'Are you a moron?': Retail cashier gets chewed out by a Karen after offering her a rewards credit card for the second time

Author image for Jesse Kessenheimer
Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
May 1, 2023 1:00 PM EDT

Working retail is the biggest soul sucking job known to man. Nobody grows up aspiring to be a cashier working the register, forced to endure customers's stupid jokes ("if it doesn't scan it's free, right?"), listening to mild pop music on loop, and surviving inadequately balanced AC. That register work is just something that pays the bills– no more, no less. However maddening the endless onslaught of beeping barcodes, inventory nights, matching aprons, and dealing with incoming merchandise, the worst thing by far about working in retail are the Karens. 

One retail worker named Jenny, working her first job as a retail cashier, got an immediate crash course in how to deal with the entitled Karens of the world. Like many retail jobs, she was trained and required to ask each and every customer that came through the register if they wanted to sign up for the rewards credit card. Nobody ever wants the credit card, but you have to stick your neck out and ask every time; it's just policy. Well, the Karen that strolled into the store on that particular day didn't like that. 

The Karen (with an apparently unremarkable face) came in with a return, which she handled with Jenny. Per company policy, Jenny asked if she wanted to sign up for a credit card and the Karen declined. Everything went without a hitch and she walked away. But when the Karen came back up to the line with a new purchase, Jenny was in autopilot and simply didn't recognize her. That's when things got ugly. 

Jenny once again asked the Karen if she wanted to sign up for the rewards card, like she did for every customer, and the forgettable-faced Karen flipped out. She couldn't believe that Jenny didn't recognize that she'd already asked her that and flat out said…

"Are you a moron?"

Jenny snapped back to reality and replied that it was company policy to ask everyone and the Karen continued, "You just keep being a robot moron!" Luckily for our cashier, the Karen left is a huff, furious that she wasn't seen as an individual and was simply lumped into the 'new customer' category of a minimum wage employee who deals with hundreds of transactions a day. Sorry lady, get over yourself. 

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  • 01
    Font - Posted by u/Luna-the-tuna5562 Bad day on register.
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 02
    Font - A little information about the place I work: we have to let people know how much they will save if they get the credit card; the company policy asks every person every time. I always try to do my best job with a smile and give a good customer experience.
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 03
    Font - So today, I'm on the register. A lady comes in with a return; the mirror she got is too big and she needs a smaller one. The return goes off without a problem. She comes back to my register with the item. I ring her up and tell her the total and how much she would save if she got the card today. She looks right at me and says, "Are you a moron?"
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 04
    Font - I say, "Excuse me," because I just couldn't believe I heard her right. "You asked me about the credit card yesterday. Obviously, I ring out a ton of people every day and can't be expected to remember everybody." But trying to be professional, I say, "Our company policy is we have to ask every customer every time."
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 05
    Font - She says, "Good excuse, JENNY!" I say, "You're more than welcome to get a hold of corporate and let them know you don't like the policy." She says, "You just keep being a robot moron!" I hand her the receipt and say, "Thank you, have a great day." I was in shock!
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 06
    Font - The unbelievable part was that there were no arguments or difficulties with the transaction. This lady was just being straight- faced mean to me for no reason. 76 &$!#%
    via Luna-the-tuna5562
  • 07
    Font - Horror_Scene4747. "Well, as a moron I would have at least measured the place where the mirror was going so I wouldn't have to make a second trip to the store to return the ill- fitting one. Der. So I guess I'm a bit wiser than you. Oooops. Gotta reboot the cash register."
    via Horror_Scene4747
  • 08
    Human body - HoundIt She's just upset because she saw her face in the mirror and realized her outside was as ugly as her inside.
    via HoundIt
  • 09
    Human body - Mysterio_was_taken. There's a special place in hell for people like her
    via Mysterio_was_taken
  • 10
    Font - italicized-period I curse her to an afterlife working a register where she not only has to offer credit cards no one wants, but also every customer will either tell her one of those dumb jokes we all hear every day (e.g. "if it doesn't scan it's free, right?") or else will comment on her failure to smile enough and/or say "great!" when the customer asks how she is today.
    via italicized-period
  • 11
    Human body - gromit1991 "Have nice day, Moron."
    via Gromit1991
  • 12
    Font - Horror_Scene4747.5 hr. ago I say "barely surviving" when people at the home improvement store ask me how I am. At the Red Cross, I say "barely surviving" when asked how I'm doing, sitting there for 2.5 hours not peeing. At the hospital, I said "barely surviving" when coming to after a knock out procedure. The nurse said, "oh shut up. You're doing better than that."
    via Horror_Scene4747
  • 13
    Human body - naysayer1984 If she has said that to me, I would have called. My mgr over and walked away
    via naysayer1984
  • 14
    Font - Luna-the-tuna5562 OP. "Thanks everyone! I didn't feel like getting into a fight with a line of customers. It just wasn't worth my time. I did tell my manager, and we printed out her picture to let the other cashiers know to keep an eye out for her. My manager wants to be notified immediately if she ever comes in again."
    via Luna-the_tuna5562
  • 15
    Rectangle - NYCQuilts. "I'm not a moron. It's just that you aren't special. oops! cash register all of a sudden stopped working." Sorry she was so unbelievably rude.
    via NYCQuilts
  • 16
    Font - Suitable-Mood-1689. Don't take it personally, she is likely a person in pain (your feelings being hurt is totally valid too and her being in pain is not an excuse for her to hurt you)
    via Suitable-Mood-1689
  • 17
    Font - I was in retail for far too long. I kinda hope I witness this kind abuse so I can put the customer in their place if the worker can't. I hope you can bring it up to your manager and they can help/support you in being able to stick up for yourself. Customer service professionalism should not mean taking abuse with a smile. You should be able to address their behavior in a way that's not insulting but lets them know its unacceptable.
    via Suitable-Mood-1689
  • 18
    Human body - Logical-Wasabi7402 "They don't pay me enough to think for myself."
    via Logical-Wasabi7402
  • 19
    Font - hearonx There is no excuse for her taking this out on you. Corporate chat requirements can be irritating to regular customers. I personally despise supermarket chats that are required to include WHEN RINGING UP PURCHASES "Did you find everything today?" If somebody in front of me ever says "Yes" and the store staff go to find the item, leaving me to wait, I will probably abandon my cart right there. Both ends of this are unsatisfactory.
    via hearonx
  • 20
    Font - Crzylemo1chick. Returns from Hell "You just keep being a robot moron!" As a retail worker on the spectrum, yeah I know I'm robotic. I've dealt with 200 of the same identical transactions today, and I'm supposed to ask the same things. Every time. If I don't say it in a specific order, consistently, it won't happen.
    via Crzy1emo1chick
  • 21
    Font - Immediate Area9178. I've had a few people act like this, especially at self-check. I just tell them the truth, "it pays the bills" and move on. If they insist past that point I tell them it's confidential and I'm not willing share anymore information about my employment.
    via Immediate_Area9178
  • 22
    Font - Sweet Tangerine1195 She was projecting. You see, the reason she needed a smaller mirror was so that SHE would seem like less of a moron. Didn't work though.
    via Sweet_Tangerine1195
  • 23
    Font - Obviously, I ring out a ton of people every day and can't be expected to remember everybody." But try "Our custome compan "You just keep every being a robot, et moron!" JENNY cuse, to a hold o don't like the eing a robot moron!" I hand her the receipt and say, "Thank you, have a great day." I was in shock!
    via u/canva

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karens cash register talesfromretail moron rewards drama credit card rewards card retail cashier sales karens in the wild story tales-from-retail Reddit return karen service industry
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