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There are good customers. There are bad ones. And then there are these people — customers who are such jerks, and so rotten inside that it makes you freeze and do a double-take because you can’t believe your eyes.
From people who leave negative tips for servers after a meal or leave a dirty diaper on the table to customers who throw actual cups of pee at cashiers (no, like, this happened for real), there are some jerks who go out of their way to be mean to the people serving them. Bored Panda compiled the best examples of jerk customers showing off their inner jerkiness, so grab a seat, get comfortable and get ready for some righteous anger at how some people can be incredibly self-absorbed. Upvote your fave pics, and share with your friends! And be sure to scroll down for a double Bored Panda interview!
If you’re still in the mood to read about bizarre customers after you’re done with this list, then have a read through our previous posts about employees sharing their worst client stories and the stupidest things customers have ever said.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Local Pet Supply Store Gets Real
Mary Rose Kent 5 years ago
My most favorite sign anywhere showed up at an independent bookstore in San Francisco in the 1990s: Any child found unattended will be given an espresso and a free puppy.
RELATED:
#2
This Woman Who Stole The Shop Cat From A Local Flower Shop
#3
Time To Find Better Customers
One place on the internet that collects astonishing examples of customers being some of the biggest jerks in the world is the humongous ‘Trashy’ subreddit which has more than 1.6 million members. This is how the community describes itself on Reddit: “Trashy stories, trashy glamour, all things fake, plastic, and downright trashy, low-class, no-class, white trash, bimbos, and damn proud.”
Bored Panda reached out to the ‘Trashy’ subreddit and talked to one of its moderators, Siouxsie_siouxv2.
“I was not around when this sub was created but I am certain it was born from the same IRC social circle that created r/drama,” one of the community moderators said. “This particular group is vicious, but often very funny, and that would be our mission statement here now that I think about it.”
#4
A Wall Of Notoriety At My Favorite Gas Station, There's About 35 Of These Covering The Front Of The Store
Demi Zwaan 5 years ago
Oh, I LOVE this! Would be illegal here in NL, privacy b******t and all :(
#5
The Shade
#6
Customers Assaulted Me With Drinks And Food. My Back Is Bruised By How Hard A Grown Man Threw His Drinks At Me. Can I Press Charges?
When asked why some customers behave like incredibly rude jerks, the subreddit moderator had this to say: “Some people want the best value for their money. And that includes total deference and subservience.”
“Also, we feel emotional sometimes about the small things that bring us comfort in a chaotic world. To have that disrupted can feel outrageously unfair. Sure, I could get a chicken sandwich somewhere else, but I need Popeye's to pay for the damage done to my chicken sandwich lifestyle.”
“People often mistakenly believe our sub is the place to post news articles about horrible crimes or governments oppressing people. We really wish people would stop posting that stuff here. It's depressing and not really what we are about,” the moderator explained what their community isn’t about.
#7
Lying Customer
#8
Cafe Provides Boardgames Free Of Charge To Customers; Customers Destroy It In Less Than A Week
#9
I Never Walk Out If This Store Without A Story
If jerk customers are getting you all riled up, here are several modern Stoic tips to manage your anger, courtesy of philosopher Massimo Pigliucci who wrote a fantastic essay about the subject on Aeon:
- Engage in preemptive meditation: think about what situations trigger your anger, and decide ahead of time how to deal with them.
- Check anger as soon as you feel its symptoms. Don’t wait, or it will get out of control.
- Associate with serene people, as much as possible; avoid irritable or angry ones. Moods are infective.
- Play a musical instrument, or purposefully engage in whatever activity relaxes your mind. A relaxed mind does not get angry.
- Seek environments with pleasing, not irritating, colors. Manipulating external circumstances actually has an effect on our moods.
- Don’t engage in discussions when you are tired, you will be more prone to irritation, which can then escalate into anger.
- Don’t start discussions when you are thirsty or hungry, for the same reason.
- Deploy self-deprecating humor, our main weapon against the unpredictability of the Universe, and the predictable nastiness of some of our fellow human beings.
- Practice cognitive distancing – what Seneca calls ‘delaying’ your response – by going for a walk, or retire to the bathroom, anything that will allow you a breather from a tense situation.
- Change your body to change your mind: deliberately slow down your steps, lower the tone of your voice, impose on your body the demeanor of a calm person.
#10
A Customer Wanted To Return Some Produce Because "It Was Too Ripe." I Asked Him If He Had Already Tried Eating It Anyway And He Said "Does It Look Like I Touched It?"
#11
This Coffee Shop Closed Itself Due To Repeated Abuse From Vegan Extremists
Lotus Flower 5 years ago
Looks like it was an Australian cafe supported by the owners farm. Crazy activist stole their goats in 2018 and even after tons of abuse, only got $1 fine. https://www.farmonline.com.au/story/6008846/you-have-won-gippy-goat-cafe-closes-down-following-activist-attacks/
#12
Wandering Through The Store, When Suddenly I Smell Piss. Stay Trashy Salt Lake
What’s more, Mind Tools explains that it’s important to distinguish between rude customers and unhappy ones. It’s far easier to deal with the latter. Mind Tools suggests you stay calm and don’t be provoked by rude customers’ words; you should also avoid taking things personally, but you should stand your ground when you want to get a particular message across. And if worse comes to worst, there’s always the ‘Trashy’ subreddit where you can get sympathy from strangers online.
#13
When Parents Let Their Kids Destroy The Thrift Store
#14
Store Clerks Had To Lock The Freezers After The Recent Trashy Trend Of People Going Around Stores, Opening Containers And Licking The Top Of The Ice Cream Before Putting It Back
Steve Barnett 5 years ago
Ergo, I never buy any contained food product that hasn't got a protective seal.
#15
I May Have Chuckled When I Saw This At The Grocery Store, But Still Trashy. This Would Be About $2
#16
Girl Wants Some Company To Go Steal From The Dollar Store
#17
Ripping Off The “Bad” Lettuce From Each Head Until She Finds One With Enough Left Over To Keep
#18
Just Chillin At The Coffee Shop
#19
People Testing Spray Paint At Ollies
#20
Customer Throwing Cup He Peed In At Me Because I Didn't Let Him Use Our Employees Only Bathroom
Bored Panda spoke to Samson about an incredibly uncomfortable situation that happened to him one day at work. Samson stressed the fact that he is a guy, even though some people think he looks like a girl in the video.
“So this guy came in to buy some stuff and asked if he could use our bathroom. The one we have is only for employees and located in our back office, so I just told him we don't have one, which is usually my answer,” Samson began his tale. “Before he left he grabbed a paper cup from the front and said "I guess this will have to do" (at the time I thought this was a joke) and I apologized that I couldn't help and he drove off.”
“About 10 minutes later he drives back, storms in and throws the cup at me and starts cursing me out, yelling something along the lines of: "This is for not giving me the courtesy of using your bathroom, I know you have one." And he mentioned having to pee in the cup. I should mention that the cup wasn't full and there wasn't that much pee in it (my coworker thinks he might've spilled it on himself and that's why he was so angry), but there was definitely still some pee in it and it got in my eye.”
“I was completely stunned and again I apologized and explained that the one we have is just for employees and my coworker backed me up (you can see him turning to curse her out too in the video). Then he left and tried and failed to slam the door. I got his license plate and reported him, but the police said that they can't prove it was pee and it's only being treated as harassment, not assault, so I doubt he's gonna get any serious punishment. [All of] his happened around the beginning of August.”
“I was pretty shocked, I worked at a 7/11 for a little over a year before this and worked at this deli for about a month and a half, and never in a million years did I expect anything like this happen to me. This was also 3 days before my last day there (since I had to leave for college again), so I kept asking myself why couldn't this happen the next week instead. Also police not treating this as assault felt insulting,” Samson said.
“I feel like this guy had to have some serious mental problems and/or extreme entitlement to do something like this to a minimum wage college kid, and people who treat workers like this are incredibly rude.”
#21
How People Leave The Aisle In Forever 21...
#22
Customer Being Jerk
#23
People Keep Stealing Little Buddha Figurines From This Store At My Local Mall
#24
Spotted Some Opened Up, Upside Down Nail Polish Bottles At Our Local Target
#25
This Is How A Table Left The Tip For One Of My Servers
#26
Nothing Screams Parenting Win Like Letting Your Kid Stand On The Bar And Play With The Taps For A Half Hour
#27
Bringing Your Kid With You To An Adult Toy Shop
#28
Someone Put Out Their Cigarette In A Dog Dish Outside This Local Shop.
#29
Decided They Didn’t Want Their Bag Of Frozen Chicken Breasts So Why Not Leave Them Here To Drip Over Everything Below It
Lotus Flower 5 years ago
All of that is now contaminated and has to be thrown away. Humans can be such garbage.
#30
Happened To A Co-Worker Today. If You Can't Afford Diapers Why Are You Out Drinking?
#31
Sitting On Raw Chicken While Chatting With A Comcast Rep At Walmart
#32
She Was Blocking The Handicapped Space At The Convenience Store With Her Toddler's Stroller Drinking Mountain Dew And Crushing Her Cut-Rate Cigarettes Out On The Sidewalk And Throwing Them Into The Parking Lot
#33
Customer Leave This Note Instead Of Tip
#34
When You Steal A Bra From The Store, But Replace It With Your Old One
#35
What My Coworker Was Given Tonight
#36
A Customer Tried It On Their Dog And Put It Back On The Shelf
Yvonne Blau 5 years ago
They wanted to test if it's really self-cleaning... which obviously it isn't :D
#37
Customer Leaves Dirty Diaper On Restaurant Table For Waitress To Clean
Mary Rose Kent 5 years ago
This would warrant bringing back putting people in stocks and then the public can throw rotting cabbages or what have you at them. Maybe they'd actually learn...
#38
Someone Just Made This Mess, Dropped A Few Napkins On It, And Left The Store
#39
Please Stop Being A Thot In The Gas Station Ice Machine
#40
Walmart Shoppers Using Handicapped Spaces As A Cart Drop-Off
Zenozenobee 5 years ago
In this is why, in France (and probably elsewhere) , you have to use a coin to unlock your cart, and can only get it back when you lock it back....
#41
What Is It In Your Cleavage... At The Grocery Store?
#42
Trashy Customers
#43
The Letters A,w,s And D On Your Gaming Keyboard Are All Worn Out Or You Hit The Keys Too Hard? Just Go To The Next Store And Steal Yourself Some Key Caps
#44
This Customer’s Car Smelled Exactly Like You Would Imagine
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What do you think ?
NCC~1701 5 years ago
I agree, if I said what I truly think, I would definitely be banned!
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Full Name 5 years ago
And people say that violence is never justified. I say a good old fashion smack should be in order for most of these people. Backhanded though because it's somehow more demeaning.
Mark 5 years ago
When you work in any form of retail these come as no surprise. People just assume they can do what they want and you will sort out any mess etc left, then complain to social media when you ask them nicely not to behave that way. If it was their home would they tolerate you coming to their house and making a mess , of course not, but you get paid to be their nanny/housekeeper/cleaner etc etc while they are shopping, don't you?
BusLady 5 years ago
My theory is that this kind of people have never worked in a service job, and truly believe they are better than people who do. Or they used to work in service jobs, and are now snobs about it. Some people think that if you work in lower paying jobs, that you don't deserve respect, dignity and courtesy.
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NCC~1701 5 years ago
I agree, if I said what I truly think, I would definitely be banned!
Load More Replies... Full Name 5 years ago
And people say that violence is never justified. I say a good old fashion smack should be in order for most of these people. Backhanded though because it's somehow more demeaning.
Mark 5 years ago
When you work in any form of retail these come as no surprise. People just assume they can do what they want and you will sort out any mess etc left, then complain to social media when you ask them nicely not to behave that way. If it was their home would they tolerate you coming to their house and making a mess , of course not, but you get paid to be their nanny/housekeeper/cleaner etc etc while they are shopping, don't you?
BusLady 5 years ago
My theory is that this kind of people have never worked in a service job, and truly believe they are better than people who do. Or they used to work in service jobs, and are now snobs about it. Some people think that if you work in lower paying jobs, that you don't deserve respect, dignity and courtesy.
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