Customers can sometimes forget that retail workers don’t make the rules, they just follow them.

One frustrated traveler learned this the hard way after demanding access to an employee-only restroom.

But the more the employee refused, the madder the customer got.

Read on for the full story!

customer(s) is furious that they cannot use OUR restroom…

I work in a pet supply store, in a large strip mall type area.

For safety reasons, our restrooms are for employee use only and are locked with a keypad.

This employee never really thought too much about this rule.

This change happened the first week I started working there, so I never really asked any questions.

We are literally a 30-second walk from several other stores that do have public restrooms.

That is, until a very persistent customer came in.

Me: “Hi, is there anything you need help with?”

Customer: “I have been driving all day… and I really need to use the restroom.”

(He put extra emphasis on the “all day” part, and I could tell that he already knew our restrooms are not public, but he was trying to make me feel bad for him.)

But regardless, the employee stuck to the rules.

Me: “Oh, I’m sorry, we don’t have public restrooms, but [insert closest store name] right next door does.”

(Awkward silence for a moment.)

Me: “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

Customer: “Where’s the cat food?”

Me: “The next few aisles in that direction are all cat food!”

It soon became clear this customer wasn’t going to get out of their hair anytime soon.

The next half hour includes him grabbing a single bag of cat food and then proceeding to walk around and have the exact same conversation with all of my coworkers.

Every. Single. One.

He continues to make his personal problems everyone else’s.

He’s yelling about how he’s been driving all day and needs a restroom immediately.

Interesting—you could have gone 20 minutes ago to the one next door.

And before long, he’s back in this employee’s face.

He comes back to the aisle I’m working in and meanders around a bit.

Me: “Is there something else I can help you with?”

Customer: “What I need help with is that I’ve been driving all day to get stuff from your store and I just need to use the restroom!”

(He had a very common brand of food in his hand that can be found in most grocery stores.)

Me: “I’m so sorry, there is nothing I can do about that.”

So finally, the customer lost his patience.

He storms off yelling over the fact that he’s spending money, so he should get to use the restroom.

He’s not the first one that’s angry either.

Customers usually react all sorts of ways.

Common responses I get include “Seriously?!” “Are you kidding me?!” or the classic eye roll.

This happens at least twice a week. What’s so special about OUR specific restroom that makes you need to use it?

I’m just following the rules—I’d literally get in trouble if I let him use the restroom.

This customer left just as frustrated as he came in.

What did Reddit make of all this?

If they have to go bad enough, many customers don’t seem to care about the rules.

Just when you think customers don’t have the audacity, they crank up the notch on the crazy.

Sometimes there’s a good reason for refusing a bathroom to the general public.

Some customers just like to complain.

He didn’t end up getting what he wanted, but he sure made a scene trying.

What part of employee-only doesn’t this customer understand?

If you liked that post, check out this one about an employee that got revenge on HR when they refused to reimburse his travel.