Service members are heroes and deserve to be celebrated.

However, some military spouses interpret this to mean that they, too, deserve every perk their spouse receives.

This employee quickly humbled an entitled army wife with her own military ID.

Read below for the full story.

“So, what, do you just not like service members here?”

This story is from a few years back. I used to work as the manager and marketing/web/email specialist at a tiny little boutique that sold trendy but inexpensive clothes for women.

It was just my awesome boss (AB), who was the owner, me, and my employee. I loved that job.

I’ve since commissioned, but at the time, I was an enlisted side National Guard soldier as well. It’s not something you would have been able to tell from looking at me, though, as I had to dress trendy for the job, wear makeup, etc. This is important later.

A woman came into the store one day, mid-thirties, dressed a little frumpy, and proceeded to walk around and browse.

I greeted her, let her know to ask me if she had questions, and went back to working on the email flier I was sending out to customers later that day.

She finally came up to my register and laid out a scarf.

The army wife told this employee about her husband’s deployment.

L: How much is this?

Me: All scarves are $8.

L: My husband is in the Army.

I made a little humming noise of interest.

L: He’s deployed in Afghanistan.

A little random non-sequitur, but I thought maybe she recognized me from a dining out or some other National Guard event, so I indulged.

M: Oh yeah, what province?

L: Pendleton.

Pendleton is a Marine Corps base on the West Coast, so my confusion must have shown on my face.

I was expecting an answer like “Kandahar” or something. I didn’t feel like correcting her, though, so I opened my mouth to say something like “Well, I wish him safe travels,” when she interrupted me with a huff.

She rudely demanded for a discount.

L: Look, I don’t know why you’re questioning me about this. I’m wearing his dog tags right now. So do you give a military discount or something?

We didn’t, not really. I could give a 15% discount for whatever reason I chose, and I’d usually use that to knock off a bit if I knew the customer themself was LEO or military, but I didn’t normally give it to spouses of SMs.

I would have been willing to make an exception this time, but the store wasn’t doing well, and my boss had all her savings tied up in the business and was stressing about money. Plus, the customer was being a bit rude.

M: I’m sorry, ma’am, we don’t have a military discount at this store. I might could make an exception if you also serve, but not for spouses. Do you serve as well?

L: Of course I don’t. Who do I look like? Why can’t you just support military spouses? We have the hardest job in the Army. My husband is deployed. Deployed!

M: I’m sorry. Do you still want the scarf?

L: I want to talk to the manager.

She went on and on about how the store hates the troops when she was refused a discount.

I’m always a little blunt and forthright by nature, which my regulars appreciated, but by now I’d dropped all retail politeness. I reached over and plucked our business card from a tray, dropping it onto my counter.

M: I’m the manager.

L: Then I would like to speak to the owner.

M: She’s not in today, but her name and number are listed on the card above mine. Do you still want the scarf?

She huffs but takes her wallet out to pay. As I ring up her transaction, she gripes:

“So, what, do you just not like service members here or something? What kind of place won’t give an Army wife a discount? You people must hate the troops or something. My god.”

And on and on and on and on and on…

The employee’s military ID embarrassed her.

At this point, I was pretty fed up, so I reached down under my counter to my purse, fished around by feel until I had the right card, and then snapped it down right next to the business card.

M, pointing to the business card at my name and title: What’s that say?

L: [My name]

M, pointing at the thing next to it—my military ID: Mmm hmm. And what’s that say?

L, studying the ID: …[My name]

M: Hmm. How ’bout that, now?

From there she got really red-faced. I handed her the receipt, and she swiped the business card and stormed out without a word.

Even the boss didn’t want to deal with the army wife.

I rolled my eyes, knowing I’d catch a little flak for this. I loved my boss like a big sister, but she was the “customer is always right” type, and I knew I’d get a gentle little lecture about tact and sensitivity when she came in the next morning.

When she came in the next morning, she frowned at me as she tossed her purse on her desk.

AB: Did you give someone my cell phone number?

M: I gave her our business card.

AB: [shudders] I need to get those changed. That woman was a pain, don’t let her back in here again.

Ha ha. Roger that, boss.

Salute to this employee for not backing down.

Other people in the comments are giving their two cents.

Here’s a good rebuttal.

This user is chiming in.

This one shares some facts.

A hilarious comment from this reader.

And a wise solution from this person.

Sorry, but army wife does not outrank a soldier.

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