'Sorry ma'am, this coupon is expired': Cashier 'helps' customer who demands to use outdated coupons

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 19, 2023 11:00 AM EDT

Some people just wake up entitled, convinced they're better than everyone else. And these people love to bug retail workers until they lose their minds, as u/amaranthinenightmare shared in their story to r/MaliciousCompliance. 

The woman in this story is every retail worker's nightmare. She's the kind of person who shows up at 7:45am to bang on the windows of the store until it opens at 8am. She's the type who will unfold all the clothes the employees just folded, only to then demand you find her a different style in the back of the store. Other types of these entitled customers love to try on tons of clothes in the dressing rooms, then leave them in a giant pile on the floor for employees to hang up. They think the world revolves around them and their needs. 

At the clothing store the OP worked at, the customers were wildly entitled, and this OP was nearly at their breaking point. There's only so much rude behavior one can take before they hit their breaking point, and the OP was no exception. At least they got some hilarious revenge on this Karen. 

Although there was nothing technically wrong with what the OP did, they definitely left this woman both embarrassed, and without a story to tell to her friends. There's no way the customer will go around telling the story to her friends, family, or even when she writes a one-star review of the store (which seems likely). Hopefully, this customer has learned her lesson about demanding things that she can't have. 

Next up, these people had one job… and they still messed it up so bad. 

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  • 01
    Sleeve - 'You have GOT to be kidding me! That is the entire reason I came out here today, to use those coupons! I really can't use them??' 70
    via Marcus Loke on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - When retail customers feel entitled to extra discounts for no reason... so you give it to 'em. M I worked at a pretty popular department store for years, and I have to say that the customers this store breeds are the worst of the worst. This store is probably 90% of the reason that so many customers feel as entitled as they do. ("The cashier had the hiccups, it was incredibly annoying, isn't there anything you can do for me?" Was an actual honest to God complaint one lady had for me when
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 03
    Font - So anyway, I was covering a break up at the registers. I was a supervisor at the time and I had also already given my two weeks notice. I was beyond fed up. It was like spring of my senior year all over again. I had no more f left. S
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 04
    Font - So I'm up at the registers, and this lady who couldn't have been more than 40 comes up with a huge cart full. Anyone who has worked retail, you know this woman. She's got The Hair, she's smacking her gum at me while she talks on the phone, the entire transaction is delayed because I need her to pay and she starts to ignore me because apparently I'm the rude one for interrupting her phone call.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 05
    Font - She proceeds to tell the person on the other end "give me a second," and finally turns to me and says, as if I'm an impatient child testing her last bit of patience, "yes?" "Here's your total, ma'am. Do you have any coupons or rewards to use today?"
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 06
    Font - She nodded, and here is when she drops a few clippings on the counter in front of me, ignoring my outstretched hand, and turns her attention back to her phone. As soon as I look at the coupons, I see that none of them are usable. She has one that is $10 off your menswear purchase of $50 or more. She has all women's clothing. The next coupon expired two months ago. Another one doesn't start for another week, etc etc.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 07
    Font - So I try again to get her attention. She's just as lovely and accommodating as the last time. She rolls her eyes, tells the person on the phone that she will have to call them back, and gives me another sharp "Yes?" "Sorry ma'am, this coupon is expired, this one hasn't started, and this one is only for when you purchase $50 worth of menswear. Do you have any other coupons or rewards?"
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 08
    Font - She stares at me like I had just called her mother some unsavory name. "UH excuse me, WHAT?" What could I do but shrug helplessly? "You have GOT to be kidding me! That is the entire reason I came out here today, to use those coupons! I really can't use them?? Unbelievable. Some customer service here!" All the while she's packing her useless coupons back into her purse and glaring scorch marks into my soul.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 09
    Font - Remember I said I was done? My patience before Shopzilla here was already at 0. She tipped the scales. I was officially in the negatives. I had negative fts and negative patience left. So when she said "you should be ashamed of yourself, being so rude to a customer." Something in me snapped.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 10
    Font - I smiled sweetly at her, mustered up a bright and cheery expression that i usually reserve as my "waitress" face, and said "I'm so sorry you feel that way, ma'am. But on the bright side, since it's Tuesday I can still apply your senior's discount! So at least you aren't losing that one, right?" I can't quite describe her expression. I think she was angry, but I think she was more shocked. And in that state of shock, she sputtered out "I'm not a senior!"
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 11
    Font - I mimicked her shock, trying to appear horrified by my "accidental" faux pas, and then immediately said "let me take that off of there for you, then!" And promptly took the senior discount off, bumping her total up another $20. "I'm so sorry for the misunderstanding, ma'am." Oh boy, she was ped, but like I said, I think she was more shocked. She seemed a little dumbfounded, she paid, she took her stuff, she left.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 12
    Font - I will take that petty moment of satisfaction at her horrified expression to my grave. (It was even worth the write up that I did end up getting after she called the store and gave my manager a piece of her mind.)
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 13
    Font - Edit: GOLD?! For my smart as ery and pettiness? I told my mom it would pay off one day wipes away a tear Thank you, lovely anonymous redditor! Edit 2: Okay wow I didn't expect this to blow up. I've been at work and there's no way I can keep up with all these comments Haha. But thanks to everyone who gilded me, and had nice words! You guys are great.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 14
    Font - 200 Shadowedcreations. Ohh so so awesome! I am in Loss Prevention and had an uppity individual try to preform a return fraud that was denied and then proceeded to steal a few items... But wait there's more... She called corporate to complain about being denied the return and how horribly she was treated. Ok come back in we will rectify the situation ma'am... Ohh good you got here just in time. I would like to introduce you to Officer "hoped you weren't that d stupid to show up!"
    via u/Shadowedcreations
  • 15
    Font - amaranthinenightmare OP That is hilarious! Things like that happened at the store I worked at. People are so d dumb sometimes. You couple that with how entitled they feel, and it's just a recipe for all kinds of crazy shenanigans.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 16
    Font - hoisinsauce31 Is this Kohls? I don't work there and never have, but I have shopped there and it totally seems like customers are always trying to use random coupons that they know won't work. But they have gotten away with it for so long by screaming that they keep doing it. They probably go home and tell their book club how they are such clever couponers. Idk, maybe not. But I swear every time I go to Kohls some biddie is pitching a fit about a coupon.
    via u/hoisinsauce31
  • 17
    Font - amaranthinenightmare OP It was, in fact, Kohl's. I still shop there from time to time because it can be pretty cheap, but I still stand by my idea that it is the most soul sucking retail job I've worked.
    via u/amaranthinenightmare
  • 18
    Font - LilithImmaculate I used to work at target and when we liquidated, it was the most therapeutic thing. We were given the okay by management to tell rude customers off. I would gladly relive that 2 weeks
    via u/LilithImmaculate
  • 19
    Font - NickSmith12345 I currently work at Kohl's as a cashier. And oh my god some of these customers. Customers loveeeee to bring in expired Kohl's cash. And wanna know something. We take expired Kohl's cash, 10 days after it expires. Where in the does that logic come from. What's the point of an expiration date??? And what's with this bulls of customers expecting us, the cashiers, to give them coupons at checkout?? It's unreal.
    via u/NickSmith12345
  • 20
    Rectangle - Tamalene The sad/funny thing is, she can't even share this story of outrage with anybody without risking further humiliation.
    via u/Tamalene
  • 21
    Font - Saint Maya If I was 25 and you offered me the senior discount I'd take it happily. I'd also assume the cashier was being super nice to me. That's what life is like when you know who you are.
    via u/SaintMaya

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customer service karens retail shopping retail worker customers coupons sale complaint karens in the wild clothes coupon karen discount
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