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A lunch break doesn’t mean much if customers and managers expect you to keep working through it.

One retail worker learned that while trying to eat after a long stretch of dealing with customers.

Just as he reached the break room, a woman followed him and demanded help.

He offered to call another employee, but she refused and insisted that he serve her himself.

As you may have guessed, when he refused again, she headed straight for management.

Keep reading for the full story.

I don’t care if you’re starving! The customer always comes first!

Normally, I’d make a throwaway account for this type of ****. But not today. I am so ******, I don’t even care.

It’s 2 PM today, and I am starving. I am just coming back from the fast food joint down the street, and I am walking toward the break room with my food in hand, hoping to enjoy a quiet, peaceful lunch to re-energize myself so I can continue dealing with the endless waves of snarky customers that my workplace is notorious for attracting.

As I am getting to the door, this blonde woman, around her 50s, begins to follow me, and she begins to do that “Pssst!” noise that is so ******* annoying.

Even though she keeps making the noise, he ignores her.

She continues about 3 times or so, but I ignore her since, you know, I am not a ******* dog or anything.

After she realizes that I am not going to react to her summons, the conversation goes a little something like this:

Woman: “Ex-CUUUUUUUUUUUSE ME!!!”

At this point, he offered to call her over some help.

Me: “Oh, sorry, ma’am. I am on break right now. But let me get one of the other employees to help you out.”

At this point, I begin to reach for my walkie-talkie to call someone to the aisle for help, but she isn’t having any of it.

Woman: “WHAAAAAAAAAAT?! I will NOT be treated like this! I am a valued customer, and I demand to be treated as such! You will provide your service to me RIGHT NOW, and that is THAT! No questions asked!”

Then, she cut him off.

Me: “Ma’am, I would be happy to help you, but my lunch break is only 30 minutes and—”

Woman: “I don’t give a ****! I don’t care if you’re starving! The customer always comes first!”

At this point, I didn’t even retaliate. I just turned around and ignored her as I walked into the break room with my key and shut the door behind me.

She began to angrily pound on it for a few seconds until she finally stopped, presumably because a coworker came to the rescue.

Of course, she complained to the manager.

I later found out that she complained to the manager, and of course the manager simply brown-nosed her and told her that I would be “dealt with,” as an employee should “never refuse service to a customer,” even if they are on break.

This supposedly applies even if I call an employee over the walkie for help.

Honestly, I am just venting. I am getting sick and ******* tired of this company and the management. Especially the customers, though.

Yikes! Customers like this are so annoying.

Let’s check out what the folks over at Reddit would’ve done in that situation.

This reader doesn’t think he should let it slide.

According to this comment, the customer was rude, but there was not enough context.

Here’s someone who took the other side.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a teenager who wants to work, but his mom thinks working past 8pm is too late for high school.

Great point.

Some customers really do think the world stops for them.

When he said he’d call someone for her, she should’ve backed off.

Instead, she got louder and more aggressive.

At that point, the only thing left to do was walk away. Otherwise, you’re just reinforcing entitled behavior.