15 Fast Food Workers Who Deal with Truly Weird Customers Every Day

People who work in customer service or the fast-food industry often encounter some truly bizarre situations. Thankfully, many employees share their humorous experiences online, allowing us all to join in the laughter. After reading through countless stories, we’ve gathered a few that showcase just how much patience fast-food workers have and how they deserve a Nobel Prize for their incredible resilience.

• I was 16, working front line (cashier). A man walked up and, instead of ordering, he started talking about how his daughter was in vet school. I smile, nod, say something like, “that sounds nice.” He then responds with, “Yes. She did something with her life, unlike you.” © Unknown author / Reddit
• I worked at the concession stand at a movie theater in high school. This guy orders popcorn and a large Diet Pepsi. Comes back to the counter about 10 mins later complaining that his soda is carbonated. I explained to him that all of our sodas are carbonated and he asks me if we have a microwave. We do, so he wants me to go into the back and microwave his soda. He wants it warm but not too warm. Went to the back and had to pour the soda into 2 different cups because the original wouldn’t fit into the microwave. Truly bizarre experience. © Unknown author / Reddit

• I worked at a Chipotle for 4 years and got some pretty interesting requests. But I’ll never forget the time someone ordered soup. Chipotle doesn’t have soup. I promptly reminded her this was a Chipotle, but she insisted we could do it. So we made her soup at Chipotle! It was the grossest concoction of bean juice, sofritas, mild, medium, and hot salsa, and sour cream. She was stoked. © TheBeanYTheBug / Reddit
• One time, this older dude rushed up to order and slammed a coupon on the counter, saying, “I want this!” I pick it up. It had a menu item for KFC. I asked him, “What exactly would you like to order?” He instantly gets disgruntled with me for not reading his mind and shakes his finger at the coupon and said, “Well, whatever is on the coupon, obviously!?” in a condescending tone. I just looked at him for a minute and said, word for word, “Sir, this is McDonald’s. I don’t know what you want me to do with this KFC coupon.” He looked at me, dumbfounded. Then he looked behind me at the menu and around the store, and then yelled, “Aw, man!” (as this wasn’t his first time walking into the wrong establishment), grabbed the coupon, and stormed off. © BALD-HEADED_H** / Reddit

• I worked at Dunkin’, and one time, a customer came through the drive-through and complained to us that the drive-through was built in a way that made it hard to drive. She started yelling at my co-workers so I just put down what I was doing and told her, “Ma’am we cannot change the construction of the building.” Like, seriously though, what’d she want us to do? I just make sandwiches. © Unknown author / Reddit
• I worked at Starbucks and a woman ordered her coffee at 140 degrees in the drive-thru. She walks back into the cafe after pulling out and complains that her coffee was 139 degrees because she has a thermometer in her car and she demands it is remade. I laughed at her and asked if she was joking and she demanded to see my manager. My manager remade it but I didn’t get in any trouble. She was ridiculous but Starbucks’ policy is to remake anything if a customer asks for it. © blatently_blunt / Reddit
• It’s really weird that this became a meme because I swear this is true. In ’95, I was driving from New England to Florida for a college spring break trip. Somewhere in South Carolina, we stopped at a Wendy’s. Near the hallway to the bathrooms, they had a big map of South Carolina and I said to a person, “Can you tell me where we are?” I was pretty clearly indicating the map. The lady said, “Honey, you’re in a Wendy’s!” © Wobble*** / Reddit

• Y’all wouldn’t believe the amount of disappointed rich people who come to Panda Express and find out we aren’t serving authentic Chinese food. Once, a well-traveled rich woman came into Panda Express and stood at the buffet line for about 10 minutes, critiquing our “mistakes” and explaining how Chinese cuisine doesn’t actually have fried wontons with cream cheese filling. Ma’am, we just fry what came in the bag from a warehouse in California. © Upstairs_Cow / Reddit
• I was a waitress at a pizza place when an older man and woman flagged me over. They just started yelling at me, going on and on about how they had found metal in their food. The woman was showing me and yelling, while I tried to apologize, saying we could make them a new pizza and that I was sorry. I had no idea where it came from. After several minutes of yelling, the man suddenly got quiet and said, “Oh, I lost a filling.” Then they tried to be all nice and laugh it off. © semichaels / Reddit
• Worked at a burger place, and a lady came in yelling at me to talk to a manager that I had never heard of. After repeatedly telling her there was no such manager, I asked what her order was and she started listing off tacos. I said, “Ma’am we don’t sell tacos.” She walked out and I just smiled at the next customer in line. © AMJFazande / Reddit

• I had a rough-looking guy in a beat-up truck try to use one-year-old coupons. I refused to take them, and that was a mistake. He held up the drive-thru and screamed and screamed at me, including, “Smarten up, son, or you’re going nowhere in life.” It made me feel awful until I realized that someone like that, who is screaming those things at a 15-year-old running the drive-thru, did not go anywhere in life. © inosilic / Reddit

Check out our other article, where we gather entertaining stories from beauty salon workers who deal with weird clients almost every day.