'Your manager just enabled her': Hardware store supervisor gives in to Karen pressure, disappointing employees and sparking an online debate

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Sep 29, 2023 5:00 PM EDT

Everybody who has done their own DIY paint job knows that the paint you choose is going to look different once it's dry. That's just how paint works. You get a dark purple, it will probably dry lighter. You get a pale yellow, it will probably dry brighter, etc. Plus, the paint looks different in the sunlight, so if you have a sunny room, that's important to know. So always keep that in mind when you're picking your paint. 

Of course, there are DIYers who go into their projects not doing any research. Or, the bane of humanity, there is the Karen customer who will take advantage of this fact. For example, this redditor shared a story of a Karen who finagled two free paint cans at his paint counter. 

He was just working his job, a customer brought in the color she wanted, he mixed it, and off she went. Weeks later, she comes back furious that the color was not what she wanted. (Even though it was very obvious she had already used most of the paint.) She demanded new paint and when OP tried to tell her that it is just going to be the same color, she, of course, asked for the manager. 

This is when you hope your superior has your back, but in this case, the manager did not have the energy to deal with it. So he just gave in. Now Redditors are up in arms about how that is just enabling Karen behavior and putting forth an even more powerful monster into the world. But also, this manager probably doesn't even get paid enough to stress over Karens. What would you do?

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  • 01
    Hand - OLOUR 1035201 wwwww [3 LIGH NO 28-9/9 10' 5197? J COLOUR umming seisurapice com
    via pxfuel
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    Font - Posted by u/MiddleFingerMonday 5 days ago "Too Purpley" Short I worked in one of those really big home improvement stores and we had a paint department.
    via u/MiddleFingerMonday
  • 03
    Font - I worked in paint for awhile and there was nothing worse than the yoga-mom- turned-designer-influencer customer.
    via u/MiddleFingerMonday
  • 04
    Font - One day, this one comes in and orders two gallons of paint, same color. She gave me a chip (that was actually one of our chips, so I didn't have to try and shoot it). I mixed the paint, put the sample on the cover, hit it with the heat gun so she could verify the color and off she goes.
    via u/MiddleFingerMonday
  • 05
    Font - A week later, she returns with the cans, both opened, both well used. She starts yelling at me that I mixed it "too purpley" and it "ruined her shoot." I told her I mixed it according to the code on the chip she gave me. I call the
    via u/MiddleFingerMonday
  • 06
    Font - manager over and she starts ranting and insulting my intelligence, saying I must be a loser who can't read to be mixing paint for a living. I was super pissed when my manager gave her two free cans of paint. He then said, "it's not worth the fight."
    via u/MiddleFingerMonday
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    Font - MyFavoriteInsomnia. 5 days ago Your manager just enabled her AND dismissed your feelings. 10/10 she'll pull this again to get free paint.
    via u/MyFavoriteInsomnia
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    Bird - chefjenga. 5 days ago I was gonna say, why do I get the feeling she ran out of paint........
    via u/chefjenga
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    Font - Maleficent-Course-70 · 5 days ago This is true. The problem is corporate doesn't back up store employees. Yes the manager could tell the customer "sorry you saw the color on the can when you bought it" but then she complains to corp and gets even more free stuff.
    via u/Maleficent-Course-70
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    Font - The 16 year old paint mixer isn't getting paid enough yo deal with her. And it's not his job after the original sale. The manager isn't getting paid enough to take the 30 minutes to an hour explaining to her that she approved the color.
    via u/Maleficent-Course-70
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    Font - It is bad behavior that should be told no. But corp doesn't want a bad review or a mad customer. They will give away half the store and a ton of money to appease her.
    via u/Maleficent-Course-70
  • 12
    Font - ggibby 5 days ago ● I work across the aisle from our paint counter and had the pleasure recently of listening to the two paint managers gently gang up on a customer,
    via u/ggibby
  • 13
    Font - getting them to say out loud that the paint was exactly what they ordered, but the customer misjudged how it would look once applied. No free paint for them. A master class in retail diplomacy.
    via u/ggibby
  • 14
    Font - dennismullen12. 5 days ago When you give in to that kinda behavior you just get more of it.
    via u/dennismullen12
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    Gesture - Saltycook 4 days ago I hate when managers cave. It just teaches bad behavior
    via u/Saltycook
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    Font - Kanekulakila3 - 5 days ago Unfortunately people know if they bhat one of those stores they will get whatever they want. It's sad and rewards bad behavior. We do work with a few different box box companies and they all do this.
    via u/Kanekulakila3
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    Font - <--²/ wolvennite42 - 3 days ago i worked at the blue big box home improvement store as the manager over paint. Its not worth the fight, because if i said no, she would just go to my manager who would cave and give it to her.
    via u/wolvennite42
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    Font - Paint was one of FIVE other departments i had to manage at the same time, I'm not wasting my time with what I called "the by thieves", the ones who bch until they get what they want for free.
    via u/wolvennite42
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    Font - An example, I told a woman I would not replace her 10 year old washing machine bought before my store was even built. I told her that was a good lifetime for an appliance these days and just buy a new one.
    via u/wolvennite42
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    Font - She went to my manager, who said the same thing. She went to the store manager, who told her the same thing. She then got the
    via u/wolvennite42
  • 21
    Font - number for the District Manager, guy in charge. of most of the stores in our state, and he caved and gave it to her. He also gave her a dryer so that her appliances would match.
    via u/wolvennite42

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karens house paint working hardware painting counter reddit karen funnuy hardware store employee karens in the wild diy paint karen karma karen story karen
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