Many people say that working in retail builds resilience and character, but perhaps it just exposes you to the worst kind of people in this world. I guess in some sense, that builds resilience and character, but that has to be the only silver lining that comes with having to deal with entitled Karen customers on a daily basis. Otherwise, these workers deserve the kind of prizes and medals that heroes and soldiers receive because I'm sure it feels like every shift is an almost Sisyphean fight fo…

Working in the service industry will put you within arm's reach of some of the most irrational people on the face of the planet, and after the initial grinding your teeth and crossing your eyes phase, you get used to dealing with them. A hostess told her story on u/entitledpeople, where she relayed a frustrating story with an even more frustrating outcome. She had an encounter with one of those Karens you always dread who are about to walk in the door and change the entire menu… You know the ty…

It takes a special kind of hotel guest to misplace important items and then immediately go on the offensive and accuse housekeeping of theft. Perhaps it's generational, perhaps it's having experience being on the other side of these kinds of accusations, or perhaps it's just being a decent human, but I consider myself to be someone who is far more likely to blame himself for a lost item. Hypothetically speaking, if I were convinced that for once it was not my fault this time, I would at the ver…

The best part of managing or owning a business is that you're the master of your own destiny; success or failure rests primarily on your shoulders. The worst part of managing or owning a business is that you're always going to be at the whim of petty delusional customers who, for some reason, any reason, may at some point perceive that you've wronged them in some way, even if the result they're upset about is directly a result of their own actions. Still, they'll leave reviews and maybe even ma…

As someone who has worked many years in the service industry let me tell you, when an unruly customer gets what's coming to them, it is the most satisfying feeling in the world. Service industry jobs are usually low pay, you're running around on your feet all day, and you have to deal with the most entitled customers. It's not always like that! Sometimes you have great regulars and a fantastic team. But, unfortunately, those more annoying events are more common. The longer you work in the servi…

The years may come and go, but the entitlement never ends. Just when you thought Karens were at their worst last year, 2023 came along to remind you that no matter what, these strange birds will always find their way into our lives. They might be demanding to speak to the manager, they might be yelling at their neighbors, and they might be doing both of those things at the same time. This year, some of our top Karen stories include excerpts from unnecessary neighborhood social media group posts…

There's nothing better than a home cooked dinner during the holidays. Although things get crazy when family rolls into town, there's always the solace of having a delicious multi-course meal together of all your wintry favorites accompanied by the coveted leftovers that you'll have waiting for you in the fridge. When you have insufferable in-laws, the only consolation prize...

It can be incredibly difficult and frustrating working in customer-facing roles where your managers refuse to face up and take accountability on behalf of the operation they are managing, instead throwing the lowest-level workers under the bus for things well out of their control. When you're an honest, well-intended person, it can take an unfortunate amount of time to realize that not everyone is wired to be honest and well-intended and that there are, in fact, people trying to take advantage…

If you have worked in the service industry, then you know that the best thing about the job can really be your coworkers . They're going through the same work struggles as you and know you both are definitely not getting paid enough. Unfortunately, when they aren't good coworkers, they are the worst. When they don't have your back and throw you under the bus constantly—a real tragedy for the service industry. A server wrote on Reddit that they took their friends to brunch at the restaurant they…

Whether you're working in a spotless kitchen or not, hearing that the health inspector has showed up unannounced sends some sort of chills down any service industry worker's back. Maybe it's PTSD from getting pop quizzes in high school, because that's exactly what it feels like. Even if you are sure you are an expert on the topic, something about being put on the spot and quizzed about it at random makes you doubt yourself. So you can image the sort of chaos that ensues with an inspector shows…

HOLY MOLY, a human was decent. Alert the news! Sound the sirens! Everybody hold hands and enjoy this moment of faith being restored in humanity. It's quit uncommon to find a store on the internet that does just that. Usually, it's people venting about some horrible incident with a Karen or incompetent manager that makes life feel unbearable. But, hey, it's the holiday season ! Some wholesomeness and empathy is called for. This Redditor recalls an embarrassing moment in his life that he will nev…

If there is one thing that working in the service industry tends to teach you, it's to hold your ground. You can't let everyone walk all over you, because there will be people who will most definitely take advantage of that weakness. For example, this server who either came encounter with a male Karen or a really empty-headed scammer. He was working a very slow morning shift, we're talking just several orders, enough to count on one hand. So when a mad came storming in demanding a refund, the f…

When it comes to sticky situation, you're going to want an expert in charge, right? Unfortunately, sometimes, like in the instance of this Redditor's story, the “expert” in charge is actually the worst. This Redditor was new to working the service industry. (They have since worked it for many years, but this was from the start.) The were working at a big chain steak house when they got a male Karen . This guy ordered something off the menu that did not exist. When OP pointed that out to him, he…

We all spent the past week giving thanks and expressing our gratitude for life's many joys. Unfortunately for us and for the rest of the world, life still comes with Karens. So now that we are done saying what we're thankful for this week, let's take a look at some of the people who we aren't thankful for but we have to deal with every so often. This week's roundup of Karen stories includes an Internet rant, a parking debacle, a customer service experience gone wrong, a workplace sabotage saga,…

Welcome to working in the service industry!

It's certainly not easy to deal with a Karen customer or a Karen coworker, but what about having to deal with being married to one? Or rather, having a Karen in your immediate family? There are several tips and tricks for how to cope with this unfortunate but very real phenomenon. Firstly, find someone else to confide in, whether that's another family member or, ideally, a professional because this Karen is probably going to cause you to go into therapy at some point anyway. Second, draw bounda…