Retail manager yells at employee in front of customers for trying to explain to her how to change a price in the system: ‘You completely threw me under the bus’

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Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Jul 19, 2026 2:30 PM EDT

Is it ever appropriate for a manager to yell at their employees?

Even though we share a lot of stories about bad bosses and entitled managers, we don't come across many stories where a boss actively raises their voice at their employees. Not only is it really extreme to even get to a point where raised voices are required, but managers who do that don't generally get depicted as good at their jobs.

We don't know about you, but we would feel much worse from a disappointed look or a stern conversation than we would from a yelling match. It's not professional, it's not beneficial, and it definitely wouldn't make us respect our manager any longer. Yelling simply seems like the worst way to handle any situation, especially in a workplace.

The fact that there was no valid reason for this manager to yell at her employee makes it even harder to accept and proves even further that yelling truly doesn't help.

It all started when a customer came up to the register and pointed out that the price that was marked on the sticker was lower than the price showing up on the register screen. We've all been there, and we all know that the store is required to commit to a price if it is clearly marked on an item, so the cash register employee knew they had to fix it. However, they didn't have the authority to change the price on the register, so they had to call the manager. The manager, apparently, didn't know how to make it happen, so the employee simply took the supervisor card themselves and pressed the buttons necessary for the price change.

After the customer left, the manager decided she had to yell at the employee for "making her look stupid" in front of customers. She claimed that the employee was throwing her under the bus to make themselves look good, and proceeded to publicly shame the employee for basically doing the right thing.

Not only did the manager yell, but she did it without any acceptable reason other than to protect her own ego… Luckily, the employee didn't stay quiet after the yelling fest ended.

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  • Customer and employees at supermarket checkout.
    via kali9

    Customer and employees at supermarket checkout.

    Subjects are models.

  • AITAH for making my manager look "stupid"?

    A guy comes up to the register and I'm just ringing stuff up as usual. He points out that the price is off and I realize that the sunglasses
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • were priced 2 dollars more on my screen than the sticker. I would've just changed the price on my own but I couldn't because a manager would
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • have to log in on the system and do it on their account. If I tried to do it, I wouldn't work because I'm just a regular team member.
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • I go to get my supervisor to simply change the price from 8.99 to 6.99. She couldn't figure out how to do it she whispered to me "I don't know
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • how to do it". (Edit for more clarification): After she whispered that to me, I was going to tell her I could do it. I said "I can-" and then she
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • started speaking to the customer. She tells the customer that he would have to pay full price even though it was incorrectly priced, and he
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • obviously wasn't having it. He started raising his voice at my manager.
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • I asked my manager to scan her badge so I can go on there and change the price by myself. I then change it and
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • the customer cashes out and goes on his way. My manager then started coming at me in front of other
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • customers for "making her look stupid in front of the customer". So I replied "You didn't know how to change the price so I did it, what is the
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • big ordeal here?" She then said "You completely threw me under the bus in front of a customer to make yourself look good, you're selfish." I
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • said "I'm selfish for doing your job that you didn't know how to do?" She just walked away from me after I said that.
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • Employee explaining to the manager about cash register.
    via Getty Images

    Employee explaining to the manager about cash register.

    Subjects are models.

  • I regret saying that last line because looking back on it, it was harsh and r de. But then again, she came at me first for
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • "throwing her under the bus" when I was just trying to do what was right. AITAH?
    via Great_Scallion7883
  • Or1on55 Id report your manager to HR for yelling at you IN FRONT OF CUSTOMERS. Now, a manager shouldn't
    via 0r1on55
  • be yelling at their employers in general, but especially not infront of a bunch of customers, thats how you lose costumers and create a hostile work environment.
    via 0r1on55
  • And I would use those exact words if you report them to HR, that they screamed at you infront of customers and is making you feel like your job is a hostile working enviorment. Also, NTA
    via 0r1on55
  • ImAnNPCsoWhat NTA. You helped. Instead of getting mad she should have stopped for a moment and asked you to show her so she could do it without you next time.
    via ImAnNPCsoWhat
  • joe-h2o NTA. I bet she gets paid more than you too. What a waste of space. You weren't r le enough to her. Tell her to do her job or stay out of your way.
    via joe-h2o

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customer service boss workplace-stories employee manager job retail customers supervisor workplace
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