'He just looks at me dumbfounded: "Wait, you mean I have to pay for this?"': Locksmith enacts extremely satisfying revenge on irritating customer

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jan 15, 2023 3:00 PM EST

One locksmith got back at an annoying customer in the best possible way — which of course the customer absolutely hated. As the OP shared in this classic post, they're a locksmith who makes keys and opens doors and car doors for customers. But at the end of one day, an irritating customer barged in shirtless and demanded service. He didn't become any less of a headache from that point forward! As a locksmith, though, the OP had most of the power in his hands. His business also had a policy that protected his power move, which left the customer in an even worse spot than they'd started in. 

Up next, read about these Redditors who shared their favorite examples of new rules that immediately backfired, with hilarious results. 

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    Cheezburger Image 9726370816
    via Adam Stefanca on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - r/Tales From Retail If you're rude and refuse to pay, we have the right to refuse services, even after they're done
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 03
    Font - So I was in the shop one day, a customer was in getting some keys copied, nice and simple job. Suddenly while I've got the machine running, some shirtless guy comes in looking really frantic. I tell him I'll be just a minute longer, then I finish the keys, and send the first customer on his way. Frantic dude: "jeez, took you long enough, I need you to come unlock my car" I'm already a little annoyed since its almost closing time, but I just figure he's got a kid/dog/groceries in the car a
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 04
    Font - Well ok then Since it's pretty much closing time, I just go ahead and set the alarm and lock the doors as I leave, he doesn't like this and starts saying how I'm taking forever. Yeah yeah, take a chill pill, 5 extra seconds won't kill you. I get in my truck and follow him out there, when we get there I grab my tools and head to the car. Surprisingly, there's nothing in there except for the keys on the seat. No kids or dogs, so now I'm just hoping it's actually their car. FD: "You'd better
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 05
    Font - Me: "Yes sir, we charge a service call when we have to go out to the location." FD: "Well I'm not paying for that, you did it in 10 seconds, I could've done that myself if I'd have known" Me: "Well I'm sorry, but I can't do this for free." I could've, but there was no real urgency like a life endangered, plus he was rude about the whole thing. We normally would just bill someone in the situation, but we've been burned too many times, so we'll only do that for companies. FD: "I'm not payin
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 06
    Font - I didn't tell him, but they charge $100 to unlock cars. Never heard back from him
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    What an utterly epic tale! The commenters loved this revenge on an annoying customer who felt entitled to a free service for literally no reason whatsoever.

    Font - ForeverAdorable I would have been disappointed if you hadn't locked his keys in his car after he refused to pay. Good on you for standing your ground.
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 08
    Font - yolo-yoshi. Seriously, F people like that! I too would've been upset if he didn't do that. 637 Kezika. Share I worked for AAA recently. That was their policy for lockouts where they can't prove it is their car or if it was a cash call (member already used all 4 of their annual service calls service can be sent out but must be paid for) and they refused to pay. Service provider will lock it back up.
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 09
    Font - [deleted] I didn't tell him, but they charge $100 to unlock cars I was about to say, $40 sounds too generous to unlock a car
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  • 10
    Font - kingrex1997 If you call your city's non emergency number they can usually send a community officer to jimmy the car open for free.
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  • 11
    Font - Got mine unlocked for $20.
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  • 12
    Font - acbaldoza We charge $85 for lockouts, tire changes and jump-starts but of course we send a full size flatbed. 2 Share xXAndrew28Xx Family member paid around $40 for a lock smith that was like 10 minutes away.
    via r/TalesFromRetail
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    Font - I was hoping for: "I'll have to charge you for two service calls, and an extra out of hours charge." 907 Share itstheleviathan OP I would've, but we advertise 24/7 service, so we don't charge any extra for night or weekend calls
    via r/TalesFromRetail
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    Font - coatrack68 I don't know, $40 doesn't really seem like a lot to fix a f up, like locking my keys in my car... 249 Share itstheleviathan OP. We really only charge for the drive time, the actual unlocking is done in under a minute 95% of the time
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 15
    Font - Gimletson No, I sell matresses I've only had one customer not pay me, but since she was obviously poor and suffering from the mental overload that poverty imposes I handed over her keys. I also gave her some practical advice on how to not get in that situation again. She got a 20 from a family member, and I made her a spare key that would work her door. I've had several others that didn't want to pay me, but I sit in their driver's seat filling out my invoice with their keys in my hand. I
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 16
    Product - itstheleviathan OP I've given it for free to people a few times for the same reason you did, but this is the only unlock I've had so far that I've had to do this. 76 Share FluffySharkBird You're a nice person.
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    Human body - Auricom93 Seems like the guy needed a dose of reality. Nothing in life is free, pal.
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    Font - dart22 It's the same mindset of businesses that hire a contractor and the f with the payments after services are rendered. "I have the upper hand so I'm going to use it."
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  • 19
    Font - ashesarise On the flipside. I had to wait like 4 hours for a locksmith to arrive once. I gave them pretty simple instructions and a address. I have access to 3 different GPS systems and checked google while I was waiting. There was nothing wrong with that address. They just couldn't find it for the longest time. When they finally got there, they tried to charge double because of the amount of time they wasted. Yeah... thats not how that works. I eventually got half price after telling the
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 20
    Font - itstheleviathan OP That happened to me once, but it was because no GPS systems showed it in the wrong place, and she had a thick accent and wasn't great at giving directions. I finally found her after over an hour of driving in circles looking for where she's saying to turn. When something like that happens I just wouldn't charge them since it was on me, charging double is just scummy.
    via r/TalesFromRetail
  • 21
    Font - Aerodine This happened to me, except it was in the winter at a popular ski resort that the guy had no idea how to get to. Took him forever to get there, then failed to get the door open and tried charging me anyways, something like $150. Told the guy I wasn't paying and walked off. His manager called me demanding I pay up, told him hono. Talked him down to like $40 if the guy could open the door. I had no faith in him, and called another locksmith anyways. The other locksmith showed up be
    via /r/TalesFromRetail
  • 22
    Font - created4this Why did you pass up the opportunity to see how much damage he caused in that missing hour? At the least you should have phoned the other guy and given him a heads up. 27 Share itstheleviathan OP Because chances are if it took an hour before he called back, he actually did do damage and it would take way longer than 10 seconds to get it open. And the other guy in town is a grumpy old man that's only been in business for 40 years because there was nobody else around. And he doe
    via /r/TalesFromRetail
  • 23
    Font - introspeck "I'm not paying for that, I don't have any money" Me: "Then if you think you can do it yourself, go for it." I throw his keys in the car, lock the doors, shut it behind me ... Perfect. I would have done the same thing. OK, you so smaht, you figure it out.
    via /r/TalesFromRetail
  • 24
    Font - [deleted] After you threw the keys in the car, how did you lock it fast enough for him to not react to you locking the door? From the sound of the story he sounds like the kind of person that would try to block you from locking it in that situation. Or did he just stand there asking you what you were doing or something like that? I don't know much about locks. 5 Share itstheleviathan OP I just hit the little button as I closed it
    via /r/TalesFromRetail
  • 25
    Font - smartzie He seems like the kind of guy that blames every one else when things go bad for him....
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    Human body - [deleted] "You did it in 10 seconds" And a couple years' training...
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  • 27
    Font - kanuut Returns are only valid if we sell the prod... You're one of my favourite people now, you saw the opportunity and you took it, and I wouldn't want it any other way. "We have the right to refuse service, even after the service has been completed" I love it
    via /r/TalesFromRetail

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locksmith keys service-work revenge cars tales-from-retail service industry
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