It is always nice to keep a friendly smile when dealing with people, but everyone has their limits.

That is what happened to the retail worker in this story when a customer came in and demanded to use a coupon that was clearly expired.

She did her best to remain friendly and professional until the customer kept insulting her, at which point she lost her cool and put the customer in her place. Fortunately, it seems that her manager had her back.

Read through the full story below and see what you think of how she handled the situation.

The first time I lost my friendly retail smile

This happened about a year ago, but it sticks out in my mind because it’s the first time I ever gave up on my friendly retail smile.

Those are some very generous coupons.

This one day was pretty slow at work, so I was the only cashier and the manager’s were on the sales floor doing a floor-walk.

I had a lady come through my cash with an expired coupon. Now, I work at a thrift store, so we recently had a big donation day where you would get a one-time-promotion 30% off coupon, which expired within 3 months.

We also offered our usual 20% off coupon, which NEVER expires. For any donation you were given both of these coupons on this special day.

Can this woman not read?

This lady came in six months later, so the coupon was expired. It very clearly said “Save 30% between date and date” in bold on the very first line.

Me: Sorry, this coupon expired on (date).

Her: No, the girl who gave it to me said it never expired.

Customers like this are the worst.

Me: Ah, that must have been our other coupon. We do have one that never expires for 20%, this one was just given out on a special donation day. If you have that one with you you can use it because it never expires.

Her: No, she said this never expired, so I’m using it today. I never read the coupon I just expected her to tell me the truth.

Let’s hope that the manager is supportive.

It basically continued on in this circle a few more times. Finally, she asks for a manager, she’s getting more and more irritated as the seconds pass. As I call a manager and we’re waiting, she’s telling her mother that’s shopping with her how ridiculous this all is.

He ends up calling my cash and I answer the phone explaining the situation.

They are giving her way more than she deserves.

Manager: Tell her that since the coupon is expired she can’t use it. But since she did make a donation, tell her we value all donors and will give her 20% off her purchase because all we can offer now is the coupon that never expires.

I hang up and tell her just this. We don’t have to offer this to her, because she’s the one who brought in an expired coupon. But in hopes of trying to give that “great customer service” that we love to give, I tell her what I can do for her.

Give it up, lady.

Her: But that’s not 30%.

Me: It’s up to you. It’s either 20% off now or nothing.

Her: Well, I want 30%. She told me this coupon never expired.

It must have been hard to just grin and bear it.

Finally, she gives in and takes the 20%. All the while unloading her items onto the counter telling her mother how horrible customer service this is.

Everything coming out of her mouth is aggressive complaints, all negative, about me and the company I work for. Up until this point I’ve been nothing but smiles, I’m new, I’m still in the “scared of getting yelled at” stage.

Since she was expecting to use a coupon and our merchandise is already low-priced as it is, she had quite a large order.

Everyone has a limit to how much abuse they can take.

I get through the purchase with her quips about how she’s being treated unfairly and how bad I am at my job. I’m still smiling but fuming on the inside. I hate the situation I’m in by myself and don’t know what to do. I stop looking at her and haven’t talked for the rest of the transaction until now.

I put the receipt on the counter. I can’t help but talk flatly because as a person who has feelings, I’m chocking back my emotions right now.

Me: You can have this if you want.

Good for her!

Her (to her mother): How rude she could have at least handed it to me! This place is ridiculous how does someone like this work here!

Me: I’m sorry that you’re feeling so badly right now, but I am not the person who told you this coupon never expired. Whomever did that either made a mistake, or you misunderstood. But I am not the person this aggression needs to be addressed to.

More stores should put rude customers in their place.

She stared at me with her mouth hung open.

Her: EXCUSE ME? Is this the customer service you give? I was told this coupon never expired. You should be honouring that coupon, not mouthing off to me.

Me: The coupon says RIGHT HERE that it expired on (date).

This customer just needs to leave.

Her: How am I supposed to know that if you tell me it never expires? I didn’t read the coupon because I trust you not to lie to me.

Me: I didn’t tell you anything. Someone made a mistake. You’re getting 20% off your purchase. We don’t have to give that to you. Please, just stop being so insulting to me.

She is not putting up with it anymore.

Her: IT’S YOUR JOB TO GIVE GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THIS IS HOW YOU TREAT ME?

Me: IT’S YOUR JOB TO READ THE COUPON!

A good manager will have her back.

I can clearly see that I was in the wrong because it’s my job to reasonably deal with unreasonable people. But I COULD NOT spend one more second in this situation.

I told my manager right away as she was spewing about the phone calls she was going to make and how I was going to lose my job because I deserved it.

Let’s just hope that this customer never comes back.

Although when I asked her if she wanted a manager she didn’t want to wait. And when I gave her my name and the owner’s name she didn’t write anything down.

She either never called the store or just nobody told me about it. But I haven’t been fired yet.

Most upset customers are all talk and just trying to scam their way to a bigger discount. When you stand up to them, they generally back down.

Read on to see what the people in the comments have to say about it.

Here is someone who deals with people like this on a regular basis.

She handled the situation perfectly.

If only she could say something like that.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a man who got fed up with all of the cars parking illegally on his vacation land, so he had them all towed.

These would have been so satisfying.

This commenter thinks she did nothing wrong.

She put up with her longer than she should have. Customers like this need to be put in their place.