If you ever want to lose faith in humanity, you don’t need to scroll through depressing news or read about everything wrong with the world. Just spend a day, or even a few hours, working in customer service. You’ll quickly realize there are so many clueless people out there that it’s honestly a miracle we’ve made it this far.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most frustrating and downright stupid customer encounters that employees have had to deal with. From ridiculous questions to outrageous demands, these examples might make you feel a little sorry for anyone who works with the public. Scroll down to check them out and upvote the worst offenders!
#1 On Dunkin Donuts
#2 On Deer
#3 On Those Subtle Differences
Dealing with difficult customers is probably one of the oldest problems in the world. You could be selling fresh figs in the blazing sun of 16th-century Istanbul or scanning plastic-wrapped chicken thighs beneath the fluorescent lights of a Florida supermarket, and you’d probably encounter the same kinds of annoying people.
The ones who complain about everything, think they know better than the person doing the job, or seem determined to start an argument over absolutely nothing.
#4 On Hardware Stores
#5 On Hair
#6 On Pancakes
Even in ancient Greece, there were plenty of customers who tested everyone’s patience. The philosopher Theophrastus, a student of Aristotle, described many of them in his work Characters, a collection of 30 sketches of irritating personality types in Athenian society.
He had a sharp eye for the little habits and behaviors that made people so unbearable to be around. Quite a few of them would have been an absolute nightmare for anyone working in customer service today.
#7 On Dressing
#8 On Light
#9 On Dolphins
For example, one of the characters Theophrastus described was the Shameless Man, who would remind a butcher that he was a regular customer, hoping to get special treatment, before sneaking extra meat onto the scales without paying for it.
Then there was the Impudent Man, who would help himself to fruit from a market stall while distracting the seller with conversation. And let’s not forget the Braggart, who wanted to look wealthy without actually spending any money.
He’d act as though he could afford an expensive horse, then pretend his servant had forgotten the money when it was time to pay. That way, he could leave without buying anything while still looking like a rich man.
You could probably find all three of these characters wandering around your local department store.
#10 On Mountains
#11 On Pizza
#12 Guy Blocked 6 Parking Spots In Front Our Store And Walked Off
Image source: Pure-Organization525
Bad customer behavior certainly didn’t disappear as the centuries went by. In fact, even the great composer Beethoven reportedly had his moments. According to his pupil Ferdinand Ries, Beethoven once became furious when a waiter at Vienna’s Swan tavern brought him the wrong dish.
When Beethoven complained, the waiter argued back instead of apologizing, which made the composer so angry that he grabbed his plate of food, containing calf’s lungs and plenty of gravy, and threw it at the poor man’s head.
The waiter was left covered in sauce, and the two began shouting at each other while the other diners watched, until Beethoven himself burst out laughing.
#13 Worked 8 Long Hrs In Retail. Came Out To This
Image source: rutilatus
#14 The Lady In Front Of Me Asked If She Could Pay Cash
Image source: Domestica
#15 On Fine Wines
Of course, today’s customer service workers are still putting up with some pretty outrageous behavior, although hopefully fewer flying plates. According to a 2026 survey of nearly 9,000 retail employees in the UK, 78% said they had experienced verbal mistreatment at work during 2025, while 54% reported being threatened.
Meanwhile, research from Ireland found that 70% of retail workers had encountered rude or inappropriate behavior from customers. Among those affected, one in three said it happened at least once a week.
#16 At The Self Checkout, A Customer Got Rude With Me Because The Card Only Machines “Didnt Say Card Only Anywhere!” No
So i was working at the self checkout today, and we have four machines that all have across the top of the screen when in use “card only.” There are also signs above each one that say the same thing. To her credit, the machine she got on USED to take cash, as you can see by its design below the shelf.
She rang up three keys while i was helping another customer and called me over to ask me how you pay with cash. I have to do this all of the time. All. Of. The. Time. So i said, “oh im sorry. These only take card—“ and she interrupted me “Well, it didnt say ‘card only’ anywhere on it!”
Now since she scanned items, it wouldnt say it on the machine anymore like in the photo. I smiled and said “well it says it then i pointed to the sign right there above the machine, but [coworker] can take cash.” She said, “no that’s fine, ill just go to the one that takes cash.” And i had to tell her that none of them take cash and pointed at the screens.
It absolutely infuriates me how often people will walk up to a machine that states “card only” and get mad at me when it only takes card. Please read the screen.
Image source: Godworthy-Sins
#17 A Customer At My Workplace Told My Boss I Was Vaping In Front Of Customers…
Image source: AdSpecific3089
#18 On Axes
But why is it that some people seem to lose all self-control the moment they’re speaking to a customer service worker? After all, you don’t usually see someone screaming at their boss because a meeting ran late or throwing a tantrum at the office because the printer stopped working.
Part of the explanation comes down to the imbalance of power. As Melanie Morrison, a psychology professor at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, explained to the BBC, customer service workers often have little say in these interactions, making them easier targets for people’s anger.
She pointed to something called “scapegoat theory,” which describes our tendency to look for someone to blame when we’re frustrated. And because there are usually more consequences for lashing out at a boss or colleague, service workers can end up bearing the brunt of that anger instead.
#19 On Sizing
#20 On The Footlong
#21 On Flying
Another reason is that people generally don’t like it when things don’t go according to plan. As San Diego-based psychologist Reena B. Patel explained to the BBC, even something as simple as a long line at a coffee shop can be frustrating because it threatens to throw off the rest of someone’s schedule.
And when that inconvenience comes on top of everything else that’s already been going wrong, it can be enough to make someone lose their temper. Unfortunately, the first person in the line of fire is often the employee behind the counter, who probably had nothing to do with any of it.
#22 On Heat
#23 On Mozzarella Sticks
#24 On Checks
Sadly, there’s probably no way to eliminate difficult customers altogether. As history shows, we’ve been dealing with demanding and unreasonable individuals for thousands of years, and there’s little reason to believe they’ll disappear anytime soon.
But what we can do is make sure we’re not the ones making customer service workers’ jobs harder than they already are. A little patience and understanding can go a long way, especially when you remember that the person serving you is just trying to do their job. A bit of kindness might make their day a little easier.
#25 On Exits
#26 On Electronics
#27 On Elevators
#28 On Dentistry
#29 On Flowers
#30 On Meatloaf
#31 On Eggs
#32 On Traversal
#33 On Ice
#34 This Guy Sitting First Class On A Plane
Image source: jowookie
#35 Someone Is Walking Around The Store Eating Chicken Wings And Tossing The Bones On The Floor
Image source: CampCrystalLake1980
#36 I Work Closing At Target, Every Single Night I Have To Push 3-5 Carts Of Full Shopping Trips Abandoned By Customers
Image source: SandwichesANDMilk_
#37 Customer Didn’t Want To Purchase Three Separate 6 Packs So He Just Cut Two Plants Off Each
Image source: succulentwench1988
#38 Customer Is Upset That A Mattress Store Won’t… Help Them Move…?
Image source: anon
#39 Guy Wafting His Dirty Sandal Throughout The Plane
Image source: Zenai
#40 I Don’t Want Your Free Item. I Want Your Address
Image source: Neat-Car
#41 All The Lazy Shoppers Who Can’t Afford To Spend An Extra Minute To Put Their Cart Away
Image source: SudaneseChef
#42 This Customer Who Cracked Open Almost All Of These Brand-New Tennis Balls
Image source: anonymous
#43 People Who Leave Their Trash On Shelves In Stores…
Image source: ADGM1868
#44 This Shopper
Image source: joche001
#45 “I Didn’t Want My Salad Anymore. I’m Just Gonna Place It By The Bike Accessories And Let It Go Bad!”
Image source: ggfchl
#46 Daily Life As A Digital Artist/ Designer
Image source: Bardivan
#47 I Work Retail. When Customers Give You Money Like This, With The Straightest Face You’ve Ever Seen
Image source: Broad_Land7951
#48 Just Finished Shopping And Turned Around To See Someone Stole My Cart With All My Stuff I Was Going To Buy
Image source: googlesubscriber
#49 Attention Shoppers, We Had A Keyboard Letter Thief In Our Store
Image source: LadyMoiraReyes
#50 Target Shoppers “Returning” Their Carts To Be “Nice”
Image source: ImagineWagons969
#51 “The Nerve Of This Restaurant!” -Karen
Image source: Major_Eldrich
#52 People Who Trash Stores Shouldn’t Go Shopping
Image source: jorwyn
#53 Why Are You Like This, Target Shoppers?
Image source: anon
#54 Customer Just Left This Review Of The Place Where My GF Works. The “Main Dude” Says He’s Never Seen Him Before LOL
Image source: greyredwolf
#55 I Work In Customer Service, Not Babysitting
So I work at Walmart, and have become very used to parents just coming up to me while i’m stocking and zoning and say they’re going to grab something across the store and tell me, not even ask, to watch their kid, and then walk off before i can even process it. I used to just do it and watch the kid, but now i’m turning in the kids to my administrators and now they call the parents to come pick up their kid. I’m tired, i have this happen not even exaggerating like 3 times a week, and its annoying. I’m not a babysitter, I am customer service, and those services do not include free child care. So please to anyone who does this, stop leaving your kids with workers at stores. And if you’re a worker at a store such as walmart like me, drop the kids off at an asset protection or some higher up authority figure and the parents can deal with them about leaving their kids with strangers. Its just baffling parents will leave their children with strangers who are at work simply because we work there, like we’re instantly to trust in child care, its genuinely concerning.
Image source: Live-Swan3267, Eduardo Soares (not the actual photo)
#56 On Deals
#57 On Fresh Turkey
#58 On Order Size
#59 On Uncle Arnie
#60 On Wings
#61 On Filets
#62 On Ham
#63 On Precise Amounts
#64 On Insurance
#65 On Alterations
#66 On Shuttles
#67 On Barbershops
#68 On Shrimp
#69 On Rain
#70 On Earthly Delights
#71 On Steak
#72 On Currency
#73 On Best Buy
#74 On Paperwork
#75 On Beef
#76 On Gyms
#77 A Guy Left This On The Table Of The Restaurant I Work In And Left Without Paying
Image source: Martoshka
#78 Customer Wanted The Best Boards In The Pile
Image source: Darthmayhem13
#79 My Coworker’s Shift Ended So I Took Over One Of Their Tables. Customer Did Not Like This And Left A Negative Tip
Image source: ExtendedMacaroni
#80 Customer Mailed Back His Computer Mouse
Image source: leonvolt28
#81 How Customers Leave A Store On Saturday Night
Image source: Old-fashionedTaxed
#82 Told The Customer To Pack The Laptops With Care. This Is How That Worked Out…
Image source: xjsred3000
#83 People Who Do This In Stores
Image source: Xandierious
#84 When A Customer Hands You Cash Like This
Image source: redrobin1257
#85 It’s Always Like This Around Xmas Time
Image source: dnjprod
#86 People Not Returning Their Carts After They’re Done Shopping
Image source: ThisIsAlex013
#87 These Customers Who Removed Bricks From A Pallet Like This
Image source: anonymous
#88 People That Leave Things In The Complete Wrong Place In Stores
Image source: KingPotatoTheFourth
#89 Folks, Please Return Your Shopping Cart. Especially When It’s Windy
Image source: sonatawolf1990
#90 $10 Entertainment Fee
Image source: ApolloTheElder
#91 People Who Think That It’s Ok To Open Products In A Store
Image source: Grannatz
#92 Customer Took The Filling Out Of Every Purse She Looked At, And Brought It All To The Front
Image source: MrCabrera0695
#93 When Grocery Shoppers Do This
Image source: Astrosfan34
#94 Wife Went To Dollar Store To Get Nailpolish Remover. Bottles Were Nearly 1/2 Empty
Image source: tab6678
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