10 Employees Share Their "I Shouldn’t Have Said That" Moments With Customers

The workplace can be full of unexpected moments, catching us by surprise when we least expect it. In this compilation of short stories, we’ve gathered firsthand accounts from 10 people who experienced moments at work that they never saw coming. From hilarious mishaps to shocking twists, these stories remind us that even the most routine jobs can take an unpredictable turn.

• I was on a call with a member whose accounts had just been frozen. There were no notes explaining why or what had happened, and the department that could provide answers had already left for the day. Understandably, the member was very upset.
  There was nothing I could do, and nothing management could do. After explaining the situation and providing him with the contact number and hours for that department, I absentmindedly said, “Have a great day.” He responded with a sarcastic, annoyed laugh and hung up. © CapThunder / Reddit

• A guy came into the place where I worked, and the first thing he said was something like, “Do you give discounts?” Not any particular discount—he was just being overly frugal. Somehow, without skipping a beat, I said, “For what? Showing up?” I don’t think he was happy with that. © EpicMeatSpin / Reddit

• After the usual customer complaint session, ending with “And I am never shopping here again!” I gave her a polite smile and said, “Thank you, we’d really appreciate that.” She stood there, stunned, while I moved on to the next customer. © Unknown Author / Reddit

• In high school, I worked as a dry cleaner. A woman comes in, her dad died. She wants me to iron the suit he would be buried in.
  I ask her what kind of starch she would like. She asks what I recommend. I, in all of my infinite wisdom, said, “Well I’m assuming he won’t be moving around much, so a light starch is fine,” and then immediately apologized and mentally died inside. © Unknown Author / Reddit

• I’m a dude, and had somewhat long hair in high school. I was working at the local supermarket, and this older woman, 50 or 60 years old, asked if I was wearing a wig. I responded by saying no and replied with the same question, after which she gave me an appalled look. © bigfatbelushi / Reddit

• I was on a call with a customer who was absolutely irate and complaining nonstop. Having only been on the job for a few weeks, I was becoming flustered. No matter what I said, nothing seemed to calm him down or get him to accept my answers.
  I was finally about to end the call when he made a sarcastic comment along the lines of, “Wow, thanks, you’ve been such a great help.” In my rush to respond with either “no problem” or “you’re welcome,” I accidentally said, “Your problem,” and hung up. He called several times after that, and I just ignored the calls because I was so exhausted. © sportsworker777 / Reddit

• I worked at a hotel as a front desk. This group of family comes in to check in, and I hand them their room keys. I see the father go out the door, but I didn’t see the rest of the family take a left to our seating area/lobby.
  Well, the father just swings open the door and doesn’t close it. I let out a sigh and say to my co-worker, “I hate lazy people that don’t close the door.” Then, I see, in the corner of my left eye, the rest of the family giving me the death stare. © oyam_ / Reddit

• When I worked at a restaurant, a customer wanted the football game turned on, and the manager couldn’t get the remote to work, so I went out to help her. I couldn’t find the game he wanted, and he said, “Shouldn’t you be back in the kitchen cooking or something?”
  I didn’t see any reason for him to say that, so I turned on Cartoon Network and took the remote with me back to the kitchen, and didn’t give it back. I shouldn’t have done that, but I’m still glad I did. © upandcomingvillain / Reddit

• I served a customer a salad and was called back almost immediately to the table. There was a cockroach in the salad (it was grossssss!) I stupidly said, “You didn’t order that, did you?!” © thatchickenwasgood / Reddit

• I’m a cashier. A man came with a basket and unloaded his groceries. As I packed the bags, I noticed him struggling to reload his basket. So, politely, I asked, “Do you need a hand?” He froze mid-motion, staring full eye contact at me for a minute. Thinking he hadn’t heard me, I repeated.
  With a swift move, he pulled down his shirt sleeve. My heart stopped when I saw he had a prosthetic hand. I never truly understood the phrase ’melt into the ground’ until that moment. Fortunately, the guy realized I wasn’t being inconsiderate—I was just trying to help—and he was kind enough to let it go.

Job interviews typically include standard questions, but sometimes candidates encounter surprising curveballs. In this article, 10 people share the most shocking job interview questions they’ve ever faced.