Some people are just impossible to deal with, no matter what you do.

So, what would you do if a customer complained to your boss that you were being rude, even though you were just trying to keep interactions short? Would you keep treating them the same way you always have? Or would you start giving them over-the-top service?

In the following story, one longtime barista finds herself in this situation and chooses the latter. Here’s what she did.

Customer complained I was “rude”

So, a couple of weeks ago, my boss gave me a task.

For reference, I work at a very small independent neighborhood coffee shop. I know most of the regulars by order, and I can generally give the newbies a good time.

This particular customer, though she is a regular, is absolutely garbage. Rude, entitled, belittling, disrespectful; you name it. Usually, I try to keep the interaction minimal, but one day I apparently didn’t do things just right.

So I get to work one day, and the boss tells me he’s gotten a complaint.

It turns out the rude woman filed a complaint.

Now, I’ve been there for almost 13 years, and aside from the growing pains of starting what is the equivalent of a coffee-shop version of a dive bar, I have had complaints I can count on one hand.

Anyway, he goes on to tell me that a customer has complained that I’ve been rude/dismissive, etc…

I say, okay. I will definitely be mindful of things with this customer moving forward.

She knew just what to do.

Cue malicious compliance.

Every. Single. Time. I have seen her since, she gets the absolute, over-the-top, Stepford barista treatment.

Think June Cleaver ratcheted up to 13. Just pouring on the ‘midwestern nice’ like a thick saccharine syrup.

She shouldn’t have shared that little bit of info.

I’ve been doing this for at least two weeks, maybe two and a half. And, believe me when I say that it drives me absolutely out of my mind to do it. It takes so much energy to treat this human this way.

Except today. Today I gave her the exact same treatment as I have been. Except today, she made a crucial error. She let it slip that the way I talk to her is irritating.

When I tell you I haven’t had such a rush of happy brain chemicals in almost a decade, it’s not a lie.

And, now that I know it annoys her, it’ll keep happening. Because now it’s not going to take any extra energy to do it. Now it’s fueled by spite.

Nice! Sounds like she’s getting what she deserves.

Let’s see if the people over at Reddit have ever done this.

This person gets it.

That’s a great quote.

Here’s someone who had a family member like that.

For this person, it reminded them of another story.

She needs to keep it up.

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