'Influencer' with 14k followers begs for a 90% discount at a local small business: 'You’ll regret this. I’ll just tell my followers how out of touch you are, and they won’t shop here.'

Author image for Christiana Maimone
Christiana Maimone • Freelance Writer
Jun 19, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

We all like a good clothing deal, but there's a time and a place for bartering, especially at a local small business. There's a certain appreciation and care one should have entering a place where the items were handcrafted and made with love. But unfortunately, we live in a world where some people don't understand this in the slightest and will go to strange lengths to get what they want.

If you've ever worked in retail or the service, you've definitely had the pleasure of handling unhappy customers who throw the most ridiculous requests at you. It's as if they see you wearing a uniform and suddenly their respect and social cues go out the window. This brave shopkeeper in particular had to handle the worst of the worst – an Instagram micro-influencer. Apparently, having more than a thousand followers on Instagram can inflate a person's ego like a balloon, as this boutique employee saw.

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    Girl tried to get a discount at a small local boutique

    I work part-time at a small local boutique that sells handmade clothes and accessories from local artists. A lot of love and time go into every piece. Prices aren't cheap, but that's the point it's quality stuff, not fast fashion.
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    M
    via Daiga Ellaby (Unsplash+)

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

  • This employee was going about their day at work, when a young woman entered the shop and started filming. She seemed to really enjoy one of the handmade items in the store, but instead of paying full price, she felt entitled to a 90% discount for posting the jacket to her 14k Instagram followers.

    When met with resistance, this influencer did not give up – she was right back in the shop the next day. 

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    Last weekend, a girl walked in with her friend, filming her on their phone. She was loud, dressed to be noticed, and clearly treating this like a content shoot. She picked up a $130 handmade jacket and said, "This would look so good on my feed."
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    Cheezburger Image 10514331904
    via Jordan González (Unsplash+)

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

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    Then she came up to the counter, put it down, and said, "So I'm a micro-influencer with 14K followers, and I'd love to tag you guys in a post, if you can discount this for me or give me, like, 90% off." I literally laughed before I could stop myself. I said, "Sorry, we don't do influencer discounts. That jacket took someone two weeks to make."
    via scarletorchirdstrike
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    She scoffed and said, "Wow. Y'all don't care about marketing or what?" Then she stormed out, loudly telling her friend, "No wonder this place is de_d." We had five customers in the store at the time. As the girl stormed out,
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    the time. As the girl stormed out, I felt a mix of frustration and disappointment. Just then, she burst back in, her demeanor shifting from loud and demanding to arrogant. "I've got 14K followers, and you'll regret not giving me that discount," she said, flipping her hair.
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    I took a deep breath. "We don't offer influencer discounts. Each piece is crafted with care." She scoffed, "You think anyone cares about that? You need to get with the times!"
    via scarletorchicstrike
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    But before she left, I said, "If you truly appreciate what we do, maybe you can promote us honestly. I'll give you a small discount for a genuine post." She rolled her eyes but reluctantly agreed to the small discount. "Whatever. Just make it quick; I have content to create," she said, as if it was a favor to us.
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    The next day, she returned, this time with a larger group of friends in tow. "So, I was thinking," she began, "I need more pieces for my feed. Can you just give me a whole outfit for free? I'll tag you, and it'll blow up!"
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    I felt my patience wearing thin. "I can't do that. Each item is handmade and has its own value." She waved her hand dismissively. “You're really missing out on a great marketing opportunity. My followers are all about fashion!"
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    Cheezburger Image 10514331136
    via Markus Spiske

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

     


     

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    I took a deep breath. "We value our artisans' work too much to give away pieces for free. If you want to promote us, that's one thing, but we can't give everything away." Her expression hardened. "You'll regret this. I'll just tell my followers how out of touch you are, and they won't shop here."
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    I stood firm. "That's your choice, but we believe in supporting local artisans, not giving away their hard work." She huffed and stormed out, her friends following her, clearly embarrassed. As she
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    her, clearly embarrassed. As she passed, I could hear her loudly complaining about us, vowing to her followers to expose our 'lack of customer service.'
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    her, clearly embarrassed. As she passed, I could hear her loudly complaining about us, vowing to her followers to expose our 'lack of customer service.'
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    Later that week, we received a flurry of comments on social media, some agreeing with her and others defending us. It became clear that her entitlement could backfire. Our loyal
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    could backfire. Our loyal customers rallied, sharing their own experiences and emphasizing the importance of supporting local businesses.
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    In the end, her negativity only strengthened our community. We continued to thrive, while she faded into the background, a reminder that true value comes from respect and appreciation, not entitlement.
    via scarletorchidstrike
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    greenlungs604 • You should implement a 10% surcharge for 'influencers"
    via greenlungs604

    Luckily, the commentors are on the shopkeeper's side.

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    MajorAlBowie ⚫ Just goes to show that there's no such thing as bad publicity.
    via MajorAlBowie
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    Emotional-Ebb8321 ⚫ I used to run a small independent hotel. We'd occasionality get people wanting influencer discounts. Our standard influencer terms were: You pay full list price. We give you a discount code for your followers worth a 5% discount, valid for one year. The influencer get 5% of the list price of the rooms booked using that discount code, paid in four quarterly instalments. (in other words, we end up receiving 90%
    via Emotional-Ebb8321
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    instalments. (in other words, we end up receiving 90% of the list price; 5% of the list price is kept by the guest, and 5% of the list price goes to the social influencer). The influencer would effectively get their stay for free if just 20 of their followers booked using that code. Not once did any influencer ever take us up on this offer. Which demonstrates just how little confidence they have in their own product.
    via Emotional-Ebb8321

    One commenter even shared their own experience trying to offer these influencers a deal at their business but had no luck. There seems to be a trend with these so-called trendsetters. 

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    ruthlesssunraylash⚫ What's even funnier is that her 'callout' probably helped your business. Internet justice at its finest. Can't stand people who treat small businesses like they're just props for their social media. Respect the craft or shop somewhere else.
    via ruthlesssunraylash

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talesfromretail wtf small business FAIL shopping retail worker influencer entitled customers entitled influencers Reddit entitled people
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