'Ma'am, I told you so': 20+ Workers whose customers couldn't understand anything

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 6, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

You just can't help a customer who doesn't know what they want. I bet you think that sounds ridiculous. "Of course the customer knows what they want," you say. "Why would they come in the store if they weren't sure what they wanted to purchase?" Au contraire! Just because a person wanders into a store, it doesn't mean they won't have 100 very dim questions to ask. And we aren't talking about ordinary queries like "Where is the paint aisle?" or "Do you sell overalls here?" We're talking about people who call to order a pizza, then refuse to give out their address for delivery. Or perhaps the person who wanted to buy some food for her horse… at a perfume shop. No matter what the dumbest question is you think a customer could ask, the good folks of the retail world will be able to one-up you, as you can read all about below. 

Up next, read about the grocery manager who called a cashier "replaceable," and then acted surprised when that dude quit on the spot: "He was shocked and couldn't understand why." 

Advertisement
  • 01

    "What's your most bizarre interaction with a customer?"

    Tru-Qur I work at a pizza delivery business. Had a lady one day call in and order for delivery. Sure, what's the address? "I'm not going to tell you." I'm sorry? If you don't tell me the address, how are we supposed to deliver to you?
    via u/True-Q****
  • 02
    "I don't know what the address is!" Well, if you don't know where you're at, again, how are we supposed to deliver to you?
    via u/True-Q****
  • 03
    "So you won't take my order?" Not without an address. "Well! I guess I'll just order somewhere else, then!" I guess you will.
    via u/True-Q****
  • 04
    hotdoug1 I was a page at NBC Studios in Burbank in the early 2000's and part of our job was working the gift shop and ticket counter for the Tonight Show. Two guys come in and say "We're here for the Lakers game." I was like "Uh... I'm sorry, that game isn't here, it's over at the Staples Center." One of them just
    via u/hotdoug1
  • 05
    gives me a look and says "It's NBC, right?" I proceed to explain to him. that while NBC is airing the Lakers game, we don't sh ot it at the studio, and we take our cameras and crew and shot it at the Staples Center where the Lakers play.
    via u/hotdoug1
  • 06
    The one guy turns around and scribbles on a piece of paper and hands it to me. It says "2 Lakers Tickets for [Insert Random Name]" and he says like "What about this, huh?" Thankfully my supervisor jumped in and said "Oh, you'll have to come back
    via u/hotdoug1
  • 07
    Thursday morning, we'll see you then, okay?" and that seemed to placate them and they left. My supervisor tells me this happened quite often and when you tell them to come back, they rarely do.
    via u/hotdoug1
  • 08

    Thanks for sharing, pal

    db_shayne Once worked at a store and an old man bought a huge bag of carrots, and looked at me and said "these little guys make me real happy"
    via u/db_shayne
  • 09
    ursoparrudo At a coffee shop, we had a customer come in one day and tell us in a very awkward and stilted manner that he would like to become a regular, but that he wanted a wordless transaction. He would come every day at the same time and get the same drink, and he wanted us to ring him up and give him the drink without anyone speaking to him. It was
    via u/ursoparrudo
  • 10
    definitely weird, but we did it for him, passing the info along to the other staff as a kind of tribal knowledge, and he did come every weekday and buy his latte, without speaking to or looking at anyone. It worked very well until one day I was working with a new girl and I had stepped into the back
    via u/ursoparrudo
  • 11
    room to get something, and I suddenly heard him screaming out front. The new girl had said, "Hi, what can I get you?" and he responded by screaming in her face, "What the f is wrong with you? I told you ☐ people not to talk to me!" and storming out. We never saw him again.
    via u/ursoparrudo
  • 12
    ApathyAndDepres... Worked as a dog bather- and had this corgi named potato. He was friggin adorable. I don't know what I really expected but when the owner came to pick him up he was this big body
    via u/ApathyAndD*pression
  • 13
    builder covered in tattoos and he had this lime green leash and when potato saw him he got excited and this big Greek statue looking guy just yells 'potato! Stop that!' And I still think about it.
    via u/ApathyAndD*pression
  • 14
    explosively inert Told before but it is good. Woman calls pizza restaurant for delivery and requests shortened delivery time. Manager tells her we can't do that. Woman gives up and calls competing pizza place. Woman calls us back and tells us that the other place could do what she wanted. My manager, confused, expresses that he
    via u/explosively_inert
  • 15
    is happy for her. She calls back again and tells the manager that nobody better vandalize her house because she cancelled her order, and if her house gets wrecked she will know it was us. My boss, even more confused, assures her that no one cares enough about her cancelled order to seek retribution, and that lots of people cancel orders.
    via u/explosively_inert
  • 16
    Seemingly satisfied she hangs up and we think that it ends there. About an hour later, 2 police officers show up to talk to the manager. This woman pre-emptively called the cops on a pizza restaurant for a hypothetical crime that hasn't happened and wasn't going to happen.
    via u/explosively_inert
  • 17
    mimieieieieie I used to work in a luxury perfume shop while at uni, and I had more bizarre interactions than I can count. My favorite was an old lady. She came in, wearing a dirty house-coat and slippers, violently searching in the store. I asked her if I can help, but she said no, and went on with her search.
    via u/mimieieieieie
  • 18
    After a while, she came to me, and said: "Ok, I give up, and just ask. Do you have horsefood?" I told her politely, we didn't. And she started agressively yelling: "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT SO MUCH"
    via u/mimieieieieie
  • 19
    It took us at least 10 minutes to calm her down. She then filed a complaint, and left.
    via u/mimieieieieie
  • 20
    Cheezburger Image 10525015296
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 21

    This duo thought that they were so much smarter than the optician... live and learn

    PolecatEZ In my first years in the Army I also worked a part-time job as an optician in the local mall. One day a lady came in with her mother (about age 40 and 60) and they were quite hyper and giggling at each other. I asked if I could help them and they had a prescription for lenses. No problem.
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 22
    She then asks if she can use her existing frames, and I was like "Sure, we can just do lenses." She proceeds to hand me a pair of extremely cheap sunglasses she got from a dollar store. I told her that there was no way those glasses would stand up to having lenses changed out. She insisted that I "already said she could." I asked her if she was sure, because it was
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 23
    almost guaranteed they would be destroyed in the process. She still insisted. I pointed out the sign we had up saying we weren't responsible for damages (it was next to the register) and asked her one last time. She said yes again. Ok, I put them in the hotbox (a box of heated sand you use to loosen up plastic frames to get the lenses out) and they melted into
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 24
    goo pretty much instantly, as expected. She was over my shoulder watching with these wild eyes, and when I pulled them out after a few seconds she started screaming about how we destroyed her glasses and now we owe her free glasses. Her mom got in on the action at that point and started shouting also about how I did it on purpose.
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 25
    I handed them back to her and said something like "Ma'am, I told you so." They went into even more hysterics and by this time were attracting glances from passersby at the mall. I just walked into the back room to the lab guy and was like, dude, you deal with this, I'm done.
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 26
    I then watched as he masterfully over-charged her about $100 for a $20 frame (it was on the display rack for $100, but we had a pile of the same frames in the discount drawer for $20), giving her a "20% discount" in the process. I was there when she picked them up in about an hour, acting like she won the lottery at my expense because I was so incompetent.
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 27
    I was still young and had no idea the insanity people would go through to save a few dollars and "stick it to the man."
    via u/PolecatEZ
  • 28
    SoreWristed A guest refused to have his wife check her coat. Our venue doesn't allow guests having their coat in the hall because of fire safety reasons. He got up to the point of furiously shouting while his wife was trying to tell him it wasn't a big deal.
    via u/SoreWristed
  • 29
    He only let up after we told him we were within our rights to deny him entry and would be able to call the police... Our coat check service is free btw...
    via u/SoreWristed
  • 30
    NormanPeterson I've had customers come in and ask if we sold water, cell phones, and phone chargers. I work at a paint store...
    via u/NormanPeterson
  • 31
    Kellymargaret I use to work in a small public library. There was an older business owner that came in for a weekly club/lunch meeting. These meetings were in a back meeting room that I had no control over. He came into the library a couple of times
    via u/Kellymargaret
  • 32
    furious at me, because his chair was too cold. He informed me that for the rest of the winter I needed to sit in his chair before he got there, so his chair would be warm for him!
    via u/Kellymargaret
  • 33
    Kukkelikuk I work in the customer service for a hiking association and we had a lady come in, complaining about one of our staffed cabins. Got to the point where we had to call said cabin and inform them.
    via u/Kukkelikuk
  • 34
    Started phone call with - "I'm here with a nice lady..." As she proceeded to yell out - "I AM NOT NICE" Thanks for stating the obvious.
    via u/Kukkelikuk
  • 35
    Yalgamashi I work as a waiter/bartender at a hotel and last summer we had this frech woman who put so much sugar in her coffee that it was turned into this mush that she'd eat with a spoon.
    via u/Yalgamashi
  • 36
    toon_84 We was on a big job in a town centre and could hear some woman shouting. She was having a full argument walking towards us but we couldn't see who she was arguing with.
    via u/toon_84
  • 37
    When she saw us looking over confused, without breaking stride, she said "don't mind me lads I'm Jmental" and went back to her argument, now obviously, with herself.
    via u/toon_84
  • 38
    Cheezburger Image 10525007872
    via Blake Wisz on Unsplash+

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

  • 39
    SayNoToStim I've told this before, but I once worked at a pizza place and some dude came in and wanted a pizza with every one of our toppings. We had like 12-15 different toppings, and there was no way they were going to properly fit on a medium. We told him he could do it, what the price was, and that it wasn't going to cook properly because pizzas
    via u/SayNoToStim
  • 40
    aren't designed to cook with that much sh on them. He said fine. So we cooked it and it was all f ed up, and we gave to him. A few minutes later he comes back and said it
    via u/SayNoToStim
  • 41
    "Yeah I f ed up. can I just get a meat lovers?" Paid for both, probably threw the first one away. Only time I've really ever talked to someone like that who admitted being the problem.
    via u/SayNoToStim
  • 42
    Dankmousenibbles I have a million stories but today I'll share this one. It's been posted on social media before but it was a few years ago so let me try and remember how it went: I was working at a theater one morning and an old man scoots by in a wheelchair. He lingers by the service desk so I ask him politely if I can help him. He responds
    via u/Dankmousenibbles
  • 43
    in spanish, asking if I speak it. I understand it but can't speak it so i shake my head. "Parli Italiano?" I ask. He says no. Asks in French, if I speak French. I say no. We bounce between languages for a minute until finally he asks if I speak English. I
    via u/Dankmousenibbles
  • 44
    sigh, because it was the language I greeted him in, and say yes. He asks if we have a lost and found and I ask him what he's missing. He holds up a hand missing. a finger and asks if we've found one. I, unfazed, respond "no sir, not today". He wheels off.
    via u/Dankmousenibbles
  • 45
    87miles She bought one item and I asked her if she wanted a bag. She screamed, "I was hoping you wouldn't ask that stupid-a question! Is there some rule that black people don't want bags?!?!" and I still did not know whether she wanted a bag or not so I awkwardly put her item down in front of her. She threw it into a bag and huffed away.
    via u/87miles
  • 46
    EvilSoup42 I used to work in a call centre form a mobile phone network. Many years ago a customer called as he had entered his PIN too many times and blocked his phone. After doing data protection checks I told him that I had a ten digit code that would restore his phone and asked if he had a pen and paper.
    via u/EvilSoup42
  • 47
    He confirmed he had and I proceeded to read out the number, at which points he says 'not on me'. Why did he think I was asking if he had a pen and paper if not to write something down! I wasn't asking if he owned stationery.
    via u/EvilSoup42
  • 48
    LoSpeed So I work in optical sales, this is about the strangest customer my manager and I had ever dealt with. So, I walk in to work, and my manager is working with a patient, and there is another one seated at another desk waiting to be helped. I clock in and introduce myself to the man:
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 49
    "Hi there, my name is LoSpeed, how can I help you today?" He points at my manager and says "Actually, she was helping me." "Oh okay," I turn to my manager "Manager, would you like for me to pull up his insurance so that you can just run him through real quick when you're available?"
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 50
    She replies "Yes, absolutely. Sir, LoSpeed is just going to pull up your insurance, and then I'll help you." I turn back and smile to him, and ask "So, what's your DOB so I can look you up?" Here's where things start to go downhill. The guy leans in, inches away from my face, and whispers "Can you not take no for a answer?" So I noped out and
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 51
    just stood up and went in the back until he left. Fast forward 3 weeks and this guy ordered his glasses with my manager and has received them. Loved them according to her. He calls the store and gets me. "Yeah, so I bought these glasses, and I think I want to upgrade to transitions. How much would that cost?"
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 52
    "Oh no problem sir, what's your DOB so I can look your profile up?" "Is manager available?" "No sir, just me today." "I think I'd like to talk to manager, she (AND I QUOTE) sounds nicer than you on the phone." click
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 53
    He eventually gets a hold of her and orders the transitional lenses. Loves them according to her. Again. Fast forward another 3 weeks. He calls in and get manager on the line. Immediately starts telling her about how he doesn't
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 54
    like the glasses and wants to return. She's tired of his shenanigans, so she just says that's fine, and he can bring them back whenever he feels like it. He then says "Excuse me, I paid for the glasses over the phone, why can't I return over the phone?" He's sounding very upset at this. point.
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 55
    My manager just looks confused, "Sir... You still have the glasses, moreover, I couldn't process a return over the phone if I wanted to. Our system literally will not allow it." "Well this is just ridiculous. What if I just mail you the glasses then?!" "Sir, we still can't process a card return over the phone."
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 56
    "Okay, then what if I mail you my card?!" "E-excuse me...? Mail us your credit card? Really?" "No, my debit card!" At this point my manager was just floored by this guy and finally broke character. "So you want... To mail us... Your debit card?"
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 57
    "YES | IT!" "Sir, I'm sorry, but that's the worst idea you've ever had." Click
    via u/LoSpeed
  • 58
    [deleted] Had a regular come in and repeatedly ask which shampoo and conditioner to use for her hair. I once had to read out the chemical ingredients on the back and improvise their effectiveness at hair maintainance lol. Nothing wrong with worrying about your hair but she was asking a dude who used to use shower gel as shampoo
    via u/[deleted]
  • 59
    Cheezburger Image 10525014784
    via Ben Iwara For Unsplash+

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

  • 60

    Bro could've picked any other injury to fake

    B19FEX I'm a bus driver, once had someone sprint like Usain Bolt to catch my bus, then proceed to tell me he has no way of paying the fare but needs to get the bus to the hospital as he has broken his leg! Needless to say, he didn't get a free bus ride from me.
    via u/B19FEX
  • 61
    kiralynnkk I work at wawa (a convenience store but better) and I asked this guy if he wanted a plastic bag. because he had quite a few items as well as a drink, and he says yes. I start to bag his stuff and he tells me not to worry about it, he'll do it. He then proceeds to put his cup of coffee in the plastic bag and carry everything else.
    via u/kiralynnkk
  • 62
    UncleStuv I work in the biggest grocery store in my city so there is A LOT OF CUSTOMERS all the time and it's usually hard to hear if someone calls for you and I was putting up carrots in the shelf. I noticed that there was a lady in a wheelchair in the middle of the fruit section, but it looked like she had a helper with her so I didn't think about it.. later she randomly
    via u/UncleStuv
  • 63
    came up to me and started to scream so hard at me in a different language for no reason and then hit my box with carrots and left.. I still don't know what that was about
    via u/UncleStuv

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

Tags

workplace-stories jobs job retail work customers client customer food service workplace funny
Scroll Down For The Next Article