The two things I vividly recall from working in retail are the customers and the managers. But not because they were good. No no, because they taught me how to smile while my mind was repeating "Fu** you."
Of course, there was the cleaning of the floor, the stocking of the shelves, and the ringing of the register but these responsibilities were the easy part. The human factor was where the misery was usually at. And if it wasn't for my colleagues, I don't know if I would have lasted for as long as I did.
So I was very glad to come across r/RetailHell. The subreddit acts like an online support center where workers from the industry come together to both vent and celebrate their painful and proud moments on the job. Sometimes, just the fact that someone is listening is enough.
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It Do Be Facts Tho
Dutch Supermarket Chain Opens Slower 'Chat Checkouts' In An Effort To Combat Loneliness Among The Elderly
We managed to get in touch with the mods of r/RetailHell and they were kind enough to have a little chat with us about it.
"This subreddit is very easy to mod," one of them told Bored Panda. "The community is really supportive and very little policing needs to be done, that's probably because the majority of members work retail, and anything insulting or rude to employees will be downvoted to oblivion, so it's largely self-governing."
"That said, we pretty much just ban people for breaking the rules," another mod added. "None of that negotiating a timeframe and then having to ban them again in a month. If you're [a jerk], we just ban you."
I Love This
Truth
Too Accurate
"Hey! What costs this???" *Proceeds to stay in front of that little paper, all alone over the product. Name, price and everything* "Is that the price for this???" Happens surprisingly often.
"The community itself is really positive, funny, and insightful about working in retail," the first mod continued. "Lots of people letting their internal monologues out where in work they have to keep a smile on even behind a mask."
"The most popular themes are humorous — we have a good sense of humor here. In retail, you have to or you just wouldn't survive."
However, it's not just sunshine and days off. As the second mod explained, if you dig a little deeper, you realize it's a bunch of tired people trying to get a break from life.
If Only
True Af
On The Front Door Of A Local Liquor Store
I wish we had security, so i have not to deal with these not so smart as they think people.
A large part of this emotional exhaustion comes from indifferent bosses. Zeynep Ton, a Professor of the Practice at the MIT Sloan School of Management, whose research focuses on how organizations can design and manage their operations in a way that satisfies employees, customers, and investors simultaneously, thinks the main reason why retailers underinvest in labor is that it's often their largest controllable expense.
"[Labor] can account for more than 10% of revenues—a considerable level in an industry with low profit margins," Ton explained in Harvard Business Review. "In addition, many retailers see labor as a cost driver rather than a sales driver and therefore focus on minimizing its costs. Accordingly, they often evaluate store managers on whether they meet monthly (or weekly) targets for payroll as a percentage of sales. These managers don't have much control over sales (they almost never make decisions on merchandise mix, layout, price, or promotions), but they do have a fair amount of control over payroll. So when sales decrease, they immediately reduce staffing levels. The pressure to reduce payroll expenses is so high that store managers at several large chains, including Walmart, have been widely reported to have forced employees to work off-the-clock, paying them for fewer hours than they put in."
"You Are Not At A Level Of Skill That Deserves This Wage"
The people who call them unskilled jobs aren't even capable of working them.
Common myth. I work as an engineer now, but I did all of those jobs when I was young. Don't make this assumption about all bosses. However it is easy to spot the ones who didn't. They are the ones treating you this way. Some of us remember it and appreciate everyone for the job they do. Think about it. What would shut down our plant the fastest? The answer is if the janitors stopped doing their job. Not me and my job, but the janitor. I think about this every time I see them, and I thank them for doing the worst job in the place.
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the term used is "low skilled" which is a technical terms for easily able to replace, further 6 of those in there pics are considered skilled jobs. But it isnt used to justify wages, it is used because if a job can be retrained in under 3 days, the technical term is "low skilled" hard to justify higher wages if you can be replaced easily and quickly.
Your wage is based upon how hard you are to replace, not how hard you work. People need to learn this.
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Some of the hardest jobs in the world pay the least, and most of us wouldn't last a week standing in on our feet all day, moving heavy stuff all day, or bending up and down all day. Yes, they deserve better. The problem is that even though doing those jobs well is hard work and takes skill and focus, those jobs require little to no education or training to start, and there's a long line of people at the door (most of whom honestly can't actually do it) who are willing to give it a shot. It's just supply and demand. Doesn't make it right. That's just how it is.
Exactly every job takes some skill. Especially if you're dealing with the public
I have occasional social anxiety, so I'm in awe of someone who can handle total strangers all day long.
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Lmao you mean the community college i went to paid for by the government because they need SKILLED tradesmen? Oof sucks to be ignorant
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I don't disagree, not just anyone can do it, but I did it at 16. It's not harder than being a Starbucks burista (which I've heard people try to say is "unskilled labor"). Of course it's my opinion, but I would rather deal with the heat of a black roof than crappy customers and "Karens". Got too much of a bad temper.
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They all demanded I have people skills. Where's my raise for having to be nice to people who complain about their imagination?
I don't believe in calling any job "unskilled". All jobs require some form of skill that can be taught to anyone willing to work.
"Entertainers" and so called "influencers" make way to much money for what they actually do and the people who work back breaking jobs that actually keep this world running smoothly can barely afford rent and food. That just goes to show how stupid society is when they give all their hard-earned money to people who just entertain for a living and buy products and services just because an "influencer" says so. Quit idolizing those people and demand better for yourselves!
I worked as a delivery driver for a while. One morning two of the young directors came in to see how things worked early in the warehouse. I went to grab a coffee and when I got back they had "helped" by loading my van. No order to the loading, just thrown in the back. I had to drive down the road unload it all and put it back in delivery order.
I mentioned this book before "Nickeled and Dimed" a journalist working minimum wage jobs to document what that life is like. She wrote a whole chapter I think about how every "unskilled" job she got for the book had absolute tons of skills required, both physical and intellectual.
My boss tried to work at the bar with us, to teach us what he pretend we to do. Complete mess, useless amazingly bad. Was a very long week
Unskilled is a myth. Entry level is not. One is for teens just starting out. Three other is capitalist bullshit pretendinf to be it.
I have more than 25 yrs of experience in the customer service, retail, and food industry and I have more skills at surviving and providing for my family than many highly paid workers. I cans survive without electronics, and electricity all together. Can these big wig CEOS? But survival and communication isn't considered a skill
Keeping a happy expression on your face while working with the public during this "epidemic of assholes" is a skill I do not have. Just because someone's skill is not valued as much as someone else's does not make it non-existent. People who have "good" jobs can't comprehend the BS that some jobs entail. The one size fits all algorithms for "productivity" are the worst. It should be illegal to penalize employees for using the toilet. No one "chooses" to pee/poop. It is a biological necessity. It is embarrassing to force an employee to explain that they were away from their desk for a few extra minutes one day last week because they had diarrhea.
Well that's correct Fergus and that's why you go to college and get a degree son.
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Every job requires skills. Different jobs require different skills. What the biggest difference is, is what product is being sold and the revenue behind it. Unfortunately large publicly traded companies focus on generating large revenues and giving all the proceeds to stockholders and executives. Abolish the stockmarkets, increase wages while taking revenue down to a reasonable level, and mandate pensions. This is why I will never work for a publicly traded company ever again.
these are the 'Key workers' who kept us going through the pandemic and deserve respect and a living wage.
The reason they pay low is because most of the population is skilled enough to do them. You are easily replaced. Simple economics.
it is definitely a skill not to throw the drink in the face of all the rude people in a drive thru who want to take their bad day out on you.
yea, cuz when you work drive thru and everyone is taking their bad day out on you and you just smile and tell them to have a good day, that definitely takes skill. Unskilled my a$$
Can't wait until more unskilled jobs are automated. Then everyone can focus on the skilled jobs they want.
Unskilled labor does not mean it takes no skill to do the job. It means that it is a skill everyone has without needing a specific education to do it. You dont need to go to a College to work in fast food,landscaping,phone calls, etc. Everyone can do it with little training. Those who go to school, do so to learn a skill the common man does not naturally possess without education. There are more scholarships/grants for minorities so there is no excuse for not having opportunity to get educated. No school would have the audacity to turn away a student for race, especially since most are run by the left. Retail is a starting point, a stepping stone while getting an education. It is not a life career but meant for teens and young college students.
These are the most important jobs and need to be done well. The world wouldn't work without these individuals.
A lot of people who think restaurant jobs are unskilled think the food magically appears. I use to manage a Brugger's and the number of people who asked why I started at 4am when they didn't open till 6am was amazing.
Naw! Bout half of these actually require no skill so there’s that. Quit being lazy f***s and give attention to detail to those who give respect. You think every customer is the same as soon as they walk in the door. I’ve been on both ends and it starts with mutual respect so quit acting like your owed something and do your f*****g job
No its absolutely a true thing. Some jobs have a lower skill level than others. There are jobs you can do with a days training vs jobs you need years of schooling or apprenticeship Question is not whether those jobs are unskilled, its "are these jobs not essential, and are the people working them not entitled to a living wage"? No matter the skill level required, every job should provide a living wage, or the buisiness employing you doesn deserve to exist
Unskilled jobs simple means that no higher education is needed to perform them. It doesn't mean that skills are not required.
Yes, it is correct that there is no such thing as an unskilled job. It is also true that there are plenty of jobs with required skill levels so low they can be rounded to "unskilled."
At the hospital I worked at , we were given a paper to fill out requesting what we thought would be a " fair payrraise for yourself and give reasons why". I told them to decide themselves then pass it on to the nurses aides to deserved a raise much more than I did. And they did. 👍👍
Lol no its because youre unskilled. We went to school for years to earn a higher wage because who cares about your grocery store youre unskilled ass is working at if its not built.
I used to work the front desk at a very high end hotel. I worked long hours standing all day, having to exercise extreme Patience with rude guests. I had to learn an antiquated dos based software our hotel used exclusively. I also had to come in anytime someone didn't show. I made around $13 per hour. I got a degree and now work as a staff accountant making $20.00 per hour. I don't deal with customers or get yelled at by anyone. If im being honest there isnt much skill involved, the software does most of the work. I worked way harder at the hotel.
They are called unskilled because you are not skilled enough to know it's a crappy job and find another.. you get what you deserve.
Unskilled? I might say you don’t need an advanced education for some of them, but I know for damn sure I could never work in a field or as a mover.
Sorry but I still can't agree on terminology. Low skill or unskilled jobs are correct terminology for something everyone is capable of doing. It's not myth and it's not to justify anything. If researcher with IQ 300 wants to work cash register or meat processing to not have to think all the time, they can, everyone can. But everyone should still be able to make living and decent wage and be appreciated as they deserve. No matter the reason why you work that specific job.
A) there are jobs you need little skills for. Now for the giant BUT B) people doing those jobs should get a decent wage too of course. Every full time job should provide enough wage so the worker can make a decent living. Someone telling you that you don't earn a decent living for your job, cause you work in an unskilled job that's the true myth. Because if this unskilled job would be useless, why are they still need someone to do it? Why are the whipping you to do it, if the job is this worthless? Big Thanks doing your job to all the workers in "unskilled jobs". Without you society would not work. Join a labour union, fight for decent wages!
My mother worked for a company where she had to make curtains from scratch. She would be given bolts of fabric and told to make at least 4 pairs pre week at home. The reason? That amount of work took way longer than the usual store working hours. She would work from 9 am to 1 am Monday to Friday so she could hit her deadlines. She was paid €20 per pair of curtains. She did all this work for only €1 per hour the reason being she was self taught so because she didn't have a College degree she was considered "unskilled".
Sounds like bullshit. First is all, that kind of conduct from a company (unpaid overtime forced to be done at home) is illegal, and I don't know of any seamstress job that pays more for a college degree (or that even considers it a requirement)
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People are not saying they aren't hard work jobs! It's hard and very phisically demanding! That's a fact! It is also a fact that they do not require any special skill to perform. Any unskilled person can perform them.
even if a job doesn't require any skill, it still requires time. any person's time is worth a living (actually a thriving) wage.
and i did indeed work done jobs that required no skill but just someone's presence and i loved working those because i spent so much time reading books. and still this needs to be paid decently.
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They're not unskilled jobs. They're a huge portion of the high school age and above can be trained to do them jobs. Therefore the pool to easily replace people at these jobs is huge. Supply & demand.
The second square is literally just a guy mopping. Waiters sole purpose in life is to carry food they didn't cook, on plates they didn't wash, to tables they don't clean. They can be replaced by a Roomba with an iPad duct-taped to it. The construction worker is a SKILLED TRADE and has no business being associated with the warm-body retail worker.
They're called entry-level jobs. You can't expect to walk in off the street and get foreman or manager positions with no qualifications. And I'll bet you dollars to donuts that every person on the crew started at the bottom at 18 years old. If you're 35 and still working entry-level positions you are probably dumber than a box of hammers.
Here's my personal take on this topic, coming from a Christian background. If we're all created in God's image, then he purposely created us different and with different abilities. Are we so above God as to say one person isn't as worthy as another to afford shelter and food?
How about you keep your religion out of my public policy? Science says that survival is determined by fitness. Having ZERO skills and forcing the rest of the herd to slow down and contribute to the continuing of your overwhelming mediocrity is anti-science.
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If pushing a mop pays the same as as a surgeon, why would anyone ever go to college? There has to be some incentive to put yourself through the extra work and expense to become an expert.
It’s a question of the mop pusher bring paid enough to live on, not paid the same as the surgeon.
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Puh-lease, that's like putting a chair out on the curb for anyone to take for free then calling it in stolen because you didn't like the person who took it. If no locals want a job,, how is it bring "stolen?"
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I Love How Customer Actually Think We Care
However, according to a new analysis of more than 1.4 million Glassdoor reviews, a toxic culture is 10.4 times more likely to contribute to an employee leaving than compensation. That culture includes failing to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion; unethical behavior; and workers feeling disrespected, the report said.
"Compensation is at best a moderate predictor of attrition," Donald Sull, a co-founder of analytics firm CultureX, which performed the analysis, told Bloomberg.
The research focused on reviews posted between April and September 2021 for large for-profit companies that employ roughly 25% of private-sector workers.
The numbers revealed that apparel retailers are losing the highest number of workers. Retail employees had an average attrition rate of 19% during that six-month period, and retail employees quit at a rate three times higher than airline workers, medical device makers, and health insurance employees.
It Said "Call Center" Previously, I Believe It Also Applies
Not Oc But Worth A Share
Saw This At A Restaurant Today
The first moderator of r/RetailHell believes this toxicity is so abundant because "current culture allows it."
"Retail and other front line workers have not benefited yet from the change in cultural behavior that we have seen over the last 20 years, and part of that cultural problem comes from retail itself. It allows customers a lot of room to abuse employees because, at the end of the day, the customer spends money," the mod said. "These are my views only ... but I'm 21 years in retail."
The second mod said they don't think that customers are mindfully misbehaving. "It's not that they want to be [jerks] to the workers, it's that they literally can't see outside their bubble and recognize that it's another human being stocking those shelves. I really think they often don't take the time to mention that. You'll see that in stories from here. A customer is being a complete a***ole, but the worker shows emotion like crying, and suddenly they realize what they've done. I've seen workers talk about de-escalation methods that speak to this very issue. When you get them to realize that you're a human, rather than simply a conduit to donuts, their attitude often changes."
"This isn't always the case, and some people just suck," the mod highlighted. "I'm willing to bet most of those people suck outside of a retail setting, too. Sometimes retail is simply society's first line of defense against [jerks]."
Every Night At Closing Time
Sad That This Even Exists
Upvote If You Would Not Fix This
This
We've Had These Kind Of Karens Right
Ha, Sunday after church service was always the worst. Was* because I waitered 20 years ago.
When Those Certain Customers Are Walking Towards The Door...
Lmboo
These People Are The Worst
Anyone Else Starting To Reach Their Emotional Limit?
Mcliving-Wage
We're sorry, that item is only available in our European branches.
How I Wish This Wasn't True
Some Dutch shops have adopted this ridiculous rite of shouting "Welcome" when customers enter the store. I've heard many people yell back "Act normal!!!"
Cough Cough At My Entire Management
What a bad attitude! Is that the thanks company gets for employing you and giving you a chance to become rich if you work hard and long enough? /S
Hits Home Doesn't It
Haha True
Didn't know "main character syndrome" was a thing. I love the concept!
Just A Reminder For Some
Mama Mia
I Never Related So Hard To A Meme Before
Every. Single. Time
I used to say, "Now its actually going to cost double, as I've now done double the work. But just because you're a SPECIAL VALUED customer, it'll be 100% off so its now only (regular price).
Customer: Is This Cash Only?
Walmart circa 2015 made you click "I understand" when it said that it didn't accept cash/card. About 1 in 5 got to the end of the transaction and then were completely dumbfounded that it didn.t take cash/card. I used to joke that customers would agree to selling their kidneys on those self checkouts and never know.
My Boss Volunteered Me For A Golf Event That I Hated Every Second Of, So I Gave Her A Golf Themed Resignation Letter
Manager Put These Up 3 Days Ago Not Going So Well
Maybe you should mention a Bonus for that time like, let´s say, tripple the salary for that time?
I’m... Concerned
The people working to keep us in food and loo rolls during the pandemic are heroes!
It Do Be Like That, True Or Nah?
I Clock On My Brain Clocks Off
Because every customer is just another shadow in the long lines of shadows that they see passing by each day, with the exception of that one friendly and polite customer that stands out every 2 weeks or so.
I Have No Words...
Side Affect Of Working Retail
It Really Do Be That Way
Sorry, Please Come Back Tomorrow
Worked at a bar for years. After we FINALLY got the last patrons out and locked the door at (depending on how busy it was) between 1 and 4 am, it was a regular occurence that we'd have people banging on the door or windows, pointing at the door handle, kinda like trying to tell us "uh folks, you made a mistake there, the door doesn't open". Yeah, we fúcking know, it's on purpose, and we're glad about that. We have lives too, you know, and at some point we just wanna go home.
Anyone Else Get These Guys On The Regular?
That's why in Europe you pack your shopping bags yourself. So you can b!tch at yourself for packing them wrong.
We Must Be Able To Tell The Future Sometimes
Hold Up
Good
It Do Be Like That Sometimes
Trying To Avoid Customers When Going On Break
Oh, Well……ok…..i’m….sorry…???
We Don't Need To Hear About Your Life Story
What Am I Gonna Do With My Day? Oh! I Know, I’m Gonna Go S**t On Underpaid Workers For Just Doing Their Job To Make Their Lives More Miserable Than It Already Is!
"Boomer" is not synonymous with "a$$hole"... can I speak to your manager?
Corporate Knows Best Of Course...
That Customer One!
Oh Wow
That was the day after US Thanksgiving, which is usually the busiest shopping day of the year in the US. They could have at least sprung for a sandwich or crackers and cheese.
Working In Retail
Nobody Wants To Work Anymore (Not Oc)
Check The Back!
Oh I would just walk back around a corner and stand there for a minute then come out and say, nope we are completely out.
Did You Know?
The Amount Of Times I've Heard This...
If I Had My Way We'd Open At 9am And Shut At 9:01am The Same Day
Fun Fact: You Don’t Need To Be Told Corporate Is Coming...you Just Know By Looking At Ur Managers Lol
Seriously. A corporate visit isn't going to change the way I do my job 🤷♀️
I Hate It When Managers Make You Look Like A Fool Just So They Don't Want To Stand Up To Customers
For The Tenth Time!
Soooooo Satisfying...
Had This Interaction With A Delightful Couple Yesterday
I hate the concept of comission sales. Every salesperson I have worked with who was on commission was between a little deceptive and a downright liar.
When A Customer Tells You How Nice It Is Outside, But You Have 5 Hours Left Of Your Shift And It Will Be Cold And Dark Outside By The Time You Finish
Or, "I can't believe you have to work on this beautiful day/ or holiday. " you my dude, are the reason I have to work.
Every. Single. Shift
We open at 7 AM and People sit in there car half an hour bevor and stand in front of the door 10 minutes bevor we open. If i have stuff to put out it is quit hard to deal with some people, because they always try to sneak in.
Manager Is Sympathetic...
Had a manager tell me on a late Friday afternoon that I was getting written up the next Thursday when she came back to the office after a vacation because I was crying at my desk (my mother was dying)...and it made her look bad.
Good Luck With The Karens Leading Up To Christmas Guys
Mood
Ask for a raise and notice how quickly you're not essential anymore.
Solidarity For Everyone This Holiday Season
Shouldn't retail workers be treated with the same respect that veterans get? After all, they also served their country in the most harrowing circumstances.
Who's Looking Forward To One Day Off
I did retail for 27 years I haven't enjoyed Xmas since I started working. Customers sure know how to take the shine out of everything
Exactly This
"Checking in the back"= "Having a smoke, getting coffee and taking a bathroom break."
And When They Do Show Up “I’m Just Going To Look Around”
3 minutes before closing you have locked most doors and you guard the only open door like the hellhound Cerberus.
Sorry, Kids, But The Future In Retail Ain’t Bright
I Hate People That Give Out To Employees Like They Personally Design The Store Policies
Heard a Dutch retail worker say : "Madam, If I owned this place I would change some things here too. I'd start with banning obnoxious customers like you."
"I Don't Get Paid Enough For This S**t." Poor Waitress!
I’m Sure It’s Already Started For Some Of You…
Free 5 Minute Break
At My Local Grocery Store, I Work As A Cashier For The Same Company But Different Store A Few Minutes Away
What would happen if shops would close because of rude and belligerent customers?
A Good Representation Of How I Feel On My Lunch Breaks
Basically you pack your lunch or you don't eat right here. Coworker: what's for lunch? Me: "last night's dinner" and don't get me started on "work through lunch" call centers.
Please
dude when i worked register that was the most obnoxious thing. And one time I said "hey you can remove your card now." they laughed and removed it. then said "Oh sorry can't really hear high pitched things. Surprised I can hear your voice!" I'm a trans guy and I just sat there like oh haha ya
Gee, Thanks.. I Think
Wow, an extra $2 an hour. The biggest hourly increase I got was approx 98c. The lowest was 6c lol.
Retail Time Off
I need vacation to have 2 days in a row off and i´m still jealous, my wife had every weekend for herself. She on the other hand, wishes to have a day off in the middle of the week, so she can doe things without pressure. Like seeing a doctor or something like that. I see here point but i stand jealous.
When I worked at a model toy store, we had a lot of regulars who were the sweetest, most fascinating old men, a lot of them ex military and delightfully obsessed with regaling me with tales of their previous planes or trains they had built. Lots of times when a customer began stepping out of line if any of them were there, they would kind of crowd next to me and become my geriatric secret service lol. Once a woman spat on me because I confronted her about the truck she had stashed in her baby's pushchair (pram) and Mr H, my favourite regular, went purple with rage and loudly shamed her, one hand using his hankie to remove the spit from my shoulder and the other wagging a scolding finger in her face. While he was doing that a coworker managed to convince her boyfriend to just hand it over and go. Happy ending :)
This really gave me something to think about. The real issue here is that it seems retail workers are just supposed to accept whatever comes their way. The problem isn't really the customers. The problem is the companies and the management that have allowed this customer behaviour to become normal. When customers behave badly, staff should be able to refuse to serve them and managers should tell them to leave. Nobody should ever have to deal with adults behaving like spoiled babies, ever.
Totally... Whoever invented the phrase 'the customer is always right' should be shot into space.
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I used to have a small hand sanitizer bottle on a belt clip. The store had large bottles by the registers, but this was great when customers insisted on shaking hands. (Pre-covid) One pair of Karen's said "give me some of that hand sanitizer" and I said no, it's my personal one. They could not grasp that store employees had personal items they were not entitled to. They reported me to management, who asked me how I always managed to attract these nutjobs.
I had a very similar experience working as a cashier at the pool last summer! Because we're funded by the park district we dont exactly have those new fancy card readers that you can tap your cards on and we also require people to sign. So I'd heard from my coworker that the day before some stuffy old lady came in and berated her for our card reader being "out of date" and how we absolutely must fix it (like any of us had any control over it.) And lucky me she shows up again during my shift and goes on the same rant. Only this time I have a personal, scented hand sanitizer by my keyboard in her line of sight. Of course she sees and then DEMANDS to use it because she had to touch our "disgusting" card reader. Wish I had told her no like you did because after I gave her some she scoffed and didn't even say thank you like she was entitled to my personal hand sanitizer.
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Customers think they can treat people like crap for some reason. Customers think they can destroy a store for some reason. Customers are awful. Don't be awful.
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For years, I wrote short essays about my tenure at the big orange box. It was a hellish place, really. I need to get that all gathered up for a book. The title would be- THE KILLING FLOOR- OR- TRUE STORIES OF WORKING IN RETAIL FOR 30 YEARS.
I cancelled a dude's whole order last night because he kept pulling his mask down to mouth off at me. He left when he realised I was stone cold serious.
Retail work absolutely sucks. I never want to do it again, especially since it's much worse with Covid. I'm so glad I'm studying this year to try do something other than retail.
Hey Foxxy, It's been a while ... It's good to hear you are studying and I'd like to know what ! Did you have a good Christmas? Hug from me.
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After being furious with a manager because he didn't back me up, he explained that he had leeway to give customers extra discounts or concessions that I didn't. Like cool, next time we play good cop / bad cop, less switch roles.
Yes, American (of course that american) businessman Selfridge taught people that customers has always right, anf f*cked up the whole world with this. Fortunately, come to Europe, you will never encounter sooo many a**holes customers as in America. Because our culture is not sooo selfish entitled. I waitered in High School for 5 years and only once i encoutered with stupid behavior, once….
Quit my retail job week ago over mandates when they premptivly started before supreme court shot it down I said you can keep my 70hrs of vacation time and use it as compensation for 2 weeks notice to new store director.
It's not only retail, but fast service food places (like dominos) have you ever had a call just hold the phone at arms length and being cursed out so badly calling you every name in the book and the worst part is you HAVE to deal with it because you a a manger and you gotta fix the issue, or try to make a pissed customer happy. The person screamed so lousy that the customer I had in front of me waiting to order ( it was just me and my only driver was out making delivery) actually turned pale? I have to deal with all kinds of verbal abuse specifically when we are short handed and we still have ordered coming in over the website. Then I have to call them and explain why I can't fill their order and that I will have to void the payment. Then I get yelled at more and people coming into the store shouting " I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!" I just give them the normal speel depending on your banking institution it can take up to 24hrs to blah blah, and if course I am on repeat through the rest of i
I have no empathy for retail workers. They're rude and lazy and wonder why they only get paid 9$ an hour. No Somalian subway sandwich "artist" cares about covid. They use their hands to wipe their ass after they s**t.
Retail workers are rude and lazy. Try living in the ghetto and you'll see what I mean. No empathy for them. And no Somalian subway "artist" cares about covid. They use their hands to wipe their ass after they s**t.
It boggles my mind that people unhappy with their profession continue in that profession. Change your profession. Get more education. Or best, start your own company. Perhaps people in retail just like to complain how bad they have it but aren't willing to do anything to change their situation.
Retail work is a job no one in there right mind would want but it can be entertaining at times.
When I worked at a model toy store, we had a lot of regulars who were the sweetest, most fascinating old men, a lot of them ex military and delightfully obsessed with regaling me with tales of their previous planes or trains they had built. Lots of times when a customer began stepping out of line if any of them were there, they would kind of crowd next to me and become my geriatric secret service lol. Once a woman spat on me because I confronted her about the truck she had stashed in her baby's pushchair (pram) and Mr H, my favourite regular, went purple with rage and loudly shamed her, one hand using his hankie to remove the spit from my shoulder and the other wagging a scolding finger in her face. While he was doing that a coworker managed to convince her boyfriend to just hand it over and go. Happy ending :)
This really gave me something to think about. The real issue here is that it seems retail workers are just supposed to accept whatever comes their way. The problem isn't really the customers. The problem is the companies and the management that have allowed this customer behaviour to become normal. When customers behave badly, staff should be able to refuse to serve them and managers should tell them to leave. Nobody should ever have to deal with adults behaving like spoiled babies, ever.
Totally... Whoever invented the phrase 'the customer is always right' should be shot into space.
Load More Replies... I used to have a small hand sanitizer bottle on a belt clip. The store had large bottles by the registers, but this was great when customers insisted on shaking hands. (Pre-covid) One pair of Karen's said "give me some of that hand sanitizer" and I said no, it's my personal one. They could not grasp that store employees had personal items they were not entitled to. They reported me to management, who asked me how I always managed to attract these nutjobs.
I had a very similar experience working as a cashier at the pool last summer! Because we're funded by the park district we dont exactly have those new fancy card readers that you can tap your cards on and we also require people to sign. So I'd heard from my coworker that the day before some stuffy old lady came in and berated her for our card reader being "out of date" and how we absolutely must fix it (like any of us had any control over it.) And lucky me she shows up again during my shift and goes on the same rant. Only this time I have a personal, scented hand sanitizer by my keyboard in her line of sight. Of course she sees and then DEMANDS to use it because she had to touch our "disgusting" card reader. Wish I had told her no like you did because after I gave her some she scoffed and didn't even say thank you like she was entitled to my personal hand sanitizer.
Load More Replies... Customers think they can treat people like crap for some reason. Customers think they can destroy a store for some reason. Customers are awful. Don't be awful.
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Load More Replies... For years, I wrote short essays about my tenure at the big orange box. It was a hellish place, really. I need to get that all gathered up for a book. The title would be- THE KILLING FLOOR- OR- TRUE STORIES OF WORKING IN RETAIL FOR 30 YEARS.
I cancelled a dude's whole order last night because he kept pulling his mask down to mouth off at me. He left when he realised I was stone cold serious.
Retail work absolutely sucks. I never want to do it again, especially since it's much worse with Covid. I'm so glad I'm studying this year to try do something other than retail.
Hey Foxxy, It's been a while ... It's good to hear you are studying and I'd like to know what ! Did you have a good Christmas? Hug from me.
Load More Replies... After being furious with a manager because he didn't back me up, he explained that he had leeway to give customers extra discounts or concessions that I didn't. Like cool, next time we play good cop / bad cop, less switch roles.
Yes, American (of course that american) businessman Selfridge taught people that customers has always right, anf f*cked up the whole world with this. Fortunately, come to Europe, you will never encounter sooo many a**holes customers as in America. Because our culture is not sooo selfish entitled. I waitered in High School for 5 years and only once i encoutered with stupid behavior, once….
Quit my retail job week ago over mandates when they premptivly started before supreme court shot it down I said you can keep my 70hrs of vacation time and use it as compensation for 2 weeks notice to new store director.
It's not only retail, but fast service food places (like dominos) have you ever had a call just hold the phone at arms length and being cursed out so badly calling you every name in the book and the worst part is you HAVE to deal with it because you a a manger and you gotta fix the issue, or try to make a pissed customer happy. The person screamed so lousy that the customer I had in front of me waiting to order ( it was just me and my only driver was out making delivery) actually turned pale? I have to deal with all kinds of verbal abuse specifically when we are short handed and we still have ordered coming in over the website. Then I have to call them and explain why I can't fill their order and that I will have to void the payment. Then I get yelled at more and people coming into the store shouting " I WANT MY MONEY BACK!!!" I just give them the normal speel depending on your banking institution it can take up to 24hrs to blah blah, and if course I am on repeat through the rest of i
I have no empathy for retail workers. They're rude and lazy and wonder why they only get paid 9$ an hour. No Somalian subway sandwich "artist" cares about covid. They use their hands to wipe their ass after they s**t.
Retail workers are rude and lazy. Try living in the ghetto and you'll see what I mean. No empathy for them. And no Somalian subway "artist" cares about covid. They use their hands to wipe their ass after they s**t.
It boggles my mind that people unhappy with their profession continue in that profession. Change your profession. Get more education. Or best, start your own company. Perhaps people in retail just like to complain how bad they have it but aren't willing to do anything to change their situation.
Retail work is a job no one in there right mind would want but it can be entertaining at times.
