No, you can't return an item to the store if you didn't bring the item with you. Even if you promise to bring it back later, because you just forgot it as you were running out the door, you can't have a refund. Still, some customers will try to argue that they should be allowed to do so! It makes sense in their mind, so they think that it should be permitted. This isn't even the dumbest question that the retail workers of the world have fielded from their customers! Even after taking a company…

Think back to your first job and try to remember how you dealt with customers. Were you the polite type who tried to solve every situation without an argument, or were you the type to bring in your manager so you wouldn't flip out on that customer? Either type is fine, because let's face it, some customers are just the worst people. They have zero respect for the hard workers in retail positions, fast food jobs, or call center reps. All these customers can think about is themselves and their ow…

Every restaurant worker has at least one customer interaction that they'll never be able to get out of their head. Some are positive interactions, like having a regular who overtips, or a customer who goes out of their way to tell their manager how helpful the employee was. These positive interactions are always welcome, because many customers treat service workers like they're beneath them. Working as a server is just a job, but some customers treat these workers as if they're second-class cit…

Never judge a book by its cover

The longer you work in retail, the more you realize that some customers simply can't be helped . It's not that they don't want to be helped--they usually do, and they'll let the cashier know it. But they often want things like impossibly large discounts or merchandise that the store simply doesn't have in stock. Some customers see items that are supposedly in stock online, and then they'll spend 10 minutes insisting to the cashier that the item actually is in the store. If only they'd check in…

These grocery shoppers had an especially memorable shopping experience thanks to one store manager who couldn't be bothered to do her job. Up next, check out these utterly baffling home design choices, like one person who “spent $15,000 on this kitchen… It's been on the market for 415 days .”

Retail workers should be paid, at minimum, $250k a year to deal with their silliest customers. Many low-paid jobs are underpaying their workers: the employees make minimum wage as they work incredibly hard and often under intense pressure from their managers. There are plenty of cushy office jobs that pay 6 or 7 figures each year, and these aren't even close to being as difficult as your average retail worker's job . Retail workers have to deal with the full range of humanity, from the super sw…

Just how long should a customer have to wait for service when they're checking out at a store ? It depends on a lot of factors. For example, if you check out at a store at 6 PM and there are no cashiers to be seen for a minute or two, you might be confused and annoyed. At 2 AM at that same store, you'd probably take it in stride if there were no cashiers , knowing you may have to go find that person and tell them you're ready to pay. The same goes for family stores, or small shops where the sto…

“The loud ninja makes noise so people aren't scared. When told to be quiet, he ends up scaring them instead.”

If you're going to claim you're BFFs with the CEO , you'd better be ready to prove it. First of all, has that line ever worked? It seems like some customers can't help but think that saying “I'm friends with the owner!” or “I know the CEO very well!” is a magical pass to getting whatever they want. This customer believes that just because they “know” the CEO, that the employees will suddenly start kissing up to them. That's not how it works, I'm afraid. Second of all, even if the CEO was her fr…

There's drama at the designer purse store ! Fashion trends are constantly changing. What's popular right now will be so off-trend in three years. In ten years, it might be fashionable again! That's why a lot of people like to avoid all that hoopla and buy something timeless. Many designer companies like to tout that their bags and clothes are timeless pieces that are well crafted, and they're happy to ask their customers to shell out hundreds or thousands of dollars for that designer merchandis…

This is one of the reasons why being a manager is an amazing job. If you've ever worked retail, you know that dealing with irritating customers is par for the course. As a cashier, you'll spend your whole shift ringing people up, and a percentage of them are going to be crabby. So if you become a manager, you get to avoid the cash register more often than not. Along with a nice raise, it's a satisfying feeling to know that you only have to deal with customers when they're asking for a manager .…

This deli manager is pretty fed up with her customer's repeated attempts to get free food . Everyone needs to eat, and not everyone can afford to do so. That's why there are food pantries and resources for those who need them. Some people who are having trouble making ends meet go to food pantries to stock up on basics, and then go to the grocery store to buy whatever else they can afford. But this customer seems to want free food from a grocery store… which aren't exactly known for doling out…

Some customers literally cannot wait to get their hands on the next big product release. For a certain type of consumer, having the newest tech or best-selling book or new clothing line drop is absolutely essential. When it comes to electronics, why not wait a few months to let people review the product and make sure it actually works well? For other products, however, it does make sense to try to get it as fast as possible. If you lived through the original “Harry Potter” craze of the early 20…

This retail merchandiser fell right into her manager's trap. No matter how hardworking an employee is, it just won't be enough for some bosses. But that won't stop that boss from trying to work that employee to the bone anyway! When you're trying your hardest at work, it's tempting to take both successes and failures personally. You want to do your best, and if your manager criticizes you, it can sting. This manager realized that he could push this retail merchandiser to take on way, way more t…