'She has threatened to call corporate': Entitled customer keeps barging into thrift store's backroom as employee tries to stop her

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Mar 18, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Customers can feel entitled to just about anything, as this sneaky woman proved to a thrift shop employee. 

The employee wrote that as a 4 year veteran of the thrift shop she works at, she has lots of regulars, including some that have no boundaries whatsoever. "V," as the OP has nicknamed her, is super pushy and feels that she runs the place. She seems to haggle with the employees to get prices lowered (at a thrift shop for goodness sake). But that's not even the worst of her problems. She also cannot fathom why she can't go in the "Employees Only" section of the store. 

As the OP noted, there's lots of reasons you wouldn't want a random customer rooting around through the backroom. Merchandise isn't priced yet, and employees leave their belongings back there, no expecting it to be disturbed. V is way too entitled, and the OP would be totally in the right if she referred her to corporate. Let V banish herself from the store with her own words! 

Next up, this guy was shocked that his HOA wants him to get rid of his airplane — and it's not even parked at his house. 

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  • 01
    Hairstyle - FO SEE
    via Becca McHaffie
  • 02
    Font - r/AmItheAhole Posted by u/icyblueskye AITA for not letting entitled regular customer come into an employee only area?
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 03
    Font - Ok a little background. I (48F) have been at my job for almost 4 years (longest person there at time of writing) We have several regular customers most who I love dearly and then there's V (50-55 F). V is very pushy, entitled and ALWAYS trying to get additional price reductions. For example if an item is on 50% clearance at $1.99 (for example) she'll find some fault so she can get it for less. For clarification I work in a thrift store that I cannot name due to social media rules. We have
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 04
    Font - In the past with prior managers V has walked into the backroom for various reasons. Our new manager has told her that it will no longer be allowed as the staff often has their lunch boxes on the break table or purses and backpacks with personal belongings inside out due to there not being enough lockers for everyone. People have had personal items go missing after V has been in the store in the past.
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 05
    Font - The other day I was in the backroom when she walked in and started looking at items that would be on the floor by the end of the week. The rest of the staff was on the floor doing other projects. She picked up an unpriced item and announced that she wanted it. I told her that she wasn't allowed in the backroom and reminded her that the item was not yet priced.
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 06
    Font - At this point V said as a regular customer, she should be allowed in the backroom whenever she pleased. I told her she needed to discuss that with the manager. At this point V decided that she needed to see other items in the backroom. The more I reminded her that she couldn't and shouldn't be in the back the more she claimed about having the right as a regular customer. She has done other things to staff members such as calling corporate due to a cashier not wanting to hear her self pity
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 07
    Font - I might be the A hole for constantly reminding her (5 times in 10 minutes) that she is not allowed in the backroom. She has threatened to call corporate on me for not being "customer service friendly"
    via u/icyblueskye
  • 08
    Font - Dipping_My_Toes Colo-rectal Surgeon [47] NTA - Management needs to step up, do their job and have her trespassed so that she is not allowed in the store any longer. You shouldn't have to fight this battle. No thrift store customer is worth that much grief.
    via u/Dipping_My_Toes
  • 09
    Human body - 16 Charlie_Cat_Esq That and giving the staff actually doors to their breakroom...?
    via u/Charlie_Cat_Esq
  • 10
    Font - ke4ukz Parta_pant [4] NTA, plus I think after the second "reminder" my third time would involve "I'm going to call the police." Employee-only areas aren't just about privacy or security, it's also safety. There could be chemicals or equipment there that the general public shouldn't have access to for their own safety or proprietary information that's not for public knowledge. And it sounds like you have the manager's support.
    via u/ke4ukz
  • 11
    Font - KronkLaSworda Pooperintendant [59] Yep. You were well within your rights to call the police on her for trespassing. ΝΤΑ
    via u/KronkLaSworda
  • 12
    Font - JewishSpaceBlazer A hole Aficionado [16] NTA, it's literally the simplest thing in the world. It's an employees only area and she is a customer. There is no amount of regularity that transforms a customer into an employee. She sounds incredibly entitled to the point of delusion and like she's breaking a lot of rules and possibly laws. Why is she even allowed to set foot in the store at all? Are there cameras in the back rooms? It sounds like she's just going back there and taking whatever
    via u/JewishSpaceBlazer
  • 13
    Font - Jokerstylez1995 Like when I worked for a while as a door greeter. Learning the ropes, I would be told whose faces to remember because they're thieves and to watch them closely. I never understood why do they let them keep coming back in knowing their history and low and behold they get caught trying to steal again every time they came back. It makes no sense.
    via u/Jokerstylez1995
  • 14
    Font - einat162 Colo-rectal Surgeon [32] ΝΤΑ Management should ban her from entering the store, as she was trespassing (and possibly stealing - those items that went missing...).
    via u/einat162
  • 15
    Font - 00 geniologygal Parta: ipant [2] NTA. And I bet she's not covered under corporate liability insurance when she's in the back room. There's a reason certain areas are off limits to non-employees.
    via u/geniologygal
  • 16
    Font - Yikes44 Colo-rectal Surgeon [35] NTA. I work in a charity bookshop and the number one rule is that no one sets foot in the back room unless they work there. It's an absolute golden rule and is because of the security of staff possessions and also the donations themselves. Some may be valuable and haven't yet be sorted. If this lady is as rude as you say then I think you're fine to absolutely stonewall her on this one. Don't leave her any room for interpretation. Just 'No' is fine.
    via u/Yikes44
  • 17
    Font - PlantainFlakes Parta pant [1] ΝΤΑ Next time she threatens to call corporate, give her their phone number. Let her embarrass herself, you don't need a "regular customer" like her.
    via u/PlantainFlakes
  • 18
    Font - icepigs Parta: pant [2] NTA - it's time to tell V that she's no longer welcome as a customer since she can't follow the rules.
    via u/icepigs
  • 19
    Human body - Fantastic_Permit_525 Nta EMPLOYEES ONLY do they know how to read?!
    via u/Fantastic Permit_525
  • 20
    Font - frogmuffins A hole Aficionado [10] NTA. If she cannot follow very simple rules then she should be warned of additional consequences. "You can explain to the police why you think it's ok for you to trespass"
    via u/frogmuffins
  • 21
    Font - Bear_Aspirin_00 Parta ant [2] ΝΤΑ Now with a new manager, this is the perfect time to set up and start regulating your business policies. Having non-employees in employee areas opens up the business for insurance liabilities as well as the suspected losses you're aware of. By having hard and fast rules in place protects you and your business from any "call to corporate" this person may have.
    via u/Bear_Aspirin_00

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