The wider world of the internet is filled with stories of ill-mannered customers, making life unnecessarily difficult for the humble working-class customer service rep who had the misfortune of serving them. Still, it's important for us to take a step back and realize that, while it may be nice to root for the everyman, we can't blindly assume that the workers themselves are infallible. There are entitled people on all sides and from all walks of life—and there are certainly plenty of people wo…

Entitled people often don't realize when they're disrespecting someone. Lost in their own world and wrapped up in their own tiny lives, self-important folks don't realize how their actions are affecting the people around them– especially those of us too polite to clap back. However, once in a blue moon, entitled naivety can punish someone without conflict.

It's not uncommon for those in petty positions of power to vastly overestimate the reach of that power. Whatever the words of the message, the point this manager is trying to convey is clear: we know that you need us more than we need you, so we're going to see how far we can manipulate the conditions of your employment in our favor and you're just going to have to deal with it.

One thing's for sure: there's no greater relief than quitting a bad job, especially when you already have another one lined up and ready to go. Everyone, at one point or another, has dreamed of doing this—preferably in explosive fashion. One day, walking and just letting your honest feelings fly before walking out —never to be seen again—while everyone is still sitting there stunned and processing what has just occurred.

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…

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…

Karens have the uncanny ability to identify, single out, and berate people who work customer service jobs, accosting them with wanton fury regardless of whether or not they even happen to be working at that time—or are even employed by that place at all.

When this restaurant worker was running late for their shift, their manager reached out to ask if they were coming in, probably not realizing that the simmering heat of anger that had been bubbling below the surface was about to boil over. After a series of unmet promises, unrealistic expectations, and even being cheated out of pay, this restaurant worker was more than happy to call it quits. The reason they were late to their shift in the first place was that they had actually been interviewin…

"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.

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…

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…

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…

Time is one of your most valuable possessions, but not everyone values it the same amount. Take this couple for example: they're chronically late , and aren't about to improve things any time soon. When a couple shared their experience with a double date gone wrong, it sparked a conversation about what it means to be late to every event. Some people will tell you that it's just how they are. They're always late to everything, despite their best efforts. Lateness also bothers some people more th…

When you're planning an extended vacation, any mindful adult considers what they'll do with their pet and what they need to do to prepare their animal for their absence. One Karen recently proved to be the most unprepared pet owner in the vet clinic when she tried to skip the 20 person waiting list after procrastinating too long to make an appointment.

Toxic organizations breed toxic behavior, begetting toxic people. Unfortunately, those that conform to the organization's less-than-ideal ideals tend to do better and prosper, rising far above their deserved rank and encouraging their unfavorable behavior towards others that would ideally be derided. We've seen stories like this before, where an employee is singled out and collectively gaslit by their coworkers on behalf of getting them to conform to bizarre organizational directives. In this c…