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The original was posted on /r/maliciouscompliance by /u/Great_Palpatine on 2025-05-31 10:56:43+00:00.

One day I am working retail in my store. Now what you need to know is that in my profession there are three broad groups of products. One, the lowest tier (Tier A), is almost completely unregulated, these can be bought nearly everywhere. Second, the mid tier (Tier B), can only be supplied by my boss. And third, the highest tier (Tier C), you need to get it in writing before my boss can supply it to you.

Now a bit more about the Tier B products, which is important for this particular customer. Normally, when my boss is around, I can supply the Tier B products. Without my boss, we can still supply Tier B products, but we need to call someone from HQ to confirm this. Tier C products simply cannot be supplied without my boss being around, regardless of whether you have them in writing or not.

But on this lovely day, my boss has to attend to something, and she’s not around the whole day. I am holding the fort with the Tier A and B products, but as you can imagine, it’s a lot more inconvenient now that I need to make multiple calls to HQ to be able to dispense the Tier B products. The queues are backing up, and it’s just me and several other colleagues managing the store. My colleagues are focussed on selling the Tier A products; they can in theory handle the Tier B products, but they would really rather not to and it’s much better that I handle them.

(There’s a whole story there about the Tier A and B products, but they don’t belong in this story.)

So this customer comes waltzing in and wants to get a Tier C product. I tell her that I can’t sell it to her, not today.

“But I always get it here!”

“I’m sorry, I can’t sell it to you and my boss is not around today.”

“But I see that you can sell Tier B products!”

“Sorry, Tier B products are different, you want a Tier C product, to sell it to you, we need someone of a higher authority.”

“Ok, bring me to the highest authority to the store! They are always behind that counter.” *points to boss’ counter.

Well I guess this conversation isn’t going anywhere, and seeing is believing.

“Sure Madam.” Ok, I will comply and bring you to the highest authority in the store.

Both of us head over to the counter, and I step behind it (“Of course I know him, he’s me.”-style)

“Hello Madam, I am the highest authority in the store right now, as my boss is away. I am sorry but I cannot supply you with what you want today. Could you try again tomorrow when my boss is back?”

The lady looks confused, and then finally I see her connect the dots. Her expression changes to one of frustration as she walks away and doesn’t come back (no, not even the next day).

Boss is super amused when I tell her what happened the next day.