What did the card machine ever do to you?

Almost certainly, at some point, those working shift work, or in other jobs where timesheets need to be kept, have been told by some manager not to “bother” reporting time that they worked over their shift because it's “inconvenient” for them to report it. Sometimes, this comes in the form of being told that it needs to be at least 15 minutes to be reported and counted for anything, but that's not really true—at all. If anything, if their system can't handle menial minutes overtime, then they s…

Just in time for Halloween!

We thought the titular contests of the “Hunger Games” series were just some SciFi hoopla, yet here is this eerily similar real-world equivalent: competing for the privilege of working so that you can continue to support your own survival. In fact, “Hunger Games” is a fitting name given the fact that the arena for this real-world analog was in a restaurant. Everyone who has ever worked in the service industry or retail knows that customer reviews are a total grab bag, you can do nothing exceptio…

Some people assume the worst of others, declaring everyone else to be lazy, foolish, or otherwise plotting and scheming something nefarious. But let's be honest, they're probably doing so to deflect from their own shortcomings—which are probably the exact same things they're accusing others of. Having one of these people as your boss or employer is, of course, going to ensure you a terrible time during every moment you're at work, with constant accusations of slacking, skiving, and even stealin…

There's a lot to complain about in this world—if you go looking for it… but who wants to live their life like that anyway? You're far better off putting that time and energy towards something productive and just getting on with it rather than falling into that line of thinking. Regardless, you're determined to find something to take issue with… the size of your toast probably isn't one of them worth worrying about—there are plenty of other things that should take priority on the list Who knows.…

Getting slower internet speeds than you're paying for is quite a gear-grinding, to say the least—especially when you're paying through the nose for the highest possible speeds and still just receiving the lower speed 80% of the time. The internet service providers (ISPs) basically figure that we won't notice the difference, and to be fair, most of us wouldn't. That or they don't actually have the infrastructure to support and deliver the speeds they're selling, so they throttle speeds, especial…

It doesn't hurt to be nice or at least kind to people who are just doing their job. Oftentimes, your complaint with their service will have more to do with the organization and its cost-saving policies rather than with the individual themself. And this is important to remember because a lot of people—well, they don't think about it at all. Customer service agents are no strangers to verbal mistreatment from customers. Don't get it wrong; customer service agents can be prone to being just as mis…

There's a whole lot you can get yourselves worked up about in this world… and salads aren't generally one of them. It's really not all that big of a deal to pay for food that you've taken, especially when it's a couple of leaves of lettuce. The vibes you usually get from salad lovers are chill and wholesome, though there is absolutely room for overlap in that group for people who seem to give off those vibes when they're really just masking how woefully entitled they are. It's hard to believe t…

This is something that comes up now and again that anyone offering specialized services to clients will certainly resonate with. It's amazing how often a person or an organization will pay for services, products, and the expertise that comes along with them, only to refuse to accept the advice that they're paying for. And with ego-fueled hubris, they suddenly decide that they know what's best. The old adages might tell us that “The customer knows best” and that "The customer is always right in…

If you've ever worked in retail, you've probably fantasized about telling off a customer.

It's always important to be weary when money is involved, and the fact that everyone has heard a tale or two about a scamming or dishonest mechanic adds to their apprehension when facing a service bill. The problem with thinking everyone is trying to get one over on you all the time is that you'll blame everyone for everything and find yourself constantly at odds. Typically, these types of demands from customers are a way of avoiding footing the bill or in the hopes that you might knock somethi…

How hard is it to maintain a business that actually operates according to the law, and does not try to scam their customers? Is scamming customers even worth it? You would think it would have been much better to secure a deal that works for both parties than to lose customer after customer once they realized they were being scammed. Take the car dealership from this Reddit story as an example. After a customer (OP, original poster), inquired them about a car deal, he quickly realized the deal h…

It's important to remember in any circumstances where you want to circumvent security and gain entrance to somewhere that you're going to need to get out as well… and the same thing applies when you're trying to get back into somewhere you've gotten out of. Anyone who ever snuck out as a teenager knows exactly how this goes: getting out is pretty easy, but getting back into your room in the wee hours of the morning without waking anyone is exceedingly more difficult. Mom, if you're reading this…

It's particularly perplexing how some people manage to survive in this world when they're living in such a peculiar version of it. Of course, you seem to encounter people like this all the time when you're working in retail or the service industry. I suppose it's a “monkeys with typewriters” type of situation; by sheer chance, if you meet enough people in a day, you're bound to bump into a few with unique understandings and perspectives of the world. Still, you'll continually be surprised by so…

Some people just don't respond well to rejection, even when that rejection comes in the perceived form of an employee handing in their notice even if they've never treated the employee well or cared much for them in the first place. Anyone who has been around the block a couple of times in their career will know how this goes. They'll say it's about betrayal and the fact that you're leaving your ream high and dry with a touch of “How could you do this to us,” this might be followed by silent tr…