Working retail means dealing with all kinds of customer demands, but some requests come at the worst possible moments.

One shopper insisted on a last-minute deli order just before closing, but they weren’t prepared for the silent showdown that followed.

Read on for the full story!

Deli Stare off

Back when I was a new cashier at a grocery store, I unknowingly pulled off my first act of malicious compliance.

They set the scene.

It was 9:58 PM, just two minutes before closing.

The deli was spotless, equipment shut down, and everyone was relieved the night was almost over.

But then an extra demanding customer walked in.

Then, a customer arrived with a demand: freshly sliced Boar’s Head turkey at precisely level “4.”

I politely offered pre-sliced turkey at a “3,” neatly packaged and ready to go.

They refused, dramatically declaring, “I would’ve even settled for store-brand, but clearly you refuse to negotiate.”

Their unexpected reaction was actually the perfect way to shut this customer down.

I froze completely out of sheer panic.

Unable to speak or move, I unintentionally created an awkward silence.

The customer interpreted my frozen terror as firm, unwavering defiance.

A tense stare-off ensued, lasting just long enough for the customer to finally yield, muttering threats about Yelp on the way out.

Those threats came to fruition, but neither the employee nor the boss were that phased.

They left a colorful 2-star review, accusing me of “refusing basic turkey-slicing courtesy.”

My manager read it, shrugged, and said, “Well done, you followed policy perfectly.”

I had accidentally complied maliciously, and strangely enough, customers praised me for standing my ground.

Retail really is something else.

Closing time means closing time, no matter who you are!

What did Reddit have to say?

Customers will always find a way to complain somehow.

Many businesses still have a “the customer is always right” attitude.

Entitled customers are always the worst ones.

How customers choose to respect or disrespect a business’ boundaries says a lot about them.

The customer may have come in for a freshly sliced turkey, but he left with nothing but a bruised ego.

Standing up to unreasonable demands was worth weathering an overdramatic Yelp review.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a rude customer who got exactly what they wanted in their pizza.