Entitlement is an epidemic among customers.

This photo printing shop employee refused to sell copyrighted prints to a demanding customer.

The customer gave him two choices, and this employee chose to teach her a lesson.

Read below for the full story.

So do you have the paperwork for me to sell you these copyrighted photos?

This happened more than a decade ago, so I don’t remember all the details, but I’ll do my best.

The year was 2010, and it was spring. I was working in a photo section of a large chain of pharmacies while on break from college. We were a bit busy with a large order; I think some person came in with a lot of vacation photos.

Well, I had just got that done when another order came in. A quick scan revealed it was a set of photos I couldn’t actually print and sell: copyrighted photos done in a studio.

So I ended up printing them off, showing them to my manager (at the time they were new to the department and were getting caught up with the training videos), and explained we needed a release form to sell it.

It’s nothing too hard to get, half the time it was on the disc or something similar. I marked the envelope as “additional information: release form” and placed it in our bin for Karen.

So of course, Karen arrives to get her photos not 10 minutes later. She walks up as I finish putting something away.

The demanding customer and this employee’s exchange went like this.

Me: Hello, can I help you?

Karen: Yes. I would like to get my photos.

Me: Alright, what’s the name?

Karen: Karen, obviously.

Me: Alright, and it appears we need additional information to sell these to you.

Karen: WHAT?! WHY?!

Me: Well, ma’am, you had these photos taken in a studio, correct?

Karen: How do you know that?!

Me: Well, reason A, B, and C here. (I’m not gonna explain how I know because it’s not important how.)

She demanded to speak to a manager when she didn’t get her way.

Karen: Well, they’re already printed; you might as well sell them to me.

Me: I’m afraid I can’t. (sliding the envelope away and off the counter) If I did, someone would find out and we would lose our ability to print photos.

Karen: But OTHER STUDIO where I had these photos taken to print them out can print them without problems!

Me: Ok, cool. What location? Because I need to report them.

Karen: This is ridiculous. Why can’t you just do this like other stores?

Me: Because they’re copyrighted photos.

Karen: LeT mE SpEaK To Your MaNaGeR!!!!

Me: Ok.

The manager backed him up and gave the customer what she asked.

So I called my manager who I previously informed of the situation before it happened. They repeated everything I said.

Karen: (obviously furious at this point) You’re going to either sell these photos to me or you’re going to shred them in front of me.

She had this super smug look on her face as my manager looks to me because she knew what was coming.

Me, with a defeated smile on my face: Ok.

Malicious Compliance.

I walk back to where our shredder was, picked it up, placed it on the counter, and turned to Karen with the biggest grin on my face.

Me: So…where’s the release form?

Karen is pale and her eyes are as wide as dinner plates. She turned and walked away defeated.

And that was how I defeated a wild Karen by doing what she asked me to.

Looks like he made the right choice.

Here’s what other readers are saying.

This one can relate.

This user can’t get enough.

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Enough said.

Don’t threaten someone with a good shredding.

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