ADVERTISEMENT

Working at a customer support job or any similar role can provide a person with many interesting stories. These stories can range from barely interesting interactions to some of the craziest things you have ever heard -- the scale of customers is always very wide. 

And so, when an X user @WrittenByHanna asked people what the most outlandish requests from customers they received were, people did not shy away from sharing them. Today, we picked out some of the stories for you to check out and see how wild some clients can be! 

More info: X

Image credits: WrittenByHanna

Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio (not the actual photo)


#3

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

Breeze_Please Report

Add photo comments
POST
Jill Bussey
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sounds like there are two options here: Sally needs to be taught about self-control; or she needs to be in nappies / diapers.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

Nearly everyone has heard the phrase “the customer is always right.” It’s the phrase that was coined back in the 1990s, suggesting that the business and the employees should prioritize customer satisfaction above anything else. I guess we can be pretty sure that a lot of people from this list thought of this in their minds while these customers made the strange requests. 

Yet, many experts are against this philosophy. After all, no one is right 100% of the time. Also, the customers believing they can’t be wrong can even lead to violence against retail workers. 

ADVERTISEMENT
#6

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

rbots2000 Report

Add photo comments
POST
WindySwede
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"Why dies it smell manure?" "We gave up on pottytraning the hippopotamus.."

View more commentsArrow down menu

An example of a case of a customer not being right is when they make an unrealistic request (this list is full of examples for it) and demand it be done even though the staff can’t do it. So, experts argue that, in cases like that, customer service workers shouldn’t feel obligated to accommodate such a request. Ideally, they should try to work it out with the customer without taking on the blame. 

Instead of jumping to the “the customer is always right” idea straight away, Marjorie Adams, president/CEO of Fourlane, a financial technology consulting firm in the US, suggests several things to do when dealing with customers: 

  • Ensuring the customer is heard; 
  • Not taking their words personally; 
  • Retaining the focus; 
  • Thinking about the other staff members.
#7

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

bi_boy_friend Report

Add photo comments
POST
Trillian
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They drove 17 hours to go to a farmer's market? Do they live on the moon?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

britt_knee17 Report

Add photo comments
POST
SparkDragon
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"ah yes, madam. That would be our limited edition spit syrup - we reserve it for customers we know are going to be a pain in the butt"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

So, I guess the best advice would be to be mindful of each other, no matter if we're customers or an employee. After all, we're all just humans who make mistakes from time to time.

Have you ever witnessed a customer making an outlandish request? Or maybe you made one yourself? Share it with us in the comments, and don't forget to upvote the most entertaining request from the list! 

#11

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

Krasdale Report

Add photo comments
POST
Lotekguy
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The waiter would have the right to finish peeing on her table. Or into her purse.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

JoshRAgee Report

Add photo comments
POST
WindySwede
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So she was Kinkos shaming her for not doing a good enough jobb?

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#15

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

HannahMaeRagan Report

Add photo comments
POST
Firstname Lastname
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay, so I pictured beans like the magical fruit kind, and was like "caffeinated farts, why?"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

_Miss_Rey Report

Add photo comments
POST
Lauren
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I work in a chip shop and had our new guy (16m) ask if our chips were skinless and what would happen if he put his hand in the 200'plus degree oil...

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

MacMargi Report

Add photo comments
POST
I’ll have a treble thanks.
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup, as a ´gardener’ and a female one, they seem to think that they’re doing you a favor , think they can pay you minimum wage when you use your own equipment and you can manifest wonderful gardens from F.A !

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#34

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

awsnapitsadri Report

Add photo comments
POST
Lunaofthenest (She/they)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really surprised since these people expected a server to (?) comfort/ tend to a stranger's child. Entitlement- its a helluva druhg 🤷‍♀️

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#36

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

sxfiyahhh Report

Add photo comments
POST
Jill Bussey
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They may be enquiring so you have the opportunity to say "sorry, that one's just run out."

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#38

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

Akitron Report

Add photo comments
POST
Ace
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

TBF if I just saw 'latte' on a menu I wouldn't have a clue if it was coffee or tea or just what it say, milk, in the absence of someone telling me otherwise .

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#40

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

ohjasminee Report

Add photo comments
POST
Tyranamar
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These are just space filler questions. They know you do and are just getting the convo started. Just answer and roll along.

DennyS (denzoren)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I need some context for this one, it's totally probable that the person isn't familiar.

Ron Baza
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Context: 1/It’s a coffee shop, and 2/The customer had been kicked in the head by a horse

Load More Replies...
Array Index Out of Bounds
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Maybe said person was smitten by you, and couldn't find the words. I say person was attracted to you. Hope you let them down easy!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#41

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

bakedapril Report

Add photo comments
POST
Me Oh My
Community Member
8 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it had any less sugar, I'm pretty sure it'd be bread... edit: fixed bad wording :)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#45

Outlandish-Questions-Customers-Ask

BigBartyBoi Report

Add photo comments
POST
Lunaofthenest (She/they)
Community Member
8 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sure, ma'am! With the additional batshit crazy customer fee, that'll be 1,000.00.

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda