'She was livid from the moment she walked in': 15+ Crazy customer chronicles told by retail workers

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Apr 12, 2024 11:00 AM EDT

Retail workers could tell you a story or two about their most memorable customers. As a cashier, you may serve hundreds of people each day, so when someone throws a huge fit or is especially impolite, it sticks with you. 

Whether you're working in a clothing store or a popular spot in the mall or a fast food restaurant, you're bound to get some odd customers. Usually, customers ask the same few questions over and over. But there are exceptions. For example, one person shared that they had a customer come to buy a suit, and he was in luck, because the suits were priced as a buy-one-get-one-free offer. The customer thought that was a good deal, but he wanted to see the "free suit" first. The retail worker was confused, and explained to him that it wasn't just a free suit, he had to buy two, and then one would be discounted. This customer just couldn't get the concept through his head! 

You can check out these great stories from retail workers who revealed the craziest and dumbest things customers have ever said to them. And after that, read about the "Lawn Karen" who was infuriated that her landscapers hadn't removed every single leaf from her property. 

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  • 01
    People who work in retail: Have any good "annoying customer" stories? I'm at work and got influenced to ask this because this customer was being a real to me.
    via u/mjmfly
  • 02
    Bindlestiff I actually enjoyed one furious rant by a customer. Screaming, threats, attorney general to be called, personals insults - all while waving his bill for the JC Penney store which was across the parking lot from the store I managed. It was about five minutes before I could get a word in to guide him across the way.
    via u/Bindlestiff
  • 03
    [deleted] Last Christmas there was a man trying to haggle with me over a Wii. It was a busy Christmas Eve, I was sick of the whole world and this guy was really starting to me off. He not only wanted extra thrown in, but he wanted a discount off the price as well, and off the accessories he was going to buy (while I knew full well that what accessories we
    via u/[deleted]
  • 04
    had would be sold Boxing Day when parents came in needing extra controllers and such). He pulled the whole "I'm going to spend a lot of money so give me more" that really gets on my nerves. So I said "Look, if you want to think about it for a few minutes, that's fine, but there's a big line so could I serve the customer behind you while you talk with your wife?" He
    via u/[deleted]
  • 05
    was kind enough to graciously step aside while I served the next person. Who wanted a Wii and was promptly sold the last one we had.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 06
    STUN_Runner I used to work in a camera store, and before that I worked at a Circuit City. I could write a friggin' book. Camera store, circa 1992, true story: a late-middle- aged lady brings in a camera she'd bought a day or two earlier at my store, box and everything. She was livid from the moment she walked in.
    via u/STUN_Runner
  • 07
    "This camera doesn't work at all. It doesn't do anything. I put film in it and it doesn't work at all. You sold me a broken camera." I look in the box laying there on the counter, and the two AA batteries that came with the camera are still sitting in their shrinkwrap, nestled into the styrofoam packing.
    via u/STUN_Runner
  • 08
    "Did you put fresh batteries into it, Ma'am?" I asked, politely. "You mean it takes batteries?!" "Yes, Ma'am, it takes batteries. The batteries power the flash, the motor drive that advances and rewinds the film, and the automated exposure system. Most cameras today use batteries."
    via u/STUN_Runner
  • 09
    "I've never heard of such a thing. A camera needing batteries." "Here, it comes with a set of batteries to put in. They go right in here. Let put them in for you. There, now it's working." "Ridiculous. Batteries." And she left, still in a huff.
    via u/STUN_Runner
  • 10
    dzudz I used to run the print department in a large organisation in Australia. All told we did about 300-400 tonnes of work a year, delivering to ~170 locations. worldwide. I like to think we were a pretty well-oiled machine, rarely missed a deadline. One afternoon I got a call from a client, wanting to get
    via u/dzudz
  • 11
    10,000 glossy booklets and pamphlets printed up for a trade expo. No problem - I took down her requirements and asked a few questions to clarify the details so I could come up with a good quote and time estimate. I asked her when she needed them: "Tomorrow". Huh. OK. We've done emergency stuff before, not
    via u/dzudz
  • 12
    enough time to print them up, but we had some similar stock that might meet her needs, just a matter of getting the delivery contractor to dispatch ASAP (most of our business was on east coast Australia so it's just an overnight truck drive). It'd cost, but we could probably pull it off. I asked where she needed them: "London".
    via u/dzudz
  • 13
    Geographically speaking, this is about as far away from our warehouse as you could get while still being on Earth. And getting a few tonnes of printed material there in less than 24 hours is nigh on impossible. I explained this, and that had she given us more than a few hours notice this would have been achievable, but sorry we just couldn't do it.
    via u/dzudz
  • 14
    Of course she rants and raves about what terrible service we offer, then slams down the phone. I later found out the expo had been in planning for more than a year, and as the event coordinator she hadn't bothered to organise the printed material until the day before.
    via u/dzudz
  • 15
    Bindlestiff At holidays I loved parents who would try to shut up their poor exhausted crying kids by threatening them with ME. "If you don't be quiet that man over there will be really angry with you...' II
    via u/Bindlestiff
  • 16
    zebramoo1 I used to work at Victoria's Secret in Boston and the tourists came by the bus/boat load. One affluent looking lady was looking at the lip gloss, picked up an unopened one, used it, and put it back. I was feeling particularly annoyed that day (girls from middle school field trips kept coming in because it's
    via u/zebramoo1
  • 17
    "cool" to have a VS shopping bag), so I asked. the lady to hand it to me. I then pointed out the tester that was right next to the one she opened. She didn't like my attitude and asked for the manager, and was sad to find out that I was the manager. She then asked for the contact information for my boss, and I said
    via u/zebramoo1
  • 18
    "certainly!" and started to write it down. She barked "could you possibly go any slower??" And I said "why yes I could!!" and proceeded to write everything out at the speed of a snail. Man that felt good.
    via u/zebramoo1
  • 19
    alexmcelroy Oh man. I used to work in a music store. We had all kinds of crazy stories, but I guess I should pick one. So in addition to selling instruments and sheet music, we also had lessons. We had a lady call in asking about drum lessons for her son, and so I started telling her about how much it would cost per month and
    via u/alexmcelroy
  • 20
    when would be a good time for her because I wanted to lock in her spot before it filled up. She replies with "oh, I just wanted to do one session." I asked her to explain. Apparently, she wanted her nine year old son to march and play snare in the 4th of July parade. He had no prior musical experience and just wanted one lesson to learn "the basics" for a snare
    via u/alexmcelroy
  • 21
    solo. I started to try to explain musicianship to her, that it's something you have to practice, that there's no way the kid was going to be ready for it in a week, and that drums are fairly challenging and are not as easy as they look.
    via u/alexmcelroy
  • 22
    She started to argue with me, saying that if we had any good teachers they would be able to do it. So I hung up.
    via u/alexmcelroy
  • 23
    pgpgpg I worked at a Radio Shack a in the '80s. I guy used to come in every year, in the spring and buy the biggest, best stereo that we had. (and that is when they actually had good products) He always paid cash. A week later he would come back in and return it all. (renting for his annual spring party) The store never had that much cash on hand so the
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 24
    Corporate office would send him a check. I would make good commission on the sale and the next paycheck get whacked for his 'rental'. The manager said (after the second year) not to ever sell to him again. The third year he came in, i recognized him immediately. I didn't let on and upsold him everything... 4 main
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 25
    speakers instead of two, a 'slave' amplifier to drive satellite speakers... extra wires, etc... he agreed with everything I suggested. Got the sale up to $3300. I was putting all the 'accessories' stuff in bags and his friends were there to carry all the boxes... I take the receipt, hold it up for him to see and shove it in the bag... saying loudly "The receipt is in the bag".
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 26
    With my hand in the bag, i crumble the receipt into a little ball and palm it out of the bag. Drop the on the floor behind the counter; and he leaves. (I go tell the manager and give him the crumpled receipt)
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 27
    A week later he and his entourage come in to return. I pleasantly say "Ok no problem, can i have your receipt?" He doesn't have one... I tell him i cannot return without a receipt. he asks for the manager who backs me up. No receipt, no return. The dude tried to go to a different store but, with no receipt got no return.
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 28
    tl;dt: Guy 'rents' expensive stereo... sales guy steals receipt, blocking return
    via u/pgpgpg
  • 29
    dsnyder90 I used to wait tables at a semi-fine dining establishment. This lady asked if I could split up a bill after I had already rung it up, and I said I could divide it evenly, but I wasn't going to divy it all up exactly. If she had told me earlier, I would have taken care to keep the tabs separate.
    via u/dsnyder90
  • 30
    She stood up and started yelling at me, saying that "I know you're not THAT busy", etc. The others at the table were horrified, and one man said he would just take care of the bill, but the lady said "NO! I WANT HIM TO SPLIT IT!" So I go get my boss (who doesn't give a ) and she gives the a calculator and tells her to do it herself if she wants it split up that
    via u/dsnyder90
  • 31
    bad or go on down the road. The lady fumes about how many connections she has, that she owns several restaurants herself and would never treat customers this way.
    via u/dsnyder90
  • 32
    She then sits up at the bar with a pad of paper and calculator for FIFTEEN minutes trying to figure out what everyone had and recalculate tax, etc. We later found out the 'restaurant' she owns was a local ice cream parlor...
    via u/dsnyder90
  • 33
    mikelevins Probably my favorite comes from thirty years ago when I was working at a Waldenbooks in Tyson's Corner, Virginia. That store grew increasingly crazy as it got closer to Thanksgiving, with Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving) looking like something out of a Zucker Brothers movie.
    via u/mikelevins
  • 34
    A nice older lady in expensive clothes approached the counter from the midst of the milling crowd, and said to me, "I'm looking for a book I saw here the other day. I don't remember the title...or the author's name...and I'm not sure what it was about...but it was green."
    via u/mikelevins
  • 35
    I didn't say, "let's have a look in the green section," but I always wanted to.
    via u/mikelevins
  • 36
    [….. I worked in a fancy cafe in the west village in New York for a while, and there were many ridiculous run-ins with customers, but one stands out for me. I guess we had an elderly lady who lived above our cafe, I'm not sure what happened but one morning I'm working the cappuccino
    via u/[deleted]
  • 37
    machine and water starts to trickle down from the ceiling, steadily turning into an absolute deluge coming down from the ceiling tiles: gray water all over the pastries, coffee machines, cash register, everything. And me running around just trying to cover everything with trash bags. anway, most of the customers ran out of the place (understandably), but
    via u/[deleted]
  • 38
    there was one table in the back that could see all this happen but remained relatively dry, and ten minutes after this happened, the waitress comes up to me and tells me this french lady would like her croissant now. I just looked at her incredulously, and told her to tell the customer that everything had been soaked by this water of questionable origin.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 39
    the waitress went, told her and came back to tell me she didn't care, she had ordered a croissant and wanted one. Now, these waitresses were all israeli, beautiful and did not give a about anyone, so now the waitress is looking at me like I'm the for refusing to give her one, saying "cmon, just give me a croissant... she's giving me a hard time". I just had to
    via u/[deleted]
  • 40
    refuse. I had no idea where that water came from. I mean, a sewage pipe could have split open above my counter and this lady didn't care. she left in a huff.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 41
    thebiggestdwarf i used to work at a hardware store. At this job, i worked for this elderly couple from Missourah and they made me count out all the money i was given by the customer, no matter how much there was. I only worked two days a week because i'm a student, but EVERY DAY, there would be this guy who would come in and buy
    via u/thebiggestdwarf
  • 42
    around two to three dollars worth of candy and pay almost ENTIRELY IN PENNIES. so i had to count out two to three dollars worth of pennies, and i have trouble keeping track of what i count, while a big line builds up behind him. The guy himself wasnt mean or anything, he was just kinda clueless.
    via u/thebiggestdwarf
  • 43
    WithPanda This one is not mine, but it is too good not to share. My roommate of three years comes in after a long day eager to tell me this, we still joke about it when we see any similar promotion. He works at JoS. A. Bank where they sell overly priced suits and shirts. High class stuff. An Indian guy walks in and proceeds to look over
    via u/WithPanda
  • 44
    the merchandise. He walks up to my friend and asks "Do you have any promotions this week?" Friend: "We have a buy one suit, get one free promotion." Indian Man: "I would like to see the free suit first." Friend: "You have to select two suits to purchase and the one with the lower cost will be discounted at the register."
    via u/WithPanda
  • 45
    Indian Man: "No sorry, I would like to see the free suit first." This went on a few times before the customer stormed off after not seeing his free suit beforehand.
    via u/WithPanda
  • 46
    TheSighGuy I work in an airport parking booth. A few days before Christmas, a man came up to my booth. His car battery had died. We have a portable battery charger, so I offered it to him. However, I can't let anyone have the charger unless they give me their driver's license as collateral. He said he left it in his car and got very pissy
    via u/TheSighGuy
  • 47
    at me for having to walk back and fetch it. He left in a pretty big fit of anger. When he pulled up in his car, he apologized to me and said he was out of line and that i was just doing my job. He gave me a 5 dollar tip (any tip is extremely rare for me) and wished me a merry christmas. It made my day.
    via u/TheSighGuy
  • 48
    Operlvy At Fry's I was looking for those little power cables that connect the video card to your power supply. I went up to one of the salesmen standing in the computer section. I asked him if they carried those types of cables. He looked at me and said: You know what i really like are those liquid cooled systems! I just stared at him
    via u/Operlvy
  • 49
    in confusion and walked away. It's like if they are asked a question beyond their knowledge they are programmed to respond with random sales points which should impress clueless customers
    via u/Operlvy
  • 50
    gurlubi Here's a stupid customer story. In Québec, we had this hardware store that advertised with a slogan like "If it existed, we'd have it". So all their commercials showed silly products, and only at the end did you understand it was just a joke, with their slogan... IF it existed, we would have it.
    via u/gurlubi
  • 51
    Some people didn't get it. My friend had many customers asking her for the vacuum cleaner that simultaneously does pop corn!
    via u/gurlubi

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