"The customer is always right," reads customer service rule number one, popularized back in the early 1900s. Is this slogan truly correct, though? I'm pretty sure that anyone who's ever worked in this field has had the pleasure of encountering at least a few customers that were being rude to them for no apparent reason. I mean, we've even made a list of times customers acted like total jerks and got shamed for it.
And even though in such situations, the staff are expected to suck it up and stay collected, there's always a sneakier and a more subtle way to get back. Recently, TikTok user @officialtbw asked fellow customer service workers to share things they've done to a customer who has been rude to them, and started it all by revealing how he sometimes gives people cold butter instead of room-temperature, because he knows that cold butter will rip up their bread. Since then, thousands of TikTok users have jumped on the bandwagon by sharing their own little stories.
Without further ado, Bored Panda invites you to look through a list of some of the funniest, most savage and passive-aggressive ways customer service workers have gotten revenge on impolite customers. Don't forget to vote for your favorite ones and share your own stories in the comment section!
This post may include affiliate links.
someone paid me $17 in change while laughing to their friend that I'd have to count it so I lost count 6 times right as I was about to be done countin
As a delivery driver I once spent the entire drive en route to a chronically rude customer's house shaking the bottle of soda they'd ordered
I took a deep breath and was extra nice to them. They were so triggered but sounded insane complaining to my boss about how nice I was being
when I was a teacher I had a parent was constantly rude. I told her her baby started walking so she missed her first steps
I'm in heating & air and if they're rude...I tell them it'll take 3 days to get the part for their heater..even though I have the part. be cold karen
Sprayed fart spray in the isle because they didn't wear a mask and cussed me out when I told them we required a mask
When I was a cashier if anyone came to my register on the phone I always talked to them loudly to make it harder for them to talk on the phone
allow them to put their card in to pay and hit escape so they have to do it again. repeat until I feel better
If they threw their money at me to pay, I'd throw their change back at them, smile and walk away
I “accidentally” forget to take the sensors off so they have to come back and I can waste their “precious time”
Be nice to the wedding photographer. If you're not I include all the awful photos of you & sometimes even add some weight in photoshop
Used to work at a grocery store, if people were extremely rude to me I would squash their loaf of bread in my hand while packing it in a bag
If someone was being very rude to me I would save their number at the end of the day and put it in insurance offers and stuff so they would get calls
I worked in the drive-thru at a Wendy's. rude people got broken straws for their sodas. because nothings more annoying than a cracked straw
Sometimes if they get kids meals, I'll give each one a different toy so maybe the kids will fight over it and annoy the parents
I work at a deli and when I customer is being a Karen I'll squish the cheese together after I slice it so it's impossible to separate later
One time I gave someone their 99 cents change back in nickels and pennies because “that's all we had in store at the moment”
I put them on my “don't take cake from her” contact list so when they call, i always tell them I'm booked
I worked at Verizon and I would make sure a little dust got under their glass screen protector on their phone
I work at a restaurant and I made a lady wait the entire 40 minute wait time we quoted her even tho her table was ready in 20 minutes
I used to work at a coffee shop and if someone was rude to me, I wouldn't stir their coffee so that all the sugar would just sit at the bottom!
Grocery store worker here and when rude asking To see if a product was in the back politely told him it had been recalled cuz people died
I used to purposely put the french fries at McDonald's upside down so it would spill as they pulled them out
I don't say a word to them and the person after them I'm alway extra and hyper with them. the look back like huh
If a customer spells their name out to me rudely, I spell it wrong just to make myself feel better
When I worked at a grocery store & ppl would throw their money onto the moving conveyer belt instead of my open hand, I'd let the belt eat the money
I work at a bqq restaurant and someone ordered $150 worth of food with no tip and I “forgot” all their bqq sauce oopssss
When I worked at McDonald's and rude people would ask for extra sauce, I would give them pancake syrup
In a hotel... put them in a room above the parking garage entrance/valet. Also scheduled 4am wake up calls
Leave them on hold..... for a long time.... and then *accidentally* hung up and turned off my phone for lunch
I work at checkers/rally's fast food. Rude people come thru all the time. I full their cups up with so much ice so they get barely any soda lol
I used to double charge them so they had to go wait in the customer service line to get a refund
When I worked retail I made sure to charge for each and every bag they use. Where as usually I just charge for one or two but never the full amount
Karen got angry because we aren't allowed to hold anything, second she left the store i hid every single item she was after so she wouldn't find it
Late arrival guest didn't tip when I help them with the luggage I phoned them in the middle of the night and hang up
When they leave their cards behind, I throw them away now they have to wait 5-7 business days before they can get a replacement
When i worked at mcdonald's we'd charge karen's and rude customers for extra sides, sometimes $5 worth
Some of these are funny and revenge is sweet, I'm just not very amused if someone is being stressed. When I'm upset or having a really bad day I can sometimes be rude, but when I calm down a little I'll apologize (if I'm still there, say like McDonalds, I'll go back to the cashier to apologize) for my behaviour. Everyone can have a bad day or be very stressed. I would feel really stupid if I did something mean to a customer in secret, only to have the customer apologize later.
Its not ok to be rude but its also not ok to mess with peoples orders/ sabotage stuff aka not do your job. Id rather be the better person.
Load More Replies...I think this article is somewhat harmful. Its one thing to be petty in your personal life but i dont think i want to celebrate people purposely do ing a crap job because someone was was a bit rude. Lower yourself to their level...does that make you a better person? I like the " act super fake nice so they cant complain" thats the only one i would do.
Some of these are funny and revenge is sweet, I'm just not very amused if someone is being stressed. When I'm upset or having a really bad day I can sometimes be rude, but when I calm down a little I'll apologize (if I'm still there, say like McDonalds, I'll go back to the cashier to apologize) for my behaviour. Everyone can have a bad day or be very stressed. I would feel really stupid if I did something mean to a customer in secret, only to have the customer apologize later.
Its not ok to be rude but its also not ok to mess with peoples orders/ sabotage stuff aka not do your job. Id rather be the better person.
Load More Replies...I think this article is somewhat harmful. Its one thing to be petty in your personal life but i dont think i want to celebrate people purposely do ing a crap job because someone was was a bit rude. Lower yourself to their level...does that make you a better person? I like the " act super fake nice so they cant complain" thats the only one i would do.
