Working in a role that helps others – whether that’s nursing or childcare, education or hospitality – can be truly rewarding. After all, there are few things more heartwarming than genuine human connection, and a role that offers that in abundance can suit many workers, helping them to feel a true sense of fulfillment. This can even be the case in retail, a job sector that many people look down on, but which can give some real job satisfaction too.

On a good day, your customers or clients are friendly and you feel like you are really helping them. That sense of making a difference in the world, even in a very minute way, can make all the time and effort you put into your work feel worth it. However, on a bad day, when the customers are mean and the work is slow, the lack of human connection – or even sense of constant rejection – can get to many people, leading to hurt feelings or a sense of frustration if you don’t have a particularly resilient approach.

For the cafe worker in this story, despite some challenging circumstances, the particular day in question was going very well. They’d been adaptable and resilient, and everyone had been nice. However, then entered a group of rude teenagers – and the vibe of the cafe was about to change.

Read on to find out what happened.

I’ll get my Year 11 friends on you!!!

I work at a cafe, and usually, I’m on cash or floating around the store.

However, because people called in sick and I’m the only one with a mini coffee machine in my house, I was the barista today.

Everyone that day was nice and everything went smoothly – that was until a group of five teenagers come in being very loud.

They all sit down and one of the girls comes up to order.

Let’s see how the exchange went down.

I said, “Hello, can I take your order etc.”

And the teenager answered in a very condescending tone, “one black, one mocha, one latte.”

I responded, “I’m sorry, a black tea or coffee?”

And she said, “COFFEE! What did you think I said?! Urgh.”

It took slightly longer than usual.

I told her the total and to please take a seat and I’d run it over.

She paid and sat down at her table with the other loud teenagers.

Now I’ve never made a mocha or a latte, so I was quite slow making it, but it was only a couple of minutes. But then I heard a high pitched squeal aimed at me.

Uh-oh. Read on to find out what all the fuss was about.

In her condescending tone, the same teenager shouted, “Hey! You! Where is our coffee?! Surely someone like you can make some.”

I put on my retail smile and said, “I’m sorry for the wait, it will be over in less than a minute,” to which she grunted in response.

I made the order and brought it over, apologising for the wait and then getting back to helping another customer. Then I heard her pipe up again, slightly aimed at me and slightly aimed for her friends.

“I can’t believe it took so long! I mean, seriously, is making coffee hard? Even for someone like that, without prospects.”

Yikes! Finally, this barista couldn’t stand for their behaviour any longer.

I snapped – not badly but the leeway I gave them for their noise disappeared: “Okay, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. For being exceptionally rude and loud.”

A different teenager responded, “But we haven’t finished our drinks! You can’t kick us out!”

I told them, “Yes, I can. And please never return.”

She found the teen’s threat funny.

Then the original girl, who was obviously very angry, shouted, “WE NEVER WILL! You’re so rude! You can’t afford to treat people like us like that! I know people. I’ll get my Year 11 friends on YOU!”

I started laughing. It was unprofessional but I couldn’t help myself.

She stormed out and her friends followed.

I wouldn’t expect this of any adult, let alone a young teenager.

This is beyond ridiculous.

The girl has no manners at all, and even though she seems to be the ringleader, her friends are no better.

Good riddance to them!

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a third-generation business owner who is thinking he might know the people in his community a bit too well.

Let’s see what the Reddit community made of this.

Some people simply could not cope with the innate Britishness of the threat.

While others thought that the girl’s remarks hid some clear insecurities.

Meanwhile, this Redditor thought that what goes around, comes around.

The superiority complex is huge with this girl, and one day she’s about to get a rude awakening. Regardless of what upbringing you’ve had – whether you’ve been waited on hand and foot since birth, or if you’ve had to do everything for yourself from day one – nothing puts you in a position where it is acceptable for you to behave toward another human being in this way.

Of course she is speaking down to the barista in front of her friends, and at that age it is probably done specifically to impress them. But there’s nothing impressive about being loud and rude – in fact, if her friends respect this behaviour, they’re either not very nice themselves, or they are completely terrified of her. And after seeing the way she treats an adult who is trying to serve her coffee, who could blame them for being scared.

However, this barista has the maturity to laugh it off, to understand that this child was just being a brat. And sure she’s got her little friends around her for now, but one day they will see her for who she is and they won’t want to be associated with her toxic brand of hatred. Because there is one word for what this girl is: a bully.