Customer Demands Free Products, Questions Owner’s Parenting
The Original Post
A little context. I create and sell simmer pots and sell them on Marketplace. Simmer pots are made of dehydrated ingredients and spices. My simmer pots are special because not only do they make your home smell nice, but I also package them to be beautiful. I’ve added some photos so you can see what they are. These things take time. I create the recipes, dehydrate my own fruit, make my own tags, and put a ton of time and care into them. My prices are more than reasonable compared to others who sell simmer pots.
This lady contacts me, immediately asks for free items and a discount – I currently have 3 recipes available, she wants a free one of each. She asks to have them picked up tomorrow morning at 6:30 after I tell her they won’t be ready until the afternoon. I then volunteer to bring them to her and she questions my parenting. Anyway, you’ll see how this turns out.
What Reddit Said
Reddit users overwhelmingly supported the small business owner. Many praised her for standing firm against the entitled customer’s unreasonable demands. However, several commenters noted this behavior is unfortunately common for small business owners.
The community particularly appreciated how the owner handled the situation professionally. Moreover, many shared their own experiences dealing with similar demanding customers. In fact, one former business owner received hundreds of upvotes for explaining how customers would threaten to “call corporate” on their single-person operation.
The Verdict
The overwhelming consensus: the business owner handled this perfectly. This represents a classic case where a customer demands free products from a small business and becomes abusive when refused. Reddit strongly supported small business owners standing up to choosing beggars who try to bully their way into free merchandise.
Original post from r/ChoosingBeggars (1,153 upvotes, 178 comments)