'We don't need you, why don't you just quit': Karen and Kevin diner owners challenge overworked server to quit, server maliciously complies

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 8, 2023 8:00 AM EST

Who doesn't love a classic "you don't know what you've got till it's gone" story? Here, we have a server fresh out of school who was constantly manipulated and treated poorly by her Karen and Kevin bosses. While I have never shared the particulars of a story, I do empathize with the situation as someone who has worked for ungrateful clients. In this case, I was working in a client-facing role and was already swamped that I did not need this particular person's business. When he started making unnecessary demands that required more than what I was being paid for (not to mention more than what I had time for), I eventually had the courage to recommend someone else for the job all the while knowing that this client was about to have a serious awakening. That's because I was already doing more than what was required of me, and I knew no one else would take that much on for an hourly rate. Sometimes, however, the only way for the Karens and Kevins of the world to understand how lucky they are is to leave them in the dust. 

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  • 01
    LEA EPRIMIT F HM 66681 "My manager told me to quit so I did." DO CÓ DADS La DRINK Coca-Cola Seld Here e Co 1953CITY
    via Dayonara Nacion

  • This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/Fantastic-Sky4806, a server at a diner who was often overworked and taken for granted by her Karen and Kevin bosses (both of whom were the co-owners of the diner). Keep scrolling below for this epic saga and to see what happened when the owners took things just a little too far for OP. When you're done, here's a post about an ungrateful choosing beggar of a coworker.

  • 02
    My Manager told me to quit so I did. XL OC So, to set the scene. I am from the UK and I was at the time 23. During the summer of 2023, I was looking around for a summer job to make some extra money while writing my book. The store had 3 tables inside with 4 chairs each, a gazebo outside with 6 tables, and an outside sitting area with 6 tables. Our shift was cushty with a 9am start and a 3.30pm finish. The owners were greek cypriots and we could always hear greek music in the background. It was a
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 03
    The workplace was a small yet busy diner next to my gym, I went in and asked if they were hiring. They were and instantly gave me an interview (which felt weird as I had no prior experience). So, the first my first day was a 'practise shift' this means I didn't get paid. I think it is quite common in the UK for this to happen. The people working there and the owners all seemed to be good people so I was enjoying it there for my first few months. However, I was informed that 3 of our 5 staff were
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 04
    1 of the girls lets called her Jamie, was the head waitress and pretty much my manager, she was cool and we would talk about all things movie related. In her final few weeks the stress was clearly getting to her as boss woman lets call her Karen, started belittling her and acting as if all of her problems (Karens) was caused by Jamie. Jamie had been working there for 3 years at this point and had dealt with karens throughout the years but she seemed to be getting worse and worse by the day. But
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 05
    Until one day she had a massive breakdown and started screaming at Jamie infront of paying customers and some of our regulars. The whole store was staring at the commotion and I had to go out and serve the customers whilst reassuring them
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 06
    that everything was okay. Jamie had gone to the toilet and started crying. Karens face was bright red with anger. Personally, I thought the situation was funny as she got mad over something that was easily fixable. Karen had been irate all day and it was her own fault as she had been over working herself by working 7 days a week. Every week, for coming up to 8 years.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 07
    Her husband (other owner) lets call him Kevin, was very set in his ways about everything and loved it to be his own way. We could never get a break from either of them and they would moan about the way we cleaned, served, engaged with customers and even when we engaged with one another.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 08
    I was mopping one day after the store had been closed and we were doing a close down. Kevin started having a go at me as I wasn't mopping properly. So, he snatched the mop off me and whispered to himself 'How can someone not know how to mop properly' then proceed to mop exactly like how I was just doing it. He was annoying at times but was the better of the 2 evils. However, it seemed as if he was devoid of any personality as when you spoke to him he would only give one word answers and the most
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 09
    One day I come in and Karen rushes at me all flustered. 'Why are you so late, I've been needing you in now for 30 minutes'. Just for reference I was in at 8:45 which was 15 minutes before I was meant to start. So, I am 6'4 and Karen is 4'10 so she needed me to put stuff away on the top shelves.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 10
    There were some expensive bowls used for decoration around upper parts of the diner. So, I was putting them up as they had just been washed the night before, they were all in the places she wanted me to put them in. Then, not even 10 minutes later as I am laying out the tables, I hear a loud crash. She fell into the wall where one of the decorative bowls were placed. The bowl fell down and smashed all over the floor. The scene was very dramatic and could've been easily avoided if she had just lo
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 11
    moaning and being her usual insufferable self. So, I smirked and said 'should've watched where you were going then'. Wow, she shrieked, like a shriek you've never heard before and bellowed out 'how dare you... It is your fault because you are useless'. Then proceeded to storm past me to her car. I cleaned up the mess and Kevin said 'YOU SHOUID bE mOrE cArEfUl AbOuT WhErE yOu PuT tHiNgS nExT tImE' So, I just looked right at him and said 'yep'.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 12
    Next day came along and I actually got an apology which I never expected, it hit me off guard. She then asked me to put more things on the top shelf and I said 'but I don't want to put it in the wrong place' and her face turned bright red like a tomato, she didn't say anything just stormed away and went on her phone in the kitchen.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 13
    Then, Kevin said 'Do you really need to act like that we are paying you blah.. blah'. Cue malicious compliance, I put it into a spot they couldn't reach even with a step ladder as I had to reach it with a step ladder. A few hours go by and we are packing up Karen asks where I put the items and pointed to them sticking out pretty much touching the roof and said 'good luck' then went home.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 14
    A few weeks go by of back and forth with me and the owners, the 3 people all leave in September and I find out my other colleague who was really cool and making this whole toxic work environment bearable (lets call him marcus) is going on holiday for 2 weeks. So,
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 15
    we start talking about brighter and better pastures. I tell him I want to quit and he helps me look for better jobs. Eventually, I find one that is better pay and closer to my house (15 minute walk). So, during this week. Karen is worse than usual as it is just me and marcus and he is still new so I have to teach him how to make the coffees, do the cash register and take orders properly whilst upselling. Karen doesn't like how I am upselling our cakes and tries to show me how to do it saying 'le
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 16
    forgets the items that we have and doesn't know the allergens for it so had to go back inside and check (The person wanted something glutenfree), I knew exactly what she was looking for but couldn't interupt this 'masterpiece'. So, I started on other tables got all of their orders and Karen still hadn't found the allergens for each cake yet, I wrote it on the back of each container to make it easier to remember and told her about it multiple times, but 'I'm not stupid, I know what is glutenfree
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 17
    Later on in the week, it is hectic and there are around 50 people all waiting in line to be served for takeout. I took over the till and Marcus made the drinks. At this point we weren't able to do any table service and clearly wrote it in bold letters as soon as you walk in.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 18
    All things are going well, until Karen says Marcus needs to do a delivery (for their other company) and it needed to be done now. So, it went from me and Marcus barely holding on to me having to do all the drinks, take all the orders, bill all the food, clean the plates and cutlery... and wouldn't you know Karen even said we are doing table service again. At this point she was doing nothing. Kevin was cooking and she was on her phone barking orders. The deliveries Marus had to do was over 1 hour
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 19
    by myself. I was also getting nasty remarks like 'You're useless' or 'I could do it faster'. At this point I glared at her and stated 'do it better then' whilst staring right at her. She stuttered and was like 'now'. I nodded and she just looked down as everyone in the store was looking at her at this point.
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 20
    She didn't come over and I said I was not doing table service as I have no help. Most people were fine with it and either waited at their tables or joined the cue. All except one. A woman who was potentially the worst customer I have ever dealt with. She did a loud 'Ah-Hem' and moaned 'What about me I have ben waiting for 15 minutes and still haven't received any service' (She was sat right infront of where the till was) I said
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 21
    'Sorry I can't help you now as I have all these other customers to deal with'. Then Kevin said 'She's a regular we treat all our regulars with respect here'. She smugly looked at me and I said 'Okay', I stopped everything I was doing, just to go and serve her. All the people waiting in line (about 25 at this point, some who were also our regulars) were left doing nothing as I had to wait for this other woman Karen 2.0 to read through the entire menu and order the same thing she always did 'Chees
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 22
    People were getting so irate as they only had a certain amount of time before their lunch ended. So, they started leaving which caused the owners to be mad at me and mumble 'We need to find someone new he's terrible' so, I smiled at him and before I could say anything. A stranger who I was about to serve said 'If you didn't tell him that your regulars are more of a priority than the other people then he wouldn't have to take her order'. Everyone was stunned and Kevin looked like a bat out of . I
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 23
    Marcus saw me and smiled. I said 'okay, I quit'. Then later that night sent a very strongly worded email to them saying everything that is wrong with them and their establishment. I blocked Karen and Kevins number after they tried calling me multiple times. The fallout was amazing. Whilst Marcus was on holiday they had no one to do their duties for them, so Karen had to get off her lazy and put in the work. They did get a replacement in for me but it was only after 1 week that they found someone
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 24
    Now anytime I go to the gym I will typically catch eyes with either Kevin or Karen and they give me the dirtiest looks ever. I just laugh right at them and wave. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find a job just yet. However, I was able to publish my book. Currently working on a second and hoping to find another job soon. Thank you for taking your time to read this. I hope it was enjoyable. Fantastic-Sky
    via u/Fantastic-Sky4806

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karens workplace-stories work stories toxic-workplace malicious compliance karen-boss karen-customer work malicious-compliance-reddit reddit thread Reddit karen entitled people toxic-work-environment
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