There is nothing worse than an entitled customer who thinks that you owe them something, but things get especially complicated when they assume that you work for the place when, in fact, you are just a customer like everyone else. Just imagine being put in that position!
To help prepare for these types of encounters, we've picked out some of the best stories from the subreddit DontWorkHereLady of people who have experienced just that. These stories highlight the entitlement and ignorance of these customers, and they're both hilarious and frustrating to read.
Have you ever found yourself in a similar situation? If so, we want to hear about it in the comments.
To learn more about the impact of customer entitlement on service workers' well-being, Bored Panda reached out to Glenda Fisk and Dr. Lukas Neville, an associate professor at the Asper School of Business who together published a study on that very subject. Read the full interview with Lucas below.
This post may include affiliate links.
So me and my gf were hanging out in this store that had a bit of everything when she decides to look for some covers for her phone, I stayed in an corridor near there looking at the tech stuff when suddenly a lady comes to me.
(I was wearing jeans and a red polo I guess she exanged me for an employee even if they had a blue uniform)
Lady: Hey you, can you tell me where I can get [item]?
Me: (I look around for a second before looking back at her) I don't know, I don't w-
She interrupts me before I could say the magic word "I don't work here" and says
Lady: You brown people are all the same don't know how to treat customers, disgusting!
Me: the face I made as she leaves mfw
I'm about to go to my gf and tell her the story about this crazy lady, but before I could reach her this lady comes back and I kid you not she starts spraying those house deodorants in my face blinding me.
Lady: serves you right for being lazy and [racial slur]
Me: wtf, HELP!
My gf heared me yelling and came and before I could say anything I could hear the lady realize that I didn't infact worked there as my gf calls the police and I guess staff didn't let her leave because when I could see again after washing my eyes she was crying getting arrested, police asked If I'd like to press charges I said yes.
Even if I was an employee there thats no way to treat people, treat others as you wish to be treated.
The end.
Background: I'm a small chinese woman living in a predominately white neighbourhood. Our house have a large front yard, and we like to do the gardening ourselves. I don't speak with an accent, and I usually use a very English name for easy communication. I called for an free estimate from a local duct-cleaning service, and scheduled it on a Saturday.
My mom and I were in the front yard planting flowers and deweeding, chatting family stuff in our own language while enjoying the nice weather outside. We were in full gardening gear complete with straw hats and rain boots with face masks on. A white truck with a trailer drove up and a mid-aged man jumped out.
Guy - (waving me down) Hey! Where is the owner of the house?
Me - (pulling down my mask) Oh, you must be the duct-cleaning service, please come in with me.
Guy - (annoyed) No, I need to speak with the landlord.
Me - (chuckles) I am the landlord. Do you need to come in the house for the esti-
Guy - (cuts me off) No, I need to speak to the person who made the call!
Me - (pulling out my phone) Ok, hold on. (dialing the company number)
Guy - (pulling out his phone) See? The landlord is calling me.
Me - Hi, I'm english name. I'm standing right in front of you. I don't think I will be needing your services today. Goodbye.
The guy stood there dumbstruck for a moment, then sulkily walk back to his truck and left.
My mom looked at me confused and ask in Chinese "what was that?". I shrugged and answered "looks like we need to call another duct-cleaning company".
My husband is a peaceful giant. He is 6 ft 5 and can look quite imposing even though he really is a teddy bear. Never stressed or aggressive, never overreacting our raising his voice, just a peaceful giant.
So here we are, at the grocery shop, with our 6 mo baby shopping for food and whatnot. It is winter in Canada (so, you know, cold) and we are both wearing our coats. The kid is fussy and nothing really calms him except when we carry him in our arms. It is my turn and my husband is going back and forth gathering what we need and bringing the items to our cart when the banshee-from-hell (BFH from now on) got in his face (figure of speech, she was like 5 ft 2) and started yelling at him.
BFH: ARE YOU DONE? You've been helping her FOREVER and I NEED HELP! NOW!
Husband: (with his smooth everything-is-good kind of tone) I'm so sorry (we're Canadians), but I'm afraid I do not work here...
BFH: BULLS**T! I just saw you help HER shopping. NOW, you help ME! AND YOU DO NOT TALK BACK TO ME!
Husband: But...
BFH: STOP! Don't talk to me unless it is to thank me. Are we clear?
My husband sees me boiling and about to interfere but makes a sign that's says he is going to deal with it. He then calmly look at her with a smile.
BFH: (smuggling) GOOD! Now, help me grad the last (item I don't remember, probably some king of condiment) on this high shelve. WHY IN HELL you people always put the stuff I need so high is BEYOND me. Now, chop-chop!
My husband grabs the item, but instead of giving it to her, he keeps it just a tiny bit out of her reach. He looks at it and then at me.
Husband: (grining) Honey, do we need (condiment)?
Me: (catching on) Well, as a matter of fact, yes! We do!
Lady: WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU GIVE HER MY STUFF! IT'S MY STUFF! GIVE IT TO ME!!!
Super slowly, my husband gets closer to the lady. He is so imposing that she calms down immediately. With the biggest of smile and the most polite voice ever, he says to her:
Husband: Again, I do not work here... but thank you for showing me (condiment). We were about to forget it.
And with that, he puts the item in our cart, grabs the baby and together, we left. In the background, the lady howling some profanities. All three of us smiling. I love my husband.
Great response, but nevertheless I ask myself why some people feel the need to be rude to employees and yell at them. Don't they realize that how they act says more about them, than about the person they are yelling at? Besides, being friendly and kind gets you a lot further. It's so stupid and unnecessary...
Though in this post we shared stories where people were mistaken for employees and got targeted instead, people who are most impacted by entitled customer behavior are the service workers. Even though we think that what all service workers want to actually do in these situations is to shout in their faces, the reality is much, much sadder.
Lucas shared what they found in the research regarding the impact of customer entitlement on waitstaff employees' physical and psychological health. “We expected a story about petty and satisfying acts of retaliation. We didn't find it. What we found, which was striking and depressing, is that such encounters simply led to burnout. Service workers most often talked about going even further above and beyond, trying to mitigate the demands of entitled patrons by anticipating their needs and preemptively meeting them. And they left their shifts feeling doubt about their own abilities and fit with the job.”
“We all want to feel confident and capable in our jobs, and dealing with the constant and escalating demands of the entitled robs us of this basic need to feel competent.”
I was grooming my horse Clyde yesterday when a woman came up to me, tugging along a kid around 6 or 7 years old. The woman was wearing way too expensive-looking clothes to be at a barn. Before I could even get a word out, she launched into a tirade about how terrible the service was and how she had spent HOURS trying to find someone to help her. 'Oh, I don’t...,' I began, only to get cut off by her screaming in my face to let her kid ride MY horse."
"I tried to calmly explain that no, her kid couldn’t ride my horse, and no, I could not let her ride any other horses in the barn.
It didn't matter what I said, I couldn’t convince her that I didn’t work there and that I couldn’t 'just let [her] daughter ride.'
Clyde is not fully trained because I recently got him. He's still very young and inexperienced. I wouldn’t even let a kid groom him, as he tends to nip at people. The kid proceeded to try to duck past me and pet his nose. I grabbed the kid's shoulder and gently pushed her back, genuinely worried about Clyde biting her.
The woman gasped and screamed, 'My daughter has every right to touch that horse; she’s probably even better with horses than you are! Besides, you’re just a worker, so don’t you DARE push my kid.'
That made me blow a gasket. 'Your daughter is NOT going to touch my horse; he is NOT suitable with kids and could injure your daughter. Your daughter does NOT know more than me, I’ve been riding for 15 years, and I DON'T WORK HERE!!! Leave me alone!' I shouted.
At this point, my horse was starting to freak out, and I turned to lead him back to his stall and just calm him and myself.
Some barn staff came running over, trying to assess what was happening. The woman kept screaming at me, but I just couldn’t deal with her anymore and walked away, since the staff had her occupied.
My friend (who worked there) told me that they had to threaten to call the cops to get her to leave, because she kept demanding to have her child ride every single horse she saw. She is also banned from the stable now, so happy ending, at least?
So in the '90s I rented a large workshop with two friends. I was a woodworker and the other two were metal workers so obviously none of us resembled the previous business, which had installed skylights, in any way.
Cue the customer of the previous business. C. I have condensed this as the verbatim conversation went on for a *very* long time.
Arrives at my door. A real "Karen".
C: "I need repairs done to the skylights you installed"
Me: "Sorry, that business has moved and I don't know where they are now"
C: " No, I need you to send someone over NOW. The Skylights are leaking"
Me: " As I said, that business has gone. We are a different company."
C: "No, RIGHT NOW!"
Repeat the above a half dozen times...
About now I am realizing I am dealing with either genuine looney or else someone too entitled to listen to plain common sense. I try another tact, caveman speech, who knows it might get through.
Me: "Skylight business gone. New business come. You talking to new business now. Unnerstand?" (Ook)
C: ".........uhhh?"
Me: "Nooooo skylight here!!! Try look in f**king phone book! You bugger off now!"
C leaves in a big huff.
It's all about communication folks.
This just happened today. I'm at my local Wally-world (Wal-Mart) dressed in my Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and just not looking anything like an employee of Wal-Mart. I am with my cart, grabbing chips and salsa for a gathering I have this evening. A nice gal of about 5 foot nothing asked me to help her get some chips from the upper shelf (Why is it the shelves for the chips are always empty at this Wal-Mart?) I, being 6'6 get asked often to grab things from the high shelves. I feel for you vertically challenged folks. So I grab the chips and pass them to her. She thanks me and goes on her way. Then it happens. The HUFF! I turn and see her, she says now that you’re done flirting! Where can I find the batteries? I chuckle and say well what kind, she cuts me off and starts clapping WHERE! clap, ARE clap, THE! Clap BATTERIES! Clap. I then say, I'm sorry, you don't need to clap, I don't work here. She cuts me off again and says, don’t have me get your manager!!! WHERE, clap, ARE, clap, THE, Clap Batteries! Now I knew what she was asking, but being that I hate clappers. (It's the rudest form of communication possible.) I say, they are over in the automotive section. Just talk to one of the service techs out there... She storms off. I continue my shopping when about 5 minutes later, I hear the scream. THAT’S NOT WHAT I WANTED!!! WHERE IS THAT @$$H)LE Associate! I start grinning, here it comes. She hunts me down and says, they only have car batteries there!!! I wanted small batteries for electronics. I look at her, I Smile, and then say, YOU! clap WERE clap, NOT clap SPECIFIC! Clap. Her mouth Drops open, She gasps like I just stole all the oxygen from the area. She then says "where is your manager!!!" Now I work remotely for my company, my manage works in a different state. I say to her. Likely in St. Louis. As I tried to tell you lady, I, clap DONT, clap, WORK, clap, HERE!!! I then turn and walk away, While she spews hate and vulgarity in my direction. I am calling it a good day. Don't clap at me. I'm not performing for you.
I’ve never seen someone do the clapping thing in real life, I didn’t know it’s a real thing!
I tought it was an "and then everybody clapped" thing untill I started working in a store. This actually happens and I hope you'll never meet one.
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Because she was annoyed he helped a pretty young woman, which triggered her inferiority complex, which in turn made her more aggressive. Just a thought.
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These people have more time than I do. I would use ASL and turn and walk away.
I made the mistake of stopping in a walmart for cat food and some other things while wearing a blue polo shirt - nevermind that it was not even walmart blue. I decided to skip getting a cart because i was in a hurry, and was heading to the register with a 20lb bag of cat food over one shoulder and my arms full of other things when a lady tried to stop me, I didn't realize she meant me and she started yelling at my back, asking me where the Electronics department was. I still didn't realize she was talking to me but I thought "We're in the main big aisle with Electronics at the end, is she blind?" While I was standing at the register checking out she walked up with a manager, pointed at me, and said "That's him!" The manager tried to tell her I was just a customer and she said "Then WHY is he wearing a BLUE SHIRT?" and everyone around just looked at her like she had 3 heads. I finally said "You know what, Bob?" (his name was Michael, according to his nametag), (cont)
"I am *expletive* tired of these *expletive expletive* customers harassing me in this store. I quit!" and the lady actually looked satisfied, until everyone around us started laughing.
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It would be funny if someone in this position contacted their manager of their actual job. Ridiculous. And I feel that if someone claps at me I have a right to stop it. Don't snap fingers at me either. I don't know if the clapping comes from some child thing or not, but it is not on, and from what I've seen done while they are being a unreasonable aggressive asshat.
"where is your manager!!!" I can hear the gears turning. Boss where it work - 2 are most likely at the coast, the other is most likely at home since were closed. I'm CFO/CIO for my wifes business so - boss is either home if not with me, if she is then she's either right by my side or on aisle(#) and my own business is also closed so you're screaming at him. Which boss did you have in mind because none of the 5 are going to put up with you.
What is the idea with clapping. Is it supposed to make your utterings easier to understand or what?
Please forgive me, but what is or how this clapping is happening in this story? Never heard of it.
Where is it that people clap like this? Because I want to make sure I never go there.
the only time i clap at people is when I've repeated myself multiple times and they aren't listening. even that's straining it.
Clapping like that is almost as rude as asking, "Do you know who I am?"
The inspiration for conducting this research stemmed from a desire to understand how workers handle these types of customers and resolve conflicts. “We wanted to better understand the costs of entitlement for those who have no choice but to bear the brunt of entitled behaviors. We honestly went in thinking there would be a really interesting story about the ways in which service workers enact revenge or otherwise settle the score,” shared Lucas.
So the question is, how can businesses better support their employees in dealing with entitled customers? Lucas shared: “In many cases, the support provided by managers was both positive and negative. On the upside, some managers would intervene and spare the front-line employee from having to deal with the patron. But on the other hand, we heard about managers simply trying to placate these patrons with extras and special treatment, all of which feed into the expectations that entitled patrons have about how they ought to be treated.”
“My advice might be hard for managers in contexts like restaurants, where margins are already slim, and nobody likes to turn away a paying customer. But nonetheless, I think those in the service industry need to know when and how to fire a customer. The cost of such a strategy is clear. But there are also costs to not firing customers. When you tolerate misbehaving and excessively demanding customers, you demoralize and burn out the very employees who are the face of your brand and the ones who most directly create the customer experience.”
My friend was a manager at this restaurant, and my other friend was a server. A few friends and I went to visit her and get some good food. We showed up, and while my friends were being directed to a table, I stopped to talk to my server friend for about two minutes, then walked to the bathroom. I walked past a table and a woman was staring me down.I just ignored her and walked to the bathroom. I came out, and the woman was waving at me. I awkwardly waved back.
She responded with, 'Hello, can you come here?!' I awkwardly looked around and walked over. She proceeded to call me rude because I ignored her. It didn’t hit me until then that she assumed I worked there.
I laughed, and before I could explain, she demanded the manager. At this point she was pretty loud, so another server came up, and without explaining, she demanded the manager. So the server went to get him. He walked up.
Manager: What’s the problem, ma’am?
Lady: [gesturing at me] Your server ignored me.
Manager: Who? Beth? She doesn’t work here.
Lady: But you know her.
Manager: Yeah, but she doesn’t work here
Lady: THEN HOW DO YOU KNOW HER?
She really didn’t understand how he could know me without me working there. This went on, and eventually she accepted it.
This happened in June 2020 when I was job hunting. My old company (let's call them Company A) laid me off due to the pandemic. So I applied for a job at Company B. The interview was at 8 a.m. I got there at around 7:30 a.m. I parked in the employee parking lot because I was told it would be fine. Then a guy in suit and tie stormed out to the parking lot looking furious.
"The following conversation ensued:
Angry guy: Where the f**k have you been?! You were supposed to be here by 7!
Me: Um, I was told...
AG: [cutting me off] I TOLD YOU TO BE HERE BY 7!
Me: [confused] The email stated 8 a.m.
AG: Are you stupid? We start at 7! First day and you're already late! Get out of here — you're fired!
Me: [fed up] I don't work here!
AG: Obviously, since I fired you!
At this point, I'd had enough of him. I was about to get back in my car when another guy and a woman came out of the office building to see what the fuss was about. Turns out he is the CEO and she is the recruiter.
CEO: What the hell is going on here?
AG: This lazy bum came in on his first day over 30 minutes late!
CEO: [looking at me, then at AG, then back at me] This is unacceptable. What's your name?
Me: *My name*
Recruiter: Oh, you are early.
AG: Early?! HE IS LATE! And fired!
R: He is not. He is here for a job interview. You know the vacant position on your team? He is not even an employee.
AG: Why did he park here, then?
R: Because I told him to. His appointment is at 8 a.m. But we can start now...
Me: With all due respect, I politely decline to work here.
CEO and R: What?
Me: Yeah, I am not interested in working for someone who speaks to his employees in this manner. Also, I don't want to work for someone who can't tell who is working for him.
R: I can't blame you. I promise we will deal with this. Maybe we can reschedule for another day?
Me: I'll keep in touch with you about that.
A few days later, I signed a contract at Transport Company for a reeducation program to become a train operator. I called the recruiter as promised and told her that another interview wasn't necessary. I asked her to please remove me from the list of candidates.
She did and told me I made a good choice, as her father used to work for Transport Company. She also told me that AG got fired two days after he blew up at me. They did an internal investigation and found out about a lot of misconduct and abuse toward his employees. Karma wins.
Once, I was on a train home from work. I stepped onto the train with my headphones in and, not immediately spotting a seat, decided to stand by the train doors. About four stops into my journey, this young lady and her friend got on the train from the other carriage doors. She walked up to me and started talking."
"I removed my earphone, and she was asking me for a train ticket to Brighton. I was like, 'Sorry, darling, you need to find a train employee. I'm a passenger.'
"This should have been the end of the story, but no, she then proceeded to shove £10 into my jacket pocket and walked off with her friend, saying, 'Well, we will tell them at the other end that he wouldn't give us a ticket but they can see from cameras that we paid him for the trip!' I spent the next month standing by those doors every day, but alas, no further luck
I didn't know there's a direct train from Rostock, Germany, to Brighton, England. Maybe I'll plan that as summer vacation, sounds like a lovely trip.
Hopefully, managers will get a better understanding of the value of their employees' mental health and will provide them with the necessary support when it comes to handling entitled customers. We were wondering if people could potentially recognize entitled customers by certain personality traits and behavior. Lucas shared: “We don't have an answer in our paper, but Wayne Hochwarter and his colleagues have some research showing that one of the things that help people cope with entitled people at work is what they call 'political skill'. Those who are well-connected at work and know how to manage relationships seem to weather the experience of entitlement better, perhaps because they know how to go about asking for and receiving support.”
“Imagine trying to get support from a manager or coworkers to deal with an excessively demanding customer. The more you know how to skillfully manage those relationships, the more likely you are to get the kind of support that would help you.”
“To me, this reinforces the need for managers to be proactive in helping employees manage customer entitlement. If you wait for employees to come to you for support, it'll often only be the politically skillful who do so. Everyone else may very well suffer in silence if you are reactive rather than proactive.”
I was doing some late night shopping on a Sunday Night in Walmart when this woman comes up to me.
"Excuse me, I need help finding these items."
She shoves a list to my chest.
"I'm sorry, miss. I don't work here."
I think that was the wrong thing to say as she just explodes on me.
"BULLS**T! DON'T BE LAZY! YOU'RE IN THE UNIFORM!"
My shirt was the same color as a Walmart employee's but I was not an employee.
"It's the same color, but I repeat, I'm not an employee. I can't help you."
"F**K YOU! YOU LAZY F**K! GET ME YOUR MANAGER! I'M GOING TO GET YOU FIRED!"
I decided to just walk away. She yells and tries to chase after me but I keep running until I lose her. Then I go and pay for my things.
Now, a week later, I was told I would be interviewing someone who was applying for the secretary position in our company. So, I go to the interview room and call in the applicant. I look at the picture on the application form and my eyes widened.
It was the same woman who harassed me in the Walmart.
Oh, now this was too perfect.
She came in, saw me, gasps.
"Take a seat, please," I said and she sits down, looking pale.
Oh, I was going to enjoy this but I conducted the interview as professionally as possible. I made it very painful for her.
"So, if someone came up to you and asked for help in a place you did not work, then you told them you didn't work there, and then they yell at you and then they harass you and then they come to a job interview and you were the one interviewing them, what would you do? Would you give them a job?"
She did not get the job and I got some payback.
I worked for a large pet store chain for over three years. I got to know the customers well, but when a new store manager showed up, he destroyed the store. I was one of the first to jump ship after he gave a 'my way or the highway' speech. Shortly after I quit, I needed to go to that store for live insects for my lizard (they were literally the only store in town that carried them)."
I was walking down to the back to pick them up, looking at the disastrous state of the store and multiple people looking for help, when one regular customer who used to annoy me pointed at me (at least 20 feet away) and yelled, 'You work here!' I yelled back, 'Noooope,' and kept walking. It was the best feeling ever
worked at Target and there was a Hobby Lobby across the street. I ran over to Hobby Lobby after a shift to grab something and I was still wearing my red shirt with the target symbols all over it.
A 20 something girl comes up to and says "Do you know where I can find a glue gun?" I paused and just kind of looked at my shirt and I said "... you mean at this store or... like... at Target?" And she just stared at my name tag for a long time and sighed a heavy sigh and quietly said "sorry, I don't know where I am."
If you ever find yourself in a situation where an entitled customer lashes out at you, and you try to do everything in your power to satisfy their needs, resulting in self-doubt, feel free to follow this advice from Lucas. “Talk about it with your colleagues. The feeling that you're bad at your job occurs in part because your reference point isn't a reasonable standard, it's whether you met the unreasonable and unmeetable demands of a patron who will likely never be satisfied or grateful. Talking about the experience with your colleagues helps you get some needed perspective.”
“The key issue, though, is powerlessness. In a consumer culture where 'the customer is always right' and where service workers work in precarious roles, are dependent on tips, and are unprotected from customer aggression, these problems are bound to be worse. Whether managers grant power to employees (by setting clear behavioral standards for customers), or employees take power (say, by unionizing), it's clear to me that the heart of this problem is an imbalance of power between customers and service employees that make workers vulnerable to mistreatment.”
This happened last week. I was visiting Austin, TX and staying at a nice hotel. I’m brown and I’m an IT executive.
I ordered take out from a local BBQ place and was going back to my hotel with my food in a large paper bag with the name of the restaurant written in large letters on the side.
There was a group of people outside the hotel and as I approached the hotel entrance, this women rushes over and grabs my bag of food. I yank it back.
She goes “I’ve been waiting for this!”. It just hits me that she thinks I’m her food delivery driver here with her food. I politely tell her I’m not her delivery driver. With a confused look on her face, she goes “Are sure? You LOOK like one”.
At this point I just want her to let go of my bag and a few of her guy friends come over and tell me to stop giving her a hard time and to hand over her food.
So I spell it out for them. I am NOT your food delivery driver. This is MY food. I’m a guest at this hotel.” I yank the bag away from her and as I enter the hotel, I see her pulling out her phone and saying “I’m calling (delivery service) and telling them what an a$$hole you are … and I want my money BACK!”
Go right ahead lady. Go right ahead …
So there were about three carts in a parking space across from where I parked in the Walmart parking lot, and I was loading my groceries in the trunk. A lady went to pull into the space with three carts and stopped, honked. Waited. Honked again, then got out and shouted at me, 'Why won't you just do your f-ing job? Get these carts out of the way!' As she was moving them violently, I told her, 'I don't work here.' She replied, 'Couldn't tell, how the hell should I know that? You should have done it anyway.'
I reply, 'You should pucker up on my puckered parts, 'cause I don't work here and I didn't put the carts there. Find another spot instead of cussing out a stranger.'
She replied, 'I'm going to talk to management.' Have never laughed harder than when I drove past the entrance to see the woman standing there with someone who appeared to be a manager, pointing angrily at me
My phone often rings, and people want to talk to the doctor's office. Usually I tell them, 'Oh, I'm sorry, you need to dial XXX-XXX-XX88, but you dialed XXX-XXX-XX68 instead.' They apologize, hang up, all is well. Not this morning, though. My phone rings; a woman is on it.
Woman: Hello, my husband is with you. When can I pick him up?
Me: Uh, your husband is not here. Did you want to speak to [doctor's office], by any chance?"
Woman: Yes, of course! What do you mean he's not there? Of course he is!
Me: Ma'am, I'm sorry, but you got the wrong number. You need to...
Woman: What? Of course I have the right number! When can I pick my husband up? I'm waiting outside and it's cold!
Me: Ma'am, sorry, but this is not [doctor's office]. You dialed the wrong...
Woman: I want to speak to the doctor directly. Put me through. I'm gonna put in a complaint about you.
Me: Listen, you are not talking to [doctor's office]. You...
Woman: I've had enough! I'm coming in now. I will complain about you to the doctor directly! [CLACK.]
You do that, lady. You do that.
Lastly, Lucas shared his thoughts on whether entitlement is a growing problem in our society. He responded: “I think it's a serious social issue. It's a source of strain in our working lives. It's a source of conflict. And in an era where costly collective action is needed to solve serious social problems, it's a trait that interferes with cooperation.”
I am a truck driver. I stopped for coffee in Montana and wore a mask in the truck stop because I still do when inside, even though nobody else does. An older woman rushed up to me as I stirred my coffee and declared, 'The ladies' restroom is a disgrace!'"
I replied, 'Well, that's ladies for you. They just can't keep things tidy.'
She gawked and said, 'Aren't you going to clean it?!'
And I said, 'No, I don't give a sh*t if the women's restroom is dirty.'
She went quite red, stared some more, and rushed off to the manager, who had to tell her twice that I did not work there.
Wearing a mask = working at the business now, I guess
This was just a few days ago. So I went to a Subway to get some lunch (since Subway is my favourite fast food chain) and I just ordered my usual sandwich. The place I go to isn't very busy, so the employees mess around in the back.
ENTER STAGE EW.
Debrief on characters: Me - Me... EW - Entitled Woman CSW1 - Cool Subway Worker 1 CSW2 - Cool Subway Worker 2
As I was eating my sandwich, I get a tap on the shoulder and a throat clear. I look back, thinking it was an employee. It was EW.
Me: Uh, yes?
EW: What do you mean "uH, yEs?", get off break and make me a sandwich.
Me: I don't work here, sorry...
EW: Stop lying, it is so obvious you work here. (points at green shirt) And besides no one else is here.
Me: I am sorry, but I just don't work here.
EW: (screaming) YES YOU DO. STOP BEING LAZY YOU bleach. (She throws my food across the Subway.)
The workers hear and come out to investigate.
CSW1: What is going on here?
Me: She-
Before I could finish she interrupts saying,
EW: He is swearing at me saying I'm fat and refusing to make me food! I want him fired!
CSW2: He doesn't work here ma'am. He's one of our usuals.
Me: She also threw my food btw.
They finally notice the sandwich on the floor.
CSW1: Ma'am, leave. Like now.
EW: I WANT MY SANDWICH.
CSW1: We're calling the police.
As soon as they said that, she ran as fast as she could out of here, trying to avoid trouble.
CSW2: You want another sandwich, ACrispyChip?
Me: Yeah, thanks.
I got my sandwich and a cookie. Interesting lunch.
I love the way EW escalates and lies about what the person said as well.
This happened years ago when I worked at Taco Bell. It had been a long day. I finally got my lunch break and decided to walk across the street to McDonald's. I was wearing a very loud Taco Bell uniform shirt and a visor that says Taco Bell on it. I sat down to eat, and a woman a few tables down started venting to her friend that it's 'unacceptable that they let the workers eat at the tables with the customers.'
this was something that happened a lot while ago when I first started dating my now fiancé - it came up in conversation the other day as my fiancé’s best man was threatening to put it in his speech, much to the embarrassment of my soon to be mother in law.
My fiancé and I met at university, many many miles away from his home city. We were in some of the same classes, and romance blossomed. We’d been a couple for a few months when he said that his parents were coming to see him and wanted to meet me as well. The plan was for us to all go out for dinner together the evening they arrived, however my boyfriend had an unmissable meeting scheduled just before we were meant to be leaving. We decided that I’d go ahead and meet them (and be interrogated…) and my boyfriend would try to hurry up the meeting and go straight from there.
I caught the bus into town, however it was just my luck that it broke down halfway through the journey, meaning that I was about 15 minutes behind schedule. I caught my boyfriend just before his meeting to tell him, and he passed on the message to his parents, who replied almost instantly saying that they were already in the restaurant, and gave the location of their table so I could just join them when I got there. This restaurant was fancy-ish - you’d definitely wear smart-casual clothing to dine there, and staff were all in similar dress of white shirt/blouse, pressed trousers and smart shoes. I was wearing the smartest dress I had that which was a dark red, definitely not uniform.
I get there 10ish minutes late and a little bit sweaty and out of breath, and spotted my boyfriend’s parents (I’d seen pictures of them so I knew what they looked like) sitting on a table. I put on a ‘don’t let them know you’re nervous’ smile and walked over there - this is the conversation that followed:
Me: Hi there, sorry I’m late, it’s lovely to meet you...
MIL: Oh, someone’s already taken our drinks order, we’ll be ready to order food when the rest of our party get here.
Me: I’m not your waitress, I’m [my name], [fiancé’s name]’s girlfriend. Sorry for being late.
My poor future mother in law turned the colour of my red dress. She apologised for a good 2 minutes while my future father in law had a fit of the giggles. It was not the most conventional way of meeting the in-laws, but it definitely broke the ice. It wasn’t brought up when my boyfriend arrived but I mentioned it afterwards and it made him laugh too. Although it didn’t have any lasting affect, my MIL definitely doesn’t want this announced at our wedding!
'Are these the only oranges you have?'
I was a bit dumbfounded and replied with, 'I don’t work here, ma’am.'
Her response, which still baffles me, was, 'Are you sure?'
My partner and I just exchanged confused looks. There we were, in T-shirts and hats with 'FIRE DEPARTMENT' all over them, bright green radios on our waistbands, and baggy yellow pants with reflective striping.
She got a bit annoyed at my silence and held an orange up to my face. 'Oranges? These? Do you have any more or are these the only ones you have?'
Still somewhat in disbelief, I answered, 'I work for the fire department.'
She said nothing but motioned to my partner, who was dressed EXACTLY as I was and standing right next to me. 'Excuse me, do you have any more oranges?'
He snorted down a laugh and told her, 'Yeah, I don’t work here either.'
She threw her hands up in exasperation and walked the other way. We left the produce department to go get chicken, only to be approached by her again at the front of the store.
'Excuse me, when will you have the rotisserie chickens again?'
Still making an attempt at being polite, I explained (for the fourth time, for anyone keeping score) that we don’t work at the grocery store because we’re firefighters.
She let out a sigh and snapped, 'Then you shouldn’t be wearing a uniform in public!'
My bad, I guess?
Turn the uniform statement around. "How much do you charge?" "What do you mean?" "Well you're wearing a dress, hookers wear dresses so you must be a hooker right?"
I was in a pharmacy that was having a sale on makeup, with all the sale items together on one table. I had an armful of products and was searching through the rest for particular colors, moving things around, putting some things back when I found something I liked better, etc. A woman came into my aisle and stood a few displays away behind me, complaining to her partner about the pharmacy and how she couldn’t find something. "I was focused on what I was doing, so I wasn’t really listening to their conversation, my brain just registering some kind of sarcastic white noise that was getting increasingly louder and more passive aggressive.
Her partner was quietly trying to hush her as she continued to exaggeratedly sigh and moan to him about how terrible the employees were in the pharmacy, and how she 'NEEDED hellllp!!’ even though from the time she’d walked into the aisle, she had just stood there and never attempted to go find an employee or whatever it was she was after.
Finally, she very loudly and exasperatedly bellowed, 'Does she even work here?!'
I was startled by the outburst and turned around to look at her, finding her looking shocked and turning red because that was the exact moment she realized that no, I didn’t work there and wasn’t some employee ignoring her, and also the moment I realized that the whole two minutes or so of sighing and nasty comments were actually aimed at me.
She grabbed her partner’s arm and marched past me without making eye contact, still complaining about the pharmacy and its ‘terrible service,’ though now in the erratic tone of someone trying to convince themselves they hadn’t just done something embarrassing.
I was dressed in all black (not anything like the employee uniform, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility that I could work there), and I can understand how she might have thought I was restocking or sorting the sale table, but what a way to go about it instead of just asking, 'Excuse me, do you work here?'
I work in an auto parts store, and my uniform shirt has their logo embroidered on it. I was using the self-checkout at the grocery to get lunch, and the woman behind me in line walked up to my scanner with me and loaded her things onto the little shelf beside me. I rang up my sandwich and paid. As I was walking away with my receipt, she started yelling at me to ring her up."
"As I kept walking, she started screaming wordlessly like a spoiled toddler. Sadly, I did not see any employees except the one cashier who had about five people in line waiting. The angry lady may still be waiting for me to ring up her items.
My 10-year-old son was in the hospital after a surgery. Rooms are shared, and the ward was full. My son was quietly reading a book out loud, and he got a new roommate. I had been coming in and out of the room, and I guess I look like a nurse. Nurses were allowed to wear a variety of clothing (this was pre-COVID). I tend to walk quickly, had my hair in a ponytail, and must have had that 'bustling nurse' look. I was in and out of the room, getting some things for my son. So she cornered me, assuming I was in charge here, and let loose about how the other child (my son) was too loud and her child needed peace and quiet (good luck getting that in any hospital room, haha). HER insurance pays for a PRIVATE room (all great, except it is a full house), and I needed to MAKE IT WORK.
The look on her face when I told her I did not work here and the child in the next bed was my son! She looked a bit abashed but mostly exasperated. I get that it’s a stressful time, but the entitlement on this lady was ridiculous.
The entitlement of reading a book out loud in a shared room where we're all supposed to be healing is astounding
So me and my Gf took a trip to Disney land Paris a few years ago as our first holiday together. we were having an awesome time in the parks etc. but one day was incredibly busy so we decided instead of queing hours for rides we would do some souvenir shopping instead for a bit.
We are in a store in Disney land browsing various mugs, fridge magnets, plush toys you know, the general overpriced stuff. when a very sweet English woman asked me if I could help her across the store as I'm a tall guy 6ft4, I said "yeah that's fine" I get it at home in supermarkets all the time so no biggy, turns out her daughter wanted a specific Winnie the pooh toy that was at the top of a huge pile of plushes. I gladly grabbed it down for her and gave it to the little girl who was over the moon.
This is where things got strange. A fairly young French lady moved over to me chatting in French and gesturing at a shelf with some glasses on it, I speak a tiny bit of French, but definitely not enough to know what she wanted so I polietly told her sorry I speak English and I'm not an employee. I was wearing jeans and a wine coloured hoodie which is not even remotley close to Disney cast members uniforms.
The French lady stormed off and I thought that was that. I went and found my GF and we were looking at some gift ideas for our families, when from right behind me I heard a woman say "this is him" in English but with a French accent. I turned around to see the afore mentioned French lady who had dragged an actual employee over to me to give me a scolding. Her accent was very heavy but she said something along the lines of "he helped somone but not me, workers should be trained better" the actual Disney employee immediately could see I was a guest at the park, apologised and lead the woman away. All we could hear from the other side of the store was the French lady shouting and getting very irate. I assume she was removed from the store.
Anyway me and my GF took a couple of Minnie and micky mouse mugs to the register to pay for, and the employee who sorted the situation was on the next register she said "please wait there" she toddled off and came back a couple minutes later with a stuffed luke Skywalker Mickey mouse and a stuffed princess Leia Minnie mouse for my Gf. "Theese are for you as way of an apology" "it's not necessary, was just a misunderstanding" I said but she insisted, so we got some pretty cool free souvenirs, Thanks! Angry French lady.
TL;DR on vacation in Disney land, French lady mistakes me for employee in store and gets angry, angry lady removed from store and we are given a free Mickey and Minnie mouse to say sorry.
Last year, my husband and I were picking up our cat after surgery. The vet's assistant at the front counter said she was listless but okay and wouldn't get into her carrier. They let me go in the back to try to get her in the carrier, while my husband stayed up front and paid. I got her into the carrier, brought it up front, and gave it to my husband. As my husband and I were trying to soothe our cat before heading out to the car, the next lady in line snapped her fingers at me. She said she was there to pick up her dog and could I go in the back and get it. I said, 'Sorry, I don't work here.' And the assistant behind the counter had gone somewhere after finishing the transaction with my husband.
The lady said, 'I saw you give that man his cat; now get my dog.'
Again I said, 'Sorry, but I don't work here, and that's OUR cat.'
She again snapped at me and said, 'Get my dog now!'
My husband turned to her and said, 'That's my wife, and we are picking up our cat. I'm sure someone will be up here soon to help you.'
The lady said, 'Don't cover for her. I saw her come from the back with your cat. Are you trying to score with her? It won't work; I don't think a girl like her would go for a guy like you. Now, where is my dog?'
I took this chance to give my husband the sloppiest kiss I could, saying, 'You're just my type, wanna go home with me?' Just then, a worker came from the back and said she could help the lady. The lady scoffed and said, 'It's nice that someone here can. Your coworker here is all over this person and won't get my dog.'
The vet assistant simply said, 'Ma'am, she doesn't work here, she's just picking up her cat.' Then the lady said something that would have set me off if I wasn't so concerned about getting our cat home. 'Well, why didn't she say something, then?' Had I not been so busy trying to leave and preparing for the car ride ahead, I would have lit into her. The cat is fine, just had a strange growth removed, but she learned some colorful words I let out about the lady at the vet on the ride home
I made the mistake of wearing khakis and a red shirt into Target once. I got asked SO many questions, but just laughed it off. One lady though...
I was looking at makeup and this lady with her small child came running up to me. She asked where the bathrooms were and I told her I had no idea. She went from 1 to 100 and started screaming her child was about to have an accident, so I better get on my radio and figure it the f**k out.
I said, "I don't work her and frankly I don't give a damn about your kid." She went stomping off, so I went to grab groceries.
As I'm wheeling up to pay the lady taps on my shoulder and says gleefully "Remember me? YOU'RE GETTING FIRED!" I look over to the manager who looks at me and says "I don't recognize you. Do you work here?" When I said no, he looked really exhausted and said, "I'm sorry ma'am, enjoy your day." The crazy lady was still insisting he "fire" me as I was leaving. Poor guy.
I've never made that fashion mistake again
Why do so many of these angry people refuse to accept an “I don’t work here”? Is it like a common thing for retail workers to pretend not to be at work while they are out on the floor?
We moved into a new house a few years ago. 2 days after we get settled in, it’s a gorgeous day so I’m out tending the garden. If you live in Louisiana you’ll realize that nice days are few and far in between. It’s hot and muggy.
About 30 minutes after I start, this woman walks beside the house. She compliments my garden and asks how much my services cost. So I told her ma’am I don’t do services. About this time my husband walks out and puts something into the car. So alls perfectly fine right?
No. This woman decides to call the police and tell them we are robbing the place. I don’t know if her watching my husband caused that thinking as he was pulling stuff out of the house and into the vehicle or what. We were new neighbors, moved in like a few days prior so you’d think she would have seen us moving.
3 cops show up a few minutes after she left. We didn’t know she called the cops. They pull up while both of us are wondering what the hell happened. Maybe someone we knew died or our kid got arrested. Neither. They said we were called in as an active burglar. We had to prove it was ours. She didn’t even talk to us about or mention robbery. Although I guess in the moment she just lost it. People are crazy here.
I was done with work early one day. On the train ride home, I figured I’d stop to do some clothes shopping. I was shopping around a store in the business-attire section (in my business attire), and this lady (who only spoke Spanish) asked if I spoke Spanish and if I could help her. I said yes and asked what she needed.
"Spanish lady: ¿Sabes donde están las maletas? ("Do you know where the suitcases are?")
Me: Perdón, señora, yo no trabajo aquí, pero creo que están en el primer piso. ("Sorry, ma’am, I don’t work here, but I think they’re on the first floor.")
We both laughed, and she commented on how nice my clothes looked. It made me blush a little bit (I'm self-conscious), then she thanked me for helping her.
Another lady came up to me in a not-so-nice way, demanding that I get her another coat with matching pants in a certain size, asking why we had suits mixed up, and specifically wanting me to get her a f-ing dressing room, since she had no idea why we only had two open in the middle of the pandemic.
"I explained to her that 1) we're in a pandemic, 2) I don't know s**t about suits, I just wear them, and 3) I don't f-ing work there.
Mean lady: Of course you f-ing work here, why else would you be dressed like that?
Me: Because I like dressing nice, and frankly, it's none of your business.
ML: Well, I saw you helping the other lady! Stop lying!
Me: Because she was nice; maybe you should try it every once in a while.
At this point, one of the actual workers saw what was going on and intervened. We both happened to be in the changing room (different stalls), and she started going off on the phone about how a 'rude employee' refused to help her.
When I was done trying on new suits, she was talking to the manager about me. The manager was like, 'Who TF is that dude?' I just laughed and paid for my clothes.
I was browsing on my phone while having new tires mounted on my car. The club store I was at doesn’t have a waiting area currently, so I found an empty aisle nearby and found something sturdy to lean against while I waited. An older woman was pushing her cart down the aisle. I overheard her say, 'It’s impossible to get any help here. All the employees are too BUSY glued to their phones.'I didn’t think much of it, since I’m clearly not an employee. The employees wear black shirts, and a blue vest complete with store logo. I had a gray Guinness beer T-shirt on.
The lady passed me and made it to the end of the aisle. I’m not sure if she was expecting me to pick up on her ‘hint,’ but she turned around and walked up to me, almost hitting me with her cart, and said, 'Would it be too much trouble for you to put your phone down and do your job? When you see a customer in need, you’re supposed to help them out. That’s what you get paid for!'
I begin to tell her, 'I’m sor—'
Lady: SORRY? Well, you should be. I’ve been walking around trying to find disposable plates and platters, and there’s no one willing to help! Why is it so hard for you people to do your jobs?!
Me: I don’t work here. I’m waiting for my car to be serviced [motioning to the ‘Tires and Battery Center’ signage]. If you’re looking for the plates, they’re two or three aisles over.
At that point, she actually took the time to look at what I was wearing. Holding back frustration or embarrassment, she said thank you and walked away.
At least this one accepted reality and even said ‘thank you’ at the end?
I went clothes shopping today.
The dressing room had a 6 item limit and I had more than 6 things to try on so left some with the dressing room clerk at the desk.
I folded up the things I’d tried on that I wasn’t buying and brought them to the clerk and exchanged them for new items.
As I was doing this a woman tapped me on the shoulder saying “Hey, hey, carry these in here please” I guess assuming I was a clerk too.
“I don’t work here.”
“Sure you do, I just saw you folding clothes.”
“I was returning those items. I’m in a hurry here. Excuse me.”
And I walked off because I didn’t have time to get into it with her and try on everything I needed to.
“Hey!” She followed me. Thankfully the desk clerk saw her and went over to help her so she left me be.
I went into the changing room, put on an outfit, and stepped out to see it in the full length mirror.
Bear in mind I had changed my clothes at this point. I don’t know how this didn’t make it clear that I was shopping.
But she asked “Can you get this for me in a smaller size?”
I pretended to not hear her and rushed back into my dressing room to avoid the confrontation. Apparently I was in such a hurry that I did not properly latch the door.
Because, sliding the dress over my head, tits flopped out in the breeze, this woman follows after me and opens the door.
I take the dress off and see her staring mouth agape, and she just says “You really don’t work here, do you?” Stunned, but mostly irritated, I reply “Would I be naked if I worked here?”
She walked away, I shut the door and finished up. When I came out to give my next round of items to the clerk the woman was waiting for me.
She apologized over and over and said she’d been on autopilot all day. I told her not to worry about it and I hoped she enjoyed the show.
I wonder what the clerk thought happened.
Plot twist: After apologizing, she offered to buy coffee for both of them. She says I sure did like the show. Two years later, they are now happily married to each other.
I was working at a bar, and a regular got up to go to the restroom. When she passed a guy sitting down eating, he stopped her and asked for ketchup. I saw the whole thing and laughed (as I picked up a bottle of ketchup to bring it to him), but laughed even more when I saw her stop and look at the guy before grabbing fries off his plate and putting them in her mouth before turning around to continue on her way to the bathroom. He was shocked, but I came up a second later, laughing, with the ketchup and told him that next time, he might not want to ask someone who had been sitting at the bar since before he got there to fetch him something.
I don’t wanna make assumptions as to why he was making the assumption, but I didn’t feel bad about him getting his fries eaten. I think he knew what he had done because not only did he not complain at all, but he apologized
I'm honestly pissed after reading these stories. Where do all this human garbages come from?!
Same! I need a palate cleanse of happier content 😢
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As Colin Matthews stated, if the customer thinks you’re in uniform, doesn’t matter what kind, they just think you work at that place. They don’t seem to be able to differentiate. Being in full letter carrier uniform and they think I work at Walmart.
You could be in a hard hat, a high vis vest, dragging a jackhammer in one hand and a slow/stop sign in the other and someone would STILL demand to know why Walmart is out of eggs. XD
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I love these things. I used to run big box retail and more than once i was "the manager" that got called over. My absolute favourite was similar to the firefighter story above, when a bemused fireman in full kit (long story but an alarm was going off in a neighbouring building) came up to me and asked me to explain that he didn't work there to a clearly confused woman wanting to collect a TV. Apparently just being in any uniform is the ticket
I have one of these. I live close to a zoo and am a member, so I visit regularly and have come to know the keepers and the animals. I suppose I've begun to exude an air of confidence while I am there, because people come up to me ALL the time to ask for help with directions, information on the animals, etc. The fact that the zoo has a very specific uniform and that I'm NOT wearing it should be a tip-off, but oh well (one time I was wearing a bright red Christmas jumper and even that didn't act as a deterrent). It's honestly easier for me to just help them than to explain that I don't work there most of the time and I'm happy to do it, because I love the animals. BUT I've had several interactions which have just been absurd. Anything from parents demanding that their children be allowed to pet the animals to rudely insisting that I explain to them where certain animals are, or better yet, why the zoo didn't have specific animals and when we "planned to get them."
Fortunately, this list isn't any longer or I would hurt my neck with all the head shaking! What the everloving kitty Goddess Bastet is wrong with people? I am German, and you know all the clichés: We stare, are rude, unfriendly, direct, efficient, have absolutely no sense of humour at all and don't do small talk. Well, I dare you to walk into any German shop or restaurant and talk to an actual employee like the people in these stories. You will find all these clichés proven right in under three minutes! Scream or clap (wtf?) at an employee, insult them or spray something in their face (again wtf??!) and you will find yourself outside on your behind with a lifelong ban to that place before you can even say "The customer is always right!" Employees have rights, they earn a decent wage, they cannot be fired at the drop of a hat and they will have NONE of your bullshît. If it is your unlucky day, even other customers will give you an earful. I forget to mention: We are quite judgy, too!
Meanwhile I could be wearing the obvious uniform and name tag and apron at my own store and someone would ask if I work there.
I have had two of those experiences. One time I was at Kohl's ( I am Mexican in the South btw) and I had some clothes over my shoulder. Then an older white lady asked where something was and I said I didn't work there. The second time was at a hotel in the south and Poc asked if I worked there too. I am 15 I don't work period. My dad has also been asked by our neighbor who knew us how much he was charging for lawn care. He also forget his name.
Decades ago we made a tour with the Fiat 500 Club (the old ones). At one point we went over with a ferry and there were a lot of 500 on the ferry. There were stairs to the upper deck but they were closed off with a red/white chain. I saw a man in a captains uniform and I asked him if I could go to the upper deck to make a photo. NP. I made a nice picture of all these 500 on the ferry. Later in the day we all stopped at a restaurant for lunch. The "captain" was there also. He was a member of our club just dressed up as a captain. (Excuse my mistakes, English is not my native language)
It seems to me that in every story except from the last one, it’s all women who are shouting and complaining and not wanting to own up to making a mistake. In the last story it is a man, and he just apologizes.
My husband wont ask an employee anything. Just comes home without the item cause he couldnt find it. When i told friends this all the woman said that their husbands do the same thing
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For the love of all things good, never ever wear a red shirt and khakis to go shopping at Target.
I don't read the long winded submissions. Not because I can't read, but I don't want to be half way through reading when I'm all the way through pooping.
Just poop slower. Relax. Everything will come out all right.
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My work uniform is dark blue coveralls that say "City of (city name)" on the back and have a little patch on the front that says "Public Works" and my name. I understand the confusion if I wear them into a store with an automotive department, but then there is the upscale grocery store in my neighborhood. Three times I have been accosted by older women who assume I work there. In grease stained coveralls. At a grocery store...Two of them were nice about, one has assured me I'll be fired and never work there again.
I guess she got her way, as you don't work there and probably never will.
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This happens to me all the time. I must look approachable. The difference is that most people say “You don’t work here do you?” Since they are polite and struggling I tell them I don’t work her, but I have the App. Most of the big box store apps tell you what aisle something is in.
I have a few of these. some were wholesome and a couple that are not and one where I had just come out of hospital and was not in the best of moods
#2 I was shopping in ASDA, Wearing my favourite black T-Shirt (You know the one(see #1)) when an old lady asked me where the biscuit flavour tea bags were. I apologized and said "Sorry, I don't work here" She looked a bit upset, and we were pretty much at the start of our shopping, so I suggested that we shop together as I like to zigzag up and down the aisles and could help her with her shopping too. She explained how she just went straight to what she wanted, as she was too old for all that walking. I smiled and said to her "How about you walk down the middle line aisle and wait for me as I go into the aisle to pick up my stuff and if there's anything she wants from the same aisle I can get it for her" She smiled and Told me "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother" I said it was fine and would be fun.
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I was in a hardware store close to the restaurant i work at to pick up some light bulbs a that broke that day. I was wearing a chefs jacket and an apron cause i just went to pick some up during hours but when the restaurant was quiet. This woman asked me to help her and when i said i didnt work there and pointed towards an employee she was very annoyed as if i embarrased her. I dont see how a green polo with the logo of the store and a chefs jacket and apron are remotely close but here we are. I also have had very agree customers after telling them that we are not -insert different restaurant name here-. And a lot of 'are you sure?' Yes.. i do know where i work....
I look a lot younger and people mistake me for a teenager a lot. Im close to 30. Im a manager and a lot of people keep asking were they can find someone in charge after i have already told them that that is me. They usually look for a male or a taller colleague of mine and start talking to them. Feels bad
It says a LOT that we had to read all the way through to see the few where the person apologized.
Hard to read all these stories about horribly rude people. And no blood was shed. Amazing
I've had people mistake me for an employee multiple times, but usually they just accept that I don't work there, and I'll try to point them in the general direction if I have an idea where things might be.
I don't feel for any of these Karens, but lets admitt that doing this is the most embarrassing thing. 😬 I still cringe over a visit to a makeup store when a person (wearing all black like the staff) stod looking at the products and I asked her something. When she said she didn't work there 😳 I felt so embarressed I blurted out: Your makeup is so beautiful that I thought you worked here. 🤦♀️ Oh gosh. It made me careful everytime I ask anyone something in stores.
I'm kinda lost. I've never been told "I don't work here" by an employee, unless I was too clueless to know I'd been lied to.
Im a restaurant manager and when i tell them that im not the restaurant they thought they were at and that they meant to be next door they often ask 'are you sure?' Yes... i do know what restaurant i work at....
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I'm an old woman who always carries a purse and I've been stopped and accosted several times in various stores including a hardware by ignorant twerps wanting me to serve them. These are not exaggerated.
Load More Replies... I think I only believed two of these stories. Most of this thread is fake. Welcome to AI. I did tell a customer once that I hope he finds some grace in his day, and he flipped sh*t on my manager. It was so funny to hear his complaint when he said it out loud. Said I was forcing my religious beliefs on him as a customer. LOL. Memories...
I think your memory is fake... see how that works with an outsider who clearly doesn't know what they're talking about points at you now?
Load More Replies... I'm honestly pissed after reading these stories. Where do all this human garbages come from?!
Same! I need a palate cleanse of happier content 😢
Load More Replies... As Colin Matthews stated, if the customer thinks you’re in uniform, doesn’t matter what kind, they just think you work at that place. They don’t seem to be able to differentiate. Being in full letter carrier uniform and they think I work at Walmart.
You could be in a hard hat, a high vis vest, dragging a jackhammer in one hand and a slow/stop sign in the other and someone would STILL demand to know why Walmart is out of eggs. XD
Load More Replies... I love these things. I used to run big box retail and more than once i was "the manager" that got called over. My absolute favourite was similar to the firefighter story above, when a bemused fireman in full kit (long story but an alarm was going off in a neighbouring building) came up to me and asked me to explain that he didn't work there to a clearly confused woman wanting to collect a TV. Apparently just being in any uniform is the ticket
I have one of these. I live close to a zoo and am a member, so I visit regularly and have come to know the keepers and the animals. I suppose I've begun to exude an air of confidence while I am there, because people come up to me ALL the time to ask for help with directions, information on the animals, etc. The fact that the zoo has a very specific uniform and that I'm NOT wearing it should be a tip-off, but oh well (one time I was wearing a bright red Christmas jumper and even that didn't act as a deterrent). It's honestly easier for me to just help them than to explain that I don't work there most of the time and I'm happy to do it, because I love the animals. BUT I've had several interactions which have just been absurd. Anything from parents demanding that their children be allowed to pet the animals to rudely insisting that I explain to them where certain animals are, or better yet, why the zoo didn't have specific animals and when we "planned to get them."
Fortunately, this list isn't any longer or I would hurt my neck with all the head shaking! What the everloving kitty Goddess Bastet is wrong with people? I am German, and you know all the clichés: We stare, are rude, unfriendly, direct, efficient, have absolutely no sense of humour at all and don't do small talk. Well, I dare you to walk into any German shop or restaurant and talk to an actual employee like the people in these stories. You will find all these clichés proven right in under three minutes! Scream or clap (wtf?) at an employee, insult them or spray something in their face (again wtf??!) and you will find yourself outside on your behind with a lifelong ban to that place before you can even say "The customer is always right!" Employees have rights, they earn a decent wage, they cannot be fired at the drop of a hat and they will have NONE of your bullshît. If it is your unlucky day, even other customers will give you an earful. I forget to mention: We are quite judgy, too!
Meanwhile I could be wearing the obvious uniform and name tag and apron at my own store and someone would ask if I work there.
I have had two of those experiences. One time I was at Kohl's ( I am Mexican in the South btw) and I had some clothes over my shoulder. Then an older white lady asked where something was and I said I didn't work there. The second time was at a hotel in the south and Poc asked if I worked there too. I am 15 I don't work period. My dad has also been asked by our neighbor who knew us how much he was charging for lawn care. He also forget his name.
Decades ago we made a tour with the Fiat 500 Club (the old ones). At one point we went over with a ferry and there were a lot of 500 on the ferry. There were stairs to the upper deck but they were closed off with a red/white chain. I saw a man in a captains uniform and I asked him if I could go to the upper deck to make a photo. NP. I made a nice picture of all these 500 on the ferry. Later in the day we all stopped at a restaurant for lunch. The "captain" was there also. He was a member of our club just dressed up as a captain. (Excuse my mistakes, English is not my native language)
It seems to me that in every story except from the last one, it’s all women who are shouting and complaining and not wanting to own up to making a mistake. In the last story it is a man, and he just apologizes.
My husband wont ask an employee anything. Just comes home without the item cause he couldnt find it. When i told friends this all the woman said that their husbands do the same thing
Load More Replies... For the love of all things good, never ever wear a red shirt and khakis to go shopping at Target.
I don't read the long winded submissions. Not because I can't read, but I don't want to be half way through reading when I'm all the way through pooping.
Just poop slower. Relax. Everything will come out all right.
Load More Replies... My work uniform is dark blue coveralls that say "City of (city name)" on the back and have a little patch on the front that says "Public Works" and my name. I understand the confusion if I wear them into a store with an automotive department, but then there is the upscale grocery store in my neighborhood. Three times I have been accosted by older women who assume I work there. In grease stained coveralls. At a grocery store...Two of them were nice about, one has assured me I'll be fired and never work there again.
I guess she got her way, as you don't work there and probably never will.
Load More Replies... This happens to me all the time. I must look approachable. The difference is that most people say “You don’t work here do you?” Since they are polite and struggling I tell them I don’t work her, but I have the App. Most of the big box store apps tell you what aisle something is in.
I have a few of these. some were wholesome and a couple that are not and one where I had just come out of hospital and was not in the best of moods
#2 I was shopping in ASDA, Wearing my favourite black T-Shirt (You know the one(see #1)) when an old lady asked me where the biscuit flavour tea bags were. I apologized and said "Sorry, I don't work here" She looked a bit upset, and we were pretty much at the start of our shopping, so I suggested that we shop together as I like to zigzag up and down the aisles and could help her with her shopping too. She explained how she just went straight to what she wanted, as she was too old for all that walking. I smiled and said to her "How about you walk down the middle line aisle and wait for me as I go into the aisle to pick up my stuff and if there's anything she wants from the same aisle I can get it for her" She smiled and Told me "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother" I said it was fine and would be fun.
Load More Replies... I was in a hardware store close to the restaurant i work at to pick up some light bulbs a that broke that day. I was wearing a chefs jacket and an apron cause i just went to pick some up during hours but when the restaurant was quiet. This woman asked me to help her and when i said i didnt work there and pointed towards an employee she was very annoyed as if i embarrased her. I dont see how a green polo with the logo of the store and a chefs jacket and apron are remotely close but here we are. I also have had very agree customers after telling them that we are not -insert different restaurant name here-. And a lot of 'are you sure?' Yes.. i do know where i work....
I look a lot younger and people mistake me for a teenager a lot. Im close to 30. Im a manager and a lot of people keep asking were they can find someone in charge after i have already told them that that is me. They usually look for a male or a taller colleague of mine and start talking to them. Feels bad
It says a LOT that we had to read all the way through to see the few where the person apologized.
Hard to read all these stories about horribly rude people. And no blood was shed. Amazing
I've had people mistake me for an employee multiple times, but usually they just accept that I don't work there, and I'll try to point them in the general direction if I have an idea where things might be.
I don't feel for any of these Karens, but lets admitt that doing this is the most embarrassing thing. 😬 I still cringe over a visit to a makeup store when a person (wearing all black like the staff) stod looking at the products and I asked her something. When she said she didn't work there 😳 I felt so embarressed I blurted out: Your makeup is so beautiful that I thought you worked here. 🤦♀️ Oh gosh. It made me careful everytime I ask anyone something in stores.
I'm kinda lost. I've never been told "I don't work here" by an employee, unless I was too clueless to know I'd been lied to.
Im a restaurant manager and when i tell them that im not the restaurant they thought they were at and that they meant to be next door they often ask 'are you sure?' Yes... i do know what restaurant i work at....
Load More Replies... I'm an old woman who always carries a purse and I've been stopped and accosted several times in various stores including a hardware by ignorant twerps wanting me to serve them. These are not exaggerated.
Load More Replies... I think I only believed two of these stories. Most of this thread is fake. Welcome to AI. I did tell a customer once that I hope he finds some grace in his day, and he flipped sh*t on my manager. It was so funny to hear his complaint when he said it out loud. Said I was forcing my religious beliefs on him as a customer. LOL. Memories...
I think your memory is fake... see how that works with an outsider who clearly doesn't know what they're talking about points at you now?
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