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The customer service industry is not for the faint-hearted, and yet most Americans, 107.8 million people, work in private service-providing industries. 16.7 million of them work in the leisure and hospitality sectors, meaning they handle customers’ orders on a daily basis.

And if you've ever worked in a restaurant of some sort, you’d know this is not a walk in the park. Although you do meet lovely people and locals you can call by their name, and the loyal clients who always get their usual, sometimes things are not that pretty. Entitled customers, spoiled kids, and clients who don’t even know what they want are also part of the job.

So when the Twitter user @Kealy22 posted the question “Customer service workers, what is the complaint that broke you?” on her thread, people had a whole bunch of stuff to share. So get ready for stories about customers from hell.

Shouting, complaining, calling corporate, speaking to the manager, acting aggressively, wasting everyone’s time—these are some of the most dreadful real-life client incidents that will change the way we look at customer service workers for good.

Image credits: Keally22

Image credits: Keally22

Image credits: Keally22

Image credits: Keally22

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Raine Soo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love your response! Was the customer clever enough to understand it?

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Bored Panda reached out to Tay, who goes by the Twitter handle @taylorkiwi, who joined the viral thread to comment on her experience working in the customer service industry. Tay’s tweet read: “customer where I work at a golf course. I kindly asked a member not to move the patio chairs around as it was a Covid rule. She proceeded to lick her hands and touch ALL the chairs on the patio as a 'joke.' Her friends did not laugh. I did not laugh.”

Tay said that she always loved working in customer service, but it’s been challenging. “I mean I hate it, but I love it. As frustrating and irritating as people can be, finding out ways to work and relate to different types of people is a learning curve.”

In fact, Tay confessed that she has been “yelled at, talked down to, and personally insulted.” But “learning how to handle these moments has helped me grow,” she added.

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Tay said that when it comes to dealing with entitled, impolite, and challenging customers, she takes on a “killing with kindness” strategy. “Typically if it’s someone much older or much younger, I ensure I do everything right and everything perfect. It’s a very satisfying feeling knowing that they are having a mental struggle trying to come up with something to complain about.”

But the best moments are when “you have an awful customer sitting with a friend who really isn’t so bad. By being kind to them when they are clearly trying to belittle me, I know they feel foolish and their friend is embarrassed.” Tay said it’s the perfect way to ruin their day while making their day the best it can be.

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Ty Stratton-Quirk
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people, you just wish would find a Huntsman spider in the front seat of their car.

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's nice to see managers stand up for employees instead of throwing them under the bus

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Raine Soo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How does one not know the difference between a fingernail and a slice of onion?

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When asked if she agrees with the saying that the customer is always right, Tay replied: “Hell no, the customer is usually never right. I am paid to be an expert in what I’m doing, even if it’s just an expert in the menu and serving.”

She added: “Oh really, last time you were here you were allowed to substitute chicken for shrimp? Well, I’ll have you know the protein is cooked into the sauce and you can’t change it out.” Although Tay agrees that the customer should be accommodated as best as possible, it doesn’t mean they’re right.

If you’re thinking of working in the customer service industry, Tay said you have to be able to adapt to each person you interact with. “The correct answer for one person might be insulting to another. They have different personalities, different ways of interpreting information, and different ways of socializing.”

There’s no one copy-paste way to behave with clients, so you have to be extremely versatile to be able to handle both pleasant and not-so-much situations that happen daily.In the end, Tay revealed that smiling through a painful customer is also a part of the job. “There’s nothing I can do during a shift that’ll make me put on a real smile if I’m working with an awful customer.”

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On the other hand, “the thought of me complaining and having my friends and coworkers agreeing with my struggles during our after-work glass of wine makes it all worthwhile.”

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Ty Stratton-Quirk
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because everyone wants their red velvet cake to taste like beets.

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Saico Hipe
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, beet juice concentrate is used in a lot of foods as a natural red dye, and depending upon the food, it may not alter the taste that much. That being said— if she cared that much about the use of artificial food dyes, WHY THE HELL DIDN'T SHE SPECIFICALLY SEEK OUT A BAKERY THAT DOESN'T USE THEM?! Those exist. If I were allergic or otherwise cared, it would be one of the first questions out of my mouth when placing the order.

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Colin L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, as a bakery employee I'm sure that you were in charge of making the recipes... wait...

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Raine Soo
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hope that management tossed her out on her organic beet ass.

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Martin Burley
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Proper red velvet cake isn't dyed anyway, it's a chemical reaction between the vinegar and cocoa

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Vic D
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Much of the red coloring we use in food is actually made of crushed bugs. I would say it's organic.

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JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Genius! Did you hire her? She sounds like she knows more about baking than your bakery! (Seriously, woman sounds unbearable! What gives her the right?)

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Toujin C'Thlu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's probably how she makes it. And since she makes it makes that way, *everyone* should make it that way, according to her warped mentality.

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Adam Hart-Dyke
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well organic red food dye is made of crushed insects after all, and non organic food dyes are made of petroleum products. So, while the temper tantrum was unnecessary, I don't want food that isn't coloured with beet juice either.

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C.C. de Vere
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've had red velvet cake made with beet-based dye and holy f**k was it disgusting. I spat it out.

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Jo Johannsen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Slightly off topic, but why not leave out the food coloring entirely and call it a brown velvet cake? The color doesn't seem to be a big deal, and I have never heard anyone say, "Ooh, put in more food coloring, it's so yummy!"

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Id row
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I owned a business like that I'd have a wall of shame for all to see. This woman would have been on it.

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bern Habubbi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair they may just not have wanted you using a cochineal based dye

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Beans
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is red food dye that is not cochineal. It's a myth that 'all red food coloring is cochineal' -- cochnieal is not pillarbox red in color (it has a pink tinge) and most bakers wont use it to ice things that are meant to be bright red. Cochineal in red velvet will actually make the cake more pink unless you use a huge amount of cocoa powder. Look up 'what is e124 and it vegan?' most bakeries will use this color red, which is vegan.

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oddkiddo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, originally neither beet juice or food dye was used. The reddish tint came from non-Dutched cocoa. Some recipes use beets for moisture (just like in a carrot cake) and later beet juice was used for color enhancement. Red food dye is made from petroleum and is a known carcinogen. So really you are selling cakes that compares to cigarettes.

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Darth Kittius
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was once a lady that my mom ran into at a Colorado playground. She yelled at my mom for giving us McDonald's instead of going to the whole foods across the street. There are people like that all over the country, including in my part of Idaho.

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Kathryn Baylis
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

First, yuck. Second, if you want a bakery that uses organic beet juice instead of red dye, then go to a bakery that actually advertises their red velvet cake as being made with organic beet juice instead of red dye. FFS!

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Iapetos
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That lady sounds like she needed more organic beet juice.

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#16

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hate people with ill behaved children who don't bother to discipline them.

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How do adult humans NOT know coffee contains caffeine? Though good move quitting rather than strangling her

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Were they fried in lard? That is possible though unlikely and some shortenings contain pork

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BusLady
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lady, they are not going to buy a round table and put your name on it.

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The worker likely had to know before entering the rest of the order because of the ordering system. Some people are just insane

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BusLady
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would think that legally, the money belonged to you. The police would have regarded it as a nuisance call. And what a lousy boss.

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Raine Soo
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do you ever get the feeling that some folks just wake up angry at everything and everyone?

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BusLady
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Personally, I prefer beer in the bottle. I'm sure she lost a lot of respect for her prof after that.

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Samantha Lomb
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If that is not done right and very carefully, it constitutes child abuse as kids don't get the proper nutrients.

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Toujin C'Thlu
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*sighs* What is with men thinking that women don't understand machines, simply because they're women? Especially these days.

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Note: this post originally had 92 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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