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Working in retail, restaurants, hospitality, and the like is always… definitely… something.
Besides the long work hours, the tedious duties, and the very often inadequate pay, there’s all these clients to deal with, and not all of them are pleasant and civilized. That’s not say they’re the polar opposite, necessarily, but they are surely far far away from what makes a 5-star client because of their aggression or awkwardness or just flat-out bizarreness.
Image credits: TheBlackNerd
Whatever the case may be, there are loads of stories of less-than-favorable clients from people working in these industries, and one former Starbucks barista has sparked a bit of a story-fest with his tweet recalling a customer interaction that still haunts him to this day.
More Info: Twitter
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#1
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
Wow
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#2
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
I read the last bit first and I am 𝓼𝓵𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽𝓵𝔂 disappointed
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#3
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MyOpinionHasBeenServed MyOpinionHasBeenServed Community Member Follow
This isn't weird at all.... just sweet and sad.
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Writer, reviewer, and host of the @LowStakesShow, Terence Wiggins, also known as The Black Nerd, went to Twitter to share an interaction with a customer he won’t forget anytime soon because of how haunting it was. Back when he was working at Starbucks, one day he was cleaning the restrooms and knocked on the women’s restroom door to check if anyone was inside. Lo and behold, there was, but instead of casually saying it’s occupied or something among those lines, he got a very angry “WHO IS IT?” He also asked folks who worked similar jobs to share their haunting conversations with clients. And boy, did Twitter deliver!
#4
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Gaby Almodovar Gaby Almodovar Community Member Follow
Speaking from experience....
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#5
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KitFrey KitFrey Community Member Follow
Wow I wouldn't have been able to hold the laugh that long!
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#6
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Nathaniel Nathaniel Community Member Follow
Not that I am defending this man, but it is some kind of stupid to bring your wife and your mistress to the same places. Keep everything separate.
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ADVERTIsem*nT
“I usually check my Facebook Memories first thing in the morning and I'm constantly reminded of the years I spent working at Starbucks,” Terence explained the origins of his tweet in an interview with Bored Panda. “I don't remember which memory made me ask the question but I'm sure it was something bad.” Needless to say, when the tweet started racking up likes left and right, Terence was very surprised when the counter nearly reached 10,000 for both quoted tweets and likes. While he does have a modest follower base, the tweet went beyond the usual metric. “It just exploded and I started seeing replies and quote-tweets from celebrities,” elaborated Terence.
#7
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
Awww. This was nice
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#8
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Nathaniel Nganga Nathaniel Nganga Community Member Follow
damn anger issues
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ADVERTIsem*nT
#9
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MyOpinionHasBeenServed MyOpinionHasBeenServed Community Member Follow
Yeah... You possibly dodged something bad there.
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#10
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
That is not ok
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Stories from workers in retail, restaurants, and the like often circle around customers from hell as most of these places are very accessible to anyone and so the chances of running into a difficult clientele are high. But that’s not the only reason, as explained Terence: ADVERTIsem*nT “I think there's a certain type of person who views customer service workers as less-than or someone that they can boss around without any consequences. It's really not most customers, 90% of customers are fine but there's a 10% that have a brain that's a jar full of angry bees and they have to let it out on someone who can't do anything about it.”
#11
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real_izuku 2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017
Little game of tug of war.
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#12
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El muerto El muerto Community Member Follow
and at that day the pyramids became very sad
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#13
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El muerto El muerto Community Member Follow
next time jesus comes around, he will turn chicken into cheese...and sprite to tequila
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#14
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henry weston henry weston Community Member Follow
oh no! thats really sad
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#15
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Nathaniel Nathaniel Community Member Follow
Slick!
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As mentioned previously, Terence’s tweet inspired quite a lot of people to share their experiences. These included everything from exposing mistresses to customers discussing wounds to elderly people shouting gun violence hypotheticals. And then there was this 6-tweet story by a guy who used to work at a Taco Bell and had a client who was described as a satanic cowboy who took half his order before storming off, then returning after about 20 minutes, getting upset about his other half of the order, which he wrongly remembered, and then chanting in Spanish, while his bodyguard counter-chanted something as well. That one also received over 8,000 likes. ADVERTIsem*nT
#16
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R Carson R Carson Community Member Follow
She was
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#17
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E B E B Community Member Follow
Yankee Candle has the same problem.
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#18
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El muerto El muerto Community Member Follow
I always get a little irritable when possessed
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#19
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sofacushionfort sofacushionfort Community Member
He must have had an X to grind
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#20
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E B E B Community Member Follow
In the USA, the answer is yes.
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Now, in some cases these difficult customers might just have interesting personality quirks or could just be tired, but in other cases they could also be inherently angry, sad or straight up weird if they act that way in public. So, we asked Terence what his take on this was, and he had this to say: “I think it could be both. There's harmless people who have weird personality quirks or are tired or some such thing and they will definitely say something weird that'll stick with you. On the other hand, there are people who have some inherent anger or sadness that they've decided to take out on other people and that other person is usually an employee getting paid minimum wage and can't possibly fight back.” ADVERTIsem*nT
#21
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HarriMissesScotland HarriMissesScotland Community Member Follow
Self-entitled moron.
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#22
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
Where is the second part of the post?
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henry weston henry weston Community Member Follow
thats not good... hope it ended well.
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#24
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E B E B Community Member Follow
Yeah, corporate apparently has no idea what customers actually want.
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#25
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E B E B Community Member Follow
Cow squeezings, ma'am!
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OK, PSA time. “Employees are people. They have about as much power in the situation as you do and unless the employee is being an a-hole for no reason, just cool your jets about small things. Your food or drink will eventually get made, you'll eventually get that product you want, there's no such thing as the mythical ‘back room’ where we're just hiding products from customers,” said Terence. If anything, be kind to your waiters, store clerks and everyone else who makes your life easier. You can check out everything we talked about in context here, and you can also take a look at Terence’s socials like his Twitter account and his Low Stakes Show podcast as well as his Ko-Fi shop. ADVERTIsem*nT
#26
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Moezzzz Moezzzz Community Member Follow
Yes, because everyone knows that gay equals pedophilia. (My eyes cannot roll far enough into my head for this train of reasoning....)
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#27
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gayFrog gayFrog Community Member Follow
entitled parents much?
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#28
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Red Ruffensor Red Ruffensor Community Member Follow
Wow, what an a s s h o l e!
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#29
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Bedlamite Bedlamite Community Member Follow
I was in the hospital after appendix surgery, there was another woman in the same room, she was nice enough, but Sunday came around and a whole gaggle of Church ladies came to see her. I was trying (pretending) to sleep until one of them came over to me and laid hands on my head while praying. I'm non-religious, and don't have anything against people who are, but keep your bleeping hands off me. I felt so violated. That was over 25 years ago and I still get pissed when I think about it.
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#30
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LAS LAS Community Member Follow
What a c*nt!
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#31
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Claire Stanfield Claire Stanfield Community Member Follow
Had a regular who would send back the first side of fries claiming they were 'greasy'. We prepared another side of fries exactly the same way, and they were fine. Every time.
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#32
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Francesca Annoni Francesca Annoni Community Member Follow
I worked for years in a shop... an Italian luxury underwear brand..You don't know how many time we had to tell the customers you must try the bottom piece of underwear and swimwear OVER your own underwear... and sometime I found underwear stained..why try underwear if it's this time of the month? Without your underwear?? It was unbelievable ...and disgusting...
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#33
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Space Whale Space Whale Community Member Follow
What just happened
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#34
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real_izuku real_izuku Community Member Follow
i don't think we have that brand in this store sir
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#35
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real_izuku real_izuku Community Member Follow
I'm sorry sir, I'm just the delivery driver
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Heather Sterling Heather Sterling Community Member Follow
I worked at a car dealership as the night receptionist during college. One night, this lady calls me furiously shouting about how one of my cars is parked in her private parking spot and I need to come get it immediately. Assuming it was one of our loaners I asked for the license plate. She said it didn't have one and so I asked her how she knew it was our car. she replied because the licence plate bracket around the TEMPORARY REGISTRATION TAG had our dealership logo and number on it. After attempting to explain to her 5 times that someone only purchased the car from our dealership and it is their car NOT ours and I can't do anything to come get the car from her parking spot, she let loose the longest string of insults and curses I've ever heard. In the middle of her insult rant, my manager says to me over the phone in the calmest voice, "you can hang up the phone now". No idea that he was listening in on the call, but I'm glad someone else witnessed her ridiculousness.
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MikeWheelerFan MikeWheelerFan Community Member Follow
How rude! I wonder what kind of private spot she meant though…it was at night so I would assume apartment.
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Michael Borden Michael Borden Community Member Follow
I worked part-time at Petco for two years while going to school full time for my B.S. degree in Anthrozoology.On one of my days off, I decided to head up to Petco while bringing my 4yo American Raven for the ride with me. (Legal here in Florida w/proper permit). So I walked into Petco with my Raven perched upon my left shoulder.As I was talking with some coworkers & introducing my bird to them, this older lady approached me with a look on her face that could freeze the balls off a stone monkey.This lady started to get angry & accuse me of practicing the dark and how crows are "Servants of Satan", and how dare I put peoples souls in danger by bringing it to my place of employment.She called the police telling them I was threatening her & others with an exotic "Rabid" bird. (Rabies is a mammal exclusive disease btw folks). I finally had enough and jokingly told the officer I'm pressing charges on her for sheer stupidity, contagious ignorance, and for feeling my IQ drop around her
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HWillheums HWillheums Community Member Follow
Off topic, If you had a docile Raven on your shoulder in front of me, I'd just been in awe and stare.... gorgeous creatures. I'd have so many questions....
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D20 Games D20 Games Community Member Follow
I worked retail for 26 yrs. All of the above and then some. I've caught couples, that's right, plural, having sex in the store. I've been (saved) a few times. My last time I told the lady I was a pagen. She looked pole axed. I've found weed 3 times. I've had crazy pregnant chicks, wanted waited on hand and foot, because they were carrying a fetus. Felt bad for the dudes, they looked miserable. Had people tell me they don't believe in global warming, something the government made up to control us. Y'all get the drift. I could tell 1000s of stories.
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Chamber Laine Chamber Laine Community Member Follow
Please do. Sounds fascinating. I'd read it. 😄
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Heather Sterling Heather Sterling Community Member Follow
I worked at a car dealership as the night receptionist during college. One night, this lady calls me furiously shouting about how one of my cars is parked in her private parking spot and I need to come get it immediately. Assuming it was one of our loaners I asked for the license plate. She said it didn't have one and so I asked her how she knew it was our car. she replied because the licence plate bracket around the TEMPORARY REGISTRATION TAG had our dealership logo and number on it. After attempting to explain to her 5 times that someone only purchased the car from our dealership and it is their car NOT ours and I can't do anything to come get the car from her parking spot, she let loose the longest string of insults and curses I've ever heard. In the middle of her insult rant, my manager says to me over the phone in the calmest voice, "you can hang up the phone now". No idea that he was listening in on the call, but I'm glad someone else witnessed her ridiculousness.
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MikeWheelerFan MikeWheelerFan Community Member Follow
How rude! I wonder what kind of private spot she meant though…it was at night so I would assume apartment.
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Michael Borden Michael Borden Community Member Follow
I worked part-time at Petco for two years while going to school full time for my B.S. degree in Anthrozoology.On one of my days off, I decided to head up to Petco while bringing my 4yo American Raven for the ride with me. (Legal here in Florida w/proper permit). So I walked into Petco with my Raven perched upon my left shoulder.As I was talking with some coworkers & introducing my bird to them, this older lady approached me with a look on her face that could freeze the balls off a stone monkey.This lady started to get angry & accuse me of practicing the dark and how crows are "Servants of Satan", and how dare I put peoples souls in danger by bringing it to my place of employment.She called the police telling them I was threatening her & others with an exotic "Rabid" bird. (Rabies is a mammal exclusive disease btw folks). I finally had enough and jokingly told the officer I'm pressing charges on her for sheer stupidity, contagious ignorance, and for feeling my IQ drop around her
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48points
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HWillheums HWillheums Community Member Follow
Off topic, If you had a docile Raven on your shoulder in front of me, I'd just been in awe and stare.... gorgeous creatures. I'd have so many questions....
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D20 Games D20 Games Community Member Follow
I worked retail for 26 yrs. All of the above and then some. I've caught couples, that's right, plural, having sex in the store. I've been (saved) a few times. My last time I told the lady I was a pagen. She looked pole axed. I've found weed 3 times. I've had crazy pregnant chicks, wanted waited on hand and foot, because they were carrying a fetus. Felt bad for the dudes, they looked miserable. Had people tell me they don't believe in global warming, something the government made up to control us. Y'all get the drift. I could tell 1000s of stories.
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48points
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Chamber Laine Chamber Laine Community Member Follow
Please do. Sounds fascinating. I'd read it. 😄
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