I work at a retail chain. This particular day I am working at the register when a customer I have never seen before comes along with his purchase. As I’m ringing it up, he asks for a discount.

Me: “Do you have our rewards card?”

Customer: “No, but can’t you give me your employee discount?”

Me: “Sorry, but the use of those is tracked by the management. If I used it on a customer, I could lose my job.”

Customer: “Oh, stop bluffing! I need that discount!”

Me: “Sorry, but I can’t do that if I want to keep my job. Your total is [total].”

Customer: *Now angry* “Outrageous! I’m spending so much money right now! Have you no loyalty to your customers?!”

The grand total I should be willing to lose my job over? About €30.

Related:
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 23
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 22
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 21
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 20
Don’t Discount The Customer’s Ability To Discount, Part 19

This isn’t even the most-cringe way a customer has demanded a discount! Check out these 10 Stories About Customers Who Will Do Anything For A Discount!

A friend skipped college to have a music career. By the time we were twenty-two, she had started to become quite a well-known pop and Bossanova singer, especially after she was asked to sing the theme song of a popular local drama. 

She had a lot of fans, but my music interests were in a different genre. I had known her since we were fifteen, so to me, she was just my friend, not a famous singer. Add to that the fact that I never knew she went by her middle name on stage, so I had always called her by her first name. Her first name was not a secret, but most people knew her stage name, so that was the one they all used.

One day, we were at a gathering for school alumni. This was one of those obligatory lunches that none of us could get out of. One of the attendees was a huge fan of [Singer] and was always trying to talk to her, following her around asking for her autograph, and generally being annoying. I happened to be sitting at the same table as [Singer], and [Fan] came along to sit with her idol.

Me: “I’m going to get another drink. Anyone else want one? [Singer’s First Name]?”

Fan: “Why do you always call her [First Name] instead of [Stage Name]?”

Me: “Well, I’ve always known her by [First Name], so I usually forget to use [Stage Name].”

Fan: “[My Name], you’re really too much. How can you forget someone’s name?”

This kind of broke my brain for a bit.

Me: “I didn’t say I forgot her name. I said I don’t remember to use it—”

[Fan] cut me off. 

Fan: “You’re really too much! How could you forget her name?!”

I like to think that at least I wasn’t being an annoying stalker of a fan. I’m pretty sure [Singer] sits with me because I treat her like a normal person.

Client: “I need a flyer designed! It goes to print tomorrow morning!”

Me: “I don’t usually take such tight-deadline, no-notice work. I’d need you to wire across half of the payment as a deposit first.”

Client: “How am I going to do that?! Our accountant will be asleep by now, and it would be pretty unreasonable to wake him and ask him to work at this hour!”

Several years ago, I worked as the overnight cashier for a convenience store in a rural part of Tennessee. We were the only store open for thirty minutes in any direction that late, so I saw pretty much everyone in the area all the time, and things were generally pretty casual. Another thing to note is that, although I was in my early thirties at the time, I still looked young enough that I got carded pretty much all the time for everything.

A semi-regular, a man in his late forties, came in one night to buy beer. The store was empty except for him and me. He seemed to be in a good mood and was singing a song from the Steve Miller Band, first released in 1976.

As he got up to the counter, I smiled at him, let him finish the lyric he was on, and then sang the next line by myself. His entire mood changed immediately.

Customer: *Scowling* “You’re not old enough to know that song!”

Me: *Raising an eyebrow* “Thanks, but I’m older than I look.”

He just growled at me, paid for the beer, and stomped out.

I never knew I could ruin someone’s night just by trying to join in the fun.

I am a seventeen-year-old girl and an employee at The Biggest Coffee Shop Chain In The World. We have a lot of regulars, most of whom are nice… most of the time.

One regular, an older man, comes in for his usual.

Regular: “Can I get a short coffee?”

Me: “Of course! We’re brewing a new pot right now, so I’ll have that out for you in just a second.”

While he’s waiting, another customer comes in — a boy who looks about my age.

Customer: “Do you like the [Seasonal Drink]?”

Me: “Honestly, I think it tastes a little bit like air freshener. It’s not bad, it just… tastes kind of like it could be a candle.”

He laughs.

Customer: “Okay. I guess I’ll try [other drink], then. Do you guys have to try every drink?”

Me: “I don’t think so, which is cool, because I don’t like coffee. Ironic, I know. I try to taste most of the flavors, but I really just hate coffee. Your total is [total], and I’ll have that out for you in just a second.”

The regular walks up.

Regular: “Are you too busy flirting with this guy to get my coffee?”

Me: “Sorry, sir, here you go.”

Although I don’t exactly advertise it, I am an out lesbian, and I wear a rainbow pin in the shape of a lab flask on my work uniform.

Me: *Turning back to the customer* “Sorry about that.” *Taps on my pin* “I promise you I was not flirting with you; I’m gay. I wish people wouldn’t do that so often.”

Luckily, the boy and I had a good laugh about it, and we were able to continue our conversation!

But it still really sucks when people assume that, and it makes customer interactions awkward; please don’t be that person!