Typically, purchasing something means that you intend to keep that thing for the duration of its life or until you pass it on. This directly contrasts with renting something, where you lease it for a set period of time for a fee with the expectation that you will be returning that thing by the end of the period you have paid for it. Both arrangements have their advantages, by owning something it's yours and you can do whatever you want with it, but this usually requires a much higher buy-in cos…

Oh how the tables have turned! There's nothing more satisfying than when you work in retail and the entitled customer takes themselves to the cleaners. You don't even have to get your own hands dirty. OP here experienced that bliss while working at a store in the mall. The store they worked at closed an hour earlier than the entire mall complex, thus some customers would get confused. Usually, not a big deal to tell them their hours and then the customer usually says, “oops, okay” and then carr…

How bold of this company to take a few minutes of every employee's day for free! U/afazihdob had a great workplace tale to share from their time working in retail. The OP laments that although they worked at numerous retail chains in their career, their bosses at one store were notoriously strict about latenesses. If I were ever a manager at a retail or food place, I wouldn't be able to take clocking in seriously at all. I just don't think it's the end of the world if an employee is two minutes…

Your boss might be more internet-savvy than you know. While going through the hiring process, it's crucial to ensure your social media presence is squeaky clean. Maybe you remember a few tasteless tweets from ages ago, or you have a few hot takes that shouldn't have been shared to Facebook. Even if those posts are old, they aren't harmless. Anyone who knows how to do control+F, allowing you to search a webpage by phrases, can find any salacious information on your profile. Even a quick Google s…

These people had a sneaking suspicion they weren't going to like their new job . So they quit ASAP---many of them quit right after their first shift. There are a lot of clues that can tell you if a company is a good place to work or not. For example, if you go through the interview process and the steps are clear and the company is communicative, that's a good sign. But imagine you show up to an interview , and there are dozens of other people there. Hmm, that's the first sign. Then, you and al…

Retail is a soul sucking industry that sends even the most level-headed employees into madness. After months, years, or decades in the same sales department, many retail workers grow apathetic; dealing with Karens, bad management, and a looping music playlist can do that to a person. Although, every now and then, a retail store is blessed with an overachiever, a real workaholic...

Kudos to these workers who didn't burst out laughing after hearing these customers' questions. I'm sure it wasn't easy to hold in laughter when customers get things so unbelievably wrong. When you work at a retail store , you quickly learn that customers don't ask a wide range of questions. Even though you spend 40 hours per week at the job, it's potentially a customer's first time there. You end up answering questions like, “Is everything included in this store-wide sale?” or “What aisle is to…

Getting your prized photos printed out used to be a common occurance back in the day. Before cell phones, you'd snap photos on your camera , then take the film to get developed at a grocery store or pharmacy. Some places advertised one-hour photos, so your parents might take you grocery shopping and swing back around to collect photos at the end of the trip. Then, they'd have some great pics of the kids to show off, or have a cherished group photo to put in a nice frame. Based off these nice ch…

This retail worker was weary from unkind customers---until this dude came in. In retail, you tend to remember the best of the best and the worst of the worst customers, while everyone else in between is just a blue. You'll always remember the customer who screamed and threw her bags on the floor like a toddler having a meltdown. But you also remember the kind souls who praise your customer service skills in front of your bosses, or the kind who are genuinely grateful when you help them. In a st…

Before streaming services existed, we had movie rental chains . Going to rent a video or DVD was a whole endeavor. In my family, we'd often do the usual Sunday morning activities, then go grocery shopping, and then stop at the video store near us to pick out a movie for that night. This was a big treat every time! Whether we picked a Disney movie or an old comedy flick, it truly was fun for the whole family. If they didn't go out of business before I was old enough to work there, I know I would…

These are the moments that retail workers hold near and dear. No, we aren't just talking about fond memories with coworkers. These workers got to witness as their worst customers got instant karma for their terrible behavior. Meltdowns aren't just for babies and toddlers. Retail workers have to deal with grown adults having tantrums every day. There are lots of folks who are led to believe that the only way they'll get what they want is to be aggressive and demanding about it. Technically, this…

Once you work in retail, there is no seeing the world as you once saw it, and it instead becomes a cold, bitter place, where people carry a sense of entitlement you cannot internally fathom is real. Customer service of any kind is at times, insufferable, but there are phases in life where you go through these frustrating jobs, only to find out that other jobs have those same people, except instead of customers, they are coworkers. OP told the all too familiar story of an entitled and snobby Kar…

No amount of wealth should excuse any customer from the rules. Unfortunately, there are plenty of entitled rich folks out there with “influence” who seem to think otherwise.

What do you do when your manager is a thieving fraudster, and their boss refuses to listen because, on paper, your manager is getting good results? This is something you'll likely come across during the long course of your career, and you might be dismayed to find yourself powerless in the position. Heck, most bosses will be willing to look the other way for someone who is performing high in whatever KPI upper management is currently prioritizing… Just as long as things look good and people are…

Specialists exist for a reason. For this retail worker , jewelry is their career. They're a diamond specialist who works at a privately owned business. Even though they have impressive expertise at their job, there are always customers who think they know better than a trained professional. Something customers don't seem to realize is that expertise matters. As a customer, you go to see someone who's spent 10,000 hours learning a trade because they have knowledge that you require. That's the wh…

Hello darkness my old friend