'You thought you’d get $3k worth of stuff for like $200?': 11+ Dimwitted Customers That Left Customer Service Employees Internally Screaming

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST

Retail is an industry that weeds the wit out of the dunces. If you've ever wanted to feel intellectually superior to any incoming customer, perhaps a cashier's job in retail is for you! However, be mindful that retail is a place where common sense goes to perish, but it's also a place of dwindling patience, 30-day refund rebuttals, and feral Karens. 

Back when I worked in retail, I worked as a salesperson, cashier, and stock girl–you know, general low-level employee stuff. We made commission on sales, but oftentimes, I found myself struggling to sell middle-class college kids a $3,000 suit for their cousin's wedding, and it didn't sit right to take advantage of customers in their most vulnerable state. So, instead, I fielded Karens at the customer service desk and avoided the sales floor; I noticed that the most insane customers flocked right to the cash register. Eyes red with rage and often shaking 2-year-old receipts in their hand for a well-worn return, I realized there were far worse fates in the retail world than leveraging your commission on unwitting customers.

You could instead be stuck shackled to the register…

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  • Cheezburger Image 10454348032
    via Monkey Business Images

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Perhaps there are a few customers who come into a shop with a kind heart and sensible mind, but it seems like most people who waltz into a store are beelining to wreak havoc. Injecting some thrill into their boring lives, these witless, unreasonable, and sometimes cruel customers come into a store with nonsensical goals in mind, hoping to speak to a manager to feel a tickle of rebellion in their stomachs. Unfortunately for most retail employees, this leaves the workforce internally screaming as they try to remain calm and collected in the face of foolishness. 

    At least it makes for some funny stories at happy hour, right?

  • "But I paid $200?"

    "I would like to buy two smart watches, please, with financing." "Your total with tax and down payment comes to $200." "Here you go." "Thanks. Come again!"
    via Saberune
  • (Five minutes later) "my daughter doesn't like the color of her watch. Can I return it?" "Sure. Returning one and keeping one?" "Yes, please." "Alright. Here's your $100 refund." "But I paid $200."
    via Saberune
  • "That was for two watches. You only returned one." "But I paid $200." "Yes, you did, $100 for each watch. You kept one of them. Your refund reflects that." "But I paid $200."
    via Saberune
  • "Did you buy two watches?" "Yes, for $200." "Did you return two watches?" "No, but I paid $200." "For two, $100 each. You're keeping one. You still have to pay for it." "But I paid $200?"
    via Saberune
  • "(Internal screams) how much did you pay for this watch?" "$100." "How much did you pay for this watch?" "$100." "How many did you return?" "One"
    via Saberune
  • "Understand now? You returned half the watches, so you get half your money back. Make sense?" ..... But I paid $200."
    via Saberune
  • Cheezburger Image 10454347776
    via SimpleFoto

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Phenomenal Kat These are the same type of people who think that a 1/3 pound burger is smaller than a 1/4 pound burger.
    via Phenomenal_Kat
  • exzyle2k I've always told people I could write a book about the sh I've seen in retail and customer service over the past 25 years, but people wouldn't believe me.
    via exzyle2k
  • When I worked for U-Haul I had a guy pull into our lot (individual lot, not part of a plaza), drive underneath a giant U-Haul sign, drive past dozens of white U-Haul trucks and vans, park next to a storage building that had giant letters spelling out U-Haul, enter the
    via exzyle2k
  • showroom and walk up to the counter, passing hundreds of boxes labeled U-Haul, and address me at the counter (wearing a U-Haul general manager shirt) and ask about his reservation. Couldn't find it in the system, and after 10 minutes of back and forth
    via exzyle2k
  • where he insulted my intelligence and called me everything except the son of god, he pulls out his phone to show me his reservation confirmation.….…………........ For a car at Enterprise.
    via exzyle2k
  • Admirable-Trouble789 It amazes me how the vast majority of people managed to make it to biological adulthood. I could write a book chronicling the dumbass encounters I've had with these vacant minded dipshits during my time.
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • Admirable-Trouble789 This is my #1 for people's dumbfuckery. Worked at a high end hotel for several years. Mother's day. Table for 22 booked for 1.30pm. No worries. They start drifting in at around 12 noon. Fine, the table was theirs all afternoon anyway (obviously such a large booking can't be overturned).
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • It's relevant to mention at this point that the hotel consisted of the restaurant as well as a lounge and bar area which you cannot book for. The lady in charge of the booking was a regular and knew this. Here's where it gets ridiculous. So because they'd started coming in so early, we said no problem
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • your table is ready, get yourselves comfortable and we'll be right over. Boss lady customer.. (BTW this woman is in her 70s with a proper regal vibe about her. Clearly got a healthy bank balance) "Well we wanted to sit and have drinks HERE (hand waving around the lounge and bar area) first, that's why we're early!"
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • Errrr.. there's clearly not enough room for them to all sit together in that area, the largest table accommodates 6 people. The rest are 2s and 4s. So we pointed out that her table that she booked, was ready.
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • Her response? "Well this is just an absolute shambles". I stg dear reader, if I had been the manager at that time I would have told that stuck up old bat to f all the way off. I honestly can't fathom people's lack of thought or awareness sometimes.
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • You booked a table for a large party. Your table is ready. But you're having a tanty because you wanted to take over the entire lounge as well hm? off. Just
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • yellowjacket4seven Here's one for you from the automotive field. Phone call comes in: Lady: Hi, we were there 2 days ago and had around $1800 worth of work done to our vehicle, but last night, someone ran a stop sign and broadsided our car and it's going to be totaled
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • Me: I'm sorry to hear that, and I hope everyone is ok. Do you need recommendations on what vehicle to get next? Lady: Everyone is fine, but no, that's not why I'm calling. I wanted to ask for a refund for the work we had done. We paid all that money and now the car is totaled. It's not really fair.
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • Me: I understand you're upset about your car being totaled, but we still put those parts on your vehicle and have the hours into putting those parts on your vehicle. Unfortunately, in circumstances like these, there's not really much we can do.
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • Lady: That's basically like stealing money from us! Me: Ma'am, it is nothing like stealing money from you. We provided a service. An accident happened that we had nothing to do with. I can't afford to just give you $1800 and absorb the parts and labor on top of that.
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • You can try to show the repair bill to your insurance company, but I'm not sure that will do much good. It's worth a shot, though. Lady: OK, listen, I hope you enjoyed your job, because you'll be hearing from my lawyer.
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • Me: That is certainly your perogative. Looking forward to hearing from them. To this day (years later), I have still not heard from the lawyer off. Just
    via yellowjacket4seven
  • Admirable-Trouble789 It's fortunate for some people that our subconscious is responsible for the basics of keeping them alive. Breathing, heart beat etc.
    via Admirable-Trouble789
  • kawaeri And then you get to be amazed when you find out a small percentage of these people have really high level jobs. Like a surgeon or a ceo. Not all of them but some of them. It's like all those high level concepts just booted every common sense they had.
    via kawaeri
  • Girls4super I had a similar issue with a customer who was pred off he financed an amount, changed his order from one item to threee items that totaled the same initial price.
    via Girls4super
  • His second receipt from us said $0 balance. But he still owes the financer all the money. And he came in mad that he was getting billed. So we walked him through how a credit card works. "Sir you bought this for $3k. Right?" "But I returned it!!"
    via Girls4super
  • "But then you spent another $3k" "But it says I owe $0!" "To us. Because you paid us already using the money you borrowed from the financer. Now you owe them the money"
    via Girls4super
  • "You're ripping me off you're going to h!" "Ok, let's calm down and start over (3 more explanations ensued). Ok. Sir, how many payments have you made to your card?" "2"
    via Girls4super
  • "So you thought you'd get $3k worth of stuff for like $200?" "....youre not good people you're ripping off an old man you need to repent!"
    via Girls4super
  • Sydorax Squid My coworker had a woman try to use a fraudulent coupon, constantly stating that it has our name on it, so it must work. All our coupons are found in the website or the bottom of a receipt, not "free coupons.com" but you couldn't tell HER that. "But it says Your Store." Dear god, I was ready to scream and I wasn't even the one to argue with her!
    via Sydorax_Squid
  • Acrobatic Row 142 Ah! I worked at a very obvious women's boutique; the door has our name on it, along with the address. Guy walks in. Asks me how Michelle is doing. We're a very small store (8 employees who have all worked at the shop the entire time it's been open)
    via Acrobatic_Row_142
  • and there's never been a Michelle. I politely ask if he is looking for someone else, a Micaela (who does work here) perhaps? No. I don't know what else to say, so I list off names of the 7 other employees, and he's getting more upset. "No, I said MICHELLE! Are you stupid? She's only worked here for 5 years!" At
    via Acrobatic_Row_142
  • this point, I just shrug and he goes, "is this NOT 493 Prince St?!" And I tell him no, it's 495 Prince St, as stated on the door (which he slammed in a huff as he left). 493 is a dog groomer.
    via Acrobatic_Row_142
  • Eta Draconis reportedly a Yellowstone park ranger said that they can't completely bear proof the bins because the intelligence of the bears because the smartest bears overlaps with the most stupid humans.
    via Eta_Draconis

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customer service Criminally Dumb Criminal employee retail retail worker customers cashier tales from retail karens in the wild silly dumb reddit thread funny karen karen customer
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