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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!

#1

40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

lonewolf15mr , Andrew Turner Report

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    #2

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    apparently_unoriginal , Unknown Report

    #3

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    bread_farm , Vinqui Report

    #4

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    squeakersyarn , Randal Phoenix Report

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    #5

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users Under blend their smoothies so the little chunks block their straws

    ebonymallinson , Kari Sullivan Report

    #6

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    mattnj26 , Paul Sableman Report

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

    Worked at a Wendy's in HS. Do not piss of the people while ordering at the drive thru. JS

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    #7

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    rachaelhendrick , Wikimedia Commons Report

    #8

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    k_serasarah , Wikimedia Commons Report

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    #9

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users allow them to put their card in to pay and hit escape so they have to do it again. repeat until I feel better

    fiercemel , Unknown Report

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    #10

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users If they threw their money at me to pay, I'd throw their change back at them, smile and walk away

    mirellesminis , Paulien Osse Report

    #11

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users I “accidentally” forget to take the sensors off so they have to come back and I can waste their “precious time”

    kayraalvarez , Wikimedia Commons Report

    #12

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    amzukiwsky , Wikimedia Commons Report

    #13

    booked their airplane seat on a 10+ hour flight right next to the bathroom

    renroh71 Report

    #14

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    danirectangle , pixel1 Report

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    #15

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users I put extra, extra hot sauce in their salsa then do not refill their drinks

    laelwehnerhill , Maxell Miklós Report

    #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

    amiekleigh Report

    #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

    rehtaeh.l Report

    #18

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users she payed me in ones.... i checked each and everyone up to the light

    clarak19 , Unknown Report

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

    Did it occur to you that ones may have been all she had?

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

    Or that people are just asses. Had a couple create a $50 tab at my restaurant. Handed the server a bag of change to pay. ALL CHANGE!!! And not even big change like quarters & fifty cent pieces. Like a freezer bag full of nickels, pennies, & dimes! Took forever to count, which we had to do with them there to make sure it covered the tab. They then got pissed off at US because it took so long to count & we were "holding up their night"... You'd be amazed what people think are appropriate in a restaurant setting...

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

    Employee is a d**k in this one. I used to bartend, I always had lots of ones. I've never heard someone complain about being paid in ones before, I mean, unless it was a new car or something.

    Stille20
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It is probably someone who worked for tips... so now you are the a**hole

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

    I once saw a man a goodwill who had to go to his car to get a whole bunch of pennies so he could pay for a suitcase. Mabey this woman could only pay this way

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

    This is really rude. This person may have had only ones. It's a situation I'm in constantly, and i apologize every time, but this is only makes people feel worse.

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

    Sometimes all I have is ones, I always say sorry cuz I don't want them to be mad at me.

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

    That's how to handle it. If you acknowledge that it's inconvenient for all concerned, most people will say, "It's alright, been there, had to do that." It's the smug ones, especially the entitled well-off teens and millenials on their little power trips, that tick cashiers, servers, and such off no end. Back in my customer service says, if the customer acknowledged the situation, I showed them how quickly I could count ones, quarters, dimes, etc. If they just stood there and got all huffy and impatient, I showed them just...how...long...I...could...take--so long as there was no one behind them, of course.

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

    Really? I never give a crap how they pay, as long as they pay. If they're rude I just don't engage with them more than necessary. Nice people get a little chit-chat.

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

    Don't see a problem with this at all....I mean unless the bill was like a $1000.00 but one's are money too!

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

    Section 8(2) of Canada's Currency Act states that a payment in coins is a legal tender for no more than: $40 in toonies (or coins up to $10 denomination) $25 in loonies. $10 in dimes, quarters (or other coins above 10-cents but below a dollar) But I've been on both sides of this issue. If all I have is $50 in coins and someone refused to accept it because it's over $40..I'd probably put on my best Karen hat and ask for a manager. Money is money IMO. I've had to use rolled pennies to pay for groceries (before Coinstar obv). But I've also been handed a bag of coins and been asked to take payment from it, and while doing so, the customer thought I was so distracted by counting his bag of treasure that I wouldn't notice the porn mags he stuffed into the sleeve of his hoodie. He was wrong. He paid for the mags in coins. He just didn't know he did. **FYI - "loonie" and "toonie" are $1 and $2 coins.

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

    Unrelated picture...? Is this person trying to make it sounds worse than it actually was?

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

    I would ask the cashier if it's okay I'll pay in coins or change since I got a lot of them (it was given to me as a change and I want to get rid of them). Most cashiers would gladly accept it as they can use it to give change to the next customers. No one complained, I just make sure my bill is not big enough for them to take a lot of time counting.

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

    When I was a food server all I ever had was ones. Most cashiers were happy because they didn't have to call for change.

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

    I worked at Louis Vuitton. Someone paid for something in all 1s saying it was their gambling winnings. We almost cried.

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

    "And them I came back home and cried until I fell asleep for being such a whine piece of s**t"

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

    over here you can only use a certain amount of pieces to pay something, I think its 50 or so.

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

    Oh, this seems to be a better case to mention what I've written before under #1. Two years ago a guy billed with court proceedings brought 30 kilos of ones, twos, and fives to pay :D he had actually and excuse, as he had lost a trial against the police and seeked revenge :D

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

    Some women earn their pay in ones. If you "make it rain" with dollar coins you get arrested for assault

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    #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

    rhyanrose1 Report

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    #20

    I've given a tip back and said “ you clearly need this more than I do”

    miss_struff Report

    #21

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users 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

    mickmoo420 , Unknown Report

    #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”

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    #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

    bakemydaymimo Report

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    Stille20
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    That assumes you can afford to lose money just to screw them .. and maybe you can

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    #24

    I worked at Verizon and I would make sure a little dust got under their glass screen protector on their phone

    rebeca68r Report

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    #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

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    #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!

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

    or you could over-sweeten their coffee. because they could stand to be a whole lot sweeter.

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    #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

    15minofame Report

    #29

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users I used to purposely put the french fries at McDonald's upside down so it would spill as they pulled them out

    _dee_nice_ , Wikimedia Commons Report

    #30

    Nonchalantly break their candy bars in half as I bagged them

    emxiloveyouu Report

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

    If this is Kit Kat or Hershey then you are helping them, any other candy and it is just what they deserve

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    #31

    Not offer whipped cream on their hot chocolate because it's the best and they're the worst

    robothive Report

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

    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.

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    #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

    mitcheoso Report

    #33

    If a customer spells their name out to me rudely, I spell it wrong just to make myself feel better

    spillinbeans Report

    #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

    megan_brown2012 Report

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    #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

    yasgee1.11 Report

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    Piet Puk
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Your boss is the real assh0le here for not paying you an honest salary.

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    #36

    40 Passive-Aggressive Ways To Get Back At A Rude Customer Shared By TikTok Users When I worked at McDonald's and rude people would ask for extra sauce, I would give them pancake syrup

    thekuebz13 , Unknown Report

    #37

    In a hotel... put them in a room above the parking garage entrance/valet. Also scheduled 4am wake up calls

    pooter076 Report

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

    That's just going to get one of your co-workers screamed at.

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    #38

    Left them on hold or mute until they hung up

    kissthecreolequeen17 Report

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

    Just pushing a hidden comment out of the way. keep scrolling and have a nice day.

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    #39

    I'm an ultrasound tech...I used the COLD gel even though we have gel warmers

    joypompeo Report

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    Daisy Chain
    Community Member
    3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    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.

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    #40

    Leave them on hold..... for a long time.... and then *accidentally* hung up and turned off my phone for lunch

    megbgr Report

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    Leonora Roper
    Community Member
    3 years ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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    #41

    I work at checkers/rally's fast food. Rude people come thru all the time. I full their cups up with so much ice so they get barely any soda lol

    __alexxaaaaaa__ Report

    #42

    Used to cut off the ends of mustard packets

    leimomihi Report

    #43

    I used to double charge them so they had to go wait in the customer service line to get a refund

    misticfox0 Report

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    Stille20
    Community Member
    3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    You would get fired for this. Now they are angry and it's your fault and they are going to be angry at a different person. You prolonged how long they were there and it will quickly become evident you can't do your job. Not a smart revenge

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    #44

    When I worked retail I made sure to charge for each and every bag they use. Where as usually I just charge for one or two but never the full amount

    lyssashealeen Report

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

    Forgive me and my brain, but I don't really understand. the full amount of money? Sorry it's confusing to me. P.S. Sometimes I'm kinda dumb.

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    #45

    Karen got angry because we aren't allowed to hold anything, second she left the store i hid every single item she was after so she wouldn't find it

    bifuriousguy Report

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

    But she had already left the store? Isn't this just making it inconvenient for other customers? And your fellow employees have to somehow find those things when other people need them,

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    #46

    Give 3 ice cubes when they say light ice

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

    assuming this is only rude customers, because I don't really like having tons of ice in my drink, so I ask for light ice

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    #47

    Late arrival guest didn't tip when I help them with the luggage
    I phoned them in the middle of the night and hang up

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    #48

    I unscrewed their shampoo bottles and put all their stuff in a really big bag!

    queenofthecircus Report

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

    This is not inconvenient and costs money to the store when they bring it back to be replaced.

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    #49

    When they leave their cards behind, I throw them away now they have to wait 5-7 business days before they can get a replacement

    s.bradshaw Report

    #50

    When i worked at mcdonald's we'd charge karen's and rude customers for extra sides, sometimes $5 worth

    sapphicsativa Report