‘"You know this business is a customer driven business right?"’: Entitled customer scolds grocery store cashier for telling a shopper ‘you're welcome’ instead of ‘thank you’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Dec 9, 2025 7:00 PM EST

The world cannot evolve past allowing entitled people's behavior to slide because that means we would be eradicating a social hierarchy that is integral to keeping those on the lower end, low. Customer service jobs often feel like a humiliating ritual because customer-facing roles usually require you to go against your better judgment, flash a smile, and take everything from just about anyone. It's unfair, but that's just the way it is.

You know when you wake up, and you just have a feeling that the day is going to fight you, vigorously, until you submit to the unluckiness of it all? The employee in the next story had prayed that their shift at the grocery store would be seamless, ensuring that no entitled customers found their way to their cash register. It seems like when you speak things into the universe, they might come back to you in the way you didn't want them to.

A customer decided to police the employee's speech after nitpicking their niceties with another customer, exclaiming that their "you're welcome" should have instead been a "thank you." I'm sorry, but were they even talking to her? Scroll below to continue reading the full story.

Add as a preferred
source on Google
Advertisement
  • 01
    young female grocery store employee touching POS system at work
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    "A r*** entitled customer tried to teach me a lesson when I didn't need it (it was unnecessary) and she tried to make a big deal out of it"

    I made this post just to rant and to get some idea on why some customers are like this lol (I apologize for any bad grammar just tryna do a quick rant about work) So I've been working at a grocery store for over 4 years and I would say im pretty good at my job (im very introvert but when it comes to work i try to be more extrovert).
    via bigbobo3000
  • 03
    I would say my conversation with customers are pretty normal with a "hello", "how are you?", "your welcome", "thank you" etc...
    via bigbobo3000
  • 04
    As a cashier it sometimes get tiring because you're basically doing the same thing over and over.
    via bigbobo3000
  • 05
    So this middle age lady came through my til, she seemed polite and such so I thought this transaction with this lady would be the same as the others.
    via bigbobo3000
  • 06
    As I done with the another customer after her (lets call them Mark) Mark said thank you which I replied with "your welcome".
    via bigbobo3000
  • 07
    grocery store employee cashing out a customer
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 08
    All of a sudden she comes up to me and said "you dont say thank you to your customers?
    via bigbobo3000
  • 09
    You know this business is a customer driven business right?" In my mind Im like "welp this shift just turned into a bad shift".
    via bigbobo3000
  • 10
    I replied with "I will keep that in mind thank you" and I continue to ring other customers stuff.
    via bigbobo3000
  • 11
    I guess she didn't like my reply and she had to come back and say "You never learn do you?" at this point I am annoyed because I know what I am doing I don't need her lecture (if I wanted a lecture I would've asked my professor for it).
    via bigbobo3000
  • 12
    I replied with "Ma'am, everyone got their own way of doing things". She walked off and for some reason she walks back into the store which im guessing to complain to one of my coworker or something.
    via bigbobo3000
  • 13
    How does anyone think it is ok to talk to someone like this when they are working?
    via bigbobo3000
  • 14
    I honestly find this fascinating how this lady got the courage to give me a lecture on how I should act.
    via bigbobo3000
  • 15
    Like do they have nothing better to do then to find the mistakes of others and try to teach them a lesson?
    via bigbobo3000
  • 16
    (Before the shift I was praying that I don't get any rude customers but turns out today was the day that I get a bad egg lol)
    via bigbobo3000
  • 17
    Fury161Houston OMG!!! So sorry for what you went through. That customer didn't like something about you so she took her toxicity out on you. You triggered something she hates in herself. If I was there to see it I would have called her a C you Next Tuesday. I did 25 years in retail management. It is a tough job.
    via Fury161Houston
  • 18
    bigbobo3000 Hiya! Thanks for the comment :D I think she didn't like that I was being positive throughout the conversation cause she had to come by my til two times just to say something while looking grumpy lol. Working in retail is definitely challenging and mentally tiring and also you meet so many weird people that are so dumb. I can't wait to quit my cashier job!! :))
    via bigbobo3000
  • 19
    SkittlesQueen She was definitely mad at your positivity. Awesome job staying positive!
    via SkittlesQueen
  • 20
    hndygal This was way more about her and had very little if anything to do with you. Everyone has a story and I'm sure hers wasn't great in the time leading up to her interaction with you. I'd venture to say your positivity rubbed her the wrong way and she was jealous you could hold it together when she couldn't so she did what she could to ruin your day like someone else ruined hers....its not right or fair...and some people are just like that. Say a prayer to the universe her day gets better an
    via hndygal
  • 21
    Upstairs_Fig_3551 You're providing the service; SHE should be thanking you
    via Upstairs_Fig_3551

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

Tags

customer service employee entitlement work grocery store
Scroll Down For The Next Article