Anybody who has ever worked in retail has about 100 horror stories about difficult customers. The “Karen” has become a meme-able archetype for this; a demanding, self-important shopper who treats the whole experience like a battle to be won; and not through wit or charm or bartering skill, but through tantrums, volume, and confrontation. It’s enough to make anybody want to take a little petty revenge.
Hence this story that popped up, fittingly enough, on r/PettyRevenge:
Basically, Karen wanted a better price, and she probably could have got one, if she had just bothered to treat the employee like a person.
There’s a lesson to be learned here. Being a j^rkmight have the exact opposite effect you’re looking for.
Another user refers to this phenomenon as the “as$hole tax.”

Source: BelgianAles on Reddit
And unlike most taxes, this one has a lot of support.

Source: spanishpeanut on Reddit
But is it truly effective if they never know?

Source: 18Spears on Reddit
One could argue the net effect is 0.

Source: [user deleted] on Reddit
But there may be no helping some people.

Source: bmx13 on Reddit
Maybe everybody wins?

Source: BigMacRedneck on Reddit
It’s just so difficult to have sympathy with someone who acts so ridiculous.

Source: k1r0v_report1ng on Reddit
How does she find all her connections anyway?

Source: Rhodin265 on Reddit
Of course, we could stop giggling for a minute and try to break down real human behavior.

Source: Tokogawaruf on Reddit
But at the very least, we can take this as a cue to be nicer people, for everybody’s benefit.

Source: merlinou on Reddit
So I guess that’s the real message here. The person working on the sales floor or behind the counter or in the kitchen is just trying to do their job, a job for which they are more than likely underpaid, and unless they’re actively antagonizing you, you owe them courtesy and respect. So give it, or pay the as$hole tax.
Got any retail horror stories?
Let it out in the comments.