she barred my exit, screaming "NO"!. She's blocking the door and her husband's inches away, his drool about to reach me. I had to leave, with her blocking my path, and him almost on me. I kindly nudged her aside, yanked the door, and bolted to my van outside.
Driving off, she yelled some not-so-nice things while her husband was still wandering in the yard. That sight, it never left me.
Nancy Beijersbergen, Shutterstock
23. Whopping Problem
Back in my high school days, I used to work at Burger King. There was this lady who constantly dropped by the drive-thru every afternoon for a Whopper Jr....but with a twist. She liked it crazy onion-loaded. No kidding. But no matter how generous we were with those onions, she was never satisfied, and would storm into the restaurant to complain. It was her routine, mostly during the afternoon, but we didn't mind it much.
Well, there was this one day that was a tad different. We had these four buses filled with fresh US Army recruits parked at our store. We often got these chartered bus convoys because their drivers were pals with my boss. These folks were just next level nice and courteous, especially after a long day of dealing with pain in the rear customers. They also loved to order big—king-sized meals, double and triple Whoppers, you name it. Since my boss knew them, he had me dish out their meals with a senior discount (15% off). They really got a kick out of it as it mentioned senior discount on their receipts. They were a total ray of sunshine but man, they were heavy on our supplies.
So, amidst this happy chaos, guess who appeared on the drive-thru screen? Yep, our dear onion lady. The boss simply gestured me to dump a double handful of onions on her burger, basically to avoid another drama when we were already swamped. It was a struggle to even close that burger with the onion overload, but we played it cool and served it to her.
With our place bustling with all these army recruits, starved of fast food for weeks, with a never-ending queue, she barged in. She fought through the crowd, wailing at the top of her lungs over the counter about the onions – same old, same old. My boss was livid at this point, so she tossed the burger to me and gave me a free pass to sprinkle on it however many onions I wanted.
So, I went all-in and blanketed the entire burger with onions, wrapped it tightly and taped it shut. My boss gave it back to her, and she unwrapped it then and there on the counter to double-check her onions while struggling to hold the six times larger than usual burger. Then, the highlight of all this mess—the burger went kaboom, onions flying everywhere—so epic! The recruits could barely hold back their laughter. A nearby officer awaiting his food couldn’t resist and began laughing uncontrollably.
The moment he laughed, it was like a floodgate for the rest. Close to 250 recruits were laughing their heads off at her. I tell you, that was easily one of the best moments of my high school years. After that day, we didn't see her for a month, and when she returned she never again complained about a lack of onions.
24. I’m The Most Important
Only once did I lose my cool with a customer at the office supply store I used to work at. This customer was one of those arrogant, thinks he's all-that types. He walked in during the busiest time, lunch hour, when we lacked enough hands on deck. He was searching for a phone. Ideally, I would've assisted him but was tied up at the counter. However, I still tried my best to help.
When I finally got a chance to devote all attention to him, he started yapping about how he was the VIP of the store. That's when I snapped. I don't clearly recall what I said to him. I remember trying to step away first, but he persisted. Eventually, I told him off so bad that he practically sprinted out of the store. My deputy manager was too shocked to react to the whole ordeal.
25. Cookie Monster
In the late 90s, I was a tech guy at a cut-price brokerage. Once the receptionist asked me to come down front where there was this older couple. The woman was having a go at the girl at the desk. Wondering what the fuss was about, I asked her. The reason was pretty comical.
She was angry because our website tracked cookies and snapped, "How dare you track my finances," threatening to take all her money to our rival firm. Apparently, a guy from the competitor said they didn't track cookies.
Coincidentally, my wife was working for that competing firm, and I had an account with them. So, right there at the front desk computer, the old pair watching, I tweaked the cookie settings to ask for permission before processing any cookie. I then logged into the rival account. Guess what? It asked for a cookie.
The woman was absolutely nasty to our receptionist, so I filled her in, "They track cookies too. Seems like he was lying. Still wanna move all your money"? Handing over the transfer papers, I asked. The old man rolled his eyes at his wife, who was visibly mad but said nothing. She grabbed the papers and stormed off.
26. The Lunatics Are Running The Asylum
A few years ago, I was working at Old Navy, just your standard retail gig. One day, this guy comes into the fitting room to try on pants. After changing, he does the usual pocket pat-down, but then he freezes. He turns to me, accusing, "You took my keys"! But the thing is, I never had access to his belongings. I calmly suggest he look in the changing room.
He checks, comes back empty handed, and starts yelling at me to return his keys. Finally, he demands to see the manager. The manager, trying to keep things chill, assures him I didn't take his items.
But the guy starts throwing around curses and dials 9-1-1. I was stunned. The authorities show up in about 5-10 minutes, take notes, and my boss sends me to chill in the back while they sort it all out.
From the back, I could still hear the guy. He was going nuts since the keys were to a mental institution, and he was convinced I might "help the patients escape"! After a bit, my manager comes back with news: the guy hadn't checked his back pocket—that's where his keys were all along.
She made him apologize to me, then sent him packing. At the time, I was dumbfounded...but it's a pretty funny story to recall now.
27. Swapping The Toppings
So, back when I worked in a sandwich shop, I had this gig where I was showing the ropes to this rookie. This big lady walks in with a couple of guys and demands a croissant sandwich, hold the tomatoes, add avocado. I told her that's not how it works, avocado ain't no tomato equivalent.
But before I could finish, she cuts me off, mocks how I'm talking, and insists we've swapped out tomatoes before. Despite this, I stuck to my guns and said, no dice, even if it had been done, I wasn't about to mess with the rules.
At that, she blow her top, said a few choice words, then tries to poison my rookie by saying not to learn from me. Like icing on the cake, she had a hard time paying with her card cause she was flat broke. And boy, she did not like hearing her card was bust.
Once she's outta there, the guys with her come up to say sorry. Way too exhausted from it all, I just shrugged and said, "Sucks for you, you gotta put up with her every day, not me".
28. An Explosive Day
So here's the scoop. I already gave my two-week notice at the gas station when this woman rolls up, trying to fill her van while it's still running. I tell her over the intercom to cut the engine, but she flips out on me. With a line forming inside, I decided to just turn off the intercom.
Eventually, she barges in and starts a whole scene. I tried to keep my cool, explaining that the rules are there for everyone's safety, suggesting she try her luck somewhere else if she really wants to gas up with the engine running. But she goes off on me, accusing me of ruining her day.
Finally, I lost it. I shouted, "Really!? Am I at your work, making a fuss about you following the rules so nobody blows up"?! This got a good laugh from the other customers. Despite her continuous rant, I told her go ahead then, fill your tank. The moment she stepped outside, I locked the doors.
I let the other folks inside know they could leave if they wanted, and everyone stayed put until the angry lady gunned it and took off.
29. Prevention Is The Best Cure
So, back in high school, I had this job at a general store which had a pretty cool hardware section that sold affordable tools. One day, just about closing time, this dude and his pals walk in. They were a bit sketchy so I was on edge a little. Since it was closing, my boss was around and sneakily following them around the shop while I chilled at my spot.
Eventually, they come over, and the same guy puts down some budget box cutters and nothing else, while his buddies hang around near the exit. Feeling a bit uneasy, I decide to ask for their ID, not really sure why I thought that would deter anything.
I mean, this guy was already in his mid-20s and I was barely 18. “I'm probably older than you,” he quips. To be honest, I wasn’t really checking his age, just trying to buy some time or something. In my head, if they were up to no good with these blades, they wouldn't want their IDs known. Surprisingly, he flat out refused.
This goes on for a bit, you know, him getting more and more annoyed, until finally, he slams down this paper on the counter claiming it was his ID. Man, when I read it, it scared the heck out of me. It was a court summons for assault.
Things could've escalated from there, but thankfully, they left as I asked. No dramatic ending or anything. Just a bit scared after this group tried to buy knives at 6pm… and attempted to prove their innocence with a court notice and an implied threat.
30. Stop Pulling My Leg
I'm a theme park assistant in sunny Orlando and I've got tons of funny stories to share. One time things weren't so funny though came from an incident at the roller coaster I was managing.
We've got this super-fast, roller coaster where your feet dangle as you ride. There's no floor, so folks with a prosthetic leg usually have to take them off for safety reasons. This time, I had to deal with an already angry customer who couldn't remove hers.
I was pretty much in charge that day, so when there's any issue or unhappy visitors, it was my job to sort them out. I got a call from the control booth that there was a problem at the loading station. It was a loose article issue, which I thought was pretty standard and not really a biggie. Turns out, I was way off mark.
I followed directions to a woman seated in the front row who looked steaming mad. She was a picture of fitness, stylish and blond, and didn't have anything loose on her. Then my colleague told me she had a false leg which wasn't easy to spot because she was wearing jeans. I approached her and quietly tried to explain why she had to take it off.
She countered, in a loud, defensive voice, that her leg was firmly fixed, and insisted on riding today. All I felt was an unbearable cringe creeping onto me. I had to say again that the ride wasn't safe unless she removed the leg. But she was fuming and wouldn't be quieted, shouting back arguments.
To be honest, she was one of the rare guests who had a really valid reason to be angry. It wasn't some comical protest over a kid having to remove a melting ice cream sandwich from his shoe to clear the height check. This was about a woman who just wanted some fun but was being sidelined because she was differently-abled. I felt terribly small.
The argument delayed the ride by five minutes, giving the other waiting visitors a clear idea of what was going on. They started getting cranky and began telling her to hurry up and get off. When she finally left the ride, the crowd was cheering which felt just wrong.
She was indignant and I guessed, embarrassed, and to deflect attention she began shouting insults at me about my weight and how I couldn't fit on any ride. Ouch, that was a hard punch! I'm a bit on the heavier side but not that much, and I'm self-conscious.
What hurt me more was that she did it in front of all my colleagues. Even though I got it was a defense, it was a tough one to swallow. Of all the guests I've had, this one left me feeling bitter. Whole thing was just nasty.
31. A Stressful Sunday
So, this one lady at the restaurant lost it on me because her breakfast order wasn't ready in 10 minutes, even though we warned her it would take a good 45 with how large it was. She was super peeved about possibly missing church.
She left in a huff, slinging all sorts of insults at me, not even bothering with the food. Plot twist though, she came back later, gave me a hug, apologized, and mentioned something about a sick kid. I typically tune out the rough stuff at work, but the irony of her reactions sometimes still strikes me.
32. The Noise Of The City
I'm working at this hotel. It's about 10:30 at night when a lady rings, all mad about the noise outside. The hotel's smack in the middle of town and it's a Saturday night—people are having a good time, y'know?
She's all "fix this now"! I kindly tell her city law doesn't let me report noise from private homes till midnight. So, before that, my hands are tied. But I suggest moving her to a quieter room on the other side of the hotel.
She's not having it, says it's too late. Demands I sort something else out. I say there's no other option. Sure, I can call folks, but they won't do anything before midnight, probably not even until later. I repeat my offer to switch her room, but she just yells she doesn't want to move, she just wants quiet.
That's when I'd had enough. Keeping my cool, I tell her "Lady, I've given you the one solution I've got; you didn't want it. Not much more I can do". She loses it, says she'll call our corporate office. I tell her to go ahead, even give her my name, and then, I hang up. Took some nerve!
33. The Customer Isn’t Always Right
After finishing high school, I started working at Kohl's in customer service, mainly handling returns. The store policy was super lenient, almost to the point where we accepted anything a customer wanted to return. Heck, we've even processed returns for items from rival stores just to avoid a scene. By the time this story took place, I had given up fighting these returns and just let the managers handle the fallout.
This one woman, right in her mid-20s and with a diva-like attitude, came in. She plopped her bag on the counter and handed me the receipt but didn't take out the item like everybody else.
So I reach into the bag and yanked out a black piece of lingerie. My task was to check if the tags were still there or if it had been washed. And let me tell you, what I found was nothing short of gross. A white, crusty stain against the black fabric was impossible to miss. The woman's face said it all.
I was stunned. I mean, seriously? I shot her a look of disbelief, then used two plastic hangers like tongs to hold the offending item. I dramatically dropped it into the trash, maintaining that disbelieving look the whole time. Without a word, I returned her money and hoped she was sufficiently embarrassed.
This experience was a real eye-opener. Working retail genuinely made me question my faith in people.
34. Karmic Victory
Back when I was a sales manager, we made parts that other manufacturers needed for their stuff. The majority of my clients were awesome and are still good pals to this day, even though I left that job 8 years ago.
One time I got a call from a boss of one our medium-sized clients. He lost his cool because the parts he was after weren't ready and it'd take a couple of weeks to make 'em. I told him to stop yelling or else I'd hang up. Problem is, he didn't stop, so I hung up. Boss was cool with it even though that client never ordered from us again.
Another time, I was visiting a client who had an issue—can't remember exactly what. I knew I was in the right though, and when I tried to explain what was what, he got defensive. He told me, "If you're calling me a liar, leave", so I got up and left. Didn't say a thing. Never got another order from him either.
Crazy thing is, while those two companies went belly up, I grew our sector from $6M to just shy of $15M/year.
35. I Have My Arms Full
I've got a gig at an anime shop in the mall, right? We have this massive display of Funko Pops, everyone goes crazy for them. So this guy brings up a pile of 10 to cash out and mate, his patience was thinner than paper. Now, our till is just fancier than a calculator, so typing in each item isn't gonna be lightning fast. Before I could hand over his receipt, he barks out "Where's my bag"? I told him we were out, and it was sweet karma seeing him huffing out, juggling 10 Funko Pops all the way.
36. The Worst Last Day
On my final day at a popular retail shop, I was assisting a frustrated woman with a return and coupon exchange just 20 minutes before the end of my shift. Our strict coupon rules were annoying her, and she was being pretty unpleasant to me. So, I locked eyes with her and calmly said, "Today's actually my last day. My shift is supposed to finish in five minutes," without even a hint of a smile. She zipped it right away and was super understanding after that.
37. One Step At A Time
So I was working at a one-hour-photo counter in a drugstore chain. I'd lend a hand at the cash register when queues got too long. One day, this woman loads up her cart and comes over armed with coupons. I'm like, okay, let's do this. I cash out her items and apply the coupons. The total hits just over $100, around $122.35, and she flips out, blaming me for screwing it all up. But, hey, she got her wires crossed trying to give me a hard time.
After a bit of arguing, I cancel the entire order and start from scratch. I confirm everything this time—"This cat food's .89, all good"? and "Your $1.00 coupon applied, okay"? This surely takes about 15 minutes. Finally, I reveal the total—plain as day, "Your total's $122.35". She's steamed but left speechless. It was a sweet victory. Now, I'm 37, have a kid, and 1-hour photo services are extinct, but that winning moment still cracks a smile on my face.
38. No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
A few weeks back, one of my tech buddies brought back to life a customer's hard drive that he'd wiped multiple times. He reinstalled Windows on the guy's laptop, then dumped the salvaged data into a desktop folder.
My friend cut the dude a deal because he'd spun a tale about losing family snaps. He was a youngster, maybe early 20s. So we're about to close up shop when he barges in, and it's like a nightmare.
Customer: You promised to sort my computer, but there's this folder crammed with files. You said it'd be good as new.
Tech: I rebooted your whole system and saved what I could in that folder. It's a clean slate now.
Customer: I want my photos.
Tech: They're right here in this folder, with what we managed to rescue.
Customer: But there's a bunch of other crap in there. I only asked for my photos.
Tech: No prob, just trash any unwanted stuff.
Customer: That's not what I asked for. I'm done with you guys!
That's when I had to step in to really get what was going on. "Buddy, we rescued everything we could, and we just want you to be happy. Where's the issue"?
Customer: I want my photos.
Me: Mate, your photos are right there. We back up everything we find just in case you've got other important stuff you might need.
Customer: I don't want this other stuff, just my photos.
Me: That's totally cool, just chuck anything you don't want.
Customer: You've scammed me!
And then he stormed out.
39. Give Me Some Credit
So, roughly 18 months ago, I was pulling night shifts as a manager at McDonald's. Work would kick off around 8 PM and wrap at 6 AM. One evening, I find out our credit machine in the front is kaput, meaning no credit or debit payments in the main area.
About an hour in, a family walks in to order. I let them know we can't take cards right now, which kinda irks the dad because that's all he's got. But my aim was always to help the customer out.
I conjured up a plan where an employee would jot down their order, run it through the drive-thru till, and we'd get the payment from there. It worked, they got their munchies and sat down to eat. But here's where things go south. After a bit, the dad tugs me aside.
His opener pretty much labels me as a jerk. And honestly, it stunned me. I bent over backward to get him his order. Then he accuses me of lying—he thinks because the back machine works, the front one must too.
He's miffed that I made him look cash-strapped in front of his family. And he doesn't stop ranting. I'm stuck—can't retort, need the job. I can only apologize. After they're gone, everyone's curious about what happened. Truthfully, I told them I was clueless.
I figured—drama over, back to work. But no. Ten minutes later, the phone rings—it's dad again, furious and giving me a second earful. Again, all I can offer is an apology. Even now, I'm still bamboozled why he got so heated to yell at me out not once, but twice.
40. Tell It Like It Is
I popped into the gas station today and chatted with the cashier. I joked about her probably being fed up with folks moaning about gas prices—at the end of the day, she's the one who gets it all. She agreed, saying she gets an earful every darn day, as though she can magically lower the rates. Then, a guy burst in, questioning "Why on earth is gas $3.76 per gallon"?
She swiftly replied, "Because it decreased by 10 cents this morning". He just stared at her, paid, and exited.
41. I Can Help With That
I remember my days at the video store where folks losing their cool over late charges was the norm. One time, a guy tried to rent a flick but had racked up some overdue fees. As expected, he kicked off about returning them in time and threatened to chop up his membership card when he got home. I knew just what to do.
I grabbed a pair of scissors from under the counter, offered them to him, and said, "Feel free to do that right here". He shot me a nasty glare and stormed out. I gotta say, it felt pretty awesome.
42. The Call Is Coming From Inside The House
Over in the IT department where I work, we help out all the in-house staff. But just because they're colleagues doesn't mean they're good customers. One time, we were hit with a task that should've been simple: uploading a fresh template.
Typically, the person who owns the template keeps it updated. They pass it over to us, we make sure it works with our automation tools, and then we upload. Easy peasy, right?
Not this time. The marketing department had requested an update because they got new paper, so the template needed a quick facelift. This kicked off a huge squabble between them and the template’s owner. No one was really listening to each other and it was a big mess.
Turns out, the upset template owner told marketing to just take over because they'd had enough. So, the IT request we got was from them instead. We usually receive templates in Word, so imagine our surprise when this one showed up as a PDF. Drama round two.
We explained that there's no way to open a PDF through Word and it’d make more sense to share it on the intranet. Nope, they wanted it to open in Word as a PDF. Confused? Yeah, I know how the template's original owner felt.
Fast forward to three months later. It took higher-ups from three departments to sort out the mess. Finally, the new design was shipped in Word version and we got it uploaded. But just two weeks later, we got an out-of-the-blue Helpdesk ticket. Apparently, the new paper bursts into flames if too many copies are printed at the same time.
So snapped back to our previous issue, as they called for an emergency switch back to the old version.
43. Lost & Found
I work the hotel front desk, so I've got loads of funny stories. But the best is about this impatient couple who acted like checking in was just "Here's your key," even though it usually takes 5 minutes.
They were super rude to everyone there, and the other customers were giving them "what the"? looks. Anyway, a few hours after they left on Sunday, housekeeping rang for a manager.
Turns out, they forgot a huge "toy" in their room. The funniest bit? They called us about it. She kept calling it "an item". It was hilarious messing around with her on the phone.
"I'm sorry, but could you maybe tell me what the item is"?
44. What’s The Beef?
I used to work in a butcher and a guy came in to order some obscure amount—I think it was 6 and 1/8 kg—of beef mince. He demanded that I make up 3 different bags of completely different weights, because he was having friends over and wanted to pay for them to pay for the exact amount of beef they ate. This was already insane, then it got worse.
I was new at the time and had little experience with the complicated and old till, so this was incredibly stressful and time consuming. After finally making up the bags, he decided it was wrong and demanded I do it again. The other customers were getting very impatient, and I was beginning to get extremely anxious.
I suggested I give him one bag and that he and his friends split the bill later, but he took extreme offense to that idea and told me to go off myself, threw the bags on the floor spilling meat everywhere, and stormed off swearing. This upset a few of the other customers, and they left too. The manager watched the whole thing.
As a result, I wasn't paid for my work that day, and I was demoted back to cleaning.
ShotPrime Studio, Shutterstock
45. Do You Know What You’re Doing?
I've been at a hardware store gig since I was sweet 16. At 17, I cut a couple of keys for this dude. By that point, I was pretty good at it. But the guy came back when I was MIA, told my co-workers the keys were duds, and even went as far as to call me a clueless little girl who had no business cutting keys.
My workmate, already ticked off, checked the keys and made a hilarious discovery. It turns out, the guy was using them on the wrong locks. Like, seriously, trying key A in lock B, and vice versa. He scurried off, embarrassed, and hasn't shown his face since. As a young blonde chick, I get this sorta attitude quite often. But shutting them down by showing I know my stuff is always a sweet victory.
46. Well, Go Ahead!
Once, when I was working at CVS, a customer wouldn't stop moaning about the toothpaste he was buying being way cheaper at Walmart. He even whipped out his phone to show me a price comparison chart of different stores. But I didn't lose my cool or anything. I just responded the best I could: I couldn't have cared less and just said, "Then go to Walmart".
47. Make Me
Once upon a time when I was about 17 or 18, I worked at Whataburger in Austin, juggling odd hours. I vividly recall this one incident with a customer at the drive-thru. I politely asked him to pull forward to give another guy room to get his drinks.
The dude barked back at me, saying he'd move only when I made him do so, throwing in a dig that I had no right to boss him around. As he jabbed his finger at me, I quickly snapped the window shut. My managers noticed my shaken state and I pleaded for them to handle the rude customer.
To my horror, the dude overheard all of our conversation from the slightly open drive-thru window. He issued a threat, warning me of a beatdown if I ever slammed the window again. Keep in mind, he was a grown man in his thirties. Mid-threat, I shut the window with a thud yet again and darted out back. He zoomed past and angrily chucked his food out his car window.
I wasn't fired, but they moved me to the cook position.
48. Make Like A Banana And Split
One of my toughest customers wasn't even mine, but my coworker's, back when we were slingin' scoops at a packed night at Coldstone. The place was tiny and with a line out the door, it's no surprise some folks got antsy.
This one woman my coworker was dealing with was visibly cranky before she even ordered. She griped about the prices—not like we could change them—and was generally a pain. Ironically, she ordered pricey sundaes for her and her daughter.
Sundaes require us to hide a sliced banana beneath other toppings, which regularly tricks customers into thinking we've short-changed them a banana—this woman included. Right after getting their sundaes, she's like, "Hey, where's the banana"?!
My coworker calmly explained it was at the bottom, earning nothing but a huff. Despite her daughter's attempt to soothe her, she was on a roll. My coworker came to me, exasperated, muttering about the invisible banana ordeal. However, the woman misheard or misconstrued it as disrespect and blew a fuse.
She demanded to speak with a non-present manager, hurled insults at my coworker, and even after some in the line tried to placate her, she insisted she deserved respect.
One of our more experienced guys still made sure she paid for her sundaes, though. She stormed off, only to return for napkins from a dispenser that practically fell apart in her grasp.
Seeing my coworker tear up as she tried to serve the next customer, I subbed in for her. Surprisingly, after the earlier chaos, the remaining customers were extra kind and generous, forgoing our usual sing-along resignation, which, honestly, was the silver lining.
49. Notary Public Scene
I used to work as a cashier at Barnes and Noble. One day, this guy walks in, insistent that I notarize some documents for him. I tried to explain to him calmly, more than once, that as a cashier I'm just not cut out for it, plus Barnes and Noble has never provided notary services.
Rather than accepting this, he decided to make a scene. He spent around 15 minutes huffing and puffing at me and my manager, until my manager finally had enough and warned him that he'd have security escort him out if he didn't pack it up and leave.
50. My Evil Twin
I was in a swanky area in the Bay Area, working at Starbucks after shifting from my previous one. During this time, my look was quite punk—donning a huge mohawk fashioned with glue and hairspray.
Every morning around 5:30, I got some flak from an elderly lady who didn't like my look. She suggested, in not-so-polite tones, that I needed a bath and adviced on homeless shelters to clean up. Even when I told her that I did shower daily, and I actually had a home, she responded rudely before exiting.
One morning, she marched in, gave me a nasty look, and walked out. Shortly, a cop strolled in during the busy hours, bought a coffee and requested to speak with me outside.
It turned out, he didn't come for the coffee but to deliver unsettling news! Someone had falsely reported me to the authorities, accusing me to be a run-away convict from up north and seeking to land me behind bars.
Although he took down my details, he believed my defense. Later, he came back, assuring me that I wasn't the reported convict. But he returned bearing more bad news.
Apparently, there was a warrant for my arrest in a nearby county. Escaping detention was a matter of being on the other side of the county-line street.
Confused, I dialed the superior court in the said county. Their response? They proposed I show up, surrender to the consequences of unknown charges, and wait until Monday to clear my name. Sounded bizarre, so I instead secured a copy of the warrant.
When I finally examined the warrant, I denied my identity—the name was partly mine, but there were additional unfamiliar ones. It became funnier when I figured out why.
The guy with the arrest warrant shared similarities with me—same name, birthday, height, weight, eye/hair color. His offense? He had inflicted damage on his ex's car using a golf club and missed his court appearance; hence, the warrants.
In essence, due to the error in my recorded name, any officer in the county was bound to arrest me. I decided to visit the town that issued the warrant and discussed this fiasco with a detective, hoping to dodge future arrests.
All this mess because of one grumpy customer.
51. This Is Bananas
So, back in high school, I used to work as a cashier at a grocery store. One day, this dad and his little boy came to my register with a $300 EBT card but their total was $302. The dad told his son, "The guy here is saying we can't get your bananas today".. This kind of annoyed me and so I told him straight, "Maybe we could skip something else, but your kid can still have his bananas. You don't need to lie".
The man got super mad, and my boss said that I would lose my job if I didn't apologize. Instead of saying sorry, I just quit on the spot. Haven't looked back since.
52. Big Red Flag
Back in my high school days, I had a job at Sears. If you were under the age of majority, your ID tag was marked in bold red. During the holidays, a couple of older guys, who were clearly over 30, tried making moves on me. I turned them down nicely but tried to bolt when one of them grabbed my arm. I warned them loudly enough for others to hear, "Let go or I'm getting security involved".
They threatened to complain to my boss about me being "totally rude". But I shot back with, "Sure, and I'll report you for creeping on a teenage girl. I'm just 16, back off"! They beat a hasty retreat before security could arrive.
53. You’re Kinda Slow
So I'm a boss at a grocery mart. I was on the cash register since it was super crowded, and this guy sporting a Dallas Cowboys shirt walks up to my line. He didn't have much, but he paid with dollars and coins, so counting took me a minute 'cause I don't just trust folks. He gets ticked off, asking if I'm dim or something, and brags he could have done better. That's when I stopped playing nice.
He held his tongue 'cause there were other customers waiting. So, I loudly asked him if he usually mouths off to anyone or only those who can't fire back. Dude went silent and left.
54. A Blowout For A Blowout Sale
A couple years back, I was working at a Borders bookstore that was shutting down. Most of our stuff was on clearance, but not everything cause we planned to ship the leftovers to another branch.
Most of our regular customers were okay with it. Sure, they were bummed, but they got it. They felt bad for us too. There were a few, though, who didn't give a hoot. And then there was this one wild customer.
She bought a ton of stuff from the clearance section and tried to return them for a full refund a few hours later. We explained that couldn't happen without a receipt. She wasn't gonna like the lowest price in the last six months.
She got heated, telling the cashier assistant she had paid $20 for each book, accusing us of ripping her off! The price tags ($8-$9 max) on the books told a different story. We tried to reason with her.
She freaked out, saying we were robbing her. The head manager intervened, asking her to relax so they could sort it out when she took it to a whole new level.
Screaming at the top of her lungs, she told us, "I'm Jewish, how dare you mention a final solution! This is a hate crime, I'm calling the authorities"! She then threw a massive tantrum, dramatically flopping on the floor before storming out.
Krakenimages.com, Shutterstock
55. Tattoo You
So, I work at this shoe shop with branches all over. I got a call today from a pretty chill-seeming lady. She's asking for our head office's number because she believes she was treated unfairly at one of our other shops.
I didn't have the number ready, so while I'm looking she begins to spill out her story. Apparently, when she first walked in, the staff was all smiles.
But things took a turn when, in her words, "The chick there clocked the rebel flag tatts on my arms. Then, she wasn't so friendly". She thought she was being discriminated against. I was stumped and asked if the staff member said anything or didn't serve her".
Nope. But she wasn't friendly after seeing my tattoos. That's discrimination and totally uncool"., she claimed. Honestly, I was sorta lost for words. If the staff refused to help her or said something rude, her complaint would make more sense.
Yet, it's not our job to be pals with people who choose to ink hate symbols on their skin. And it's crazy that she described it as, "I felt judged for being me. That's just not right".
This was probably the most confusing and annoying call I've ever had at this job.
56. Wild Card
Back when I was head cashier at a hardware store, an issue came up with this guy and his wife at the checkout. We had started checking IDs for using rebate checks, and the person who earned the rebate had to be there to use it. They had two checks but the wife didn't bring her ID.
According to our new rules, my boss told me through my earpiece that they couldn't use the checks. This just made the guy more and more irritated. He wouldn't even let his wife talk.
I asked the wife one more time if she had anything on hand with her name on it, like an insurance card. The guy snapped, "Are you deaf? She doesn't have anything". Then he jumped up and yanked out my earpiece. It scared the daylights out of me, I'm only 5'2" tall.
I ended up needing a break to have a good cry in the cash room. The guy didn't end up buying anything and just left.
57. Conversion Conundrums
I used to work at a car rental place in the Manchester, NH airport. Twice a week, we'd get a customer who mixed up their reservations with the UK. One guy insisted we honor the sterling rate rather than the dollar rate. So, I pulled up a conversion chart and did his calculations right there.
Turned out, it would've cost him an extra $20/day compared to our walk-in rate. Another customer made the same mistake but just assumed our website was acting up. They said, "I thought the dollar sign looked odd, but I guessed it was just a glitch or something. Never seen a dollar sign like that before".
58. That Thing From High School
Back in high school, I worked at a pharmacy. One time, a German couple came through my checkout line and they were seriously bad-mannered. They were trash-talking the people behind them in line in German, thinking no one could understand them.
They were getting impatient with me and the lady even hurled some German swear words at me. Little did she know, I actually studied German in school. When I finished packing up their stuff, I looked straight at her and said thanks in German. The look on their faces? Priceless. They were stunned and red-faced. It was pretty satisfying, I gotta say.
World Sikh Organization of Canada , Pexels
59. Your Job, Not Mine
I used to work at Dollar Tree where we sold heaps of porcelain figurines. These delicate pieces required careful wrapping in multiple layers of paper to avoid damage. Over my time there, I saw most customers preferred to do the wrapping themselves, feeling safer knowing they've handled it.
Typically, I'd lightly check with the customer if they'd like to self-wrap—which was never an issue. Except for this one guy. This fella, cruising a spanking new Porsche, lost his cool over this routine question. He was like, "I'm too posh for that. You're the worker—it's your job"!
His words were harsher; I can't recall the exact detail. Anyway, I got tired of it, wrapped the items for him, and asked him to leave. Everyone else just carried on with their day.
60. Repeat Offender
This one customer always gives me a hard time when he shops here.
The first instance I recall was last winter. There was a newspaper coupon for a free razor, and as I was returning an item to its shelf, he asked me where the coupon was because he couldn't spot it in the sales flyer. I kindly pointed out the sign saying the coupon was in the newspaper.
But instead of understanding, he shaked the ad at me and insisted that I find it. I repeated that he needed to buy a newspaper to get the coupon. After his disbelief, I had enough of the argument and walked off.
Then, this past fall, I was manning the cash-only express register. He unloaded his items and asked if he could pay with a credit card. I reminded him that this register only accepted cash, pointing out the free register behind me where he could use his card.
This, however, didn't sit well with him. He got ticked off and complained about the credit card machine not being used. I whispered "forget it," then told him I'd take his card payment this time, but that he shouldn't use card at this register again. Then just last week, while I was overseeing the self-checkouts, I saw him head towards the NFL Snuggies display.
He called me over with his next question. I was already annoyed because I knew he'd be a pain. He asked about Steelers Snuggies, and I informed him we didn't have any out. As I moved on to assist other customers, he pushed me to open some unopened boxes of Snuggies.
Upon giving the display sign a closer look, there were only a few different team Snuggies available, but Steelers wasn't one of them. I showed him this, explained I needed to help other customers, and started to leave. But he wasn’t pleased. He was insisting we had Steelers Snuggies somewhere.
I'd had enough and walked away, despite him badgering me about not having any Steelers Snuggies. I informed him we don't sell them, and I had no control over the store's merchandise, but he kept ranting while combing through the display.
Sure, I've had harsher customers, but this guy clinches a spot as one of the worst because he consistently causes trouble when he's in the store.
61. The Unhappiest Place On Earth
So, I once had a job at Walt Disney World Resort at Epcot, specifically in the FastPass section. In case you're not aware, FastPass is this free ride reservation mechanism that everyone visiting the park can use. You put your park ticket in this machine at whichever ride you're aiming for and it prints out a reservation ticket.
When it's finally your turn to ride, the FastPass team will guide you into a special line and you'll be on the ride in under five minutes. These guys also look after guests with disabilities, since they manage the shorter lines.
This one time, I was at the FastPass entrance of Test Track at Epcot—one of the park's busiest rides. On that day, the usual wait time for guests without FastPass was 45 minutes.
So picture this: there's me, a lady in a wheelchair, her husband, and their two kids. The wheelchair lady hands me her "Guest Assistance Pass," which is issued by the park to guide park workers on how to provide special help to that visitor. It said that she and her family should be able to use the FastPass entrance for any ride.
But the pass was expired. When I told her this, she argued it wasn't. When I pointed to the expiry date, she claimed it must've been the date the pass was issued. I politely explained that the issuance date and expiry date were different, and that these cards were only valid for two weeks.
But the saga didn't end there. She then asked her husband for another card. This one allowed her to use the wheelchair accessible entrance for rides.
I explain that the card is valid, but since our rides are now wheelchair-friendly, she'll have to wait in the normal line unless she has a FastPass. She complains and demands to see a manager. I offer to call a coordinator instead, but she then decides to report me to Guest Relations.
So, I volunteer to guide them to the Guest Relations office. En route, she tells her kids not to talk to me. When we reach the office, I left them in the hands of a colleague, hoping they could accommodate her needs without prying about her disability.
Thirty minutes later, they cruise out all smiles and tell me they've got a new card that allows her to ride any ride without waiting. Hearing that made me realize that they’d just spent about 40 minutes waiting for that card, which is the same amount of time they would have spent waiting in line for the ride anyway.
Her husband found it hilarious, and I gave her a friendly "Have a Disney day"! as they left to finally enjoy their rides.
62. Sink Or Swim
I was a lifeguard at a small community pool mostly used by the neighboring townhouse residents. Whenever we saw a new face, we'd double-check they actually lived there.
One day, a grandad with his two grandkids showed up, none of whom I'd seen before. When I asked if they lived in the condos, he said no, but his son who did live there would be coming soon. So I let it be.
The grandad then hops into the pool, has a seat on the lane line and tells his grandkids to join him. Seeing this, I asked him not to sit on the line since it causes stretching, which was against the pool rules.
After a moment of peace, a regular swimmer alerted me that grandad was puffing away in the dining area—another rule violation. When I requested that he smoke outside the fence, he lost his cool.
In front of his grandkids, he started yelling, accusing me of having a grudge against him. I assured him that wasn't the case and the only issue was his rule-breaking. He demanded to speak with my manager, so I informed him he already was. After a rather dramatic exit, he returned demanding my resignation. My response? I asked him to leave.
63. Lost And Found
So, here's the deal. I work at a huge US supermarket, pushing carts around. I was busy sweeping the front walkway when suddenly, this elderly lady nearly runs us over by driving right up on the sidewalk! Before you know it, she's tossing trash out the window. Unbelievable, right?!
Anyway, I stroll over, clean up her mess with my broom, then dump it back into her car, politely telling her, "Hey lady, you dropped this". You should've seen the puzzled look on her face!
64. Less Than Perfect
Back in my days as a casino dealer, my workmate goofed up and overpaid a player during a shift swap. Gamblers being what they are, the complaints that ensued were awkward. and no matter how much my colleague said he was sorry, the customer kept on complaining.
Finally, I just had to take over the situation. I gave the customer a piece of my mind: "Look, mate, nobody's perfect. If you'd rather game with robots, there are slots in the bar over there". He quit his whining and the rest of the gamblers seemed thankful.
65. The Mess At The Pool
For my first ever "grown-up" job, I was a lifeguard. One time, I was working at the indoor water park, a kid raced up to me and asked for the toilet. I pointed it out, but he protested, "I need a nearer one"! I muttered a curse as the kid sadly soiled himself in front of me, it was a mess. I quickly called first aid on my radio and we brought him in while we located his parents.
After a while, his dad turned up and we had a chill conversation about his kid's little accident because, believe it or not, it isn't that uncommon. But then, the dad asked us to change and clean his kid. My manager and I turned him down. The dad was mad and demanded to know why. We told him, pretty simply, the kid wasn't ours. That shut him right up.
StockMediaSeller , Shutterstock
66. First Impression, Worst Impression
In the summer of 2008, I had a gig at Best Buy in Home Theater. It was my very first day, I didn't even have my full uniform yet, just my name tag. This guy, clearly not in a good mood, comes over asking about RCA couplers. I had no clue what he was talking about.
I was just about to get my boss, when the man finds what he needs. Then he starts yelling, "WHAT THE HECK?! DIDN'T THEY TEACH YOU ANYTHING"? I end up fetching the boss, and this guy starts going off about how awful I am. "TRAIN 'EM BEFORE LETTING THEM OUT HERE". He then just rushes off the scene.
Turns out, he was a Best Buy manager himself, from Oregon though.
67. Wined & Declined
So, I work as a bagger at a supermarket. This wealthy mom strolls in, carrying four wine bottles to the checkout. She seems to think setting each bottle upright on the moving conveyor belt is a good idea. As you'd expect, one wobbles and topples over as soon as the belt starts moving.
Guess where it was? Yep, right on the edge. No surprise, it falls off the belt, shatters, and wine is flying all over the place. Fast-forward past the long clean-up and there’s a tiny wine spot on her pricey Ugg boots.
So, she heads to customer service, insisting the store should pay for her boots. My manager, in the nicest way possible, basically tells her to take a hike. As I'm leaving, I spot her in the parking lot, loading groceries into her huge Hummer H2 with flashy 22" rims. People, right?
68. No Takebacks
This one time, a lady chucked a teaspoon at me cause she wanted a tea refill. She didn't see me topping up her glass earlier cause she was too occupied scarfing down a massive veal parmesan.
When I questioned her on why she decided to toss cutlery at me, she started, "I need you to fill my…" (Looks down), "oh...you already did...huh…nevermind". As I backed off, I caught her sniping at her husband, "No, I'm not gonna say sorry to A WAITER"!
69. Going On And On
I used to work night shifts at a large furniture store chain in the UK. My job was to call customers, letting them know their furniture arrived and to set up a delivery date. One evening, I called Mr or Mrs McSomethingOrOther's residence. The guy on the line starts going off about how people keep calling his elderly parents for sales pitches.
He wouldn't stop, didn't even pause to let me talk. I'm pretty sure he even used the john while complaining to me. When he finally ran out of steam, I was like, "Done yet, sir? Your parents' new 3-piece suite is here, and I'm setting up a delivery date". He was stunned into silence.
70. Fix My Order!
I'm a McDonald's employee, and one morning, an older customer, known to hassle the staff, came in for breakfast. He asked for eight extra sauces, so I let him know those would cost more, and he seemed ticked off. He also wanted coffee, but his muddled instructions for how many fixings to put in and out of it got me confused.
On top of that, he was hard to hear, so I punched in his order as best I could from what I could understand. But when I read it back, he got seriously mad and said it was all wrong.
I offered to fix it, but he just started yelling insults and demanding another cashier. He made quite a scene and everyone was watching.
Super awkward, and I was also mad by now. After all, I was only trying to help. When his food was ready, he chilled out a bit, said sorry, and tried to shake my hand. But I wasn't having that. I brushed him off with a "Nah dude, you were a pain. Pull that stunt again and I'll make sure no one here serves you".
He didn't say anything and just left.
71. The Express Lane
So, this guy strolls up to my express checkout with a basket stuffed with groceries. Now, the rule is only 15 items or less, right? I pointed this out, tactfully asking him to tally up his goods. His answer? "No worries, you count". Just like that!
Now, who likes waiting in a grocery store queue? Guess what, I'm a whiz at my job, scanning 25 to 30 products in a minute with no errors. But if this dude thinks he can out-smart the system, he's got another thing coming.
Watch me take my sweet time scanning his treats and eats—think three to five seconds per item. His face reddens like a tomato, but hey, rules are rules.
I ended his saga with, "Isn't it sad how you've held up this line? Hope your day turns out fantastic". Did he throw a tantrum and hurl names at me? Absolutely. Did I care? Not a chance. I apologized to the poor folks stuck in line because of him and had them sorted out super-fast. Small wins, you know?
And the sweetest part of all? The beaming smiles and looks of gratitude from the other customers. Pure bliss!
72. Not All Heroes Wear Capes
I used to work in a vitamin shop when this woman rushed in, stormed to the front, and butted in line to return a product. She was mad because she got it and later discovered on a Dr. Oz show that it wasn't that helpful.
I asked her to nicely join the queue and assured her that we'd sort it out. But she insisted on being served immediately. She mentioned something about her doctor advising against it. So I humorously asked if Dr. Oz was her doc. She got really mad and began acting childish. Luckily, I didn't have to handle her—someone else did.
A dude behind her stepped up and gave her a simple piece of advice—"Cool it and wait your turn". Customers like him are the reason why I enjoy my retail job.
73. Patience Is A Virtue
So, I was helping out this old lady when suddenly, she passes out and hits her head on the counter while collapsing. Of course, everyone rushes over to help out, chatting with her as she comes to, pressing a paper towel to her bleeding noggin, and doing our best to keep her chill while waiting for the ambulance to show up.
Then, out of nowhere, another lady just steps over her as if she wasn't even there—comes up to the counter and demands to be checked out because she was in a rush.
74. Timing Is Everything
Back when I first started working, about 10 years ago, I was at this local video store. This was before Netflix was big, so we were always jam-packed.
One crazy day, there's this line to the door. A guy comes up with some DVDs he bought, saying they don't work and he wants his money back. I say I'm sorry and agree to check them out, even though I knew we never sold scratched DVDs. Then I get a shock—the DVDs are completely trashed. It's like he let his cats have a scratching party on them. I tell him there's no way we can take these back and he flips.
He starts yelling at me and waving his finger around, forgetting that it was me who sold him the DVDs to begin with. Here I am, a tiny 15-year-old girl having to handle this angry older guy. I keep saying I'm sorry until he finally storms off.
Next person in line watched it all happen. He comes up to me all chill and says, "Hey, can you show me where to find The Jerk"? Maybe it was just random, but huge shout-out to that customer. He gave me a glimmer of hope in humanity again.
75. I Know I’m Right
While working at my bank job in customer service, a guy dialed in, bent on the idea he'd been shorted 200 bucks. I had to take such calls seriously, so I worked with him, even though it seemed like he thought one of our tellers had swindled him. He had his deposit slip that showed a different number versus what was actually deposited—a gap of exactly $200.
At my bank, we scan all paper stuff to have a record and it turned out, he'd just read the numbers wrong. I pointed this out but he stuck to his words, came down hard saying we were practically robbing him.
So, I pulled out the check and the deposit slips, explained the entire thing. Faced with the cold hard facts and my chill vibe, he soaked it all up and finally said, "I know I'm right; I know she took my money, but you know what... I don't want to start trouble, I'll let it slide". Then, he hung up.
76. Help-Desk Horror
Back in the day, I used to work as a tech supervisor for a big computer company. If you were asking to speak with a supervisor, you'd probably end up talking with me.
One night, I got a call from a customer whose computer wouldn't start. He didn't want to open up the unit to check for a loose card or other parts, which is a standard part of troubleshooting we'd walk you through on the phone.
He got a bit stubborn, insisting his warranty should cover a tech coming to his home. I told him that was true, but only once we figured out what the problem was, which would involve him opening up his PC. But he hit me with, "I don't own a screwdriver".
After going around in circles, he asked me to point out where his warranty stated he needed to own a screwdriver. So, I pulled up his warranty on my computer, and showed him our troubleshooting process".
Turn your warranty book to page 32", I said. "There? Cool. Now, see line three of paragraph two? Says here you've gotta do everything recommended by our phone-based help before we send a technician".
He was like, "But it doesn't mention a screwdriver"! To which I replied, "I suggest you get one".
77. A Data Disturbance
So, I'm working at this phone store. One day, this guy storms in with his kid, all mad that their service is off. I call it in and turns out they've raked up a $20K bill—a full month of non-stop data usage on a smartphone without a data plan.
Turns out the dad decided to give his 17-year-old full control over the account to avoid the hassle of going to the store whenever his reckless kid, who's known for breaking cheap pay-as-you-go phones, needed a new one. This one time, the kid picks up a smartphone and gets it going. He's been warned though—each MB of data usage would be charged $30.
But the kid swears he never knew that. And he didn't use any data, he says. All this time, his dad is shouting at me, adamant that his kid doesn't lie. I knew exactly how to put him in his place.
I grab the phone from the kid, check the browser history, and what do you know, it clearly shows he'd been on the internet until just half an hour before walking into the store. I show this to the dad, and boy does he go off on his kid.
Long story short, we shaved off $18K from their insane bill. But the dad's likely still chipping away at the remaining two grand.
78. I Screamed, She Screamed, We All Screamed For Ice Cream
I once worked at an ice cream shop. This lady popped in one day and wanted a big, family-sized tub for 5 bucks. It could hold 9 scoops. After she paid, I moseyed over to the ice cream counter. But she couldn't make up her mind since we only had about nine flavors.
Suddenly, she asked for something fruity. I told her I'd check our back freezer, something might've been overlooked. It wasn't crazy busy so my co-worker held the fort in the meantime.
I came back with Strawberry and Raspberry Ruffle. She was cool with a mix of both. I gave her a heads up — both were really hard, straight from the freezer. Scooping them would take a bit.
She was okay with it. Scooping the ice cream became a workout for my right arm. A line started forming so my co-worker called for backup. I told her I'd be back and left to help with the queue.
Five minutes later, she marched over, beetroot-faced. She yelled at me about waiting 20 minutes for her ice cream—quite the shock for me and the customer I was serving. I started explaining the whole 'hard-as-rock' freezer situation but she interrupted me with something that could've gotten me sacked or slapped".
Why is it in the freezer then"?! She screeched. I looked at her, then the other customer — who was a regular and knew me well. She was trying hard not to laugh. I lost it and laughed out loud with her.
The lady stormed out and that's the last I saw of her. Still gives me a good chuckle every time I remember it.
79. When Duty Calls…
I once worked in a casino as a Slot Attendant. My duties included paying out slot machine jackpots, doing a bit of maintenance, and topping up the machines when they were out of coins.
While I was helping a customer fix a coin jam, an elderly guy started yelling at me: "HEY! HEY! BUDDY! COME HERE! COME HERE NOW"!
Apologizing to the customer I was with, I went over. I was in for an unpleasant surprise. The old guy shouted, "KEEP AN EYE ON MY MACHINE"! Then he rushed off to the restroom holding his bottom...looks like he was about to have a bathroom emergency.
80. Cracking Up
In high school, I worked at Wendy's and met this one unforgettable guy. He came to the drive-thru nearly daily, driving a rundown, rusty Cutlass. He was a big dude in his thirties with crazy, dirty dreadlocks. His usual order? A triple cheeseburger with extra pickles and a large chili – BUT NO CRACKERS. He was pretty serious about that.
One day, one of the guys thought it'll be a hoot to load the guy’s bag full of cracker packets. This joke didn't go over well. After the guy saw the crackers, he roared back into the parking lot and stormed into the restaurant, heading straight for the employees' area. One of our hefty cashiers managed to block him.
The guy then went full Hulk mode in the dining room, toppling chairs and sweeping off tabletops. But here’s the strange part: he shouted about everything except the crackers. Bizarre, right? Next, he took a salt shaker and poured the entire content into his mouth. He started spraying the place with salty saliva and somewhere along the line, lost his shirt.
This crazy episode lasted five minutes before the officers showed up. They tased him, got rid of the Cutlass, and after that, we never saw him again. Truly a mad man!
81. My Undercover Boss
I was on the cash register at a restaurant when a customer came to order. After I rang up her order, she freaked out about the price. It was a complete shocker—she started throwing a fit. My pal, who is also my manager, was right next to me just chilling, cleaning up the counter.
She demanded to see my manager. I cooly responded, "Alright, but ma'am, this is the right price". The funny bit is, my co-worker next to me is the manager. He just looks at her, agrees and goes back to cleaning. She was left speechless and just stormed off. We had a good laugh about it afterwards.
82. A Sudden Snap
When I was just 15, I snagged a gig as a doc's receptionist. One day, this dude storms in and tries to barge into the doc's office before his turn. I block him and say he's up next. For the next 10 minutes, he stands by the door, grumbling and glaring at me.
So, I wait till the door's open, go in, and tell the doc how this guy was chucking a tantrum. The doc just nods and ushers the grumbler in while I head back to my desk. Moments later, I hear shouting.
Fast forward a few minutes, and the sweet, elderly neighborhood doc is hollering like you wouldn't believe. When the shouting dies down, the door opens, and our grumpy friend slinks out. The doc steps out, and in his usual soft tone, says, "I've told him that kind of carry-on won't fly here and he's not welcome anymore".
He then heads back to his office, and the whole thing is never mentioned again.
83. Do You Even English?
This dude walks in to buy a two-liter soda bottle. He asks for a bag while I'm in the middle of ringing him up. I respond with "okay dokie" and keep on doing my thing. He repeats his request so I figure he didn't catch my first reply, so I say it again, a touch louder. But I still keep on finishing the transaction.
On his third bag request, I flat out say okay, eye to eye. He then asks me what "okay dokie" means and if I can speak English. Considering I'm super white and American as apple pie, it kind of threw me that he didn't know the phrase "okie dokie". So, I assure him that yes, I speak English, and "okie dokie" is just slang.
Next thing I know, he's tossing coins to pay for his soda right at me and I've had enough! I cancel the transaction, yank his soda from my register, and tell him I'm done — no service for him. He puts up a bit of a fight, but oddly doesn't ask for my manager and eventually jets out.
84. They’re Going On The Naughty List
Years back, I was a 25-year-old manager at Toys R Us. It was Christmas Eve and we were knocking off at 6 pm. We'd been working hardcore since Halloween.
Around 5:30 pm, I got called to the front desk. Three adults, clearly inebriated and lacking teeth, were giving us trouble.
Granny couldn't get the top three toys of the season and was on a mission to get them. She swore they wouldn't leave without 'em.
After twenty minutes of shouting, threats, and wrecked displays, I got a lucky break. The cop on duty asked if they should be detained. He was ready to go!
But instead, I offered them a choice. Leave empty-handed and explain to their kids why last-minute shopping doesn't work or get detained and explain that one.
They chose to leave, cursing all the way, but silence never sounded so sweet.
85. Black Coffee For A Black Cloud
So a lady rolls up looking real grumpy. You know the type—careless parking, slamming doors, no sign of joy. She asks for a large black coffee. Simple, right? I whip it up and hand it over. After a sip, she's like, "where's the cream and sugar"? I'm thinking, "but you said black".
Turns out she meant a "black" roast coffee. I gently point out the mix-up and she goes ballistic on me, saying it's not my fault but rather the owner's for letting me work unprepared.
Plot twist—I am the owner.
86. All For Nothing
I hadn't been on this gig for long, when on one night post closing, a family was still browsing. I told them it was quitting time, and one older woman just flipped. She spent the whole check-out time ranting at me about how "We were just heading to the counter! You're so darn impolite and clueless"!
Remember, this is a dollar shop, so we tally stuff manually instead of scanning. Imagine, me counting past a hundred items amidst all that yelling! The kicker? Their card didn't go through our machine, so we had to restock everything.
87. Tension At The Theater
It was a busy Christmas at the cinema. Regardless of staff numbers, we were always short-staffed at the holidays. Normally we'd have two people per till, one taking orders, the other prepping food.
Being one of the most experienced workers there that day (excluding management busy cleaning auditoriums for the incoming hordes), when a problem popped up threatening our popcorn production, it was on me to handle it.
When a coworker alerted me of the issue and I started to head to the back, a loud-mouthed customer from the queue bellowed, "Don't abandon the register! Service is slow enough already and I'm starving"!
Apparently, I was so mad I started shaking. That's when I lost my cool. I lit into him about what hunger truly was, since I'd been starving from skipping meals all day just to serve him and the rest of the crowd. I lectured him about understanding the ropes around here, having worked here for two years. I told him if he wanted me back at the counter quickly, he needed to let me do my job. His choices were to cool it, leave, or swap places with me.
I don't recall all this, but I do remember the theater falling silent, venting my anger on a box of coconut oil needing to be hooked up, followed by a manager pushing me into a half-hour break. My hand was sore for a few days, but it was okay in the end.
88. It’s All The Same?
I used to do customer service for Future Shop, basically the Canadian version of Best Buy. Once, a dude got real worked up about his Future Shop credit card bill. Back then it was managed by HSBC Bank, so I couldn't sort it out in the store.
He was so ticked off, he vowed never to shop at Future Shop again and said he'd go to Best Buy instead. I had a quiet laugh, then let him know both stores were one and the same. When he challenged me to back it up, I showed him my "Best Buy Canada" pay stub. He hightailed it out of there pretty quick.
89. Learning The ABCs
In my media job, I mostly filled up CD/DVD shelves and helped customers find what they needed. One lady got up in my grill complaining about our lack of alphabetical ordering. Confused, I told her we did organize it that way and offered to help find what she needed.
My plan wasn't to embarrass her, but then she muttered some insult and sarcastically wished me luck. So, I recited the ABC song, pointing to the relevant sections till I found her request right where it should be. All she could say was "Oh"...
Pavel L Photo and Video , Shutterstock
90. More Than Meets The Eye
So, I'm a cake decorator at a supermarket bakery, right? And let me tell you, folks go crazy over their cakes! One time, this woman orders a Transformers cake for her kid's birthday. But she wasn't feeling the two options we had—either a simple decoration with a Transformers toy, or a cake decked out with an edible Transformers pic.
She kept showing me different cake photos on her phone, but I had to keep saying, "Sorry, can't do that". We have to follow copyright rules, and we can only decorate with what we're allowed to use. Anyway, she orders the decorating kit, or at least that's what I thought. Her husband picks up the cake, gives it the thumbs up, and off he goes.
Next thing you know, she's calling the store, complaining about the cake, saying it's unattractive, and how her little 6-year-old was in tears. And to top it all off, she says something like, "I just wanna come there and smash the cake in that girl's face"!
In all my 10 years in retail, that was a first. Threatening me over a cake, can you believe it? She didn't get a refund. In fact, she got a good telling off for being threatening.
91. Steaming Mad
I was in college, working as a part-time waiter that didn't really work out. I once had a customer who was nice at first, came in by herself, and knew what she wanted instantly. But then, her food was too warm, and she went ballistic after I explained that everything is freshly baked or grilled. She just lost it.
She gripped my hand, shoved it into her piping hot meal, and shrieked, "DON'T YOU THINK IT'S TOO HOT DEAR," in a real mean, patronizing tone. And yeah, it was hot, but I'd just served it to her. I was gobsmacked and could only stammer an apology. A colleague saw what was going down and promptly bounce them out.
I ended up balling my eyes out in the back. Don't miss that gig one bit. I'm way too reserved and quiet to defend myself when needed. It ain't too much to ask to treat workers like ordinary folks!
Nicholas Felix/peopleimages.com, Adobe Stock
92. First Day, First Scammers
My first day working at this posh buffet was one for the books. My debut customers? A crew of seniors. They wanted to scope out the food first, and I was cool with that. I was at the ready to show them to their seats whenever they were done browsing.
Instead, they dove right in, loading up on grub and seating themselves wherever they fancied. This really threw a wrench in the usual seating arrangement, but hey, I was new. Soon, one of the gentlemen beckoned me over with a somber declaration: "I'm not long for this world, can I get a discount"? Caught off guard, all I could do was promise to check with the boss.
The manager, although surprised, was more understanding than I expected. He informed them that's not how things usually go, but made an exception. The guy was charged for a kiddie meal. That's when the others chimed in—claiming they were also on borrowed time and deserved deals too.
Even though they were a real handful, the manager gave in and sweetened the deal. They were pretty rowdy most of the time, not to mention messy, and left no tips whatsoever. But hey, who knows? Maybe when I hit that age, I'll be just as eccentric.
93. A Horrifying Encounter
When I was 16, I worked at a haunted house with my buddy as the manager. It was super cool. I acted as an "Escaped Experiment". I was like Igor, only real fun was when I bounce out to scare people at the entrance, with fake blood in my mouth.
One day, a bunch of rowdy guys came in messing with the vibe. Anyway, I still did my thing, screaming and jumping out. But, one guy kicked me in the face.
I stayed in character while that dude was still laughing and trying to kick me. Then, I remembered the blood pack in my mouth. I bit on his leg, breaking the blood pack. "Fake" blood splashed everywhere. He freaked out, thinking it was his blood, bawling and whining "Dude, what the heck"?!
The manager, who was guiding the tour, reassured him with, "Oh, don't worry, he's had all his shots".
94. Trouble With Tires
I was hustling non-stop at the shop and the counter. I'd already moved 14 sets of tires, not including those extra singles. Then this mature-looking dude walked up, barking an order for a tire. He gave me the size, and I kindly informed him it was a special order item—we don't usually stock 13" tires. The guy flipped out and started hurling insults straight from the schoolyard at me.
Frustrated, I asked him to kindly exit my shop. But instead, he got all up in my space and seemed ready to swing at me. That's when I had to escort him off the premises and alert the authorities. Strange thing, the very next day, he strolls in incognito—glasses and hat—politely asking to order the tire. I promptly called them again, and they detained him for trespassing.
Chokniti-Studio , Shutterstock
95. A Bald-Faced Lie
Once, while I was working at Tim Horton's, a woman marched in demanding a refund for her coffee, insisting she found a hair in it—a hair she couldn't show us. "It's gone, but it was the same color as that girl's hair who served me"! she declared.
I took her words to mean that the hair matched our barista's hair color. But there was something that she didn't know. Our co-worker was smack in the final phase of intense chemo and had been hairless for weeks.
When we shared this with the now super-awkward customer, she bolted without uttering another peep.
96. Where’s The Mute Button
Back in the day, I had a gig at an audio store. Today, I'll tell you a story about a particularly special time.
People would often bring their CDs to try out stuff we sold – totally cool, we encouraged it. So one day, this big old man with a cane shuffles in, clutching a bunch of CDs. He smelled so bad I needed serious willpower not to gag.
Now, working in retail, you meet all sorts. Some of them smell pretty awful, so I sucked it up and did my job. I skimmed his CDs, not recognizing any of them.
I put on a CD of his, choosing a track he wanted – bluegrass, which is a stretch for me. Looking at the back, I got the shock of my life from the names of the tracks".
The White Revolution" and "America: Take It Back" are the ones I can stomach repeating. I bolted to the door and shut it before the offensive lyrics began blasting in the store.
I couldn't remember the lyrics exactly, but they were super hateful and prejudiced. All I wanted was to steer this guy out ASAP. But he kept on asking for one more song.
I ended up playing 6-7 songs before he finally decided he wasn't a fan of any of our speakers. He got his CDs and split. And I, thank God, headed to reset the amps for the next customer, only to notice something about the chair he was sitting on...
It was soaking wet. Yep, he'd had an accident right there in our lovely, pristine chair. I was so mad, I stormed out and snapped some broom bristles. We drew straws to see which unlucky soul would get cleanup duty.
Surprisingly, this wasn't the first awful customer I'd had, but this guy takes the cake for worst ever.
97. Breaking The Bank
I was a teller at a San Francisco bank for a while. One day, just before closing, this super anxious guy carrying a hefty duffle bag walks in. As he came nearer to the counter, my heart raced. He seemed more and more jittery, letting other customers in line before him. All this screamed trouble. I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were gonna be robbed.
Every employee noticed the guy, especially as we had just closed. Now we had a teller serving as a door guard, helping customers out and keeping others from coming in.
I panicked as he approached my counter. "What's in that bag" I wondered. Sheepishly, he says, "I'm really sorry about this, but I can't take this home" before lifting the bag on the counter and unzipping it. To my disbelief, it was packed with nearly $500,000 in beer-drenched cash!
Turned out it was the Bay to Breakers weekend, a huge race in the city, and this guy owned a local pub. The pub's safe was stuffed to the brim and he was too freaked to take the money home given his past experience with theft. So he's stuck with this fortune until we open again on Monday.
The real headache came after. His money was sopping wet because it was from a street cart he set for the runners. When money's wet, counting machines at the bank are useless. Only we three—me and two managers—had to count the cash by hand after kicking out other employees. It took us slogging four hours through the repulsive, rotting notes.
Once we were sure of our count, we found another problem—the vault's too small! And most of it was singles. So we had to bug another branch manager deep into the night to open his bank's larger walk-in vault.
This was super tricky and needed special permissions. While they were still managing this headache beyond midnight, I balanced my register and peaced out.
98. Splish Splash
I worked at a neighborhood pizza place for two years and dealt with my fair share of bonkers customers. The absolute worst experience was a week before I was heading back to school and training the newbie.
A guy comes in, orders a large pizza and I tell him it'll take around 20 to 25 minutes. Normal stuff. He pays and sits. But, literally 5 minutes later, he's back at the counter, griping and asking why it's taking forever.
I double-checked and let him know it's only been five min and he needs to sit down. But this guy, after barely two more minutes, is up again, asking why his pizza is taking so long. I told him it hasn't been that long and our pizzas take around 20 to 25 minutes to make. He wasn't thrilled but he finally sat back down.
In walks another customer, who had ordered over the phone. I pass him his pizza. This blows up the waiting guy who came up to the counter, now 10 minutes in since his order, yelling at me.
He wanted to know why the other guy got his pizza before him, suggesting I'm cooking up some sort of pizza order conspiracy. I tried explaining the guy had called in earlier and that he himself could opt for that next time. I reminded him that a large pizza typically needs 25 minutes to be ready. Not happy, but he sat down, this time closer to the counter.
I quickly tipped off my manager about this situation, who came back to the counter with me. As another carry-out order walks in, the grumpy guy starts trash talking me to the new customer.
It'd been about 15 minutes by now, so we fast-track his pizza just to get him out of the place. My manager tried defusing the situation, reassuring him that his pizza's almost ready.
But this guy wouldn't let up. He started mouthing off at me, all within a family-friendly place. Just then, his pizza comes out of the oven. My manager, probably fed up, practically threw the pizza at the guy, warning him to get out or he'd call the authorities.
He left, but we weren't off the hook yet. I was pretty rattled and my manager told me to take five outside. I was out back, chatting with some drivers about how nuts the guy was, when—lo and behold—he drives into the alley.
There was a massive dip out back, filled with some really nasty water. This psycho starts driving through it, trying to soak us while continuing to berate me before finally driving off.
99. Do The Shoes Fit?
During my high school days, I worked at a shoe store where we often had this "buy one get one 50% off" deal. Here's the thing, you'd pay full price for the pricier pair and get the second cheaper pair for half off—a business can't just give away stuff for free!
So, one day, this lady comes in and gets two pairs of kids' shoes. She checks the bill and decides it's too much for her little one's shoes, and decides to give 'em back. But, she loses it when the refund isn't as much as she expected because the discount got adjusted.
I had to call my manager. She argues with him, saying "He's a foster child, doesn't deserve 50-dollar shoes, stop stealing my money and give it back"! The manager calmly refunded her fully, gathered up both pairs of shoes, and went on his way.
We pretty much gave her the cold shoulder until she stormily left. I couldn't help feeling sorry for her kids and her husband, they were just standing there super quietly all this time.
100. Do You Know Who I Am?!
As a teen, I worked summers at my parents' Tastee Freez in South Carolina, a small town where everyone's your neighbor. One Sunday night, about five after ten, Mrs. Greene from church tried ordering 20 McNuggets.
I told her we'd closed at ten and everything was clean and shut down for the night. She blew up, threatening to have me fired because she knew the owners, and asking if I knew who I was speaking to. I calmly answered, "Yes, I do, Mrs. Greene. I live across the street from you, remember"? Also, that morning in church, you'd asked about our closing time.
After that, we never spoke again.
101. If The Shoe Doesn’t Fit…
I'm a shoe store employee. Part of what we do is ensure school shoes fit kids perfectly. If a worker okays the fit, and a problem pops up, parents can return the pair. Now, this one mom came back, fussing that the shoes were pinching her kid and causing blisters.
Despite her less-than-chill attitude, we agreed to swap the shoes. But then, once we were back in the kiddie section, she saw the girl who did the initial fitting. Mom went off the rails, insisting that the same girl should fit the replacement pair to avoid goofing up again. Even with mom roughing her up verbally, the worker decided to stay on for the refit, hoping to make amends.
The employee remembered this family pretty well, even the kid’s name, and was bummed that she messed up. Back at the register, she tried processing the swap as a small peace offering. But then it hit her. She told the mom, "These aren't your son's shoes". They had a Tommy name tag inside, not Billy.
Long story short, the kid had swapped his shoes with a classmate. We had a good laugh as we showed that mom the exit.
102. Thanks For Playing
Last week was a pretty wild night. A group of six comes in led by a classic Karen. She insists on pushing two four-seater tables together. Our host says it's not happening—we're slammed. Karen gives her a look and demands to speak to the manager. She's cool about it, but firm. It's clear she's done this before.
So, I step in: "What can I do for you"? "Can we merge those tables"? They can’t, I say. I point out a six-seater table in the corner, a booth for six that's going to be cleaned soon, and an outdoor option that'll be available shortly. It's like showing them emergency exits on a flight.
“We can’t combine those tables"? "No, that’s not happening. Here’s what we can offer…” Pointing out the options again. But she wasn't having it. She went all "You know what I think"? with her pal and they both blurt out "Should we just go somewhere else"? But I got my answer ready. I clap my hands together and say: "Thanks, have a fantastic night"! Then I turn on my heel and head off.
The kicker? Karen does a double-take at the back of my head for a good couple of seconds before she finally shuffled out. I didn't even notice it until I watched the security footage.
103. Just A Coke And A Smile
This older dude came in solo. Sounded snarky from the start and looked around 60. The way he hollered, I figured he's a tough customer. And the guy wants a Coke, with a lemon slice, no less. Our humble cafe can't afford fancy machines or deals with big soda companies. So, no Coke service. I tell him. He gets all, "Did you hear me? I said a Coke. With lemon".
I'm lost for words. We don't sell Coke. Now he wants me to grab one from next door! I politely nix that idea and boy, does that set him off. He picks up our precious teacups, typically a part of the table layout, and smashes them. Pieces fly around, even nicking my ankle.
It's so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Staring at our irreplaceable china in smithereens, I'm an 18-year-old kid not knowing how to deal with an older guy on the warpath. Good thing, help came soon. One of the other customers, an undercover cop, walks over, shows his badge, and takes care of things.
So no, the guy didn't get his Coke or lunch, but he did earn some time with the law and a fine for threats and damaging public stuff. Even then, he loses it, shouting about how this entire ruckus was about him wanting a Coke and me not serving it.
Turns out, he's the local nutcase. Known for his antics across town.
