I work as a manager at a pizza place in a rich college town. I have been there for ten years and I love my job. I handle most customer concerns because I’m very good in those situations. I keep my cool, and most of the time, I can correct any problem.

One of our regulars is a whole family that orders from three of our stores, so we all are familiar with them. The daughter (early college age) calls up and orders. When she shows up, she asks for two ranch cups, which we are supposed to charge for.

Me: “Okay, that will be an extra dollar.”

She flips on me.

Customer: “You normally just give it to me for free!”

Me: “I’m sorry for that, but we’re supposed to charge for it. Do you still want it?”

Customer: “No.”

And she leaves.

Two days later, she orders again and after she picks up her pizza, she calls back to complain.

Customer: “You put ham on my pizza, which is against my religion! Can I get another one sent out?”

We are VERY aware of their religion, and we respect it, so we always make sure to triple-check their pizzas before sending them out.

Me: “Absolutely, I’ll send out a new pizza. When it arrives, can you give the driver the messed up one, please?”

This is our protocol. She flips out on me.

Customer: “I shouldn’t have to return the pizza! You just need to send out a new one!”

Finally, two days after THAT, she calls for an order. I hear the driver repeat her order back to her and end the call. She calls back after receiving her order and talks to the driver who took her order.

Customer: “I’m missing a whole pizza. I ordered a specialty pizza and it’s not here. Can you send it out, please?”

The driver flips out.

Driver: “I repeated your order back to you and you said it was correct!”

I have him tell her that if she wants to order another pizza, we will waive the delivery fee. They go back and forth literally arguing about the order. I let it go on because I am fed up. Once the conversation switches to personal insults, I take the phone.

Customer: “Do you know who we are? My dad owns ten [Sandwich Shop Chain]s. We could buy your pizza place from you! I’m not trying to get free food.”

Then, she has her dad call us.

Dad: “What’s the driver’s name? I will make it my life’s mission to have him fired and ruin his life.”

Me: “Now that you are threatening us, you can have my name, and I’m ending this conversation.”

He literally called the store EVERY two minutes for an hour. We weren’t answering. I didn’t lose my cool, but this guy was relentless! They reported me to corporate but they sided with me.

We wanted to ban them from our location (and the other two in our area) and we couldn’t. However, we did implement a system where we would repeat their orders to them slowly and clearly, ask if they wanted to add ranch making sure to say it was fifty cents each, and show them their orders before they left with them and have them confirm again that they were correct. They quit coming around on my shifts.

I am a stay-at-home mom. I’m trying to make my toddler lunch and then get her down for a nap. My husband is currently working from home since his office hasn’t reopened. Someone knocks on the door. I answer and it’s a solicitor. We do have a “no solicitors” sign.

Solicitor: “My name is [Solicitor] and I’m with [Window Company]—”

I put my hand up slightly and cut him off. 

Me: “Hey, sorry. Right now really isn’t a good time. We’re not interested. We don’t own the house and can’t afford to buy new windows.”

I go to shut the door. He looks at me, annoyed. 

Solicitor: “Can I speak to the man of the household?”

I just stare at him before slightly chuckling. 

Me: “Excuse me? I am perfectly capable of speaking for this household, and I guarantee that I’m being a lot nicer than my husband would be. Now, get off my porch.”

He ended up coming back a few days later, and my husband answered the door. He immediately told him that I had already given an answer and slammed the door in his face.

I worked at a large printing company. Work accidents can be costly for a business. In January, my company announced a new safety incentive policy. If our facility averaged only one injury a month, for the entire year, everyone would get a monetary Safety Bonus at the end of the year.

It is now November, and we have had twelve work injuries to date. Twelve is the limit for getting the Safety Bonus. If no one has an accident in the next few weeks, all the employees will get the bonus money.

Late in November, a job opening is posted for a coveted position. A dozen people apply for the job, including [Coworker #1]. The next week, the job is given to [Coworker #2].

[Coworker #1] is extremely upset by management’s choice. They stomp into the plant manager’s office to complain about being passed over for the promotion.

As [Coworker #1] is loudly venting their displeasure at the plant manager, they slam their fist down hard on the manager’s desk to emphasize the point.

In their rage, [Coworker #1] slams their fist down so hard they fracture two bones in their hand.

And that’s work accident number thirteen for the year.

No “Safety Bonus” was issued that year because [Coworker #1] lost it.

A man and his wife approached my register, and the man mumbled his order.

Me: “I’m sorry, could you speak up?”

Man: *Screaming* “IS THIS LOUD ENOUGH FOR YOU?”

Then, turned to his wife.

Man: “What the h*** is wrong with this idiot? Is he brain damaged or just r******d?”

He then pushed his wife over to the next register and asked the employee there:

Man: “Can we order here, please? Thanks. You need to make your special-ed employees wear badges warning customers that they need special handling. Anyway, I’ll take a…”

It was the only time I seriously debated between keeping my job or losing it after yanking a customer over the counter and beating him to a pulp!

Today, I was at a relatively small [Fast Food Chain], but it was super busy and the line was almost going out the door. It was almost my turn to order when a woman skipped the guy in front of me.

Woman: “Sorry, but my son is so hungry. He really wants a cheeseburger.”

I looked around to see if anyone else just had seen what happened but nobody did.

Me: “You can’t just skip the line. So many other people are hungry, too.”

Woman: “My son just had a baseball game! He is very tired and hungry!”

Me: “Go to the back of the line.”

She began to rant.

Woman: “You are being so disrespectful and rude to my child! He’s so hungry!”

At this point, a worker came out.

Employee: “Ma’am, you need to go to the back of the line or leave.”

The woman started yelling. Her son hadn’t said a word since they came in; he was just holding her arm and hiding behind her. I could tell he endured this every day. He finally spoke up.

Son: “Mom, I’m not that hungry. We can wait at the back.”

His mom was having none of it. She asked to see the manager, and the worker kept telling her that they weren’t working that day. The woman didn’t say anything else. She just walked out the door.