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Most professions include things that nobody else will understand except those who experience it firsthand, and retail is no different. It can be really tough work—entitled customers, poor management, erratic schedule, and lots of caffeine to get you through your shift. However, it’s all about finding the humor in the most ridiculous situations.

If you've ever had a job like this, you'll definitely relate to the hilarious memes that Retail Problems posts. This Instagram account with more than 65.3K followers is all about "the pains and struggles" that shop workers face every day.

We’re about to dive into the collection of some of the best memes posted by the account, so scroll down and upvote your favorite ones. Got similar stories to share with everyone? You can go into detail about them in the comment section below.

Usually, when people are straight out of college and looking for work, they choose customer service or retail jobs since it’s a great way to get some experience. Needless to say, being a retail associate definitely has its perks: company discounts, flexible hours, and a variety of different jobs available. Plus, often there’s no need to have some special qualifications and you get to meet all kinds of people along the way.

However, it’s definitely not an easy job. It’s truly demanding, both physically and mentally, and requires a lot of patience and knowledge of how to react in conflict situations. From straight-up unreasonable to plain difficult, retail workers meet some of the most nightmarish customers there are, and the pay does not reflect the amount of energy they put into their jobs.

#2

Literally

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Ak_Teren
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

except we are being verbally abused, threatened and sometimes assaulted because we are the ones who have to enforce the government-issued rules these jack**ses choose to ignore.

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So having a place to turn to, like the Retail Problems account, can be a great relief. Letting out a few laughs with your co-workers can help you deal with the stress and anxiety that you might feel at work. Whether it’s trying to tell a story in between serving customers or coming back from the stock room and not remembering what the customer looks like, this account is full of share-worthy memes.

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But even though the job is demanding and it might seem that there's no way for it to get better any time soon, there are a few things retailers can try. One of the problems is that the employees feel like they have no say in the decisions happening at their workplace.

Most often it’s their shifts that cause the biggest discomfort. Unstable scheduling thrives across the retail industry in order to get better profits, when in fact, such practices have hidden costs, researchers stated in Harvard Business Review.

The online shopping business has grown immensely over the past few years and retail stores needed to find new ways to compete. Since traditional methods like convenience, assortment, and pricing were not enough, the one thing they can really offer is service: "Yet, research suggests that retailers tend to view store associates as an expense to be controlled rather than as a medium to provide better service for customers."

It turns out, customer service is the main thing that separates them from the online giants that steal their customers every day. Researchers did an experiment at Gap where they put retail associates on more stable schedules and studied the business results. When they began working with the American clothing retailer, most employees worked part-time and received their schedules often only three days before the beginning of the new week.

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#6

Literally

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Kishibe Angelo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they aren't raised i think they do fission like a cell they just split into another one

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During the experiment, 28 stores were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups, and the latter ones had to try out a few changes: giving workers a stable schedule, standard start and end times for shifts, and eliminating "on-calls".

#7

😂😂

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rspanther
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out, unless I'm there to see it.

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#9

🙌🏻

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CrunChewy McSandybutt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember a lifetime ago I was working in a shoe store that closed at 5 pm on Christmas Eve. A lady walks in at 4:55 pm and asked If I could stay "a few minutes longer" while she shopped. I said no, and she lost her s**t. She just couldn't fathom that retail workers have families, too.

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The results were incredible: sales increased by 7% and labor productivity by 5%. These are some impressive numbers for an industry that works really hard to increase sales by 1-2% and where "productivity grew by only 2.5% per year between 1987 and 2014." So shifting to a more stable schedule is a win-win for both the employers and their employees.

#10

Literally

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kristina law
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then feeling so guilty all day serving customers because your boss made you come in anyway

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#11

True 😂😂

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#12

🙄🙄🙄

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Sarcastic Cow
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hello from archive. Every damn story starts nearly ´In the beggining was the Word...´

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Moreover, it seems that the pandemic has made such an impact on consumer behavior that makes it difficult for things to go back to "normal". Data shows that customers "are likely to keep the behaviors they’ve adopted amid stay-at-home orders, such as more online shopping and fewer mall visits", so in order to survive, retailers need to put more focus on their employees and take their customer experience to a whole new level.

We all know that having a chuckle improves our mood, makes us more productive and generally happier. While there are still plenty of problems within this slowly declining industry, retail workers find different ways to laugh about the pains and struggles they face in their day-to-day jobs. So thanks to Retail Problems, the atmosphere for associates at work can become a little lighter, and stress levels a bit lower.

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#17

😂😭

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. I’ve also loved my job but hated my coworkers, and hated my job plus hated my coworkers. The job you love with coworkers you really like, that also pays you enough to live (they don’t all do)—-is a rare and beautiful thing. Hold on to it tight and cherish it.

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#22

🙃🙃 #retailproblems

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LH25
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good point. The lists of what customers do and toddlers having melt-downs are much the same!

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#23

Am I Right?

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Kay blue
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to take great delight in giving customers the really manky, half chewed notes. The trick was to close your till really quickly so the customer couldn't ask you for a better one.

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#24

😶😂

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#26

😂😂

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Motivational boxes. A brilliant innovation in the world of product packaging.

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#28

Same

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's called being an introvert, and it's normal. Sometimes, you just need a break from peopling to refuel yourself.

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#30

Can You Not #retail

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Andy Acceber
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the TV show, Superstore, the main character Amy intentionally wears nametags with other names because she doesn't want customers knowing her name. (It's a terrific show if you haven't seen it.)

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#35

Opinions?

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Caro Caro
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a hard one. If you're 19 then and older person could be 40? Or if you're 35 then an older person is say 75. So I guess every single person can be an assh0le.

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Note: this post originally had 95 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.

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