April 28, 2026 at 5:20 am

Retail Employee Tries To Explain An Online Promotion That Requires A Few Easy Steps On A Website, But Customers Refuse To Follow Instructions And Demand Easier Options Instead

by Heather Hall

woman frustrated with laptop

Pexels/Reddit

Some processes are designed to be simple, but that doesn’t mean people will actually follow them.

Imagine you’re trying to explain a quick online promotion that only takes a few steps, but customers keep pushing back and coming up with reasons not to do it themselves. How would you handle it? Would you help them? Or would you just shake your head at the audacity?

In the following story, one retail cashier finds themselves in this situation and can’t believe it. Here’s their story.

The amount of people that can’t use a simple website is terrifying

We have a promo in my company. You go to a website, enter your name, ticket number, and phone/email so you can be contacted if you win.

These simple steps are impossible for most customers, regardless of age. Here are some examples:

“What do you mean by website? Can’t you do it automatically?”

“What’s a browser? I’m already paying for the internet, I don’t want to pay even more.”

Apparently, people still say this, no matter how easy the directions are.

“Give me your WhatsApp so I can send you the ticket picture and then tell me if I won.”

“Email? I SWEAR TO GOD I don’t have that.”

“Can you send me a video? This is too much work.”

These apply to a lot of things, actually. It doesn’t matter how simple the process is or how clear the instructions are. If it takes more than 20 seconds, people prefer to spend 40 minutes in a phone call.

Wow! That’s quite an observation, but not entirely wrong.

Let’s see if the people over at Reddit agree.

For this person, it’s okay not to know something.

Terrifying 3 Retail Employee Tries To Explain An Online Promotion That Requires A Few Easy Steps On A Website, But Customers Refuse To Follow Instructions And Demand Easier Options Instead

This reader has to hold people’s hands to use a credit card machine.

Terrifying 2 Retail Employee Tries To Explain An Online Promotion That Requires A Few Easy Steps On A Website, But Customers Refuse To Follow Instructions And Demand Easier Options Instead

Here’s someone who helps his grandparents.

Terrifying 1 Retail Employee Tries To Explain An Online Promotion That Requires A Few Easy Steps On A Website, But Customers Refuse To Follow Instructions And Demand Easier Options Instead

According to this reader, it’s not just older people.

Terrifying Retail Employee Tries To Explain An Online Promotion That Requires A Few Easy Steps On A Website, But Customers Refuse To Follow Instructions And Demand Easier Options Instead

Some people quit thinking too soon.

If you liked this post, check out this story about an employee who got revenge on a co-worker who kept grading their work suspiciously low.

Heather Hall | Contributing Writer, Life & Drama

Heather Hall is a contributing writer for TwistedSifter specializing in internet culture, workplace conflict, and viral customer service stories. With over a decade of editorial experience in digital publishing, Heather excels at curating trending online discussions and providing insightful commentary on the daily dramas that capture the internet's attention.

Since beginning her career in 2011, she has developed deep expertise in SEO-driven digital content, having written for a wide array of publications covering lifestyle, business, and travel. At TwistedSifter, Heather focuses on synthesizing complex social media threads into engaging, highly readable narratives that highlight the human element of viral news.

When she isn’t analyzing the latest internet discourse, Heather is a dedicated mother of three sons who takes family gaming nights entirely too seriously—whether she is dominating in Mario Kart, exploring The Legend of Zelda, or jumping into Roblox.

Connect with Heather on Facebook and LinkedIn.