What is a male Karen? Ken? Whatever let’s stick with Karen.

I live in a vacation destination. Expensive lakeshore homes are often owned by wealthy families from big cities. I also work in automotive.

So Karen comes in and wants something maintenance done. Specifically an alignment. Now to be clear alignments are NEVER an emergency. The good news is he gets to talk to my business partner. I’m not really paying attention because she greeted him and I’m doing whatever.

My partner explains to him when we are scheduling. He wants it done first because he had new tires put on before he left big city but didn’t want to pay their prices for further service and is on vacation here.

My partner reiterated the schedule and tells him if he wants to drop the vehicle off and leave it, if we get an opening or cancellation, we will do our best to get it in. I’m now paying some attention. This is a male dominated industry and some of them get a bit abusive to her especially customers.

“Nope. I’m from [big city] and you need to do it now”

“Sir in order to do that I would have to start calling customers we have already made commitments to and tell them we cannot honor them”

Then the words I will not forget “Well missy you’re just going to have to start calling them or I will.” At this point I have had enough. I simply look over at him and explain to him there is no circumstance in which I will be there and we will work in his vehicle.

He suggests to me I don’t know what I’m talking about and am about to be fired. I shrug, tell him no problem, for a check for several million dollars I’ll have the lawyer draw up the agreement, he can fire both of us and try to convince the techs to work directly for him but I was pretty certain, given the bonus I would promise them for change of ownership, that none would be in a position to work for someone with his attitude.

I did end up escorting him to the door. It was over a decade ago. I will never forget him.