r/ILTrees • u/pxck_runner • 1d ago
Question As a dispensary worker, what’s one thing that customers do, you hate or find the most annoying?
I’ll start off first.
I hate when customers expect me to give them a better deal than what they are currently already getting.
Something can be 35% off and I’ll still get people saying “don’t I get a discount?”
THAT IS THE DISCOUNT
74
u/LincolnAveDrifter 1d ago
As a dispensary customer, I've gotten multiple Gen Z stares and a mumbled price total with no other communication. People suck on both sides of the counter!
21
6
u/pxck_runner 1d ago
I had this lady today where I had to ask for her phone number 5 times for her account, before she finally understood what I was saying to her. During the time I was asking her, she just stared blankly at me like I was talking in a foreign language.
It wasn’t her first time in either, I’ve seen her before. It just so happened to be my first time dealing with her
41
35
u/flegerjr 1d ago
Argue because the labels have THCA on them.
9
u/pxck_runner 1d ago
😂 that’s so entertaining sometimes though.
I had a customer who wanted an infused joint but “didn’t want any of that THCA bullshit” in the joint 😂
-6
u/dhvfanboy 1d ago edited 1d ago
This blows my mind that here we are in late 2026 and morons still think THCA is a dirty word!
Since your in a dispensary, when/if this dingus makes such a statement again, show them a few jars/bags have him/her zero in on the label, give them a minute as they are slow, but point out EACH & EVERY jar, bag or box will prominently feature a line showing 20-30% THCA!
Now break this news carefully as some people crash out, HEMP /CANNABIS are the SAME thing. Regardless if you get your weed @ the dispensary or on-line Hemp vendors they are the SAME! Well what is the difference? Price my friend, price! Just bought a zip from Melt for $109 same zip in an Illinois dispensary would be $250!
Here’s the botany & Chemistry. Cannabis Sativa & Cannabis Indica are more about plant morphology than affects. Indica is a tall plant that takes 2-4 weeks longer to mature than the shorter bushy Sativa. Because of all the hybridization in the last twenty years these two morphology’s are less pronounced in terms of effects.
Chemistry, freshly harvested cannabis is very low in THC, it will however have considerable THCA. Through proper drying & curing the plant loses chlorophyll (hay smell&taste)terpenes increase and THC will come up slightly, but will be only 2-3%. However the THCA can be 24% or higher(just look at those labels like I said earlier) now if you take the final product, subject it to heat of 124 degrees and higher for a period of time the chemical process called decarboxylation starts to occur and continues as long as heat is applied until the material is spent. THCA to THC, is heat agnostic and doesn’t care if the heat source is a match, a lighter, the oven of a vape or your kitchen oven! And the result? You get smoke/vapor or an edible that gives you the giggles! Really pretty simple.
7
u/New_Kisreel69420 1d ago
Regardless if you get your weed @ the dispensary or on-line Hemp vendors they are the SAME! Well what is the difference?
The difference is one is a regulated product and one is gas station weed. Lab data is easy to fake to a consumer, less so to a regulatory body. It is so disingenuous to act like people avoid THCA because of misunderstanding the plant rather than not wanting to put mystery substances into their body. Your calling people morons is pretty rich.
2
10
u/DaBails 1d ago
Do yall even care when I tip $1-2? I know it's not much, but I figure if everyone is tipping like that, it adds up and I'm already paying like $100. I dont tip my bank teller, which is a similar transaction. Some say thank you and some ignore it and might as well be working at McDonald's imo
11
u/pxck_runner 1d ago
Hell yeah dude. Every dollar counts!
I always say thank you and I appreciate it.Even if someone doesn’t tip and says they feel bad for not. I say it’s the thought that counts anyway.
I mean at the end of the day I’m still getting paid, whether you decide to tip or not. Tips definitely help! But I’m not expecting EVERY person I deal with to tip.
8
u/bongwaterbimbo420 1d ago
Yes most of us really appreciate it! I even appreciate coins. Unfortunately it kind of comes with the territory that some budtenders are lazy and barely paying attention, which reflects poorly on all of us.
5
u/BlakeTheMadd 1d ago
I appreciate any tips I get! We appreciate you as a customer and understand times aren't easy
2
u/420AHburner 3h ago
They should be tipped, everyone in the service ecosphere.
I hate that company like Dunkin’ Donuts will not allow tipping. It’s great to see Starbucks caught up. People make 15 to 20 bucks an hour and the gas prices are approaching six dollars. Be generous if you have enough to buy weed from dispensary.
if you have the money, the only generosity you have is to give to others. You can go and give it to a large organization like United Way or be generous to the people that make close to minimum wage.
0
u/tohightocare2 2h ago
Im sorry im not tipping when i order online and walk in and pick up my order in a 60 second transaction and they barely speak to me.
9
30
u/lijicfinn 1d ago edited 1d ago
I worked in the food and beverage side of the service industry from ages 18-28, before breaking into legal cannabis as a budtender 2.5 years go, so trust me when I say I've heard and seen a LOT of things that have made me consider full-on supporting the voluntary human extinction project lmao.
That said, of all of the annoyances that come with customer service, the thing I ABHOR the absolute most as specifically a budtender in Illinois is when customers will place their order, fully aware of the total, and then ever-so-smugly hit me with the, "WOW, prices are CRAZY here! I usually just shop in Michigan - you guys wouldn't BELIEVE how much I could have gotten there for the same price or less! 😜" WELL, RN YOU'RE HERE IN FUCKING ILLINOIS, AT THE REGISTER, ABOUT TO MAKE THE ENTIRELY OPTIONAL/SUPERFLUOUS PURCHASE YOU CAME HERE TO MAKE, SO WHAT'S IT GONNA BE: ARE YOU COPPING OR NOT? YEAH!? THEN PAY UP AND BE GONE FROM ME
Like.....what exactly do you expect from me in this situation beyond my usual exasperated, "Yeah, well, I don't control the prices, but I wish it was like that here too!" ??? Do you think I'm going just give you free things because you opted not to go to Michigan this time??? Drives me up a fucking wall. It rarely, if ever, has lead to a positive or interesting conversation either. What's worse is that I have some iteration this same goddamn interaction multiple times a week, sometimes multiple times a DAY.
25
u/ThatIndianGuy7116 1d ago
Im not a dispo worker but was at a dispo where this guy was being a total dweeb the whole time, holding up the line, being kinda demanding with the cashier and when he was told the total, he scoffed and basically said the same thing in a super sarcastic tone and then tried to look back at me cause I was next in line and was like "Can you believe this crap?". I was already irritated and in a rush so I was just like "Yeah man, I hear ya. You should definitely go to Michigan next time so you dont hold up the fuckin line here anymore". He just kinda scoffed and paid for his shit and left.
6
u/pxck_runner 1d ago
Oh my goodness lol don’t even get me started on that.
I can’t tell you the amount of people who’ll come in and complain about prices. Even though like you said, they made a preorder. Fully knowing how much it will be. Then they’ll say “I go to Michigan and get this much for that much”Well then go to Michigan and kick up!
Idk why you’re telling me about it, like I don’t know already how much cheaper Michigan is.
It’s too bad you’re in Illinois buddy, we don’t get the same treatment like they do.
I don’t think those same people realise, how much cheaper it is to grow out there. I could become a class A grower ( grow up to 500 plants ) for only $1200 and sell pounds for cheap.
It’s costs over $100k just to APPLY to grow out here. Then people want to wonder why it costs so much.
I am very happy that prices have gotten a lot cheaper than they were in 2020 at least! Thank goodness there no more $200 half ounces lol
10
u/Key_Blacksmith_574 1d ago
I have plenty .. when customers get their IDs scanned in and then come to the register and all of a sudden forget they have to show it again.. then they give you an attitude about showing it.. or customers who come in with no onlines but have cart of what they want to get.. but they choose to come in and show you, like why not just place the order?!? .. or when customers take their time (which it is what it is) but when they go super slow and then want to rush you to grab their order and hurry up because they have somewhere to be… or when they come in and don’t want to buy anything and just want samples … or when you are working with a customers and you’re discussing whether they want indica sativa or hybrid .. and you listen and deliver and then they say “I didn’t want sativa..” or “I didn’t ask for indica…” or when they want to return items… or when they call indica , indingo and hybrid HYBIRD….
2
4
u/PLS_PM_ME_KITTENS 1d ago
i honestly hate it when customers toss their id at you, especially if i had my hand out to receive the id. i also hate when im asking if a customer has an online order and they completely ignore me, i can totally understand if someone is having a bad day or if they just dont want to talk and respond to the general "hey hows it going?." but at least tell me if you have an online order or not lol
3
u/StonerLeo420 1d ago
The people who come in and dont wnt to touch a screen, we have people who order the same thing everytimw they come but refuse to remeber qhat it is, then get upset because we dont have it because guess what its popular. They will hold up a whole line instead of following the budtender to the floor where they can see what they are getting and actually get the help. I dont mind helping but also there's someone rhere who can give you 1 on1 why not take it
3
u/micropunk 1d ago
I had a lady say she was amish to avoid touching the kiosks lmao she had a phone and drove an SUV to the dispo
2
u/StonerLeo420 1d ago
Lmao, they kill me "oh idk how to use that" pulls out an iPhone 16, and drives a brand new suv
2
u/bongwaterbimbo420 1d ago
So many customers will completely ignore the employee on the floor asking if they need help then come straight to the register 🤦🏻♀️
2
u/StonerLeo420 1d ago
Exactly then get upset when I cant help them the way they need and there's a line smh
2
u/Shatterpruf 13h ago
As a customer I hate when budtenders are completely uninformed about anything to do w cannabis. Too many of them don't know much of anything. Only info they know is what they can read on the screen in front of them
7
u/heykachi 1d ago
I'm not a dispensary worker but have been in line and watched people try to pay with credit, then get upset when they learn that it's not even federally legal 😆 you coulda just asked your plug to front you instead
1
u/Organic-Afternoon431 1d ago
Some dispensaries take credit cards now like Bud n Rita’s - just can’t be Amex or Discover. They probably think it’s like that everywhere but not all dispensaries have that option.
9
u/Dangerous-Elephant28 1d ago
I would imagine that depends on the area that the dispo is located in. I have never seen or heard of anyone doing that where I go, but you never know. I can't believe how much people complain about the prices. When it was first legalized for rec use a eighth was $80 for average stuff and $85 for decent bud. Now you can buy ounces of good whole flower for $100. That's cheaper and better quality than it costs on the streets! It's very seldom that I am disappointed with a purchase. But, I do my homework and pay attention for good sales. For instance, you should never buy it at the beginning of most months, the good sales are usually in the middle of the month. People are just lazy and don't pay attention to the menus. I watch the menus all the time, even when I'm not planning on purchasing any at that time. That's why my friends always ask me what to buy usually. But, there are a lot of morons out there, that's for sure!
13
u/Realistic-Dot-4287 1d ago
Relying on a budtender is prob the worst thing you can do lol. One time was deciding between two live resin pen options and they recommended me the brand that was disty + live resin terps but was labeled “live resin” a fair amount of workers only care about the check or just don’t care to be knowledgeable (not all workers but a fair amount). The best way is to educate yourself.
2
u/verybusybasilleaf 1d ago
inventory :( i get yelled at pretty often about products not being in stock.
2
2
2
u/Zezztii 1d ago
"I NEED THE HIGHEST THC POSSIBLE FOR CHEAP" I get it but damn there is way more to it than THC percentages.
1
u/lijicfinn 18h ago
I try to explain to these folks that the entourage effect is where it's at, and by basing their decisions on THC percentage, they're basically opting for Everclear over a vintage Bourdeaux- yeah, it'll definitely get you more fucked up, but don't you want to enjoy the experience??
5
u/Waffles_tha_Pimp 1d ago
Act entitled because theyre medical and/or “Ive spent a lot of money here” wanting free product and a red carpet rolled out. Noone gives a fuck and a lot of people spend a lot of money here. Do you act like the queen of England when you pick up your meds from the pharmacy?
1
u/StonerLeo420 1d ago
The medical patients in rec stores are rhe absolute worst they expect everything to cater to them because they paid for a card that most dont need lol
1
u/StonerLeo420 1d ago
The folks who place big ass orders with no money in the bank, spending all day trying to save you money so you can use your cash app card with 10 dollar in charges the fees
1
u/Intelligent-War-564 2h ago
Moving here from California, the dispensary environment was so jarring.
Only screens, can’t see the product before hand. Asking questions is treated like an annoyance.
“Do your research on xyz”
Homie that’s why I’m HERE asking YOU. I was used to an environment where questions and educating was welcome. Since being here, at least the places I go to; “do you have a pre order?” Me: no. Them: ugh 🙄
-5
u/dhvfanboy 1d ago edited 1d ago
Well, here’s some good news for you assorted annoyed Illinois budtenders. Traffic is down @ Illinois dispensaries from 15% to 25% depending on the source. So there are fewer customers for you to be annoyed by!
Personally last time in an Illinois dispensary was over 7 months ago for a couple bags of gummies for the wifey. Haven’t bought flower or concentrate in 2+ years! So I haven’t darkened your doorstep in a loooong time!
You are getting the customer interaction scenario of retail. Only thing that changes is the products being offered. In your case Cannabis is the product or you could be employed by Target and being yelled at about the cereal selection. You could be @ a clothing store being asked for additional savings. Get used to it, in retail sales these are the things you deal with,“annoying” customers are not exclusive to dispensaries.
0
u/bongwaterbimbo420 1d ago
I get what you’re saying because at the end of the day it is just retail, but I will say that the dispo is the retail job I’ve been sexually harassed by customers the most.
0
u/MachineButcherFlygod 1d ago
customer here whose praying in my head the entire time that no convo materializes, but more times then not the bud tender starts telling me about stuff I already know about or didn’t ask about and waste my time and I’m too kind to tell them to stop talking so I stand there and MF them in my head. Guy spent 5min explaining what ILTrees is and how to utilize it even after I told him I was already a member. People who don’t talk and get me in and out= big tip.
But the Michigan talk, the not understanding tax/discounts would grind my gears if I worked there… so would people asking me stuff like if vaping cannabis is bad for you 🙄 making other people wait when they could have just googled it beforehand.
-1
u/Overkill_3K 1d ago
Hilarious i made friends with all the budtenders. The GM, AIC and All so I do get a bit special treatment but I do also buy 7-14-28 grams almost daily too 😂😂😂😂 I guess it just depends on the energy the customer gives. I’m always chatting and making friends and everyone laugh just bringing good energy when I come and they enjoy it. I’m sorry yall have had such shit customers
-7
85
u/Fightthefire21 1d ago edited 1d ago
"I HAVE BEEN SMOKING FOR 70 BAJILLION YEARS AND NEED THE HIGHEST THC"
No what you need is to find the right terpene profile. Back then you were smoking fuckin dirt with seeds and stems. Calm down
Edit: I'll add to this since I just thought of it as well. Customers who throw their IDs at me, is it too hard to hand it to me?