The Couponator 53: Binder Of Fury

Coupon, Editors' Choice, Grocery Store, Malicious Compliance, USA, Wild & Unruly | Right | March 31, 2026

At the time of this story, I was working two jobs: a 6 AM to 12 PM job at a pet store, then a 1 PM to 8 PM job at a grocery store, so I’ve learned to recognize all kinds of customers.

I’ve just started my shift at the grocery store, and a woman comes up with at least two hundred Glade plugins, a bunch of diaper supplies, and a fat binder.

I’ve seen enough of those extreme coupon shows to know where this was going, so I shut off my light so that other cashiers would take new customers while I worked with this woman and her overflowing binder.

The coupon policy at our store is basically that the customer is always right. If it scans, great. If it doesn’t, a warning message will pop up on the screen asking me if I want to accept or decline. It happens when they’re expired, from another store, etc. I’m just supposed to accept them all unless they fit specific guidelines I never checked for, because I was paid minimum wage and couldn’t care less.

Her first Glade plugin coupon gave the “not accepted” message. I was about to click “accept” but in the split second before I could, this woman just went OFF on me:

Coupon Lady: “YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT! IT’S YOUR POLICY! JUST READ THE COUPON, OR CAN YOU NOT READ THE D*** THING?! MY GOD, I HAVE PLACES TO BE, AND YOU CAN’T EVEN READ RIGHT!”

Now, I was just going to accept them without checking what they were. But she annoyed me so much that I said:

Me: “Oh my, miss, I am soooooo sorry, let me just read it. Oh my stars, you are right, there it is, right there. My bad.”

I proceeded to do this for every… d***… coupon. They were all identical, but I would stop to read every single one, coming up with new exclamations for each one.

Me: “Oh my great giddy aunt, this one says it too!”

Me: “Well, good gravy, this one says the same thing!”

Me: “Well, spank me sideways and call me a monkey! Wouldn’t you know it, this coupon is the same as the last one!”

Customer: “It’s gonna take forever if you do that!”

Me: “It’s okay, I have nowhere to be, and my shift never ends, but at least I’m making sure to read every coupon!”

Customer: “This is stupid! Stop being stupid!”

Me: “At least I can read right!”

My manager came to check in from the shouting, and the woman complained about what a stupid idiot retail worker I was, and how she had places to be.

Manager: “I wouldn’t suggest you come in with two-hundred coupons if you have places to be, ma’am.”

Twenty minutes later, and I’m still scanning. I’m not making much of a dent in the collection of Glade coupons, and she just abandons the cart and vows never to come again.

Sadly, she was back with her binder a few months later, but at least she avoided me this time!