‘Let me stop you right there…’: Employees share the most ludicrous situations entitled customers have caused during closing time

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Oct 1, 2024 9:00 AM EDT

There are many moments in humanity while living in a society that makes you question our existence. Some questions are spiritual and existential, while others make you want to bang your head on a wall. For example, when you work in the service industry and the place is obviously closed, with a big sign that says "CLOSED" and you still have customers trying to get inside. Like, in what world do you think that "closed" means something else to you and only you? Those are some top-tier Karens, male and female. You can't just walk into an obviously closed place and act like you own the place and not be a Karen. The entitlement just oozes off of you like stank from a dumpster. Many employees have stories of this exact thing happening that really makes it seem like there are WAY too many Karens like this out there. See some of the most ludicrous ones below! 

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  • 01
    SORRY WE ARE CLOSED Manager: "We got a complaint that you called a customer stupid." Employee: "No, I said, 'Are you stupid?' I was asking them."
    via Unspalsh+ (and Getty Images)

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I know you're closed, but... Let me stop you right there. You just answered your own question. You and your instacart "client" aren't special, now off. I just had three people come to my counter 10 minutes after we closed with their bs. My favorite was, "I see there's no spoons or tongs on the salad bar; does that mean it's closed?" Like else would it mean?
    via Wrong-Marsupial-9767
  • 03
    Alpaca_is_Mad Working in a coffee kiosk in a grocery store I had two ladies come up after close while I am counting till and look up at the menu board saying "it's hard to read with the lights off; are you closed?" That's what the lights being off would normally convey, yes.
    via Alpaca_is_Mad
  • 04
    Loki_the_Corgi I got fired for saying "what was your first clue" in response to this exact same scenario. Wrong-Marsupial-9767 That reminds me of the old joke: Manager: "We got a complaint that you called a customer stupid." Worker: "No, I said, 'Are you stupid?' | was asking them."
    via Loki_the_Corgi
  • 05
    beerandluckycharms I love when all the lights are off, doors are locked, closed sign is visible, and people are still violently shaking the doors and banging on them to get in. They will yell that it's an emergency- I work at a gift shop... There's no way it's an emergency Apprehensive Meat69 But I really need to buy my aunt a shot-glass with a picture of the city on it!!!
    via beerandluckycharms
  • 06
    Hot Carpenter4844 We had a fire in the store and had to close, obviously. I was telling customers to get out of the store because it was on fire, and these people were asking me "well, can I just pick up my photos/prescription real quick?" | told them no. Once we got everyone out, we had firefighters in full suits walking in, etc. Employees standing outside. Customers come up to the door, try to get in, "Are you open?" "No, there is a fire in the store." "Well, I just need to get one thing." "Th
    via Hot_Carpenter4844
  • 07
    Character_Budget7349 I had a customer literally push the we're close sign out of his way to ask us if we were close.
    via Character_Budget7349
  • 08
    DottieHinkle22 My mom worked at a car dealership before she retired. There was a literal flood going on from a creek by the dealership. To the point, the police had put out road blocks and were having Evergy cut off electricity to the area. All the employees were ordered to GTFO. Some stupid 1 ( I am sorry there is nothing nicer I can use here) went under the roadblocks on FOOT with her young children in tow and asked if they were open. To look at cars...
    via DottieHinkle22
  • 09
    Old-Beach-3651 A coworker and I we're leaving our store, physically opening the automatic doors that we had just shut off and this doordasher tries walking in. My coworker left me to deal with it, (yipee) which consisted of me telling them that we were closed and that they'll just have to cancel the doordash order. They legit acted as if they were gonna walk right by me like Hellllll no, Imao! ?!
    via Old-Beach-3651
  • 10
    AlmightyJello I worked at Walmart during covid. All the auto centers were closed because they'd turned them into makeshift testing centers for employees. We'd have to fill out a litter questionnaire and get our temp taken before we were allowed to clock in. The amount of people walking through the CLOSED autocare section and demanding entry, even though we put up dozens of signs saying it was an employee entrance only, was astounding.
    via AlmightJello
  • 11
    At one point they made a little standing sign (just taped one of the notices that the area was CLOSED onto a garbage can) and put it in front of the door. The way they placed it, you couldn't just walk past it. You had to stop and move. around it. Morons would STILL walk through and demand auto service. One had the audacity to say "why didn't you put up a notice???" I DID. I WATCHED YOU WALK IN, STOP, STARE AT THE NOTICE FOR 15 SECONDS, THEN WALK AROUND IT ANYWAY.
    via AlmightJello
  • 12
    Ok-Ad8998 I work at a winery. People will call and say "I know you close at 6, but we're on our way and should be there about ten after." and (I guess) are waiting for me to say okay. Well no, I worked my day and I want to go home to dinner. I usually say "I'm sorry we missed you." Hallelujah33 "I'm sorry you missed us" Wrong-Marsupial-9767 Gods bless you! When I was a reporter, part of my beat was reviewing wineries - those are a special breed of deranged entitled customer.
    via Ok-Ad8998
  • 13
    Hiffybiffy The absolute worst people are the ones that come shopping on Thanksgiving.. we were opened from 9-6... (big bosses thought that was generous to work until 6 but I digress) so this couple comes in basically stating how stuffed they were about 20 before 6 pm... made the loud speaker announcement that we will be closing in 10 minutes.. they mosey up to the registers and state how "mam it stinks that your company made you work on thanksgiving" my head to the side and stated.. we open at 9
    via Hiffybiffy
  • 14
    Nothanks_92 I had a guy call me two weeks ago and say “I have a safe that I ordered. I know you close at 9, but I won't get there until like 9:02. Can you stay open and load my safe?" I said, sorry, but that would require me to keep the lights on, move a bunch of things around, and it'll take time to actually load the safe. I'm supposed to be out of the building by 9:30 and it would take that long to take care of him. He was shocked that I wouldn't make an exception for him.
    via Nothanks_92
  • 15
    Xickysticky Power went out in my shop, well, actually the entire shopping centre went out. Trying to tell the girls in the change room, in pitch black with just the emergency exit glowing, to get the out they have to evacuate and they legally can't be in the centre anymore. They start throwing their clothes at me, one of them is still trying on their clothes, my older coworker came in and yelled at them to get the I out or she'll grab security, because we also have to evacuate for safety. Custom
    via Xickysticky
  • 16
    Stucumber A friend of mine was an assistant manager at a large supermarket one Christmas Eve. He was on the doors letting shoppers out TWO HOURS after they were supposed to have closed. People were still trying to get in as he was letting others out. "But I need a turkey!" "I'm sorry we're closed." "Where's your Christmas spirit?!" "At home with my family, where I should have been two hours ago." He didn't stay in the job much longer
    via Stucumber
  • 17
    Carolus Rex13x I remember during the pandemic our store hours changed to close an hour earlier. We hadn't changed the vinyl sticker on the door yet to reflect it, but had put a temporary laminated sign on the door right above it. One of those nights i was closing someone came up, pulled on the door, and angrily pointed down at the old time, so i just pointed up at the face level updated hours sign and all i got was a sneer.
    via CarolusRex13x
  • 18
    T3chnological A few years ago our fire alarm went off. Our store has two kinds, intermittent and continuous. First it goes to intermittent to warn colleagues to prepare to evacuate. Genuinely had colleagues asking me "what's the sound for?" "Errrrr fire alarm and prepare to run I mean evacuate if continuous goes off" I replied A customer overheard and asks me "what's that sound for?"
    via T3chnological
  • 19
    Really? I just told a colleague and your asking me the same question. So I told the customer the same thing in an exasperated tone. 10 minutes pass of intermittent and I'm going about my job all the while customers and colleagues running around panicking, asking me why I wasn't doing anything about the sound and what is it and why wasn't I panicking. Eventually continuous goes off, "right down tools we gotta evacuate the store and stand at the store's designated emergency location with managers
    via T3chnological
  • 20
    Go_Skully I work at a tool rental and people always come right at closing time to get one of the heavy duty equipment that normally takes 30-40 minutes to set up a contract for. When I tell them that we're not renting equipment now since we're closing and those tools take over 30 minutes to rent, they'll then get mad and always say "well what am I suppose to do I need it". My response every time is plan your time better and rent at a reasonable time
    via Go_Skully
  • 21
    Equivalent-Ant-9895 I work the closing shift at a discount store that closes at 9:00, and then we stay for at least an hour past that to clean up and get stuff done. The number of people who tug on one locked door, walk to the other locked door and tug on that one, then bang on the door and shout until I walk up, just for them to ask "Are you all closed?" Because that's how a store stays in business, right? By keeping the doors locked and not letting customers in except on demand?
    via Equivalent-Ant-9895

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