I like a good coupon as much as the next person, but I won't go to drastic lengths to get one if you know what I am. This lady, on the other hand, was so entitled to other people's property, that she was more than happy to go to said lengths. What happened goes as follows… OP went shopping for some scent pods and was rudely interrupted by another shopper, who we'll call Karen (because it fits). OP's coupon was sticking out of her purse, and Karen had taken notice after keenly having scanned the…

We understand that phone-free zones are, in theory, a productive idea to help save chronically online folks like myself, but in practice, these policies never work. At a certain point, one has to wonder to what extent it's worth it to keep on enforcing silly rules like this given that people will always find a way to circumnavigate those rules or, if they do comply, they are not going to have a fun time doing it. On top of that, the reality is that in this day and age, you genuinely need access…

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…

You stare gloomily outside the foggy windows of your car as you drive the long winding, traffic-loaded roads on your way to work. The clouds look foreboding, and you know it's about to rain, judging from their dark, gray color. Finally, you pull up to the office parking lot, your car splashing through muddy puddles. Though it's hard to imagine, this is the least miserable moment of your day. Picture it yet? Congratulations, you work in customer service. One person recounts their experience, wor…

Being stranded at the airport is like finding out that the thesis you worked on for ten weeks was on the wrong subject. This helpless, furious feeling that sits in your stomach like a bad apple. Once, I had to stay at the airport for 12 hours, and it was extremely frustrating at the time. My hands clench up whenever I think about it. The airport was practically empty, which made it a little less worse because there was less commotion, but it still wasn't a pleasant experience that I like to loo…

Names are tough. How do our parents pick our names? I've heard that some parents choose the names of their children before they are even born. How does that work? I mean, I can like a name, and I can even believe that it is the perfect name for my unborn child… However, what happens if the child is born, and the name we have been daydreaming about for the past nine months simply doesn't seem as perfect anymore? Do I stick to the name just because I announced it in a grandiose name reveal to all…

Imagine you are sitting in an uncomfortable, old desk chair that needed to be replaced about 10 years ago, and instead of staring at the empty hotel lobby in front of you, you opt instead to play some Solitaire on your as equally old computer. You are just about stumped when your game is interrupted by a Karen who is on her way to interrupt your peace. She enters the lobby with a dramatic air about her, shouting words that you can't quite make out yet until she gets a bit closer. Anddddd, you h…

Working retail is the experience of permanently being wedged between a rock and a very angry place. The rock is the obstinate management structure above you that is setting and enforcing policies that make no sense—but that they refuse to change. On the other side are the perpetually angry customers who are often upset about those exact same policies. Unfortunately, you, the lowest-level employee, take the brunt of the customer's dissatisfaction, which then becomes management dissatisfaction as…

Quitting is like a game of peekaboo. Now you see me, now you don't… and once you see me less, or rather, when I hand in my two-week notice, it's all fair game. Unless your employer is decent, which, if you work at a food franchise in customer service, is rare, you are bound to hit a few obstacles. So, in this case, OP's boss hired a new worker, whom OP was told to train. That was all dandy until OP's boss began giving the new hire all of OP's hours. Then, afterwards, OP got super annoyed, becau…

This woman told a whopper of a lie, but she wasn't expecting to be called out . Customers learn their behaviors by reinforcement. While it might seem obvious to you to be pleasant to the person on the other end of a phone call , not everyone acts that way. Some folks have been conditioned to believe that the louder and more demanding they act towards customer service reps, the faster their problem will be solved. In reality, as call center workers will tell you, this is almost never the case. M…

Imagine how audacious you'd have to be to expect a free upgrade everywhere you go? Like if you were heading to the mechanic for a tire rotation and expected a full new set of tires. Or if you had coach tickets for your flight home for the holidays and Jeff Bezos just showed up to the tarmac insisting you take his private jet instead. Feels silly, huh?

Internet tutorials make DIY projects look like a walk in the park. Watching a sped-up video of a professional woodworker dismantling, staining, and rebuilding a piece of street furniture makes upcyclers green with envy, but whenever an amateur grabs the same set of tools, most people realize they're all thumbs.

This pool salesman has been on the job long enough to know that some customers can't be convinced to buy the products they need. Customers often like to think they know everything about a product just because they own it. In this case, the owner of a pool was pretty sure he knew everything he needed to know about his swimming pool. How hard could it be to maintain one little pool? All you have to do is fill it and empty it seasonally, and put in some chlorine or salt. Right? Surely there's noth…

This story is a peek into the a life of a DMV manager and her least friendly employee. If you've ever been to the DMV before, I'm so sorry. They're usually one giant room full of chairs and workers behind numbered desks. As a customer, you show up ready to renew a license or passport, and then it's time to wait. It's best to bring a book or a crossword puzzle and just expect that you may spend several hours there.

Is that you, Karen?

Usually once you've worked in the service industry, you learn how to be a good customer. Oftentimes, you'll learn how to respect your server, clean up after yourself, and generally be a half-decent human being while you're enjoying food at a restaurant. You'd think that it would be a natural reflex to be polite to the person handling your food supply, but for the disrespectful types, tormenting your server is a prize-winning sport.