Everyone should try working at least one day in customer service—if they never have. There’s no better way to truly understand what employees deal with on a daily basis.
Maybe then people would appreciate the saint-like patience of a server who’s been on their feet all day, still managing to smile through endless complaints. Maybe they’d think twice before judging the retail worker who’s endured one insult too many.
And just maybe, they’d understand why the Redditors below felt perfectly justified sharing their stories of petty revenge against the worst customers they’ve encountered. We’ve rounded up some of the most satisfying ones for your reading pleasure.
#61
I waited on this old couple one time. She ordered coffee. When I went to set the drinks down along with the creamers, the way I had things balanced on my other hand, I couldn't grab the cup by the handle, so I grabbed it from around the rim, fingers down away from the actual rim though. (We didn't use trays. You had to learn how balance in your hands. I can carry 3 full size glasses in just one hand)
Anyways in a very nasty tone, the man [complained] about how my hand touched the rim and demanded a new cup for his wife. While I totally understand wanting a new cup as how I had to set it down was not ideal. It was my fault for the way I set everything up in my hands. However he didn't have to be so nasty about it.
I took that cup back to the dish area and grabbed a new one. Before I poured the coffee in, I rubbed both palms of my hands all over and inside the new cup. I delivered it with silent satisfaction. Most guests don't realize just how clean servers hands are, especially if they work for a chain with strict corporate rules. I developed hand eczema due to the frequent hand washing with high alcohol content soap used in the back of the house.
Anyways in a very nasty tone, the man [complained] about how my hand touched the rim and demanded a new cup for his wife. While I totally understand wanting a new cup as how I had to set it down was not ideal. It was my fault for the way I set everything up in my hands. However he didn't have to be so nasty about it.
I took that cup back to the dish area and grabbed a new one. Before I poured the coffee in, I rubbed both palms of my hands all over and inside the new cup. I delivered it with silent satisfaction. Most guests don't realize just how clean servers hands are, especially if they work for a chain with strict corporate rules. I developed hand eczema due to the frequent hand washing with high alcohol content soap used in the back of the house.
4points
#62
My petty revenge for jerks used to be to steam their latte extra extra hot so they’d burn their tongue on the first sip and not be able to enjoy the rest of it.
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4points
#63
Not crazy malicious, but I worked at a pizza place for a while.
My buddies came in about 5 minutes before closing, ordered a pizza and planned on eating it there.
There were 4 of them, and they were barely able to scrounge enough cash between 3 of them to pay for the pizza.
Now I get to undo about 30-45 minutes of cleaning to make this pizza. I'm as careful as possible so I get as little dirty as I possibly can. As the pizza is in the oven, I go talk to the owner and run my petty idea of getting back at them passed him. He gives me the green light. (He knew they were my friends, and 2 of them were regulars he knew)
Their pizza comes out of the oven, and I cut it into 3 very uneven pizzas and proceed to serve it to the 4 of them.
The guy who didn't pay is about 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, with a decent bit of muscle. One of the others is a tad shorter, and tad lighter, but still large.
They take the 2 largest pieces, and leave the other 2 to squabble over the final piece. There was much whining, and a bunch of spilled red peppers (on accident of course), but it was very worth it.
My buddies came in about 5 minutes before closing, ordered a pizza and planned on eating it there.
There were 4 of them, and they were barely able to scrounge enough cash between 3 of them to pay for the pizza.
Now I get to undo about 30-45 minutes of cleaning to make this pizza. I'm as careful as possible so I get as little dirty as I possibly can. As the pizza is in the oven, I go talk to the owner and run my petty idea of getting back at them passed him. He gives me the green light. (He knew they were my friends, and 2 of them were regulars he knew)
Their pizza comes out of the oven, and I cut it into 3 very uneven pizzas and proceed to serve it to the 4 of them.
The guy who didn't pay is about 6 feet tall and 250 pounds, with a decent bit of muscle. One of the others is a tad shorter, and tad lighter, but still large.
They take the 2 largest pieces, and leave the other 2 to squabble over the final piece. There was much whining, and a bunch of spilled red peppers (on accident of course), but it was very worth it.
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3points
#64
When I have a particularly rude table and they're chugging their water I'll sometimes put a splash of tonic in there so it tastes just a bit off. It tends to slow them down quite a bit.
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3points
#65
All of these stories are so wholesome!
My most used treatment for [bad] customers would be to tell the kitchen staff to make their dishes with just a little less food. The restaurant was an Italian place so it didn’t work with pizza or sandwich orders, but [bad] people always used to order pasta.
The pastas came with a side salad, if it was dinner time, and we usually toss our salads unless asked for the dressing on the side. When the [jerks] were fat, I would always ask back of house to put dressing on the side and would go back and pour the dressing myself into the cup- giving them far less dressing than salad. Then I would make myself disappear for just long enough after delivering the salad that they wouldn’t have enough time to ask for more before their food came out. The rest of the meal I would be overly polite to them and go out of my way to make sure their drinks were topped and everything. I always thought the trick was to make them hate the place just a bit in the beginning but have them leave happier. Kind of stupid looking back on it, but it’s the little things that make the night go by faster.
My most used treatment for [bad] customers would be to tell the kitchen staff to make their dishes with just a little less food. The restaurant was an Italian place so it didn’t work with pizza or sandwich orders, but [bad] people always used to order pasta.
The pastas came with a side salad, if it was dinner time, and we usually toss our salads unless asked for the dressing on the side. When the [jerks] were fat, I would always ask back of house to put dressing on the side and would go back and pour the dressing myself into the cup- giving them far less dressing than salad. Then I would make myself disappear for just long enough after delivering the salad that they wouldn’t have enough time to ask for more before their food came out. The rest of the meal I would be overly polite to them and go out of my way to make sure their drinks were topped and everything. I always thought the trick was to make them hate the place just a bit in the beginning but have them leave happier. Kind of stupid looking back on it, but it’s the little things that make the night go by faster.
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-3points
#66
Sometimes I’ll say “sorry for your weight” to impatient people instead of “sorry for your wait”
If you put just enough emphasis on “weight” you’ll sometimes get a quick little questioning eyebrow furl. You have to be nice and cheery to them though so they only think you said “weight” for a split second before they think “no they’re very nice they wouldn’t say that.”
If you put just enough emphasis on “weight” you’ll sometimes get a quick little questioning eyebrow furl. You have to be nice and cheery to them though so they only think you said “weight” for a split second before they think “no they’re very nice they wouldn’t say that.”
-4points
#67
Car sales, after selling them a new car I'd drive it up for delivery and most definitely let one rip to be the first to fill the car with my pleasant aroma.
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-8points