Drive-thru manager forces employees to put order stickers on customers' cars, one customer throws tantrum on employee's behalf: 'My thoughts exactly, Susan'

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 1, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Anyone who has worked in a customer-facing role has had to learn how to navigate working with a difficult personality. According to this drive-thru employee, Susan was no exception. She was the kind of entitled customer who liked to throw tantrums if someone got her order wrong or even made the slightest, negligible error. However, this employee managed to be one of the chosen few to get in her good graces. 

This made for an easier experience for everyone on staff whenever she came by to order, but it also paid off for the employee down the road when he was struggling to stand up to the new general manager of the location. This newbie, Jack, had a habit of enforcing pointless policies just so that he could flex his muscles and reinforce his authority. For instance, he once pulled the whole staff aside during a shift to inform them that they weren't smiling enough. You know, that kind of guy. But what happens when these kinds of managers have to deal with those kinds of entitled customers? 

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    Cheezburger Image 10512225280
    via Unsplash+ (Getty Images)

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

  • One of the pointless policies Jack enforced involved placing stickers marking customers' orders on the mirrors of their cars. Susan did not like this because she was afraid it would obscure her view while driving in the parking lot. This left the drive-thru employee in a difficult situation: Does he listen to his annoying manager or his uptight customer?

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    To understand what happened, you first need to understand two people: Susan and Jack. See, I used to work part-time at a burger joint that has a drive- through, and I was often the one
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    at the window. Susan was a regular customer, and everyone there had an opinion about her. She's very particular, and has a tendency to snap at you if you don't do it right the first time
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    without being asked. I was her favorite employee, though, because I would always take the time to chat with her if we weren't busy. She was actually quite pleasant once you got to know her, just a bit prickly.
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    Now, for Jack. He was the new GM, brought in to "fix the restaurant". Now, I don't think there was anything that needed fixing, but the owner disagreed.
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    He was originally meant to be the assistant GM, but then the owner fired our old GM, and Jack was put in charge. He was a piece of work, the kind of manager you don't want to have. My favorite
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    Jack Moment was when he pulled all the staff on shift into the back while we were still open to lecture us on not smiling enough. You know the type of manager.
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    On to the story. Now, one thing we had to do in the drive-through is put a numbered sticker on the car's side mirror. This sticker was used by the runners who took food out to identify the car, so it's very important. Susan, however,
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    didn't like having the sticker on her mirror. She was convinced she would get in an accident if the mirror was covered even a little, and always insisted on having it put on the car door
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    instead. This wasn't out of the ordinary, we put stickers on doors all the time when we couldn't reach the mirror. However, Jack decided he wasn't having it, and
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    ROB'S NET DINER SINCE 1957 MESA, AZ ROUTE 66 ing in your car since 1921
    via Terry Jaskiw

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

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    made a new rule that we could only put stickers on mirrors. I figured, okay, but if the customer asks for it, it should still be fine, right?
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    Wrong. I got chewed out for putting the sticker on Susan's car door. I tried to explain to Jack why I did it, but he wouldn't listen.
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    Eventually, he just huffed at me and said, "Look. You need to put the stickers on the mirror, not the door. No exceptions."
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    Well, fine then. Cue malicious compliance. The next time Susan came in, I put the sticker on her mirror, as ordered. She was confused, as I always put it on her door without being asked, and snapped, "What are you doing? Don't put it there,
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    I'll get into an accident." I explained to her the new rule, and that my hands were tied. I didn't want to get in trouble, after all. Then, I told her that it was Jack's rule.
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    I didn't get to witness the next part directly, unfortunately. However, I heard about it second-hand from my coworkers.
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    Apparently, when one of the runners brought her food out, she stopped them and asked them to grab Jack. She then proceeded to give Jack the a -chewing of a lifetime about his dumb rule. One
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    particular quote that was relayed to me was "What point is there to force them to put it there? They can see it just fine on the door!" My thoughts exactly, Susan.
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    Anyway, the rule was later amended that customers could request for the sticker to be placed on their door.
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    ThinkbigShrinktofit • 6h ago Always nice when the customer supports the MC, even if unintentionally.
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    swampfish 6h ago I wouldn't go to a restaurant that put stickers on my car. Why not use a paper flyer under the wiper or a hang tag or something.
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    EvIDave 6h ago I don't like Jack. I think most of us have had a Jack for a boss at one point or another
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toxic-manager manager malicious compliance drive thru employees entitled people karma Horrible Bosses bad bosses fast food workplace malicious compliance entitled people
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