There’s just no reasoning with some stubborn customers.

This ski lift cashier encountered an insulting customer who insisted that the lifts should operate, despite the bad weather.

So the cashier and his manager gave the customer exactly what he asked for, but it didn’t end well for him.

Read below for the full story.

“You are doing this on purpose”

A few years back, I used to work as a cashier for a local ski lift company. This story comes from that time, as it is one that stuck with me. Note that his story doesn’t take place in the USA.

I sat at my register and waited for customers. As it was quite bad weather, snowfall & wind, there weren’t many.

The wind picked up, and early afternoon, we had to close the gondola lift. About 30 minutes later, a family of 4 approached my register. The parents were in their forties, and two daughters were around 17-19.

Conversation went as follows, A=Me, S=Supervisor, C=Customer.

The cashier’s encounter with the angry customer went like this.

A: Hi how may I help you?

C: I would like 4 one-way tickets to the middle station, we want to go sledding.

A: I am sorry the gondola lift is currently not running due to the weather!

C: But we want to go sledding! So sell us the tickets! How long do you think it will be closed?

A: Uhmm, well, I can’t say as it depends on the weather and I don’t know how it will change during the upcoming hour.

C: You are doing this on purpose, you are just a lazy person and you don’t want to run the lift!

A: Doing what on purpose?

C: Not running the lift because of the weather!

The cashier went to get the supervisor.

A: Uhmm, No. These are restrictions from the manufacturer. We don’t make them, we can’t change them for security reasons. It would be quite stupid from us to close the lift even though we could still run it, don’t you think? I mean we make money from people using the lifts!

He had to think about this one for a bit as he probably noticed a flaw in his logic

C: I don’t believe these restrictions exist! You are just a bunch of lazy jerks that don’t want to run the lift!

A: Well first off, I don’t even run the lift from down here. I sell tickets. I will talk to my supervisor, just a second please!

I walked back to my supervisor’s office and told her that the customer wanted tickets for the gondola. She, of course, told me that it doesn’t run due to wind and I told her the guy doesn’t believe me. She looked at me quite baffled and went to the register with me.

And they sold the tickets to the customer.

C: Finally, someone that can sell us the tickets. Your cashier is rude and lyng to me!

S: I don’t want to sell you tickets as the lift isn’t running due to the weather conditions and no my cashier isn’t lyng to you.

C: You are just lazy jerks that don’t want to run the lift. I want to go sledding with my family so sell us the tickets!

S: (to me) Just sell him the tickets!

I print out the 4 tickets for him and his family

A: That would be 65 USD, please.

C: Here you go and next time don’t try to fool me just because you are lazy!

A: Here is your change and have a nice vacation! Bye!

The customer came back fuming.

He left with his family towards the base station of the gondola lift around 200m away from the cashier office.

I walked back to my supervisor and asked her why we sold him tickets. She told me he wanted the tickets so we sold them. I could keep the money from the sale and if he comes back I should direct him to her.

Around 30 minutes later, I sat back at my register and could already see the guy stomping down from the base station of the gondola towards my register.

I waited patiently and smiled at him while I look at him coming towards me.

The insults continued, but the customer never got his money back.

C: You are all lazy jerks that don’t want to run the lift! I want my money back for the tickets!

A: One minute please, I’ll get my supervisor!

C: You better do so, I am angry and you are a useless lazy jerk!

I get my supervisor and I am eager to know what will happen now.

S: You wanted the tickets even after we told you that the lift isn’t running. You insulted my cashier and no, you won’t get your money back!

C: This is outrageous! I demand to get my money back or else I will never come back to this region again!

S: You won’t get your money back!

C: You are a stupid woman and your cashier is a lazy jerk that won’t achieve anything! I come here for my vacation and I should be treated better!

S: You should maybe try to treat other people with respect if you want to be treated so as well and not insult them! We are closing now, if you have any more problems come back tomorrow!

And a satisfying conclusion.

I closed the office as the lift was staying closed for the remaining 40 minutes of its regular opening times due to weather and left. My supervisor did as well.

The guy was still screaming in front of the closed register for a few minutes until he noticed that we didn’t care at all.

I went for a drink with my supervisor afterwards with his ticket money and met his daughters later that night in a local bar where they apologised numerous times for their father’s behaviour.

I bought them a drink from their fathers money and told them not to worry about it.

Now that’s money well spent.

Other people are chiming in.

This one mocks the customer.

Some appreciation for the manager.

A valid question.

Full circle moment.

And people are liking the ending.

Demand insultingly and you shall receive… your karma.

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