"Comfort equals laziness" is an attitude that is pervasive throughout certain industries, with the idea that a comfortable employee is an unproductive one and that relative comfort is somehow offputting, prompting employers in these industries to treat their workers with cynicism and hostility.

In the spirit of Halloween, it's about time we shed light on some of the spookiest phenomena known to humankind: Karens. This week, we have Karens making scenes at a variety of locations, including movie theaters and on the road. Additionally, we even have thieving Karens, YouTube Karens, and mothering Karens. These days, it seems that Karens are everywhere and there is nothing scarier than that reality. Most recently, I had an unfortunate run-in with a Karen at the airport, who couldn't stand…

Servers have to deal with a ton of unwanted nonsense on the job, but one perk of the job is that they get a front row seat to a wide variety of date nights gone wrong. From awkward first dates that turn out to be full of red flags to full-on marriage proposals that turn out to be complete failures, it seems like servers have seen the full range of possibilities that can occur on a date. Not to persuade people not to go out to dinner, but when someone says, “Just go out with them! What's the wor…

Service industry workers live hard and die by the same credence, having long ago had their garden of farks scorched by an onslaught of unruly customers, temperamental chefs, and unreliable restaurant managers . They're a hard, complex, and colorful bunch, often seeking reprieve from their demanding careers in all the wrong sorts of places. But it's one of those lifestyles that feels good until it isn't, and when the bottom card gets pulled out of the house, and the entire thing comes crashing d…

Being in charge doesn't mean you have all the answers. In fact, it often shouldn't, and this means that while you don't know the answers, you are experienced in identifying people with those answers and knowing when to differ to their better judgment. Those in petty positions of power who are unable to get their ego out of the way and accept the expertise of their subordinates are bound to end up in embarrassing situations like this one. This venue supervisor refused to accept that the experien…

There are some people in this world who have been raised and reinforced with such entitlement that when they want something, no amount of reason will convince them that they can't have it. One has to wonder how one's mind can be so brainwashed to be able to think that you can have just about anything. Unfortunately, enough people out there seem to be mentally engineered this way and there's not much we can do to stop them. It's only a matter of time before you just have to get the cops involved…

Sometimes you find yourself in a situation that feels so brainless, you have to pinch yourself because you can't even believe it's actually happening to you and there are actual people out there like this. When you get in a situation like this it usually involves some sort of Karen. These people are masters of entitlement and thrive on throwing tantrums, and, of course, their catchphrase is “I need to talk to the manager!” A woman on Reddit recently had an encounter with a Karen while she was j…

This week, it seems like the Male Karens (or Kevins and Kyles, as they've been called) came out to play. Once again, this just further proves our point that anyone can be an entitled Karen, just like anyone can aspire to achieve anything in this world. So no matter who you are, you too can fulfill your dream of being a Karen. This week's list incorporates various settings, from a Wendy's to a pet store. And, of course, we have another classic customer service phone call story. Look, we've all b…

Usually, it's the customers Reddit loves to complain about when it comes to sharing service industry stories. That, or to vent about a manager or coworker. Rarely do we see everyone agreeing with a customer who had a poor experience, and rightfully so because these servers are usually having a rough time. However, this story gets into the nitty gritty of working with “lifer” waiters who do nothing buy judge and be unhelpful. If you've ever worked in the service industry you have probably come a…

It takes a special kind of person to throw a fit about the lack of ketchup in their McDonald's delivery order. Look, in fairness to McKaren over here, we all know the disappointment of ordering delivery from McDonald's late at night when you're having a craving and not getting exactly what you ordered. But here's the thing: the food has already been delivered and unless you absolutely cannot eat it, choosing this battle is simply not worth anyone's time, money, or energy. This Karen , however,…

We often hear stories online from customers who are acting unreasonable and unruly, like what you might call a “Karen,” and we tend to take the employees narrating these stories at face value. But what about the times when the roles are reversed? What about situations where a customer is simply making a reasonable request, only to be met with a harsh response from an employee? At what point is it okay for a customer to get a little bit frustrated when their issue isn't receiving any attention f…

Usually, immoral irrationality and disrespect towards others go unpunished, making those perpetrating that behavior to be more encouraged since, well, they got away with it already. Occasionally, though, the universe will react in kind and drown them in a karmic ocean of their own making. In these instances, the world feels like it is in balance, with just deserts having been served in ample portions. Working in customer service, you'll seldom get to see this play out, with the irrational getti…

Welcome to server life, where you get paid next to nothing to deal with entitled customers and power-tripping managers while working on your feet for seemingly endless shifts. You can just imagine the cast of characters that everyday servers are forced to encounter, confront, work with, and work for day in and day out. So let the following stories, which were compiled from Reddit's r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit, ~serve~ as yet another reminder to be kind and generous with your servers. Tip th…

Laughing in your manager's face when they're trying to find a reasonable way to deal with your antics is probably not the best way to behave in front of them. That being said, when your manager is an absolutely ridiculous person, it's not exactly your fault how you respond to them. Self-control is ideal, but it's not easy when you're in the presence of nonsense. This thread was shared to Reddit's r/TalesFromYourServer subreddit by u/blscratch , a former server who was attempting to advocate on…

Entitled customers need to be careful with the battles they choose. If they are not certain that they're in the right, the result could be embarrassing and, in this case, far less than what they wanted. When you order a pound of wings at a restaurant, do you fully expect everything to be carefully weighed to the exact desired amount? What kind of establishment do you think this is, sir? You're ordering wings , not caviar! This Redditor , who worked as a cook at said wing establishment, watched…

How much trouble is it worth going through to avoid paying for a couple of leaves of lettuce? Is it worth a run-in with the police that could possibly see you arrested and sent to prison, all because you didn't want to pay $9 for your salad after complaining about the toughness of your steak? From there, you'll be forced to plan a daring means of escape. By day, you'll see yourself unwittingly participating in and then dismantling the operations of the corrupt warden running the prison while sp…