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"The customer is always right," reads customer service rule number one, popularized back in the early 1900s. Is this slogan truly correct, though? I'm pretty sure that anyone who's ever worked in this field has had the pleasure of encountering at least a few customers that were being rude to them for no apparent reason. I mean, we've even made a list of times customers acted like total jerks and got shamed for it.
And even though in such situations, the staff are expected to suck it up and stay collected, there's always a sneakier and a more subtle way to get back. Recently, TikTok user @officialtbw asked fellow customer service workers to share things they've done to a customer who has been rude to them, and started it all by revealing how he sometimes gives people cold butter instead of room-temperature, because he knows that cold butter will rip up their bread. Since then, thousands of TikTok users have jumped on the bandwagon by sharing their own little stories.
Without further ado, Bored Panda invites you to look through a list of some of the funniest, most savage and passive-aggressive ways customer service workers have gotten revenge on impolite customers. Don't forget to vote for your favorite ones and share your own stories in the comment section!
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#1
someone paid me $17 in change while laughing to their friend that I'd have to count it so I lost count 6 times right as I was about to be done countin
#2
As a delivery driver I once spent the entire drive en route to a chronically rude customer's house shaking the bottle of soda they'd ordered
#3
I took a deep breath and was extra nice to them. They were so triggered but sounded insane complaining to my boss about how nice I was being
#4
when I was a teacher I had a parent was constantly rude. I told her her baby started walking so she missed her first steps
#5
Under blend their smoothies so the little chunks block their straws
#6
I'm in heating & air and if they're rude...I tell them it'll take 3 days to get the part for their heater..even though I have the part. be cold karen
Anna roberts 3 years ago
Worked at a Wendy's in HS. Do not piss of the people while ordering at the drive thru. JS
#7
Sprayed fart spray in the isle because they didn't wear a mask and cussed me out when I told them we required a mask
#8
When I was a cashier if anyone came to my register on the phone I always talked to them loudly to make it harder for them to talk on the phone
#9
allow them to put their card in to pay and hit escape so they have to do it again. repeat until I feel better
#10
If they threw their money at me to pay, I'd throw their change back at them, smile and walk away
#11
I “accidentally” forget to take the sensors off so they have to come back and I can waste their “precious time”
#12
Be nice to the wedding photographer. If you're not I include all the awful photos of you & sometimes even add some weight in photoshop
#13
booked their airplane seat on a 10+ hour flight right next to the bathroom
#14
Used to work at a grocery store, if people were extremely rude to me I would squash their loaf of bread in my hand while packing it in a bag
#15
I put extra, extra hot sauce in their salsa then do not refill their drinks
#16
If someone was being very rude to me I would save their number at the end of the day and put it in insurance offers and stuff so they would get calls
#17
I worked in the drive-thru at a Wendy's. rude people got broken straws for their sodas. because nothings more annoying than a cracked straw
#18
she payed me in ones.... i checked each and everyone up to the light
#19
Sometimes if they get kids meals, I'll give each one a different toy so maybe the kids will fight over it and annoy the parents
#20
I've given a tip back and said “ you clearly need this more than I do”
#21
I work at a deli and when I customer is being a Karen I'll squish the cheese together after I slice it so it's impossible to separate later
#22
One time I gave someone their 99 cents change back in nickels and pennies because “that's all we had in store at the moment”
#23
I put them on my “don't take cake from her” contact list so when they call, i always tell them I'm booked
#24
I worked at Verizon and I would make sure a little dust got under their glass screen protector on their phone
#25
give them decafe espresso shots
#26
I work at a restaurant and I made a lady wait the entire 40 minute wait time we quoted her even tho her table was ready in 20 minutes
#27
I used to work at a coffee shop and if someone was rude to me, I wouldn't stir their coffee so that all the sugar would just sit at the bottom!
Graham Baker 3 years ago
or you could over-sweeten their coffee. because they could stand to be a whole lot sweeter.
#28
Grocery store worker here and when rude asking To see if a product was in the back politely told him it had been recalled cuz people died
#29
I used to purposely put the french fries at McDonald's upside down so it would spill as they pulled them out
#30
Nonchalantly break their candy bars in half as I bagged them
Average Grizzlies Fan 3 years ago
If this is Kit Kat or Hershey then you are helping them, any other candy and it is just what they deserve
#31
Not offer whipped cream on their hot chocolate because it's the best and they're the worst
Average Grizzlies Fan 3 years ago
I'm honestly not a huge fan of whipped cream. I know a lot of people that love it though; it's always the most popular thing with the Thanksgiving dessert.
#32
I don't say a word to them and the person after them I'm alway extra and hyper with them. the look back like huh
#33
If a customer spells their name out to me rudely, I spell it wrong just to make myself feel better
#34
When I worked at a grocery store & ppl would throw their money onto the moving conveyer belt instead of my open hand, I'd let the belt eat the money
#35
I work at a bqq restaurant and someone ordered $150 worth of food with no tip and I “forgot” all their bqq sauce oopssss
#36
When I worked at McDonald's and rude people would ask for extra sauce, I would give them pancake syrup
#37
In a hotel... put them in a room above the parking garage entrance/valet. Also scheduled 4am wake up calls
#39
I'm an ultrasound tech...I used the COLD gel even though we have gel warmers
Daisy Chain 3 years ago (edited)
I feel like this is a bit rude, as it's someone's body you are being rude to. Also, if it's a pregnant lady, as a women, I know that hormones tend to skyrocket when we are pregnant.
#40
Leave them on hold..... for a long time.... and then *accidentally* hung up and turned off my phone for lunch
What do you think ?
Caroline 3 years ago
Some of these are funny and revenge is sweet, I'm just not very amused if someone is being stressed. When I'm upset or having a really bad day I can sometimes be rude, but when I calm down a little I'll apologize (if I'm still there, say like McDonalds, I'll go back to the cashier to apologize) for my behaviour. Everyone can have a bad day or be very stressed. I would feel really stupid if I did something mean to a customer in secret, only to have the customer apologize later.
Candy Rae 3 years ago
I think this article is somewhat harmful. Its one thing to be petty in your personal life but i dont think i want to celebrate people purposely do ing a crap job because someone was was a bit rude. Lower yourself to their level...does that make you a better person? I like the " act super fake nice so they cant complain" thats the only one i would do.
Zoe Snyder 3 years ago (edited)
My mom works at a Starbucks and she regularly gets a lady we've dubbed "Patricia". Patricia will order a frappuchino, drink the whole thing, and then come back into the store saying that the drink wasn't sweet enough. She comes about 3 times a week. Once, my mom was working the drink station and she purposefully pumped a crapload of syrup in there just to piss Patricia off. Patricia didn't come back for 2 weeks after that. Edit: I don't understand why I'm getting downvotes, because my mom works for almost minimum wage on a regular 9 to 5 basis. Also, Patricia will criticize and not even drink her drink anymore, my mother says it's a control thing, and Patricia is just being a big nuisance.
Awsomemom52 3 years ago
I had these two annoying regulars while working at a poolside cafe. They were loud, rude and never obeyed our rules ... like not putting drinks on the edge of the pool table, not smoking at the table (that was almost 30 years ago) etc. So I was always polite to them ... but no more. When they were back, other regular customers came, whom I greeted warmly, we made short small talk, exchanged compliments and I smiled warmly the whole time. When the "annoying guests" paid, they said I would never get a tip from them because I was never so nice to them. I just put on my "customer smile" and said: This is how I treat guests who I like because they are always nice ... as opposed to both of you!
Shalini Pabreja 3 years ago
Okay so BF posted a thread not long ago on how petty people can be and shaming them for wanting revenge on actual offensive acts. But it’s perfectly fine for people in service to break all the rules of civility and decency just because they didn’t like the tone a paying customer used? Granted, some of the cases the revenge might be called for but often, things can be resolved in a civilised manner without resorting to petty, childish behaviour exemplified in this post. Badly done, BF.
Dorothy Cloud 3 years ago
There is no end to rude people. I know, I used to work with the public. I didn't do anything except get slow and if necessary.......slower.
*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 3 years ago (edited)
There's this one candle store I'd really like to work at, and it being a candle store, it tends to attract a LOT of karens. I'm going to get to know all the employees there, and when I leave/quit, I'm going to put up my number in the back room for the newer/younger employees to call me if a karen comes in there and starts screaming at them if they can't do something. I don't care WHERE I am, WHAT I'm doing, I will drop it if someone calls me and asks for help with a karen. I could pose as a customer or a manager "on break", and depending on the situation, either be really extremely calm with them if it seems they've had a bad day and give them (really quickly expiring) $5 coupons (bc it's an expensive candle store and $5 don't do anything lmao), or I'll just yell at them and/or take the blow for the employees. No one working ANYWHERE deserves to be yelled at by a karen. I'm pretty good at calming karens down, since 3 of my parents ARE karens and I have experience with it.
El Dee 3 years ago
All of these are about the lack of power we have when we are looking after or serving others. Those small acts of vengeance allow us to remain sane while we carry on. It's a sad world where those who are being served in eateries etc feel they have the absolute right to bully people..
John Baker 3 years ago (edited)
Such childish pettiness. None of these people would last long working for me. When you work with the public, you're going to have to deal with rude people. That's just a given. If you can't do so in a professional manner, I don't need you.
Isabel Care 3 years ago
Parents had quite a big house, when people phoned and were rude I would never know if someone was in. I would have to go and see if I could find them, even if they were standing right next to me. I worked as the lowest ranking office wallah in the civil service, but had to order the stationery, including loo roll. One of our offices was closer to naval stores than to us, so they often got stuff from there...until they discovered that I ordered soft, absorbent loo roll. If they offended me, I made them use the Izal Medicated navy issue stuff. Power.
Bean flavored Fujioshi 3 years ago
(Warning There Is Cussing)All these people are saying that "Some People are just having a bad day and you shouldn't do this" well let me say this, they work for shitty pay and all that ask for is not to be treated this way. Yes I agree some may be petty but you know what..thinking you are above a random guy just trying to get paid.So before your small-minded head goes to downvote just think of all those people working at shitty jobs getting treated poorly and sometimes even get hot drinks(there are videos of Karens throwing their coffee at a starbucks employee ) thrown at them that are just being "petty"
whateves 3 years ago (edited)
Between social anxiety and a resting bitch face from hell, I often get labeled as rude just because I don't know how to react to ppl. Really hope the people you decide are rude are openly hostile, otherwise you are the bully, not the victim.
J. Normal 3 years ago
Please do not Fck with peoples food. The main point of these "revenge" actions is to make the cust svc rep feel better. I worked customer service for way too many years and met more than my share of "karens". Extra sweetness can work well, but for me the best revenge happened after they were gone... the nasty things I could have said or done and many times I got totally ridiculous. I got satisfaction and the release of the tension, and the customer could only complain about my niceness.
AntiAntiVaxx 3 years ago
Can I have a list of these people's names so I can not hire them? Rude customers are bound to come and go its how you react/adapt to difficult people that can attribute to success in your professional career.
Aragorn II Elessar 3 years ago
A guy pulled up to the drive thru five minutes before we closed, and started being an asshole before I even took his order, yelling about how much our service sucked and how slow we were. I let him wait the five minutes until the automated "I'm sorry, but we are now closed" came on.
Mumof1 3 years ago
A certain family member is always obnoxious to me so I add salt to their tea or coffee.
Roald VandeMunt 3 years ago
Revenge, get even by being a superhuman: remain nice and polite even if they are dead wrong. It is incredibly rewarding to resist the temptation to lower yourself to their 'standard' . I said nothing about sarcasm, though. Sarc the hell outta them!
Uncommon Boston 3 years ago
Don't expect employees to break the rules or stores to lose money to please you. When extras are offered, it is an exception, not policy.
Stille20 3 years ago
I work in customer service. Most people can be talked down or turned around or just shoved out the door as quickly as possible. Also, some people are just perceived as being rude because YOU are cranky and have had a rough day. So maybe save your energy for something that isn't going to get you or your company in trouble.
Mila S 3 years ago
I think the worst one on this list was telling a mother she'd missed her baby's first steps. That's just downright evil. Did this person ever put into consideration how every day of her life the mother will be thinking about her baby's first steps. It's so cruel I can't even imagine it. The other ones are ok, but at the same time they can be pretty horrible to people. Honestly this passive aggressiveness is usually unnecessary.
Leslie Burleson 3 years ago
People need to stop acting like this. Being petty is funny , but not when it's serious . If we all just go around with the attitude that if somebody does something wrong , then so will I . Turn the other cheek. Be the bigger person . We need to stop praising this kind of toxic behavior
Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
Unfortunately, these nasty retaliations are often used in response to personal prejudices against other races, ethnicities or even perceived social class. Better to let karma take over and not lower yourself to behave badly.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Of course, we have the cash register personnel who do things like talk on their cell to their "honey" and ask you to re-insert the chip part of your credit card five times without realizing that you're *handing them a $20 bill* b/c they're that tuned out of their job...
Penny Kemper 3 years ago
Honestly think you all are just as bad as them. Why seek revenge? I'm sure their lives are bad enough and that's why they are a-holes.
Patty Stier 3 years ago
Alot of these sounded like they weren't out to get even - but to be really mean ... and proud of it! Sad.
Schrodinger's Cat 3 years ago
Having a bad day isn't an excuse to be rude to an employee. Is it their fault that you had a bad day?
Caroline 3 years ago
Some of these are funny and revenge is sweet, I'm just not very amused if someone is being stressed. When I'm upset or having a really bad day I can sometimes be rude, but when I calm down a little I'll apologize (if I'm still there, say like McDonalds, I'll go back to the cashier to apologize) for my behaviour. Everyone can have a bad day or be very stressed. I would feel really stupid if I did something mean to a customer in secret, only to have the customer apologize later.
Candy Rae 3 years ago
I think this article is somewhat harmful. Its one thing to be petty in your personal life but i dont think i want to celebrate people purposely do ing a crap job because someone was was a bit rude. Lower yourself to their level...does that make you a better person? I like the " act super fake nice so they cant complain" thats the only one i would do.
Zoe Snyder 3 years ago (edited)
My mom works at a Starbucks and she regularly gets a lady we've dubbed "Patricia". Patricia will order a frappuchino, drink the whole thing, and then come back into the store saying that the drink wasn't sweet enough. She comes about 3 times a week. Once, my mom was working the drink station and she purposefully pumped a crapload of syrup in there just to piss Patricia off. Patricia didn't come back for 2 weeks after that. Edit: I don't understand why I'm getting downvotes, because my mom works for almost minimum wage on a regular 9 to 5 basis. Also, Patricia will criticize and not even drink her drink anymore, my mother says it's a control thing, and Patricia is just being a big nuisance.
Awsomemom52 3 years ago
I had these two annoying regulars while working at a poolside cafe. They were loud, rude and never obeyed our rules ... like not putting drinks on the edge of the pool table, not smoking at the table (that was almost 30 years ago) etc. So I was always polite to them ... but no more. When they were back, other regular customers came, whom I greeted warmly, we made short small talk, exchanged compliments and I smiled warmly the whole time. When the "annoying guests" paid, they said I would never get a tip from them because I was never so nice to them. I just put on my "customer smile" and said: This is how I treat guests who I like because they are always nice ... as opposed to both of you!
Shalini Pabreja 3 years ago
Okay so BF posted a thread not long ago on how petty people can be and shaming them for wanting revenge on actual offensive acts. But it’s perfectly fine for people in service to break all the rules of civility and decency just because they didn’t like the tone a paying customer used? Granted, some of the cases the revenge might be called for but often, things can be resolved in a civilised manner without resorting to petty, childish behaviour exemplified in this post. Badly done, BF.
Dorothy Cloud 3 years ago
There is no end to rude people. I know, I used to work with the public. I didn't do anything except get slow and if necessary.......slower.
*sigh*, The Yellow Teletubby 3 years ago (edited)
There's this one candle store I'd really like to work at, and it being a candle store, it tends to attract a LOT of karens. I'm going to get to know all the employees there, and when I leave/quit, I'm going to put up my number in the back room for the newer/younger employees to call me if a karen comes in there and starts screaming at them if they can't do something. I don't care WHERE I am, WHAT I'm doing, I will drop it if someone calls me and asks for help with a karen. I could pose as a customer or a manager "on break", and depending on the situation, either be really extremely calm with them if it seems they've had a bad day and give them (really quickly expiring) $5 coupons (bc it's an expensive candle store and $5 don't do anything lmao), or I'll just yell at them and/or take the blow for the employees. No one working ANYWHERE deserves to be yelled at by a karen. I'm pretty good at calming karens down, since 3 of my parents ARE karens and I have experience with it.
El Dee 3 years ago
All of these are about the lack of power we have when we are looking after or serving others. Those small acts of vengeance allow us to remain sane while we carry on. It's a sad world where those who are being served in eateries etc feel they have the absolute right to bully people..
John Baker 3 years ago (edited)
Such childish pettiness. None of these people would last long working for me. When you work with the public, you're going to have to deal with rude people. That's just a given. If you can't do so in a professional manner, I don't need you.
Isabel Care 3 years ago
Parents had quite a big house, when people phoned and were rude I would never know if someone was in. I would have to go and see if I could find them, even if they were standing right next to me. I worked as the lowest ranking office wallah in the civil service, but had to order the stationery, including loo roll. One of our offices was closer to naval stores than to us, so they often got stuff from there...until they discovered that I ordered soft, absorbent loo roll. If they offended me, I made them use the Izal Medicated navy issue stuff. Power.
Bean flavored Fujioshi 3 years ago
(Warning There Is Cussing)All these people are saying that "Some People are just having a bad day and you shouldn't do this" well let me say this, they work for shitty pay and all that ask for is not to be treated this way. Yes I agree some may be petty but you know what..thinking you are above a random guy just trying to get paid.So before your small-minded head goes to downvote just think of all those people working at shitty jobs getting treated poorly and sometimes even get hot drinks(there are videos of Karens throwing their coffee at a starbucks employee ) thrown at them that are just being "petty"
whateves 3 years ago (edited)
Between social anxiety and a resting bitch face from hell, I often get labeled as rude just because I don't know how to react to ppl. Really hope the people you decide are rude are openly hostile, otherwise you are the bully, not the victim.
J. Normal 3 years ago
Please do not Fck with peoples food. The main point of these "revenge" actions is to make the cust svc rep feel better. I worked customer service for way too many years and met more than my share of "karens". Extra sweetness can work well, but for me the best revenge happened after they were gone... the nasty things I could have said or done and many times I got totally ridiculous. I got satisfaction and the release of the tension, and the customer could only complain about my niceness.
AntiAntiVaxx 3 years ago
Can I have a list of these people's names so I can not hire them? Rude customers are bound to come and go its how you react/adapt to difficult people that can attribute to success in your professional career.
Aragorn II Elessar 3 years ago
A guy pulled up to the drive thru five minutes before we closed, and started being an asshole before I even took his order, yelling about how much our service sucked and how slow we were. I let him wait the five minutes until the automated "I'm sorry, but we are now closed" came on.
Mumof1 3 years ago
A certain family member is always obnoxious to me so I add salt to their tea or coffee.
Roald VandeMunt 3 years ago
Revenge, get even by being a superhuman: remain nice and polite even if they are dead wrong. It is incredibly rewarding to resist the temptation to lower yourself to their 'standard' . I said nothing about sarcasm, though. Sarc the hell outta them!
Uncommon Boston 3 years ago
Don't expect employees to break the rules or stores to lose money to please you. When extras are offered, it is an exception, not policy.
Stille20 3 years ago
I work in customer service. Most people can be talked down or turned around or just shoved out the door as quickly as possible. Also, some people are just perceived as being rude because YOU are cranky and have had a rough day. So maybe save your energy for something that isn't going to get you or your company in trouble.
Mila S 3 years ago
I think the worst one on this list was telling a mother she'd missed her baby's first steps. That's just downright evil. Did this person ever put into consideration how every day of her life the mother will be thinking about her baby's first steps. It's so cruel I can't even imagine it. The other ones are ok, but at the same time they can be pretty horrible to people. Honestly this passive aggressiveness is usually unnecessary.
Leslie Burleson 3 years ago
People need to stop acting like this. Being petty is funny , but not when it's serious . If we all just go around with the attitude that if somebody does something wrong , then so will I . Turn the other cheek. Be the bigger person . We need to stop praising this kind of toxic behavior
Dorothy Parker 3 years ago
Unfortunately, these nasty retaliations are often used in response to personal prejudices against other races, ethnicities or even perceived social class. Better to let karma take over and not lower yourself to behave badly.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Of course, we have the cash register personnel who do things like talk on their cell to their "honey" and ask you to re-insert the chip part of your credit card five times without realizing that you're *handing them a $20 bill* b/c they're that tuned out of their job...
Penny Kemper 3 years ago
Honestly think you all are just as bad as them. Why seek revenge? I'm sure their lives are bad enough and that's why they are a-holes.
Patty Stier 3 years ago
Alot of these sounded like they weren't out to get even - but to be really mean ... and proud of it! Sad.
Schrodinger's Cat 3 years ago
Having a bad day isn't an excuse to be rude to an employee. Is it their fault that you had a bad day?
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