This was found on Reddit.
Bit of back story, I work as a manager in a video game shop and as you can imagine I have met my far share of the not so endangered wild Karen. This story is one of my most recent, not long before the lockdown started.
Cast: Me, WK – wild Karen, SM – staff member, NC – nice customers (caps because she shouted a lot)
So it was a normal day at work we were fairly busy as it was a weekend and unfortunately that’s when the wild Karen’s gather at their favourite watering hole, the town centre. I was sat in my office sorting paperwork etc when my staff member came upstairs to get me explaining a woman wanted to talk to the manager. This is never good, nobody ever comes to get me to talk to nice people 😂 so I go downstairs and the saga begins. It was explained to me on the way down Karen had a broken headset that we couldn’t return.
Me: what seems to be the problem mam? Can I help
Wk: this very unhelpful SM is refusing to help me and I am very angry.
Me: okay I’m very sorry, can I see the headset please
She hands me the headset and I can clearly see it is SNAPPED IN HALF.
Me: I’m really sorry, I wish I could help you but your headset is snapped in half, that doesn’t come under our returns policy.
WK: WHAT DO TOU MEAN YOU CANT RETURN IT I AM A PAYING CUSTOMER
ME: I’m aware of that but we don’t return item that have been damaged by accident, only ones with manufacturing faults or unopened.
Wk: how DARE you say I broke this on purpose it is clearly too flimsy, my son has a heavy hand and it is faulty, look the wires are hanging out. (She starts waving the headset in my face)
Me: I never said you broke it on purpose but it is broken in half and we cannot return it.
Sm: like I said before mam we are sorry, we would help if we could but we might loose our jobs if we returned this.
Wk: I DO NOT CARE IF YOU LOOSE YOUR JOBS MY CHILD IS DEVASTATED HIS HEADSET IS BROKEN AND YOU WILL REPLACE IT!
The above few lines were repeated in some horrific Groundhog Day scenario for about 15 minutes. I gather she has been like this the whole time she was in the shop and my SM is close to tears.
Me: No, I will not replace your headset and if you don’t calm down I will have to ask you to leave.
Customers around us are starting to laugh and we have a few that have been served and are just hanging around for the show
At this point our wild Karen starts to backtrack and claims the headset isn’t even broken that it came that way 😂 waving it in my face again she goes
WK: look the wires are hanging out this is a clear safety hazard how dare you sell this to my son.
Me: look this headset has very clearly been snapped in half that means it’s broken and there is no way we would have sold it like that I am not going to return it and if you don’t stop harassing my staff I will call security to escort you out. Also those wires are not a safety hazard as it is snapped in half they arnt connected to anything.
Big mistake on my part apparently and wild Karen exploded in what I can only describe as some Super Sayan metamorphosis ( but imagine it with the Karen haircut 😂)
WK: I HAVE MY RIGHTS HOW DARE YOU DENY ME THEM. IF I DON’T GET A NEW HEADSET RIGHT NOW I WILL HAVE ALL OF YOU FIRED!!
NC: madam that is enough these people are trying to do their jobs and you are making their day miserable just get out the shop they are not going to help you.
WK: I DONT CARE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM, MY SON WILL GET HIS HEADSET AND I AM NOT LEAVING HERE UNTILL HE DOES OR YOU ARE ALL FIRED. I KNOW PEOPLE YOU KNOW. I WILL BE CONTACTING YOUR MANAGER AND YOU WILL REGRET THIS. WHATS HIS NUMBER.
Me: I Cannot give you my managers number but here is head offices feel free to call them.
WK: HOW DARE YOU SASS ME DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM MY HUSBAND IS AN IMPORTANT MAN AND YOU WILL REGRET THIS.
Me: (I’m close to loosing it myself at this point so I pick up the shop phone and starts to dial the security number while staring WK down) you have until security arrive to leave my shop or this won’t go well for you now please leave.
Wild Karen gets a look of panic in her eyes I can almost see the cogs clicking into place in that tiny selfish brain of hers, realising she has met a seasoned Karen handler and I wasn’t going to back down.
WK: ( while storming quite quickly out the shop) YOU WILL REGRET THIS,THIS ISNT THE LAST YOUV HEARD FROM ME I WILL HAVE YOUR JOBS FOR THIS.
NC: wow you dealt with that really well well done I can’t believe how awful some people can be hear have a chocolate.
She handed us all a celebration each lol.
A few days later I had a call from head office asking about what happened that day as Karen had obviously gone through with her threat. I explained the whole situation and the guy just laughed said “i expected as much don’t worry about it” and that was that.
I hope you enjoyed my story and trust me I’ll be out of retail work as fast as I can. 8 years is enough.