Customer in gas station calls company policies 'childish', so the cashier manages to give it back to the guy, making him call himself 'childish': 'Jeez, some people are dumb'

Author image for Giuliana Tiscioni
Giuliana Tiscioni • Writer
Oct 17, 2026 2:00 PM EDT

Whoever said that 'the customer is always right' clearly has never dealt with a customer in their life… 

People in customer service positions have it harder than we are willing to admit. Daily, they come across people making ridiculous demands, showing disrespect for them and the place's rules, and who believe they have the right to tell anyone anything just because they are paying. Most of the time, employees have to stand there quietly, with a smile plastered on their faces and without giving any kind of answer. But other times, they are free to do as they please and give the people a taste of their own medicine. Those are the times when sarcasm and witty remarks really come in handy. 

I know a thing or two about backhanded comments myself, and I have one or two stories. Years ago, one time when I was still a teenager, I was at a friend's house having dinner with a bunch of other kids. I was talking to my friends about something, don't remember exactly what about, when one of the other kids across the table started randomly smirking and laughing. Since he had interrupted me, I asked him politely, 'Hey, what's so funny? What are you laughing at?' And he, as a dumb teen that he was, didn't exactly want to tell me and just said, 'Nothing, I was just looking at (other guy's) face.' That day I wasn't feeling very forgiving, so while looking straight into his eyes and face, I answered, 'So, right now, I should be literally cracking up, right?' The whole table started laughing; the guy never caught on to my passive-aggressiveness. 

Well, something along those lines happened to this girl working in customer service. The customer was being annoying and loud, and complaining about the establishment's policy. And she managed to make him call himself 'childish' without him even noticing. 

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  • Made a customer call himself childish.

    For context I (F25) work at a fuel garage. I'm 5'3" and the guy in question was about 6'. I'm in the UK where people pump their fuel
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  • and then come inside to pay/pay at a window etc. We have a store connected to our garage and the main till is the centre of all
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  • KATE
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The employee. 

    Model portrayal.

  • operations, from here we turn on pumps for customers, take fuel payments, bag shopping etc. We have a bunch of rules that we
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  • need to follow for turning on pumps when people pick up the pumps. One of these rules is never authorise a pump if the car
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  • is running or if a biker is able to just hop on and ride off. The sub rules of this policy means that the bike rider needs to be off the
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  • bike, with the engine off and the helmet removed. Its a policy, we need to follow this or any drive offs come out of our wallet.
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  • Chicken in KER'S INN fuel TOYOTA
    via Mehluli Hikwa for Unsplash+

    Gas station and shop.

    Scene shown is a visual representation.

  • So anyway, the story. A guy (let's call him A) pulls up on a bike and tries fuelling with his helmet on. I ask him to remove the helmet and he's screaming across the
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  • entire forecourt despite me being unable to hear him as I'm in store manning the main till. I continue serving as he barges into the store upon filling his bike.
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  • HONDA
    via Ante Samarzija for Unsplash+

    Man on a motorbike.

    Picture does not depict real parties.

  • A: Well thats childish, my helmet is open faced. Me: well its our policy I'm afraid I cant do nothing about it.
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  • A: well its dumb, it's an open faced helmet. Me: well it's policy. It doesn't matter what type of helmet it is, i have to follow policy.
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  • A (starting to shout): Well that's childish, I don't believe you. Me: Well, it's policy. Your fuel comes up to £10 please pay.
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  • A: Well, that's childish. Me: Your card was declined sir, please insert it. Again, I can't change the policy.
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  • A: Well, I dont believe you. It's childish, it's extremely childish, it's open faced. Me: Well that's our policy.
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  • A: I don't believe you. Me: It's still our policy even if you don't believe me. A (after storming halfway out the door then stomping back towards me): Well, it's don't believe you. childish. I
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  • Me (now visibly frustrated as I had just tried to serve a new customer) You know I hate to agree, but yeah, I do think you're being very childish.
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  • A (before catching on and trailing off: yeah, I know... Me: glad we agree on something then.
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  • Seriously, I need this girl to explain to me how she didn't lose it sooner. If I had a guy complaining and behaving like a toddler in front of me for longer than 30 seconds, I would probably snap. It's a miracle she didn't throw something at him. 

    On another note, why is it so difficult for people to understand that companies, shops, and restaurants have rules and a code of conduct? If you don't like those rules, simply don't go there, or choose a place where they do things as you like it. Going somewhere and starting a scene and complaining to the workers about all the policies you disagree with is indeed childish and ridiculous. Obviously, some parents never taught their children that to live in society, there are always rules you need to follow, whether that is while they are at school, at someone else's house, a shop, a park, or anywhere else. Even more, those people who complain about rules tend to be the most nagging and end up micromanaging every single human who sets foot in their houses. 

  • He then stormed off and I hope my backchat made him stop to think and I hope more people are being hired into jobs where they can defend themselves against
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  • customers. Because jeez some people are dumb. I've worked customer facing jobs since I was 16 and this job is easily the worst. Since this incident last week ive
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  • had 2 other people rant at me about that policy. One even asking me "well what about cars?" And i genuinely had to stare for a second before I could manage to
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  • muster up a response of "do you know any car drivers who wear helmets? We make them turn off their engines." Anyway, on that note i hate people.
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