'When he held out his hand for change, I dropped it on the counter': 20+ Cashiers who got the pettiest payback on their customers

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 28, 2023 3:00 PM EDT

Don't underestimate the pettiness of these fed-up workers. You'd be acting petty too if customers treated you the same way. 

Cashiers work so hard for so little recognition. If I was running things, all cashiers would be allowed to sit down, they'd be allowed to talk back to rude customers, and they'd all be paid at least $1 million per year. In reality, though, cashiers have to deal with the grouchiest customers one after another for minimum wage (and no sitting down either). You can only handle so many mean customers before you start to snap…so these cashiers shared the quietly petty things they do to get back at their worst customers. 

Check out the prompt question from u/ItsMePeyt0n below, followed by lots of great suggestions for the next time a customer drops a handful of change on the counter, expecting you to scoop it up. I never knew there were so many cashiers who had no problem smushing a package of bread flat, or pressing their thumb on the scale while weighing the veggies of rude customers. It's the little things that matter. 

After you scroll down to read the responses (as well as one person's amazing "balloon Karen" story!), check out this professor who enrolled his own grandma in his class to spite the university he taught at. 

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  • 01
    Organism - What's the most petty thing you've done while working the register? 'I frequently smushed bread while putting it at the bottom of the cart, shook sodas... left my hand on the scale when weighing produce'
    via Blake Wisz on Unsplash
  • 02
    Font - What's the most petty thing you've done while working the register? I had one guy try to actively hide the plastic bag he was buying so that I wouldn't charge him for it while I was ringing up all his items. I punched in three bags onto his receipt out of spite. I still asked if he wanted his receipt and he said no so screw him I guess lol. Yes it was childish but I was tired and he had an attitude.
    via u/ItsMePeyt0n
  • 03
    Font - ComicPlatypus 1 day ago On my last day at a convince store, I got SO tired of people putting they money into the counter versus in my hand. This one guy tossed his dollars and coins onto the counter while my hand was raised. I stood there, hand raised for about 3 seconds, put the amount into the till, and when he held out his hand for change, I dropped it on the counter When he turned to his wife, angry as can be, she said "well, that's what you did to her".
    via u/ComicPlatypus
  • 04
    Font - Sneakichu 21 hr. ago I did the exact same thing and the guy had the nerve to say "oh that's really nice." And I just smiled and replied "don't you hate it when people do that to you?" With a super sarcastic smile. Felt amazing
    via u/Sneakichu
  • 05
    Font - lunarteamagic 1 day ago We had a regular customer who would call before they came in. And it was always for nonsense. Example: THis is jerkface, I am just calling before I waste a trip, do you have very common item that we are never out of stock of. Every single time. It became clear that he was asking us to do his shopping and have everything at the counter for him before he got there. So we starting doing just that. But leaving out important bits and pieces. Considering he was doing plu
    via u/lunarteamagic
  • 06
    Font - Greyson Rey 1 day ago Oh im a petty mf lol. If you pi me off with your bullsh I might do all sorts of things from ID'ing you unnecessarily, not putting in extra discounts, and giving you back inconvenient amounts of change when you break a 100 on a $2 purchase. But the pettiest was this one guy I really hated and had like a mob vendetta against, whenever he bought gas I would keep hitting the stop button on my register so like every 50 cents the pump would click off and itd take him forev
    via u/GreysonRey
  • 07
    Font - Crazy_Tomatillo18. 1 day ago If your rude and use cash, I give you the most annoying change. I also put all your stuff in little bags instead of one giant bag so you have more bags to take in. If I tell you "have an absolutely fantastic day," you've done something to p me off. Kill 'em with kindness, eh?
    via u/Crazy_Tomatillo18
  • 08
    Font - 2_old_for_this_spit. 1 day ago Do you know that if you pinch an egg carton from underneath as far up as your fingers can reach, you can break an egg? Well, you know it now.
    via u/2_old_for_this_spit
  • 09
    Font - Sweet-Worker607. 1 day ago Someone I was with was giving the checkout guy too hard of a time for the kid to concentrate. The kid accidentally rang up an extra bag of something on the cart. I was right beside him and saw him flinch. A wasn't looking. I whispered "as e tax" very clearly to the kid. He grinned and finished ringing us up.
    via u/Sweet-Worker607
  • 10
    Font - jayhof52 1 day ago Working at a truck stop/gas station in college. This would be summer of 2005. We've got the pump control register (RUBY for anyone who worked gas stations in those days) along with our regular register. Anything related to the pump had to go through the RUBY, which was like a cross between an 80s IMB keyboard and a Speak N Spell. Slowest da ed machine in the universe.
    via u/jayhof52
  • 11
    Font - Guy comes in trying to pay at the pump and says it's not working; I hit his pump number and INFO and wait for it to load. Someone behind him asks for something and I hand it to them while looking at the screen; the guy with the pay at the pump issues takes offense to this and says, "Oh, guess I'm not first in line and my problem doesn't matter," and walks out. As he's getting to his vehicle, I press the "Page All Pumps" button and announce, "Pump six, your card was declined. Silver Suburb
    via u/jayhof52
  • 12
    Font - SappyTreeP 1 day ago If an old person with a veterans hat or shirt is super sy to me, which happens often, I do not give them military discount. I tried to id someone the other week and she was like "really?! I'm 32!" And I said "cool so am I. I need your id." Lol. Whenever I get someone (American, I know it's different for different countries, so international visitors or residents get a pass) who get upset there's tax, I always say "this is America. Everything's taxed."
    via u/SappyTreeP***
  • 13
    Font - Unfair Home 9000. 1 day ago Years ago I worked at a hardware store. This customer came in with a receipt being such an as because over the weekend all we had were 4x4 sheets of plywood instead of 4x8s and the 4s were apparently more expensive. I told them the price was the exact same just half, and that two of the 4s would add up to one 8. They argued, told me I was wrong, bad at my job etc. I finally said fine I'll
    via u/Unfair_Home_9000
  • 14
    Font - do an exchange for you- I returned the half sheets and bought back the full size in the same transaction and they ended up owing me like 10 cents. I asked if they still want to do the exchange and how they wanted to pay. I'll never forget their shocked face and the death stare after.
    via u/Unfair_Home_9000
  • 15
    Font - kaztin08 1 day ago When I used to work retail, there was this lady who would come in on a weekly basis with two small kids. She would always kick up a fuss about every god dang thing, expired coupons, sale signage the weather, etc. Every visit with her was just a nightmare. I was the only one who was willing to deal with her. Her children weren't too bad but acted like typical kids do. Her kids would pick up toys or candy, and in typical kid fashion, would ask/beg for mom
    via u/kaztin08
  • 16
    Font - to buy it. Well, more often than not, she wouldn't buy it. She would hand it to me and tell me to play it off like she was buying it, but not really. Normally, I'd oblige because I have kids myself, but since she was such a pain in the as I'd just play it off. Then, right before she left, I'd bring out said unwanted item and ask if she still wanted it. Her kids would go absolutely mental, and it was fun watching her try to drag two crying kids out of the store. I'd do it every time I got
    via u/kaztin08
  • 17
    Font - 2 EWH733 1 day ago Way, way (WAY) back in the 80's, back before ATM cards, back when you had to deal with carbons on credit card purchases and everyone paid with checks which involved a call to the bank, we had to confirm people's identity with their license, and certain women would cover the year they were born, so petty me would make them 60 (then 1927) The horrified gasps were glorious. I'd always get the proper year afterwards too!
    via u/EWH733
  • 18
    Font - syliva_the_cat_loves. 1 day ago I'm not super petty towards customers but if you pi me off, guess who just generously rounded up. When I worked taco bell however, I only had two people snap at me. You know what? Screw you. Good luck eating that five layer with no napkins
    via u/syliva_the_cat_loves
  • 19
    Font - stxrryfox 1 day ago If you come up to my register with an attitude and I see you have an available coupon, I'm not letting you know it's there. You can pay full price. There aren't many petty things I can do that won't slow me down, and my main priority is to get you out of my store as quick as possible. So for the most part I keep it professional.
    via u/stxrryfox
  • 20
    Font - efferveschence 1 day ago when people were rude, i frequently smushed bread while putting it at the bottom of the cart, shook sodas (if possible), left my hand on the scale when weighing produce, and canceled the payment right after they took their card out, which didn't give it enough time to process, causing them to have to run it again. all while being sickeningly nice to them
    via u/efferveschence
  • 21
    Font - BattleSquidZ 1 day ago I had a really rude lady once, while her back was turned, I punched her loaf of bread. She didn't notice it literally folded in half Imao.
    via u/BattleSquidZ
  • 22
    Font - xicyyyx 1 day ago I double scanned everything for a rude bi once. Told me I should get a real job and that everything about the company sucked. I asked her why she was shopping here then. Told me to fu off and kms and she didn't want her receipt. Told her to have the day she deserves
    via u/xicyyyx
  • 23
    Font - KingTorygg 1 day ago I hate when I hold out my hand to take their store card to scan and they put it on the counter instead. So I'll pick it up off the counter, sometimes making a big show of it being hard to pick up which takes up to 20-30 seconds depending on my mood. Also when I give it back to them, I wait until they have their hand out and then I put it on the counter instead.
    via u/KingTorygg
  • 24
    Font - SeniorIssue444 - 21 hr. ago Balloon Karen. Balloon Karen enters the store about 20 minutes before closing with a sour look on her face. I'm working register and she is da well aware that we are very busy and very understaffed and it's close to closing time. She decides to step inside give me and the other customers this angry glare and stand near the registers, looking in our direction. I'm busy dealing with a line so I'm focused on them. Balloon Karen starts shouting things and I assume
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 25
    Font - items off, returning things, wanting bills broken a specific way, and asking lots of dumb questions. Balloon Karen is still yelling and standing up near the other closed registers with her phone in hand, and I still assume she's in a phone call. So I continue to ring up the customers, not even hearing Balloon Karen at this point. One of the customers politely points over to her saying "I think she wants something" and I look over to her and she shouts at me "I need the numbered balloons!"
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 26
    Font - and expected me to leave my line of customers to tend to her. I ignore her, because I'm not a dog. She finally steps closer and shouts at me again "HeLIO!! Are you listening? The NUMBERED BAH- LOOOONNNNSSS!" I make a wtf face and say "aisle 7" and go back to ignoring her. She steps closer and is now near the bagging area of my long line. "Well can't you go get it for me?!" The customer I was ringing up made a wtf face shocked at her entitlement as did I. "Ma'am, I'm dealing with customers
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 27
    Font - scoffs and stomps off to something the aisle like out of a children's cartoon. The customer then said "wow some people!" And we laughed quietly. So I'm dealing with the line still and she returns looking more cross than before and butts up and steps next to the customer who was using their card at the pinpad "this isn't what I wanted. I need 15 balloons now, you need to blow them up for me. You need to help me" "Ma'am we close in 10 minutes, you'll have to return in the morning for a big
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 28
    Font - shouts "I NEED 15 BALLOONS NOW. I AM NOT WAITING IN THAT LINE. YOU NEED TO BLOW THEM UP FOR ME." At this point, I call for the manager. Balloon Karen glares at me and the customer was like "do you mind backing up? I'm trying to enter my pin". She makes a low growling sound and backs up the smallest amount possible. I look at her again and say "you'll need to wait over near the balloons, the manager will be coming up to tell you again what I just told you." "Well I don't want to wait, wher
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 29
    Font - Balloon area and starts picking out her own balloons. The manager, who was also petty, recognized her and started to walk as slow as possible and played stupid and came over to me first, to further waste Karen's time. Manager decides to filibuster and chat with me about closing stuff. Balloon Karen starts making a mess going through balloons and the manager then shouts at her "ma'am that's for employees only you can't be going through them balloons." Balloon Karen shouts back and points a
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 30
    Font - The manager snaps back "ma'am I'm asking to stop messing up the balloons. There's a sign right there (employees only)." "Well I need 15 balloons now! You need to make her help me. It's get job!" She yells. The manager yells back, "we are closing in 10 minutes and her job is to ring up the customers in the line. You have not bought anything and have never gotten in line. You've also ignored the employees only signs and opened balloons despite me telling you to stop. The store policy is no
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 31
    Font - Before Balloon Karen could say anything back, the manager makes the intercom announcement in a super friendly tone that the store is closing. Balloon Karen finally steps away from the employees only area of the balloons and then panicks and starts yelling out more random items at me "silverware! Phone cable! Mascara!" The manager walks over to her and points "Ma'am the door is that way. Since you're not buying anything I need to ask you to leave. We are closing." She started asking for ou
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 32
    Font - with for complaints." Balloon Karen stomps off, throws her hands in the air and goes "this isn't worth it. Forget it. I'm going to party city." And leaves finally. Another customer sees my manager sighing and goes "who shouts at employees like that?! Who raised that lady?!" And my manager just shakes her head.
    via u/SeniorIssue444
  • 33
    Font - Jakedch 1 day ago When I worked at Whole Foods, if someone was an as they bought the organic version of whatever produce they put on my conveyer.
    via u/Jakedch
  • 34
    Font - cheddarpants. 1 day ago Not a cashier anymore, but when I was, if a customer came through the express lane with way too many items, I'd always "accidentally" scan the most expensive item in their order twice.
    via u/cheddarpants
  • 35
    Font - Jupichan 23 hr. ago Back when we had by- the-pound buffets, I would almost always weigh things as if they were in the largest container, so it would take the most weight off for the customer. It rarely saved more than fifty cents, but still. If you were rude, I would weigh it by the correct container. If you were really rude, I'd stick my thumb on the scale.
    via u/Jupichan
  • 36
    Font - skelebird 1 day ago For most customers if their change was close to a dollar I would just round it up. If they were an as they're getting all 98 cents.
    via u/skelebird

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Tags

customer service karens cash register retail shopping retail worker karen-customer customers cashier change rude money karen service industry petty revenge petty
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