'My manager told me to quit so I did': 23-year-old server told by Karen and Kevin owners she's not needed, so she quits and business plummets

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Dec 18, 2024 8:00 AM EST

It's one thing to have to work for a Karen manager, but it's quite another to have your bosses be a Karen and Kevin couple. In fact, it doesn't get much worse than that because you know your bosses are exchanging thoughts about you at all times, whether it's in the workplace or when they're at home after hours. 

Here, we have a young server who was looking for restaurant experience to make ends meet while she was writing her novel. She landed a job as a server for a diner, which was owned by two difficult personalities who also happened to be married to each other. Not only did this job prove to be far more stressful than what the server was initially promised, but she was also overworked constantly. When it got to the point that her Karen and Kevin managers told her she wasn't needed, the server knew that her quitting would cause a massive problem for the restaurant even if her bosses were too proud to anticipate the fallout.

Keep scrolling below to see what happened when she finally did quit. For more stories like this, take a look at this post about an entitled mother-in-law and neighbor.

Advertisement
  • 01
    The DINER BREAKFAST SOUP SANDWICHES THE OVER
    via John Matychuk
  • 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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 03
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 04
    owners were greek cypriots and we could always hear greek music in the background. It was a lovely little place to visit... From the outside that is.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 05
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 06
    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 leaving to pursue their own paths.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 07
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 08
    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 she was acting nice to me and the rest of the staff. So, we didn't really see that side to her (Karen).
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 09
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 10
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 11
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 12
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 13
    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 you would get out of him was a hi and a bye.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 14
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 15
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 16
    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 looked where she was going. Guess what happens next. Yep, she calls my name. 'Why didn't you put the bowl on properly', It's all a mess because of you... blah... blah'. Just
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 17
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 18
    proceeded to storm past me to her car. I cleaned up the mess and Kevin said 'YOU SHOULD BE MORE cArEfUl About WhErE yOu PuT tHiNgS nExT tImE' So, I just looked right at him and said 'yep'.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 19
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 20
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 21
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 22
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 23
    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 'let me show you what more than 10 years of experiences gets you'. She
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 24
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 25
    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 and what isn't'. Eventually after 15 minutes of looking she came to me defeated and said just take her order. It was a funny little bit of irony.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 26
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 27
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 28
    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 long due to traffic. which meant I had to do everything during the dinner rush
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 29
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 30
    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 Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 31
    '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,
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 32
    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 'Cheese + Ham Omelette with red onions and extra cheese'.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 33
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 34
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 35
    stunned and Kevin looked like a bat out of I tried to hold my composure but I just laughed very loudly with tears. I served the guy and he gave me a £20 tip on a £5 meal. At the end of the shift Karen said 'I have never felt so disrespected in my life. We don't need you, why don't you just quit'.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 36
    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
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 37
    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 so she had to do all of the arduous work by herself.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 38
    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.
    via Fantastic-Sky4806
  • 39
    Thank you for taking your time to read this. I hope it was enjoyable. Fantastic-Sky
    via Fantastic-Sky4806

Want More? Follow Us and Add Us as a Preferred Source on Google.

Tags

workplace-stories toxic-workplace malicious compliance server restaurant server life reddit thread diner Reddit karen kevin toxic-work-environment
Scroll Down For The Next Article