A micro-influencer is a social media creator with a niche, dedicated audience, typically holding between 10,000 and 100,000 followers. Unlike celebrity influencers or major influencers with millions of followers who receive unsolicited free products from companies hoping for a spot on their social media, micro-influencers often solicit businesses trying to get freebies.
But there's a fine line between a request and extortion. Small businesses have clapped back at micro-influencers who demanded free goods or services "or else."
A barista being extorted by a predatory influencer turned to the "Am I The A**Hole" (AITAH) subReddit for feedback.
Similar to AITA, the AITAH subReddit allows posters to ask for advice and post about ending romantic relationships—both things that are banned on AITA. However, there are no required voting acronyms—only suggested ones—and no official final judgment declared.
Odd_Conversation5457 asked:
"AITAH for refusing to give a 'micro-influencer' free coffee upgrades after she tried to get me fired?"
The original poster (OP) explained:
"I (22, female) work as a barista at a small local coffee shop. We have this regular, Megan (late 20s), who has like 15k Instagram followers. She comes in almost every day, orders this super complicated latte, then asks for extra syrup, oat milk, and whipped cream for free because she promotes the shop on her stories."
"My boss has no formal deal with her, so technically it’s against policy. I’ve let it slide a few times when it was slow, but last Saturday we were slammed with a line out the door, two callouts, I was solo on bar."
"Megan orders, I ring her up normally ($6.75), and she goes just add the oat milk and vanilla for free like usual. I told her I couldn’t today because my manager was watching the cameras (true) and I’d already been warned about giving freebies."
"She got really snotty, said fine, I’ll just take my business elsewhere, then pulled out her phone and took a photo of me mid-reach for a cup. Before I could even say anything, she posted on her story: '[Shop Name] has the worst service, barista named [my name] was so rude for no reason. Don’t go here'."
"Within a few hours, her followers left three 1-star Yelp reviews specifically naming me, and two people came into the shop demanding discounts because according to them they saw what I did. My boss reviewed the security footage, laughed, and told me I did nothing wrong."
"But now a couple of my coworkers say I should have just given her the $1.50 upgrade to avoid the drama and the bad press. The owner is staying out of it, but Megan keeps commenting on our Instagram posts with 'remember when your staff harassed me?'."
"I feel like I was just doing my job and enforcing a policy she knew about. But the shop lost a few regulars who saw her story, so maybe I should’ve just let it go."
"AITAH?"
Some Redditors weighed in by using the AITA voting acronyms:
- NTA - Not The A**hole
- YTA - You're The A**hole
- NAH - No A**holes Here
- ESH - Everyone Sucks Here
- INFO - more information needed
Redditors decided the OP didn't do anything wrong (NTA).
"NTA, comment back saying 'remember when you were too cheap to spend $1.50 to pay for your order? I would expect an "influencer" to be classier'." ~ jessie783
"Imagine going into a place of business and extorting the place and harassing the employees over some f*cking whipped cream."
"This is just outsourced bullying bullsh*t." ~ Otherwise_Chemist920
"NTA. JFC, 15k followers? That's nothing! She's just an entitled brat who wants free things." ~ toxiclight
"Yep, and they should explain that under every single comment. 'This influencer you support tried to bully a poor minimum wage barista into giving her free stuff regardless of whether it could get her fired'."
"Is this person you think you are supporting? Because she’s an unkind, entitled, bully." ~ Neweleni7
"OP should totally reply that the video footage will tell the real story and unless all comments and negative feedback is removed it will be posted on Monday." ~ GroundbreakingPhoto4
"I seriously cannot believe OP is actually asking if SHE is the bad guy for not giving a spoiled influencer free stuff…" ~ HNGWHITEBOI25
"Had an influencer asking for free rooms at one of my hotels."
"Her Instagram had less than 1/4 of the followers my Linkedin does." ~ Affectionate-Car-145
"I am a blogger and I think the shop owner should release the CCTV footage and tag her." ~ Poetryinsimplethings
"Yeah. My guinea pig has like 5k followers and I hardly ever post videos of her. Mostly just her headbanging to metal music. Its easy to get followers." ~ Cute_Chance100
"15k followers is also almost certainly paid for, or bots, or her content is just really f*ckin dry."
"Only 3 of her followers took action based on her demand. Out of 15k. That means most aren't people or don't care." ~ TheAsianTroll
"Ignore this idiot and anyone who is influenced by them. I’d refuse to serve her if she ever comes in again, she’s harassing you." ~ universalrefuse
"Your boss needs to get a backbone and post the security footage on the company's page to defend his employee and his business. NTA." ~ Public-Ad-9827
"Definitely NTA, the influencer on the other hand is a big a**hole. You could even consider reporting her for harassment." ~ HannibalMagnus
"I'd reply to her comment with 'I didn't harass you, I refused to give you a free upgrade because you do it every time you order. If you want (whatever drink she wants), then that's what you should order'. NTA." ~ princessmem
"She name dropped you, you name drop her so we can leave a bad review on her IG." ~ EntrepreneurPast5799
"NTA. Referring to oneself as an influencer to extort businesses should be a felony carrying jail time." ~ PurpleEmotional1401
"If the owner didn't mind, I would have definitely defended myself since she wants to name drop. NTA entitled little sh*ts are the worst and it doesn't help when they have followers who are just as sh*t." ~ supernovamegastellar
"Just get on her IG & post 'if anyone wants the REAL story about how this entitled nobody demanded I give her freebies that could’ve made me lose my job; feel free to DM me'." ~ Individual-Paint7897
"I understand why your boss wouldn’t want to post the footage and further exacerbate the issue. I also understand why that feels like he’s not defending you."
"He assured you that you did nothing wrong. Sounds like she’s not welcome back? That is taking your side."
"She sounds like someone with a victim complex who will move on to the next problem soon. NTA." ~ Difficult-Limit7185
"You never should’ve been doing that without permission from your boss in the first place. Also, this whole situation would’ve been avoided if you had not taken it upon yourself to decide it was ever OK in the first place." ~ IslandBusy1165
"You do know doxxing and internet bullying is a FEDERAL CRIME and a FELONY (look up Livie Henderson) contact the police then file a PFA/restraining order against her." ~ Jpw_65
"NTA, never give into the demands of awful people who think they are 'influencers' and should get free stuff. You don’t want their business or their 'promotion'." ~ OkDream5934
"My Aunt runs my family’s bakery. It’s been around since the 1950s. My grandfather was a pastry chef from Austria. Her daughter, my cousin, specializes in wedding cakes."
"The influencer crap has created so much drama in her shop. They constantly ask and my Aunt has a sign saying no solicitations in the shop."
"One wedding planner influencer tried to get my cousin to bend and she got bad reviews, but they follow my grandfather’s rules. Never do freebies because they will want more and more."
"You have learned that lesson. The minute you give an inch, greedy people will want a mile." ~ Large_Effective_812
"NTA. Report her account for cyberbullying and file a police report. You can use the report as evidence for the ban she should get." ~ Clean_Permit_3791
"Ask your boss to respond to her post/reviews or allow you to. 'Remember when you asked for free extras every day and gave us a one star review for the 1 day we couldn't accommodate you?'." ~ readergirl35
"Fun fact! 'Micro-influencer' isn't a thing. That means they are a nobody like you or me, but the need a cope to feel special."
"Being a narcissist with an inferiority complex is crazy work." ~ AuDHDino
"Does 15k even count as a micro influencer? I have 37k and wouldn’t even call myself that." ~ cedarcia
"Someone should reply to her comments with 'remember when you tried to get someone fired because they wouldn’t let you bully them into giving you free stuff?'." ~ EffectiveMotor4601
"NTA. She knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s trying to leverage (bully you) for freebies. They should be appreciated but never expected. You’ve been saving her $1.50 every day for a while."
"Plus 15k isn’t really that big in the grand scheme of things. Have your boss contact someone regarding the few negative reviews and he should tell her she’s no longer welcome." ~ CementCemetery
"Her FOLLOWERS decided to harass you with no context except for the word of a person who is clearly biased, all for less than 2 dollars? Really? I didn't know people sold themselves for so cheap. NTA." ~ MorganJ1991
As several Redditors pointed out, this situation began because the OP or their coworkers decided to give this customer freebies.
Had they not done that, she probably would have moved on to her next target sooner.
