“Demon Spawn”: 67 Times Rude Customers Pushed Employees Too Far And Instantly Regretted It

It's been a very long time, but I still remember this six top of women being very rude and obnoxious the whole time they were there. Constantly complaining and sending food back that there was nothing wrong with. Towards the end of the meal they did the typical "what are you going to give us since we were unhappy" shpeil, so I decided to give free desserts to all the tables around them for having to deal with them, loudly apologizing to them for having to sit through that. The stares I got were worth it.

Now, I (kind of) cringe when I think back to this moment, but enough was enough. Back in high school I worked weekends in this small Mom and Pop diner. We would get lots of weekenders, as this small town was desirable for cabin get-away folks, and these people in general [are the worst].

So, this family of four, Mom, Dad, and two slovenly girls (entire family had no couth, tipped poorly, and quickly became hated), came in EVERY weekend. And EVERY weekend their child monsters would order chocolate shakes and giant sodas. And EVERY time, they would greedily reach up and try to grab them off my tray causing me to almost loose my balance and spill. I tried to be polite and make comments like “uh oh girls! That might make me spill!” or “ladies, let me so we don’t have an accident” and so on and so on. Parents couldn’t take a hint. So I started to directly tell them “please have your daughters wait so I don’t lose my balance and spill”. Nothing.

Well, one day enough was enough. Those little trolls reached up with both hands and, oops! I “lost” my balance and both of them ended up wearing their ice cream. 14 years later I still have no regrets.

I work at a fireworks store, and 98% of the time I am the only employee in the store. Every now and then I would have customers that are very rude and ask to speak to a manager, so I say "Okay, Ill go get the manager." Then I duck down behind the counter, put a hat on that says "MANAGER" And stand back up, and ask what seems to be the problem.
I also have "BOSS" Just incase they would like to speak to someone higher up.

Had a very rude lady who was with a date that looked about the same age. Came time to card for drinks, asked to see his ID (he was mid twenties) she took hers out assuming I would ask to see hers as well. I told her “oh, I don’t need to see yours”. It was so satisfying to see her process that I thought she looked so much older than her date.

It was probably the meanest thing I’ve ever done, but she had been there 5 minutes and already been a complete [jerk] to everyone in her path. No regrets.

I used to work at a big box retail hardware chain. Late at night they cut staffing so there was only a handfull of us in a huge facility. I had a very rude customer screaming at me saying "I demand service! Nobody is here to give me service and wait on me" this was in the electrical department at one end of the store, she was looking for a basic light switch cover, what just so happened to be in the aisle we were in right next to us. Now before I could point to them right next to her she unloaded on me how incompetent we were and blah blah. On her high horse she started talking down about how retail employees are idiots and cant do their job right anyways.

Im not the kind of person to get offended, rather I look forward to these situations. So I kindly told the lady I was sorry for the inconvenience and gave her directions to the other end of the store and told her they moved switch plates to building materials in the last aisle to the left. Happy to get service, she walked away satisfied. I called ahead to my coworker at the end of the store and explained I was sending a special customer to him. This is our lingo for game time. When she got to him, he redirected her back to the garden department, that was on the opposite side of the store at the front end, where the 3rd coworker was waiting, to send her back to me. Infuriatred once again but with a shocked and horrid look as she seen me standing in the same spot, pointing to the switch plates. She quietly picked a few off the shelf with a defeated look. Later we got a "coaching" from the shift supervisor, as was standard practice for customer complaints. He had a hard time keeping a straight face during the process.

Grocery cart getter here. If I saw someone put a cart in front of their car instead of walking the 15 feet to put it away I would grab my line of carts and block them in. I would proceed to take the longest time ever to gather their cart while pretending not to notice them sitting in a running vehicle.

Semi-regular bar guest who was kind of entitled and annoying complained about the cosmo I served her, asking me "when are you going to give me the rest of it?"


Now, I usually free pour in the interest of saving time, but this drink was effectively only an ounce shy of the rim. I'm not sure I could've given her more without it spilling, especially with a stemmed glass. I knew I hadn't shorted her.


So I offered to remake it for her, grabbed my tin, jigger, all the ingredients (even our recipe book, although I knew the ingredients anyway), and I painstakingly made a huge show of making an exactly correct Cosmo in front of her.


Turns out, I had overpoured! I was distraught, and nearly threw myself before this woman, prostrate, to beg for forgiveness, and lament my incompetence. I assured her, very sternly, that I would never make such a transgression ever again, and that she could rest assured she'd never get anything besides a *perfect* Cosmopolitan from me from now on.


She began to protest and insist that it was fine, but I wouldn't be moved. I snatched that abomination of an overpoured drink away before it could further taint her dining experience. Instead, I handed it to another of my guests, who so selflessly agreed to accept the drink, free of charge.


She stopped complaining after that.

This happened by accident, but a lesson was taught nonetheless. There was a table that had been camping for at least an hour, with the kids running around wild. They were asked to be careful. Nothing. They were crop dusted. Nothing.

So we spent an hour ducking and weaving around their demon spawn.

I was carrying a large tray with four meals on one hand and another plate on the other. Not really able to duck out of the way of anything. So naturally I notice a kid (8-10yr old) running straight at me. Not looking where he’s going. Only one thing I could do, cuz I wasn’t about to risk dumping $200 worth of food on an innocent table, or worse, myself. I braced myself for impact.

What happened in the next 3 seconds still is replayed in my mind occasionally, and never fails to bring a smile to my face. Kid slams into me (6”, 200+lb). My knee to his thigh, my hip to his shoulder, his face right into my ribs. He goes down in pain. Food is safe, not a French fry dropped. At this point I make eye contact with the table that spawned this little [jerk]. I shrug in the most “whatever” way possible, step over the child and continue to deliver the food.

Every time a bad parent came in to the bookstore where I worked. Snap at your kid for something innocent? Let me show him to the kids’ joke books. Your name for the next few hours is “Knock Knock.”

I had a nightmare table that was rude, ran me around all night and then stiffed me on top of it. They forgot their parking garage ticket on the table when they left. That baby went straight in the garbage. They came back and looked all over for, it was enjoyable to watch. If you don't have your parking ticket to exit the garage you pay the max amount to park which was like $30.

I used to get so many groups of middle aged women who were soooo rude. I would bring the check and let them know I took the liberty of adding the senior discount for them, no ID needed, you’re sooo welcome and have a great day. They never liked that lol.

I used to work at the admissions desk of a museum in a big city. One evening, before closing time, this harried-looking businessman walks in and asks directions to a restaurant that was about a 5-minute walk away. As I collected my thoughts so I can give him the best directions possible, he suddenly yelled in my face "IF YOU DON'T KNOW, JUST SAY SO!!!".

I put on my best smile, assured the [jerk] that I did, indeed, know exactly how to get there, then proceeded to send him on a hellish route in the opposite direction.

Slept like a baby that night.

When I was a bartender about two jobs ago, I had this guy who would come in probably once a month and always sit at the bar and chat my ear off. He would have gin martinis and like try to get me to give him a better price or try to haggle with me to discount his bill. Try to get Tanqueray 10 out of me for the price of regular Tanqueray and [stuff] like that and he'd rack up a bill that was like almost always around $80-$100 and then he'd like slip me a $5 bill at the end and be like "We're cool right?"

So one time he comes in and he gives me his CD cuz he likes to make music. "I just made this album, you should check it out." He says. It was really bad. like really REALLY bad music. So the next time he came in I played the CD at the bar when it got busy. Everyone else sitting at the bar was like, "This music is so terrible, you should change it."

Someone called requesting an invoice faxed. Then they called again about 10 times in 15 minutes asking why they hadn't received it yet.

I faxed them a copy on the hour every hour for the next day or two.

I work as a manager in a supermarket chain. A few years ago when I was still on check outs, I’d started to get incredibly sick of people not unpacking their baskets and expecting me to reach over the counter, or reach in when they lift it up onto the unpacking space, to unpack it for them. I’m short, I stand on my toes just to move bags that I’ve packed closer to the customer, let alone if I need to lean over the counter. It’s honestly awful for our backs when it becomes regular.

I’d reached a breaking point with a regular that always stared at me blankly when I’d ask her to unpack, or she’d always be talking on her phone while being served (an ENTIRE other pet peeve). While she was distracted on her phone, I flipped her basket completely upside down to empty it. The eggs broke, bananas and bread were crushed, a light globe was smashed, but she was completely oblivious. Scanned them all, packed them, she paid and went on her way. The next time I served her, she unpacked her basket.

I now do this to every customer that snorts when I ask them to unpack or are too busy on their phone to hear me ask. They almost always unpack the next time.

I. Am. Short. Unpack your baskets.

I had this incredibly rude lady come into my restaurant once. I work at a cafeteria style BBQ joint where you go up to the counter, order your meats, and the meat guy cuts them for you and places them on your tray. (Or, wrapped in foil and bagged up for to go orders). Then you move down and order your sides, then at the end, order drinks/desserts and Pay at the register.

First off, this lady was just ignorant. She didn't understand the process, but was bossing everyone around like she did. While the meat guy was cutting the meats of the person in front of her, she was like "EXCCCUUUUUSE MEEEE, I'm right here, I have a to go order, are you going to help me or what??" My meat guy patiently explained the concept waiting your turn, and she huffed and crossed her arms. Each time the lady in front of her ordered something else, the rude lady would roll her eyes and sigh loudly.

Finally, when it was her turn, she loudly exclaimed "it's about TIME" and began ordering her meat. That was an experience all in itself, as she tried to order a whole chicken (we sell leg quarters, which is a leg and a thigh) and when the meat guy explained this she was like "FINE, 4 'leg quarter's isn't that what a whole chicken is?". My meat guy had kind of had it and sweetly said, "Well, ma'am, not really, since there will be no breasts, and I have yet to come across a chicken with 4 legs".

Anyways... The rest of the time she was ordering, she was difficult and rude. The marbled brisket was too fatty, the lean wasn't fatty enough..... She bitched about us not having fries, and demanded we make her sides of BBQ sauce even though there's a condiment counter for customers to get their own.

After she paid, she left her debit card on the counter.

Now, normally, when this happens, we'll hold on to the card for a couple days in case the customer calls. I waited a couple hours, then called the bank listed on the card, and gave them her name and card number.

The bank told me they were cancelling the card and mailing her a new one. The next day she showed up and tells me rudely that I "forgot" to give her her credit card back (of course, it's my fault)

I handed her the card but then told her sweetly, "Ma'am, I'm afraid the card will be no good to you. I called your bank to report a lost card and they said they were cancelling it and sending you a new one."

She flipped, saying that she NEEDED her card RIGHT NOW.

Sorry.... Not my problem.

Carrying a large server tray of double stacked covered plates (with metal covers) at a very nice restaurant. A guest is standing in front of the kitchen exit and I can't sneak past. I politely asked them to move several times and was brushed off. After a bit of standing there and not really being able to back up since I was already out the door. I simply moved forward and knocked the guy right in the head with the tray. It was a solid thud and they sat down after that. Never did complain.

I worked for several years making snow cones in an amusement park. I get that it’s hot and people hate waiting in line, but come on. We’re working as fast as we can.

Whenever we got obnoxious customers, the ones that want to cut the line and absolutely need extra syrup, on 6 different cones, in multiple flavors, plus verbally [harassing] my kids? Oh, they got extra. We were constantly making new snow, but in 90-degree weather, the stuff that’s been sitting a few minutes in the box gets wet, compared to the fresh snow. Now normally, we push the wet snow into the bottom of the cup, drain it, flavor it, pack fresh snow on top and flavor it again. Every bite would be sweet and unmelted. But act like a [jerk], we’d give you nothing but wet ice, plus extra extra extra syrup. Sometimes, they’d even cheer you on as you poured the syrup.

They’d walk away thinking that they’d “won”, meanwhile, we knew that in fewer than five minutes, you’d be wearing the cone, because it was so full.

Inspired by something I actually saw on Reddit a few years back -

I was working the bar alone on a really busy night and was getting plenty of the usual money-wavers and people shouting at me to serve them next. But the one that really took the cake was a guy who threw his card at me when I had my back turned. I grabbed the card and put it in my tip jar, and didn't serve him until he'd apologised.

I think the original commenter I saw had put the card in the bin, but hell if I was going to dig through the bin to take his card out afterwards.

I worked in a four star hotel, and if I had an annoying guest, they got one of two room types.

One set of rooms was right near our indoor pool, full of screaming children. The other set was partially underground because our hotel was built on a slight incline, and were known to be quite cold during winter, and full of bugs in the summer.

The pool adjacent rooms were also useful for the rude big time business man who wanted a room near the lobby, since they were the closest rooms we had.