10+ Managers who got even with entitled customers: 'I loved... being able to say "I am the manager"'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Dec 12, 2025 3:00 PM EST

What happens when a customer demands to go over your head and speak to the manager… but you are the manager?

Just ask these people — they know all too well the delights of telling a frustrated customer that they're already doing all they can. There's simply no one else above them who can help out more. Oftentimes, it's not the manager's fault at all. Some customers just want things they simply cannot have, like free products, or unreasonable time frames for receiving things. Just because they demand to speak to a higher-up, they smugly think that this is the way to achieve that unrealistic goal. 

There really is a certain type of customer who will proudly walk into a shop and request to have a product for free… as if the entire point of a business isn't to sell product and turn a profit. They think they're better than everyone else, or more deserving of freebies for some reason, and they've decided that if they're loud enough about their demands, management will bend the knee and grant their ridiculous request. No can do! As you can read about down below, a lot of customers push these workers too far, and end up getting a lifetime ban from their favorite store. If only they had asked nicely, things might've turned out differently!

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  • 01
    Woman in pink shirt presses button on iPad next to bucket of bread loaves, behind iPad, woman in apron holds pen and looks down
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

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

  • 02
    netrunui I loved Karens when I was managing. Being able to say "I am the manager" followed soon by "Sorry, that's company policy" always results in a flustered Karen leaving in a huff and a much relieved crew.
    via u/netrunui
  • 03
    woahhhmom8 Happened before I became a manager, but once while I was serving at Steak 'n Shake, customer had a coupon for a burger, fries and a shake for $ ., can't remember the price anymore. Anyway, on the coupon it specifically stated that cheese on the burger was $0.39 up charge, although it did have a picture of a burger with
    via u/woahhhmom8
  • 04
    cheese on it. Lady THREW A FIT in the dining room that I was treating her unfairly, it was false advertising, etc. etc. I told her I agree it's false advertising with the picture, but the text specifically states the up charge and unfortunately I can't do anything about it.
    via u/woahhhmom8
  • 05
    The lady at the next table over heard everything and literally got up and put $0.50 on the table to cover it and said something to the effect of "I'll pay for your damn cheese if you just shut up." This pissed the cheese lady off even more. My manager obviously sensed the issue and came out. Took the cheese up charge of the bill. Like WTF Karen.
    via u/woahhhmom8
  • 06
    myacheivement Work at a vacuum repair shop. People dont pay attention to their vacuum cleaners as much as you'd think lol I cant tell you how maney times someone comes to pick up their vacuum and says "oh this one isn't mine" or "mine didnt have scratches down the side"
    via u/myacheivement
  • 07
    I can tell you it is, and it came in with all those scratches on the side. After the first 2 times it happened to me we started taking pictures of the unit with serial numbers and customer info, send them home with the serial number and require them to bring it back for pick up. Despite the evidence, I've had a lady close to tears because we
    via u/myacheivement
  • 08
    didnt have her vacuum. Even with the pictures we had of it at drop off, her information, the matching serial numbers. Sure it's a big conspiracy we just love taking in vacuums and switching all the information around because its fun. People need to pay more attention.
    via u/myacheivement
  • 09
    bakedpotatowche... Not a manager, but I used to work part time at a bakery inside of a grocery store. I dealt with my fair share of Karens during this time. Just to paint this picture of how it would work, we had a binder with laminated copies of ~100 different designs the decorators did regularly. A customer would look through the book, pick a
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 10
    design they wanted, and fill me in on the details of when they wanted it by, what size, what flavor, if any color changes were necessary, etc. Our decorators would come in at 7:00 AM and stay for however long it took to complete their orders. So usually, they were gone by early to mid afternoon. The bakery closed along with the store at 9:00 PM. One day,
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 11
    maybe around 8:15 or 8:20, a woman comes in and says she needs a cake. I figure she's referring to the cakes. sitting in our cooler, which we keep at the ready in case anybody just wants something quick and simple. So I motion to the cooler and ask her if she sees anything she likes. Apparently I'm a goddamn brilliant comedian because she starts laughing, and
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 12
    goes, "No, sweetie, I need a wedding cake." Alright, no big deal. I grab an order form and take down her information, and then ask what day she needs it for. "Tonight." Mind you, the store was closing in ~40 minutes, so even if I could decorate a cake, I wouldn't be able to
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 13
    help her. I tell her that there's no decorators present at the moment, but I could make sure it was ready for her first thing the next morning. She's clearly upset by this but says that'd be fine. I continue taking her order and ask her what size she'd like. Our bakery was not an upscale joint, and our prices reflect that; just about everything comes in frozen.
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 14
    So for our cakes, they come in a variety of predetermined sizes. She pulls out her phone and thrusts it in my face, saying "Whatever that is." On the screen is a very beautiful cake. Smooth white frosting, 7-8 tiers, decorations made in fondant and blown sugar. Before I even continue taking the order and dash her hopes when she sees the finished
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 15
    product, I tell her that that just wouldn't be possible. I didn't mean to offend our decorators, but I told her the truth; most of them were exceptionally gifted home. bakers who didn't have formal training in terms of a culinary program or decorating school. I then politely refer her to a more upscale bakery that I knew of that's more equipped to help her than we were.
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 16
    Then the dreaded six words came. "Can I speak to your manager?" At this point in time, I had been working at that bakery for a little over a year, so I was capable enough to close the department on my own. As such, I was the only one there. I told her this, but offered to leave a note with the customer's name and
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 17
    number so my manager could call her tomorrow. "Fine then. Let me talk to a store manager." There were anywhere between 1-3 store managers who oversaw the entire grocery store and all its departments on staff a night. So I go to our phone and page a store manager over to the bakery department. The whole time
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 18
    we're waiting, she's staring daggers into me. A manager I was fairly friendly with came to the counter in a few minutes and asked what the problem was. I briefed her before she went to talk to the customer. The second we get over there, the customer starts spewing lies about me. How I was rude and refusing to help her. I tried to defend myself but the manager just
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 19
    told me to keep doing my closing work out back. 10 minutes later she comes back, shaking her head and rubbing her temples. "That bitch was crazy." Customer service industry is a blast.
    via u/bakedpotatowcheezpls
  • 20
    [deleted] The staff did not know it at the time, but our ketchup dispenser was empty. A boy, aged 10'ish, was just smashing down on the handle trying to get ketchup, but none was being dispensed. A staff member noticed the kid smashing the ketchup dispenser, so I went out to see what was going on. "Oh,
    via u/[deleted]
  • 21
    the ketchup is empty. I'll get a new bag from the kitchen. Give me two minutes and I'll be right back with some new ketchup." I remove the empty container, take it back to the kitchen, clean the dispenser and place in a new bag. Take it out to the condiment stand and get met by a Karen.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 22
    K: "WHY DID YOU TAKE THE KETCHUP AWAY FROM MY SON?! Me: "The ketchup was empty, so I replaced the bag." K: "WHY DID YOU TAKE THE KETCHUP AWAY?! GO GET YOUR MANAGER!" Me: "uhhh, okay. One minute."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 23
    I walk about two meters, turn around, and introduce myself as the manager. K: "WHY DID YOU TAKE THE KETCHUP AWAY FROM MY SON?! Me: "Ma'am, please lower your voice. The ketchup was empty. I explained to your son that I needed to take it back to the kitchen to refill it."
    via u/[deleted]
  • 24
    K: "NO YOU DIDN'T! I WAS STANDING HERE THE WHOLE TIME. YOU TOOK THE KETCHUP AWAY FROM MY SON!" Me: "Ma'am, please lower your voice. You were not with your son. He was here alone, trying to get ketchup, which was empty." K: "DON'T YOU TELL ME WHAT TO DO! DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE
    via u/[deleted]
  • 25
    DEALING WITH?!" Me: "Nope. Ma'am, please get your belongings and leave this establishment." *Queue the screaming and yelling* K: "I WILL NOT LEAVE THIS ESTABLISHMENT! I AM GOING TO BURN THIS PLACE DOWN!"
    via u/[deleted]
  • 26
    *Other patrons are visibly upset with what they're witnessing* *Police are called* Karen gives a statement. Police question me; I give a statement. Karen told the police that I struck her son, pushed him out of the way, and moved the ketchup to an area in which her son couldn't get access to the ketchup.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 27
    I disputed the claim and offered to provide video evidence (with sound) of what actually happened. Police watch the video once, thank me, and walk out to the eating area. Officer: "Ma'am, does your son has someone who can look after him?" K: "HIS FATHER IS AT WORK RIGHT NOW!"
    via u/[deleted]
  • 28
    Officer: "Okay. You're being placed under arrest for making threats and a false police report." *More yelling, threats, and now tears* In the end, she was charged with making the false police report (but not the threats), and received a lifetime ban from not just our restaurant, but the entire mall our restaurant was located in.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 29
    I felt kinda bad. Not for the Karen, but for her son. He has to live with that...
    via u/[deleted]
  • 30
    garycarroll Bestest of the best interactions I ever had. Karen griped about not wanting to pay the price for the services performed on her computer, which was exactly the price quoted when she dropped it off and which she had signed for. She demanded to speak to the service manager. I called him from the back.
    via u/garycarroll
  • 31
    Service manager listened to her spiel as to how she should get a lower price because [irrelevant, pea- brained reason]. Service manager made eye contact with me over her shoulder; I did not react, he said no, price quoted was the price that would be charged. She said that was unacceptable, and she would be complaining to the
    via u/garycarroll
  • 32
    owner, who was a good friend. Service manager observed that he was evidently not that good a friend, since that he (me) was the person she was originally speaking with when she asked for the service manager. Her face was glorious, and made the whole thing worthwhile!
    via u/garycarroll
  • 33
    [deleted] I'm not in retail anymore, but I was managing a popular mid range handbag store. Think "typical Karen bag", about $200-400. Anyway, most customers were fantastic. This one woman was this Shrek-looking large redheaded lady who stomped in and demanded that we repair her 20 year old bag for FREE... and if we couldn't do that, she
    via u/[deleted]
  • 34
    demanded that we exchange this old ratty smelly 20 year old bag for a brand new one for her. Recently policy changes had resulted in new prices for this service, but free repairs had about a 1 year warranty on a new bag... not a 20 year old one. I tell her as such. I was pretty young to have had the role I did so she, dissatisfied with my answer, asked to speak to a manager. I told
    via u/[deleted]
  • 35
    her I'm the manager and she began turning as red as her hair. She screamed and yelled about how she'll call corporate and never shop here again!! Well, that sounds like a real loss, losing a customer that is too cheap to repair a 20 year old bag and hasn't bought new from us in just as long. I give her my best shit eating grin and say "im so sorry, thats just the policy." She
    via u/[deleted]
  • 36
    demands corporates number. I give her the customer service line that you can find on Google, unbeknownst to her. She huffs away, forgetting her keys on the counter. She's halfway out and she remembers, turns around, red as a beet, huffs in my smiling face and snatches the keys off the counter. It was hilarious. She came back months later, worked
    via u/[deleted]
  • 37
    with a different person on the team, and didn't even look my way.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 38
    midnight_rebirth Not a manager, but I used to work in a call center and had plenty of Karens who wanted to talk to someone above me because they thought the world existed to cater to them. I always went back into their account to review the notes to see what was done. 9 out of 10 times they were given whatever they wanted even
    via u/midnight_rebirth
  • 39
    if it wasn't justified. Which is so fucking stupid-enabling these people's behavior is what's got them feeling so entitled in the first place. I once told a woman if she didn't pay for her services, after 60 days they'd be
    via u/midnight_rebirth
  • 40
    interrupted. She responded with "Excuse me? I'm a valued customer and that is not how I will be treated." or something to that effect. Fucking ridiculous.
    via u/midnight_rebirth
  • 41
    AnxiousMom4 I love the ones who seem to think extra food is free. Your not going to go anywhere and get extra meat/queso/ guacamole etc for free. I had a couple come in got a salad. They asked for extra meat, then queso then even more queso. I told them they would be charged for each scoop. She flipped out, she started cussing at me about
    via u/AnxiousMom4
  • 42
    how it's wrong she shouldn't have to pay for more then one, why must we be so expensive the other location does not do this. I gave her a big smile and let her know I am the general manager of that said store and help here when needed. So no you do not get that treatment there sorry extra food is not free. She then started screaming for corporate number and the store owner. I told her I
    via u/AnxiousMom4
  • 43
    couldn't give out people's private numbers and told her to leave and she is now banned from both stores. She did put in a compliant and guess who sees them and makes return calls? Me, she hung up on me when I called.
    via u/AnxiousMom4
  • 44
    Woman in floral shirt presses button on iPad next to bucket of bread loaves, man in apron grimaces behind iPad
    via Curated Lifestyle For Unsplash+

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

  • 45
    PmMeF He... I was working at a public pool in my town, and the rules are that you can't bring outside food or drinks into the pool. This rule didn't please Karen, who was very eager to let me know that she had just spent 12 DOLLARS on this coffee from STARBUCKS. She
    via u/PmMeF*****H*****
  • 46
    argues with me by saying that the public pool in the next town over allows it. I keep saying the same rehearsed response, that its our policy that outside food and drinks can't come in the pool. Anyways she dumped the coffee onto our computer and I called the police.
    via u/PmMeF*****H*****
  • 47
    [deleted] One time a Karen tried to return an expensive handbag that had obviously been used. She proceeded to say I was calling her a liar and her anger escalated as she paced back and forth at the till point. The Karen then proceeded to tell me that she was going to call in some guys to come after me after I finish work.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 48
    Throughout this I am politely repeating my request that Karen leave but in hindsight I think this must have been rather annoying... as Karen proceeded to grab the bag and launch herself over the till at me in an attempt to hit me with it.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 49
    At this point in time, a colleague who was yet to start their shift (therefore appeared as a customer) was on the shop floor and had witnessed it all. They tackled Karen into the wall, knocking down glass shelves which had been displaying around 30 bags. Karen is a crumpled mess on the floor, appears shocked, stumbles upright and runs away.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 50
    Watery Tart_ndSw... I was a House Manager (HM) at a big performing arts venue, & I encountered my worst Karen at a Saturday night showing for the Book of Mormon. I still feel rage when I think about it. Karen's problem? Just a young man seated in front of her in his standard size
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 51
    wheelchair (a veteran no less! as I later discovered) and his older parents, who were seated next to him in banquet style seats. A bit of background: the banquet seats are what we used when we had mobility requests. We would remove a small, strategically located section of seats to make an empty place for the mobility device, then place the banquet seats for the other
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 52
    ticketed spots. The venue used those specific seats precisely because they were the exact same height as the theatre seats. Karen didn't care though! Those people were ruining her view and they needed to go. And no, she wouldn't move to a no-show seat! Didn't I know how much money she spent on these tickets??
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 53
    But when I said I wouldn't move the other patrons, who had also bought the expensive tickets, well then how dare I bring up money!! That's hardly the point! And on, AND ON she ranted -gesturing wildly, with her designer purse & gold- ringed fingers. She ranted through the entire 18 minute intermission while I tried to quietly shut
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 54
    her up somehow. It was excruciating. I even had security on standby. The shrill voice that emanated from her white, toothy-maw was a weapon in it's own right-enough to make a whistle jealous. The worst part though, is she was so extremely r de that the family of the man with the wheelchair decided to leave anyway!
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 55
    I tried SO hard to make other arrangements for them, for free-tickets on another day, or to another show, or a even just a refund for that night. They were very kind to me, but just wanted to go home :( Meanwhile, Karen got to go back in & watch the rest of the show! Man, F that entitled b Karen. I hope she has to leave halfway through
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 56
    every show she ever goes to, for the rest of her miserable, unsatisfied life.
    via u/WateryTart_ndSword
  • 57
    [deleted] I used to work as a manager at a sandwich shop. Our policy for any pick up orders was to not cook their fries until the customer came in so that they have fresh fries. This is always told to the customer on the phone. I had this one b call in her order and ask me if I could cook the fries immediately so that she didn't have to wait them. I told her I
    via u/[deleted]
  • 58
    couldn't do that because if she doesn't come in to pick her order up within about 5 min, those fries will be soggy and cold. She seemed to understand this. She ends up showing up about 45 min after she placed the order and proceeded to yell at me because her fries weren't ready. I explained to her that if I had cooked her fries when she placed the order
    via u/[deleted]
  • 59
    that they would be very cold and soggy because she took 45 min to come pick her order up. She didn't care. She continued to yell at me about how she's a nurse and has no time to wait for the fries. I told her oh well, you either need to wait for them to cook (which takes literally 2 mins to cook) or leave. She waited. What a b
    via u/[deleted]
  • 60
    The_Rhine Honestly, I've only really had one experience so far. I am new to retail and got the job because I ran out of f s to give. One day, a lady came in the store and went to the Pizza Hut express. They were out of pan pizzas (and closing within a minute of her arriving). She wasn't convinced and came up to
    via u/The_Rhine
  • 61
    Woman in apron behind grocery store till holds brown paper bag with baguette and lettuce inside, in front of her a man in a tan shirt reaches for the bag
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

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

  • 62
    me at self checkout and asked for a manager. I just shouted "manager" without stopping what I was doing and someone came. She explained that she wasn't convinced that the Pizza Hut was out of pan pizzas. The manager explained that they were. She said she didn't believe her. I casually mention that they're closed now anyway, so it doesn't matter. She expresses how much she craves a pan
    via u/The_Rhine
  • 63
    pizza, so a co-worker and I explain that there are at least three pizza places nearby, one of which was a full Pizza Hut, that were still open and served pan pizzas. She REALLY wanted a Target Pizza Hut Express Pan Pizza, though. But, she stormed off saying she needed to pick up a prescription. None of us had
    via u/The_Rhine
  • 64
    the heart to tell her that the pharmacy closed two hours ago.
    via u/The_Rhine

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