Entitled shopper confuses customer for employee, demands their employee discount: 'You’re wearing red and khakis. Don’t lie to me!'

Author image for Ben Weiss
Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Jun 3, 2025 8:00 AM EDT

It's remarkable what can happen when you accidentally wear the wrong outfit. We see this all the time when people somehow make the silly decision to wear white at weddings, or a bunny outfit to a non-costume party (Elle Woods, you will forever be famous for taking that in stride). But in real life, sometimes you can attract the wrong types of people by accidentally making yourself look like someone else. In this instance, we're talking about a customer who made the unfortunate error of wearing red and khakis at a Target. He would come to regret his decision pretty soon thereafter.

Working in retail often means having to deal with entitled customers, but when you're just another customer trying to buy some quick essentials for your apartment, the last thing you want is for someone to bombard you with questions because they think you're an employee. For this author, he had to deal with a difficult lady all the way until checkout.

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  • 01
    IPALA
    via Unsplash+ (Andrej Lišakov)

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

  • One funny moment in this story is the remark the actual employee made to the author about how this happens more often than anyone would think. The thing about customers like this woman is that they cannot admit that they are wrong, so they have to double down on their frustration until they leave the store rather than acknowledge that they made an innocent error.

  • 02
    So, I was at Target last weekend, wearing a red hoodie and khakis (yes, I know, rookie mistake). I was just browsing the electronics section when a woman marched up and said, "Finally. Do you people not know how to greet customers anymore?"
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 03
    I looked up, confused, and said, "Oh, sorry-I don't work here." She narrowed her eyes. "You're wearing red and khakis. Don't lie to me. I need help finding a charging cable for my son's iPad."
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 04
    Again, I politely told her I was not an employee, just shopping. She went off. "You young people have no work ethic. If you're too lazy to help customers, you shouldn't work retail!"
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 05
    I laughed a little and walked away, thinking it was over. Ten minutes later, I was in line to check out, and this woman appeared behind me... with a cart full of stuff.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 06
    She tapped me on the shoulder and said, "If you're not going to help me, the least you can do is use your employee discount."
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 07
    I blinked and replied, "Ma'am, I don't work here. I'm literally buying toilet paper and Cheetos." She rolled her eyes and muttered, "So selfish."
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 08
    The cashier heard the whole thing and just shook his head. "You wouldn't believe how often this happens," he said.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 09
    I walked out with my snacks and zero discount. Meanwhile, she was still arguing with the cashier about "what kind of training they do here."
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 10
    Retail workers, you have my full respect. I wore the wrong outfit for one hour and nearly lost my mind.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    // TROTRO TRO TTRO TIROL TIROL T TTO TIRO T SUCILHOS SUCILHOS SUCRILHOS SNOW SNOW SHOW SUCHLHOS SUCHEMOS JOHOS SUCHOS SUCKING CRUNCH CRUNCH Elege ZERO Elege Premi ZERO Premi HOS SUCREMOS SUCRES SENS
    via Nathália Rosa

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

  • 12
    No-Improvement... . 15h ago Target needs a 'Not An Employee' vest for folks who want to shop in peace and still wear red.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 13
    . Legal-Lingonberr... 15h ago Next - wear a blue shirt and khaki to Best Buy and report back. LOL
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    davidazus 15h ago • Keep wearing that, and have fun. "OMG, you are so full of sh, that's it, I QUIT!"
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    SatisfactionMent... • 15h ago "You young people have no work ethic. If you're too lazy to help customers, you shouldn't work retail!"
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 16
    Reply "You old people don't know how to listen so I'm going to say this slow. I. Do. Not. Work. At. Target. "
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    Desperate_Magic... 15h ago How did you spend an entire hour in that store and only leave with two items? Teach me
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    OneWildDr 14h ago The weirdest time this ever happened to me had to be back around 2010ish... I was in a Walgreens on my day off to pick up a prescription.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 19
    I hadn't been feeling that great (that feeling when you aren't sick yet, but you know you are fighting off a cold), so I was looking at vitamins and going to pick up something in case I actually got sick.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
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    Out of nowhere this lady comes up to me asking where something is in the store. I didn't have my headphones on and I generally try to be polite, so
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 21
    I tried to help her out saying that I thought they were three isles down but that I wasn't sure. Now, keep in mind, I am wearing an untucked button up shirt over an undershirt, khakis, leather flip flops, and a black wool coat at the time.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 22
    She starts blowing up at me about not knowing my job and how I should know the location of products in the store, etc... I set down what I am looking at, turn to fully face her, give her that "Are you a idiot?" look,
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 23
    look down at my outfit and then back up at her, and I loudly say, "Do I look like I work here? I was trying to be nice and help you. I am not getting paid to put up with your a here shopping." I am
    via ruthlesspearlclaw
  • 24
    She went from sputtering mad to mortified and booking it in embarrassment immediately at least, though.
    via ruthlesspearlclaw

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Tags

customer service idontworkherelady work stories retail retail worker work customers entitled people karma entitled people
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