15+ Employees who got to inform entitled customers that they were the head boss in charge: 'It never felt better to reveal that I was the manager'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Jul 30, 2025 11:00 AM EDT

Getting back at bad customers never felt so good. 

When you're an employee, especially in a retail or food service setting, you don't have much power to stand up to your customers. You basically just have to take whatever they throw at you. No matter what the customer says, no matter how snarky or impolite they become, you're expected to just stand there and endure it. There aren't many other jobs in the world that allow people to be so impolite — if you act that way in a corporate setting, for example, you'll probably get reprimanded or maybe even fired. 

Customers know that they can boss around retail employees, so they'll happily do so. They just won't take no for an answer on some questions, and eventually they have to pull out their ultimatum: "Let me speak to the manager!" 

In some exceptional cases, though, that employee already was talking to the manager. What a sweet, sweet revenge it is for that manager to watch their crabbiest customer wilt into submission upon finding out they've bossed around the exact wrong person. 

Next up, read about the employees who were just baffled by their coworkers, like one person who shared that on "Day 1… she refused to shake my hand." 

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  • 01
    Fear Galactus Not mine, but one I got to witness a few years back. We had a Karen get loose in our facility and was running amuck. She was unhappy with something we did or didn't do or did do but didn't do properly. She won't talk to anyone but the highest manager. So my manager, let's call him Nick, made his way up to her. Now the thing about Nick is that he's very
    via u/Fear_Galactus
  • 02
    strict but also very short, like 4'10". He asked how he could help and she just starts laying into him, then starts making short jokes and Nick, well, as stoic as he is, he stood and took it all in. When she asked what he was going to do to "make it all better" he said "nothing, clearly we will never make you happy", had our service desk refund her membership and then escorted her out.
    via u/Fear_Galactus
  • 03
    She protested all the way and when we got to the exit, started screaming that she needed to see the manager, the top dog, the head- honcho. Well, at our exit, there's a gigantic picture of, you guessed it, Nick, with his title under it. He told her wasn't welcome and that if she chose not to leave the PD would be more than willing to assist.
    via u/Fear_Galactus
  • 04
    A few days later I got to hear him tell this story to our home office because...well, Karen's be Karenin it up and called the home office to complain. At the end, the guy was like "huh, okay. Well, I guess we'll let you know of we have anymore questions." and that was that.
    via u/Fear_Galactus
  • 05
    Best-Garbage1477 Not a true to life manager story, but pretty close. I'm a crane operator but I'm only 23 years old, in the industry everyone expects crane operators to be 30+. One day, I get dispatched out to a job and the supervisor must have assumed I was the oiler and he starts explaining to me where he wants the crane set up, what
    via u/Best-Garbage1477
  • 06
    we're gonna be lifting, and how he wants it done. I explained that it's not possible and explained how we'd need to set up in order to be within chart and safe. We end up arguing a bit until he finally dropped the line "well we'll see when the operator shows up" You're looking at him bro
    via u/Best-Garbage1477
  • 07
    ellnhkr ་ I work at a large cinema chain as the manager. In the afternoon we have just a few people working since it is usually quiet and it is not unusual for me to take an employees station when they are on a break. This was a regular afternoon and I was at the box office so one of the employee could have lunch.
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 08
    Note; employees wear regular T-shirts and management wears a button down shirt and a jacket over it. This was a particularly warm day so i was just in my button down shirt and my jacket was on the rack behind a closed door. In my country we have specific age laws for showing films to the public. Meaning that if a film is rated 16 years and over, no
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 09
    one under 16 can see that film, even with the parents' consent. It is stated clearly in our house rules and in the law. So this family comes in. A mom, dad and 2 kids, wanting to see a film. I am not sure which one it was, but it was rated 16+. One of the kids looked about 17-ish and could show ID, but the other one was clearly
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 10
    younger, i guess around 13- 14 YO. I informed them about the house rules and law that unfortunately they could not watch this film, but i was happy to suggest another one, or split them up so the oldest child could watch the 16+ film with one of the parents, and the younger child could watch another film.
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 11
    The dad Lost. His. Cr_p. He was going on and on about how HE decides what his kids could see, and not some 'Underpaid dips t working minimum wage'. He cursed and nearly got behind my station throwing a tantrum and his wife and kids were visually embarrassed. He told me he was going to get me fired for being such a dumb employee refusing them
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 12
    service and ruining their day, and asked to speak to the manager. So I smiled and told him,' of course, sir' and left my station. I walked through the door, grabbed my jacket and name-tag and returned to the station. I walked in with the biggest grin and asked the dad; You wanted to speak to the manager?
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 13
    Of course the dad wasnt amused and threw another hissyfit. I politely asked them to leave, or I would call the police because of the rudeness of the dad. He was still shouting and screaming but the wife and kids escorted him out. It never felt better to 'reveal' that I was the manager to this male Karen.
    via u/ellnhkr
  • 14
    Novel_Economics... I was working Cinco de Mayo last year. Postmates. kept trying to place orders. are we were literally so swamped that when they called to confirm an order I told then I wouldn't be accepting any more orders. Our ticket times were literally 3 hours. Some ah le shows up (to a full restaurant during a stay at home order) because we
    via u/Novel_Economics9380
  • 15
    haven't accepted his postmates order. I informed him he could palace an order and it would be about 3 hours and he was furious because postmates told him it would be ready (as a reminder, I told them no more orders). He very loudly demanded I give him his money back. I declined to do this because | did not take his money and when postmates pays us, we
    via u/Novel_Economics9380
  • 16
    only get half the money anyway. He wanted to speak to the manager. I then informed him I was the manager. Demanded to speak to the owner, who doesn't handle customer complaints well. I called the owner and he didn't answer. He then demanded our email so he could complain about my lack of professionalism. I gave him the email and a customer
    via u/Novel_Economics9380
  • 17
    who has observed the whole thing sent an email to our owner to let him know that guy was a raging a hole.
    via u/Novel_Economics9380
  • 18
    [deleted] A friend told me a story where on his last day working at IKEA a customer was upset at him for something and wanted a manager and he just said "no" and walked away. I've always wanted to do that
    via u/[deleted]
  • 19
    sweetzodiac Sales associate here witnessing it. I had a guy that was being a real pain so I called a manager to take over. She was helping him and he was talking smack about "How is it so hard to just do a return with no receipt, no tags, and no card? He was also the type to say "If it is online, it is in
    via u/sweetzodiac
  • 20
    your actual store." Anyways she is being polite and trying her best to help him out and he was getting really fed up and said "Let me speak to your manager!" She looked up from the computer, straight into his eyes and said, "I am the manager." The guy left after that.
    via u/sweetzodiac
  • 21
    Stan Marsh02 Had three weeks of a transfer to another office in a different part of the country to help the local new manager in that office to set up and get ready to go. First day walk into the office just before 9am, man walks up to me and shouts "Boom" in my face, laughs and walks off to the side, he goes to
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 22
    join a group of scruffy young men in one corner of the small coffee making area of the office. A bit later a gaggle of 4-5 other men walk in...well...slouch in, none wearing suit and tie or smart clothing, anyhow I'm waiting by the managers desk, Just before 10 in walks this new manager who had been collared by the block manager as he walked in,
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 23
    hence why he was late. He walks over to grab a coffee and gets a "boom" from the same guy as me, he is nervous as hol as he walks over to me, I introduce myself and we go into his office, the previous week of getting all the IT etc set up in the office had been a nightmare as the "Boom" guy was one of his new employees and was a real !
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 24
    Anyhow, we begin to sort out getting his password etc set up so he can email from the PC rather than his phone. A while later we hear shouting and crashing, the group of men who where in the coffee area (including "Boom" guy) where racing around the office on chairs on wheels. The new manager looks at me, looks. at them and shrugs his
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 25
    shoulders, "Do you want me to deal with this?" I ask him, he nods. I step out of the office and walk over to them standing in the way of the race. "Do you have your staff ID's on you?" "Yeah"! "Pass them over to me!"
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 26
    Meekly some of them do, excluding "boom" guy! Looking at the few who did not pass there ID over. "You, sit over on those seats and be VERY quiet until I call you in!" When I return to the office | pass the Staff ID's I have to the new manager and tell him to get there staff file and someone from HR down here ASAP.
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 27
    He begins calling etc... I walk out to the few that are sitting on the seats I had directed them to. "As you will not show me your ID I will get security to you out of here as I do not believe you are in this office lawfully!" All suddenly produce there staff ID cards.
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 28
    I take the ID cards and ask the manager to get those files too. A short while later HR send someone down. "Boom" guy and a few others are dismissed for gross negligence on the spot. The rest get final warnings, the rest of the 3 weeks went rather calmly, apart from power issues with new electric cabling...but lol...
    via u/Stan Marsh02
  • 29
    FUDGE 49 OPOVIE COFFEE
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 30
    AWACS_Bandog I wasn't the Manager but I got to witness this. Working at the airport, 95% of the crews we dealt with were wonderful, but there was a handful of dudes that were just a bear to deal with. One Particular one was this dude we'll call AC. AC came from a rather affluent family, which fine, whatever, but AC
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 31
    also had the personality of a warm toilet seat. AC's daddy not only bought him a Helicopter rating (Very Pricey, even in Aviation money) but also a Robinson R-44 (that averages around Quarter to half a million used). No matter what us Ops guys did, he would have some comment to say, and was all around just a deal with. For a while us at to Ops would conspire against him just to f his day up
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 32
    as petty revenge (Pull out the wrong trucks. Spill on purpose, Sh like that). Eventually though, AC Decided to go to our CEO directly to b and moan. Our CEO was a former USAF Fighter Guy, who didn't really care to be bothered with anything outside of flying (He was reluctantly put in the CEO position, long story), and CEO also lacked what most would call a filter.
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 33
    So AC starts and moaning how we at Ops were being unfair to him, this that and 10 billion other things, and halfway through AC's rant the CEO informs him that he was banned from service. AC doesn't get it at first, but CEO kindly tells him that if he wants fuel or anything, he has to do it himself from now on.
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 34
    AC for the next few months would call and get promptly ignored by us. It was fun to see him get pissy every time we drove by. I even pointed and laughed at the smug face when he accidentally covered himself in AvGas. trying to fuel his Helicopter.
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 35
    AC's dad was actually a decent guy so I dont know. how he f ed his son up royally, but he did.
    via u/AWACS_Bandog
  • 36
    but... Years ago I worked in retail and a customer asked for help finding a certain item, while I was sitting briefly at the fitting room desk. I said, "of course, let me get our expert in the area that will be able to help you." She said, "um you could've just helped me," while rolling her eyes. I said politely, "I apologize, I just wanted to give you the best help from
    via u/butterflyblueskies
  • 37
    our expert in the area." The expert was standing there waiting to help the lady, as the lady continued to give me an evil eye. They walked away and found what she needed in five minutes (would've taken me far much more time to help her). Then while she was leaving the fitting room, she asked the expert if the store was hiring. The expert said, "she's the manager, she
    via u/butterflyblueskies
  • 38
    would know best," while pointing at me. The lady's jaw dropped and she said she was so sorry for how she acted earlier. I said no worries and told her how to apply. She didn't get the job. (I didn't block her opportunity but no one would pass her on to second interviews after hearing from employees who witnessed
    via u/butterflyblueskies
  • 39
    how she treated the manager, me). Lesson learned: never treat receptionists or fitting room people, or anyone in general poorly, because you never know. Edit: some spelling
    via u/butterflyblueskies
  • 40
    Cheezburger Image 10536145408
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 41
    thunderg xpresss I had a new trainee who had some decent experience in the field. On her first day she showed up 15 minutes late without a call, text or email. She felt like she did nothing wrong and I sent her home to try again to come in on time the next day. Her head spun in circles and she screamed "DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?!?!?!?" I calmly
    via u/thunderg**xpresss
  • 42
    answered, "Someone who showed up 15 minutes late on their first day without a call or text." She lasted a week and proceeded to bash me to the head of training (who laughed at her) and left me a insane poorly written google review. (that Google took down) I need hazard pay!
    via u/thunderg**xpresss
  • 43
    [deleted] I took over the Accounting Operations for a large bank. I inherited a guy who was already on probation. I gave him a project with a deadline in five days, and told him exactly how I wanted it done. I even moved him to another building to avoid distractions. Towards the end of day two I go over to see how it is
    via u/[deleted]
  • 44
    going, and see he decided to do it his way, not mine. Keep in mind, I was trying to give him a clean start. All I could say was, "I'm sorry, I obviously miscommunicated. You thought you had a choice in how this was to be done. My bad. Now you have three days to get it done."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 45
    CLDetail haHA here's a good one. I started my own cleaning service. I'm in my early 20's so there's NO WAY I'm the owner right? I do houses and cars. Well I got a call from an older lady asking for the owner. I obviously said I was the owner and we talked for a bit about what she wanted done. I do have a lower kind of raspy voice.
    via u/CLDetail
  • 46
    so I sound older than my age over the phone. I then went to the ladies house to assess everything and figure costs and before I could even get to her door she opened it asking if the owner was gonna be there. I said I'll tell him to call you. I then took my phone and called her house phone. She went in to get it and when she picked up I said "hi I'm
    via u/CLDetail
  • 47
    the owner of (insert company name) how may I help you today". Needless to say she apologized. I definitely felt like a but I am tired of older for it generations thinking a kid can't own his own business.
    via u/CLDetail
  • 48
    The_Official_Dave I'm not a manager but it involves one. So when I was about seven or eight me and my dad went for a McDonald's. A Karen was at the front of the line. The line was incredibly long and she was at the front just shouting at the guy at the till, he looked about 16, and then she pulled out the iconic "let me speak to your manager" btw she was
    via u/The_Official_Dave
  • 49
    trying to get a discount on a coffee with a QR code that wasnt working. The manager walks in (at this point people where filming) the manager and Karen talk. Then she starts shouting at the manager and he obviously asks her to leave. She then looks at him and goes "do you know who you're talking to" or something like that. I look up at my dad and say "can i?" Knowing what's
    via u/The_Official_Dave
  • 50
    about to go down, he nods. I then say "yes, your a middle aged b yelling at a child and his boss because you cant get 50p of your £2 coffee". My dad looks at me proud as f as the whole crowd laughs. The manager then gives us 5% off for the month as a reward for ending the madness that lasted like 10- 15 minutes that he just wasnt in the mood for.
    via u/The_Official_Dave
  • 51
    I'm still very young (12 years old) but still think that I'll treasure this moment for my grandkids. Well I never will anyway, my dad keeps reminding me like 4 times per week.
    via u/The_Official_Dave
  • 52
    Flaky_Obligation5... Didn't happen but in front of me. To my mother in-law who is the owner/office manager. This Karen called our office yelling and complaining for someone to come give here a quote. For a job she wanted us to do for her. She asked for her name so we could checked to see if if we had her on our list of people. (Big surprise she wasn't on the list) She
    via u/
  • 53
    then freaked out saying || You have to see me know i know the ower. He is my neighbor!" My mother in-law responded with a "Oh really! Where do you live then?" The lady told her. Then my mother in-law said "I don't live in that area nor do i know you. I am the owner." The lady started freaking out and calling her a lier. My mother in-law laugh and
    via u/Flaky_Obligation5659
  • 54
    said "please do not call again as we will not be doing business with you." Then hung up. Honestly it was very amusing
    via u/Flaky_Obligation5659
  • 55
    girthytaquito I used to look young for my age. People would assume I was some kid, then BOOM, I'm the project manager!!!
    via u/girthytaquito

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