You don't just get a discount for petty reasons... Some customers out there are just ridiculous!
It All Came Around, Full Circle
“In High School, I worked at a fast-food franchise and the guy who trained me on drive-thru was the owner of that store. While he was taking someone’s order he missed an item so when they came back through, he offered the woman the item he missed for free. The b—- wanted the whole meal refunded, and he refused so she demanded to see the manager.
His reply was to say ‘Sure! Let me get him for you.’ He did a turn in a full circle before saying ‘Hi! I’m the manager.’ She flipped and demanded to see the store manager so he repeated his little circle-turn schpeel and she went ape-s— demanding to speak to someone above him. He replied, ‘Well the owner is here, I can get him.’ Turned one last circle, leaned out the window and said ‘Hi, I’m the owner. Get The Hell Out Of My Drive Thru.’ F—ing Incredible!”
Suspicion Over Poisoned Coffee
“Once I had to make a woman a frozen drink (yes I was a barista). For reference the drink station was totally open, she could see everything I was doing. Apparently, that fact that I was laughing with a co-worker while making her drink, meant I put some secret ingredient to KILL HER into her coffee…
She actually demanded the manager to playback the security tapes and wanted her drink for free. Of course, my manager trusted me and fully obliged. She began sniggering when in the video, I did nothing but add chocolate syrup, ice, and the mix into her drink. As she watched, you could tell that she was scanning for some vial that has a skull and cross-bones on it. When nothing happened, my manager simply said ‘Ma’am you’ve wasted enough of out time, I’ll take that drink.’ Manager literally GRABBED the woman’s drink from her grubby hands and said ‘Get out…now!’ Never saw that b—- again.”
Mysterious Secret Manager Discount Club
“So I worked at a restaurant and had some crazy lady come in. She literally said to me: ‘I’m a Best Buy manager now, so you have to give me the manager discount here.’ It took 5 minutes of reassuring her that manager discounts only apply at places where you work… She actually thought it was a secret club discount for upper division employees all over the country.”
Her Kids Didn’t Even Look 10 Years Old
“I waited tables at a place that had a buffet on Fridays. A lady came in with her twin sons and they all ate the buffet. When I brought her the check she flipped out on me because I didn’t charge her for two ‘child buffets.’ I told her that the cut off age is actually 10. She says her kids are 10 exactly…Sure girl, sure.
I pointed out that 1) Her kids are wearing the HIGH SCHOOL varsity football jerseys and 2) I knew they were seniors in high school because they were a grade below me and I had just graduated.
She called me a b—-, then she tried to name drop the owners’ names, but got them completely wrong. She asked to speak to the manager, so I got the manager from the office, who happened to be the owner’s daughter.
She pulled the whole ‘I am a close family friend of the owners’ and botched their names again. The manager just said, ‘Well, you’re at the wrong restaurant, because no one by that name owns this place and I am the owner’s daughter, and I’ve never seen you in my life.’
The lady just gave a ‘Well, I never…’ and wrote a check. Best part, check bounced…”
That Doesn’t Genetically Make Sense
“I work at a pizza place. One night, it was just myself (female), another manager (who was doing some admin stuff) and a female delivery driver. A group of guys rung up and ordered a few pizzas to be delivered. I made the pizzas myself, cut them up, put them away for delivery and gave them to the driver. Needless to say, I got an angry call from them before she’d had even made it back to the store.
‘I want a refund!’
‘What exactly was the problem with the order?’
‘There is SEMEN on my PIZZA!’
I explained to him that the only person who handled the food tonight was myself, and I remembered making that order specifically, and reminded him that the driver was female. He continued yelling at me, and went on to say that if there was nothing I would do, he’d escalate the matter further and even do a DNA sample to confirm the semen properties of the pizza. He insisted that not only could he see it, but he could smell it…
It took all the willpower in me to not burst out laughing at the customer and tell him to stop ruining his food to try and get a free meal.”
She Actually Had The Nerve To Come Back
“While working the drive-thru window at a fast-food joint in high school, I had a verbally abusive mini-van mom scream at me, because we weren’t serving breakfast (at 12:30 pm). While trying my best to calm her down, she demanded that I comp her entire order (A salad, Large Diet Coke and 3 Happy Meals).
I said what any rational 17 year old would say… ‘No?? We can’t do that, just because we aren’t serving breakfast.’
To which she proceeded to throw her entire tray of drinks at me while screaming at the top of lungs that I was an a–hole as she peeled out of the parking lot.
Later that evening she tried to file a complaint against me with the company. She exaggerated the details and quoted me as saying ‘I ain’t gonna help you, you f—ing b—-‘ (she also left out the part about throwing a tray of drinks at me)
I could have lost my job, but luckily I had multiple witnesses and my awesome manager who backed up my story.
After about a week, she came through the drive-thru a 2nd time. She even had the nerve to complain as she was ordering that she came through last week and was treated very poorly and was refused breakfast and that this meal should be comped. So my manager asked them to drive around, she then confronted her at the window, stating that she not only assaulted one of her employees but also attempted to have him fired under false pretenses and that we would not serve her.
Needless to say…she filed a complaint against my manager as well. Which unfortunately didn’t get as easily dismissed. She was suspended for a week without pay.”
This Woman Was A Confused And Contradicting Mess
“I worked at Wendy’s, as a cashier. A woman came up very shortly after she got her food. She said, ‘This sandwich isn’t right. I wanted a Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger!’
‘I’m sorry. I must have hit the wrong button. I rang you in for a chicken sandwich.’
‘Well that’s what I ORDERED but that’s not what I WANTED!’
I stared at her, stunned. I must have made some sort of confused face because the next thing she said was ‘You know what? Let me speak to your manager.’ I walked away and brought up my manager.
‘I ordered a crispy chicken sandwich and they gave me this!’ The woman holds up her chicken sandwich and shakes it at the manager.
‘I’m sorry, Ma’am. What’s wrong with it?’
‘I wanted a Junior bacon cheeseburger. You’re going to make them fix my sandwich, and you’re going to give me my money back.’
I don’t understand humans anymore…”
The Exploding Soccer Mom And 25 Children
“I worked at a very busy Mom and Pop style seafood restaurant. The restaurant had (on average) 30-60 minutes of a wait for a table on a Friday night. I had a soccer type mom come in and demand a table for her group of 25 people…with no reservation. I looked at her like she was on something, but kindly explained to her that I would put her name on the list, but the wait for a table for 25 would be over an hour and a half.
She flipped her s— on me, calling me every name in the book, right in front of her group which contained around ten or so children. She then called for my manager and started telling him that I was being ‘completely unreasonable and rude to her and her party.’ She then demanded that she get the next open tables, and a discount on ALL 25 meals.
My manager laughed and informed her that I hadn’t said one rude thing to her. Little did she know that we’re on an earpiece system so we can easily communicate with servers and other host staff, and he had heard everything on his. He told her he didn’t have time for it and she could leave. I smirked at her and told her to have a nice night. It looked like she was about to explode.”
When The Customer Says ‘They’re Friends With The Chef’
“Had these 3 guys walk in, saying they’re ‘friends of the chef.’ They even mentioned it in the reservation. So they sit at the table and the chef comes out: he has no idea who they are and they don’t even say hi or anything to him. They start ordering all this food and wine and you can just see it in their faces that they think they’re getting a free meal.
After dinner, they start with liqueurs, coffee, the works. They’re positively giddy when they ask me for the check. I go down to print it and because the chef is right there, I ask him if he wants to look it over and he says it’s perfectly fine, he doesn’t even know these guys. I bring them the check and they have the nerve to ask me if the chef has looked it over. I say ‘Sure. Why?’ They don’t even answer, look at the check, go white and then start complaining under their breath. The best part is, our kitchen actually has a glass window that looks out on the floor, as they’re walking away the chef salutes them. Awesome.”
That Moment When He Ended Up Being The Manager
“When I worked drive-thru, I accidently told a lady a higher price than her actual total. When she I arrived at the window, I said ‘Your total is actually $3.43 instead of $7.47. Sorry about the confusion.’ She then asked me if she could have something for free for her ‘confusion’ and demanded angrily to speak to my manager when I refused. Best part: I WAS THE F—ING MANAGER. Not a damn thing she could say to make me give her free food for no reason.”
Sketchy Marge And Her Empty Wallet
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“The oddest request was from this lady named Marge. She had a wonky eye and always took a big s— in our bathroom. She always had a tablet that she would be really weird about if I would walk over to check on her. Probably something sketchy. Anyways, she didn’t have enough money to pay for her meal on more than one occasion. It’s a mom and pop place, so we let it slide if it was just a dollar or two short, but she was starting to make a habit of it. Well the last time she came in, she didn’t have enough money to pay for her meal, again. What does she say? ‘I should get a free dessert since I can’t pay for my meal.’
This b—- was 100% serious. I don’t even…what? She hasn’t come back since.”
Why The Owner Asked For Her Food Back
“My family owns a small diner, so we have had many ‘attempted scams’ over the years. The one that sticks out in my mind was a lady who came in for breakfast and ordered a Texas omelet without tomato. She got her omelet and ate it all, along with the toast and home fries that came with it.
My sister was the server, I was the cook, and my father was at the cash register. She was served promptly, and the food was made to order so we were all surprised when she said she wouldn’t be paying for the food when she got to the register because there was no tomato in her omelet. We went through the typical we will offer you a discount stuff (many times it’s easier to offer 10% off then argue) but she wouldn’t let up, even though she ordered no tomato.
As the conversation went on she kept getting louder thinking that if she made a scene she would get her way. My father at this point was pissed and he wasn’t going to let her get the best of him. He went back in the kitchen grabbed an empty pickle bucket and said: ‘If you are not going to pay for the food we made you, we want it back.’ At this point, she had the attention of the whole place, many of whom are regulars, she got pretty embarrassed because no one had ever asked her to puke in a bucket. The b—- finally paid and I haven’t seen her since.”
How His Calmness Manipulated The Manager
“Once, when eating in a nicer restaurant, I couldn’t help overhearing what went down with the neighboring table that had just received their check. The guy called the server back over and pointed to the dessert item they’d had (which was fresh berries with a minimal preparation, maybe some cream poured over, but dead simple). He told the waiter, ‘It was just berries. I can go to the farmer’s market and pay $2 for what you served me. That price is unreasonable and I won’t pay it.’
The waiter demurred with something like ‘Well, we have other costs too sir.’ But this dude was having none of that. He said, ‘I come in here all the time; the lunch was fine, but I won’t pay what you are charging for the fresh berries,’ like he knew he’d get his way. And then the waiter, sure enough, comped it (after a brief manager consult).
The thing was, I’ve seen people b—- about their food or the prices in an angry, seething way that is disproportionate to the harm done–it’s like they want the waiter to think that things will escalate alarmingly if they don’t get their way. But this guy was just calm and extremely assertive, like he knew this would be resolved in his favor.”
They Actually Complained About Free Food
“Had some customers one time come in and order 50 wings, in various sauces. Well…my dumb a– f—ed it up and rang in boneless. Not a big deal, they just had to wait a bit longer, so we give them the boneless wings FOR FREE to eat while they wait. Their order comes out, everyone is happy, they end up with a huge pile of wings to take home, etc…
Fast forward a week, those same customers call and complain demanding free food! The district manager comes in and all that s—. The computer records showed where my mistake was unf—ed and my manager’s account of it matched with mine… I got to sit in the room when the district manager called them back and informed that they would not be getting any free food!
The best part was, a couple months later I was taking a leak and the d—head comes into the bathroom, he was all buddy buddy with me. He said, ‘Oh hey buddy! You remember me?’ I stared at him for a second ‘Oh yeah, I remember now. You’re the guy that called and complained after getting 30 BUCKS worth of free food!’ You would have thought he was a ghost.”
If You Can’t Afford It, Don’t Get It
“My girlfriend is a waitress and she tells me something ridiculous, nightly. My favorite story was last week actually. A customer came in and complained (before she ordered) that the food was too expensive, and wanted to know what the restaurant was going to do about it. She then proceeded to demand the manager because my girlfriend refused her request to give the customer HER employee discount, and the staff HAS to accommodate her. The worst part is the management reprimanded her for saying no to the customer’s request and comped the entire meal…”
How The Lovely Couple Got Free Pie
“So my husband and I go to this one local restaurant once a month. We always sit in the same area with the same waitress and order the same thing.
One time the waitress forgot to leave the pickles off my burger and I didn’t even think about it, just pulled ’em off and enjoyed. She saw them sitting there and almost panicked. The manager came over and I kept saying, ‘It’s not a big deal! I probably forgot to mention it anyway,’ but he didn’t care and comped the burger.
The poor waitress looked like she was going to have a meltdown.
We paid for what became a $12 and change bill with a $50, told her to keep the change.
(Went there last night, she was our waitress again, service was awesome and we got FREE pie!)
Does The Dirty Plate Discount Still Work
“Once I had a group of 8 or 9 people at my table. It seemed to me that they were work friends, enjoying each other’s company, but not really that close. Everyone was really nice, except this one lady who kept looking at the menu somewhat nervously. She ordered a water, the quiche, and a small side salad. As soon as I brought out her salad, she picked it up and said, ‘I wanna talk to your manager.’ I replied, ‘Of course, is there anything wrong?’ She said,’Yes, this plate you gave me is dirty.’
I brought out my manager and he asked to see her plate. She refused, saying ‘No it’s dirty, I want a discount.’ He said ‘Okay, well let me take your plate, tell me where it’s dirty.’ It went on for a while until FINALLY, she relented. It turned out to be a little bump on the plate, like, a flaw of the plate itself, not anything dirty.
SHE STILL WANTED A DISCOUNT. Her friends were cringing so hard… After my manager told her we couldn’t give her a discount and left, one friend said, ‘Don’t worry guys, I got the check this time’ (good guy, it was so obvious he was doing it for her benefit). He left me an exaggeratingly good tip.”
Her Son’s Self-Conscious Eating
“A mother once whispered to me that she wanted me to put the TEN piece nugget box inside the Happy Meal box, along with the other FOUR nuggets. Apparently, the kid felt self-conscious eating so much food… Then she tried to get me fired because I charged her for the ten-piece and the kid’s meal. It costs three dollars for a kids meal it doesn’t matter what he eats!
I also saw a drug addict urinate on a burger wrapper from the trash, in order to get a refund on food she didn’t purchase…”
A Woman’s Petty Penny Problem
“I was managing a fast casual restaurant while I was in school. We had one lady who would always have problems with her food and would always want her money back. So she comes in one day with her whole family and my server says he isn’t going to deal with her since she always has problems. No problem. I take her order and repeat everything back to her. Then I go to the kitchen and cook every item myself, to make sure there were no problems with it.
After I bring everything out to them and make sure everything is okay, I leave them to their meal. After they have finished almost everything I go back to clear some plates, guess what, there is a penny sitting right on top of an untouched dish that was for nobody apparently. She wants a full refund for the entire meal…
Sorry, I cooked your entire order myself and NO there was not a PENNY there. There is nothing I can do for you. I got yelled at, but whatever, it was the last time we saw her.”
The Food ‘Cut Up’ Her Mouth
“I used to work in a Palestinian restaurant. Our hummus and babaghanouj were LEGENDARY in the area. One day a girl wanted me to give her whole lunch free because she said that the eggplant in the babaghanouj was too hard and it cut up her mouth…
She ate all of it. And her lunch. And had dessert. But her mouth was in so much pain from the roasted eggplant that I needed to comp her.
I did not do that!”
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