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…

This dude got the deal of a lifetime , and he did it completely by accident. One day, this guy went to wander around a big box hardware store to check out their lawnmowers. When you're making a big purchase like that, it helps to see the machines in person, instead of just relying on the internet. This guy found an especially great deal, because the store's display lawn mower was up for sale. As with lots of big purchases, usually you have to check out several stores and be prepared before buyi…

Quite some time has passed since I've last been fired, but the mortifying memory remains carefully carved into my awkward brain, still causing me to shudder when I think about it. I'm sure I have told this story before, but for those of you who are new, I shall suck up the embarrassment and retell it. Back in my tyrannical teenage years, I was looking for a job. Sixteen at the time, I wasn't actually all that tyrannical. I liked to think I had the guts to do anything, but the truth is I was act…

Whenever you write the phrase “The customer is always right” online, there's always someone showing up to show you up in the comments to confidently proclaim that this utterance is actually a shortened version of the original phrase, “The customer is always right in matters of taste." Attributions for either version normally go to one of several pioneering and successful department store retailers who reshaped the trade in the late 1800s and publications on the retail philosophy emerge in the e…

How many people working in customer service, retail, or the service industry have had to deal with this exact same scenario? The closing time was 6 pm—it's now ten after—and there are still customers in the store. You're not allowed to turn customers away—management has forbidden it—still, customers continue to pour in. This same thing happens often, and management insists that every last customer be able to order, forcing you to stay late well past scheduled closing… Yet, every time you try to…

Yes, the schedule. The cornerstone, the Monolith, of shiftwork… Obey the schedule—lest you find yourself at odds with some angry shift manager who quotes its existence at you like scripture. Managers love a good schedule, and they also like complaining about that schedule and blaming the schedule for all of their problems—even when they're the ones who made it. If they schedule you for a shift you couldn't normally work, all of a sudden, it's “It's on the schedule,” “I've posted the schedule.”…

Memes to scroll while you hide from your manager on your lunch break

Never count on your boss to give you the emotional support that you need. This employee was having a particularly difficult time working with another manager, who happened to be responsible for numerous staff members quitting. When the Redditor finally had enough as well, they decided to give their notice to their boss, with whom they normally have a healthy and professional relationship. However, when that meeting finally happened, OP was disappointed to see that the boss did not seem to care…

Even though they just got engaged, this man is already rethinking his upcoming marriage. U/fullishfool decided to share this story to r/AmItheA**hole to get the internet's opinion on his fiancée's bizarre behavior . As you plan your wedding, there are so many decisions to make. One of the first is who you're going to invite. Small weddings may just include family and friends, while other couples love to go all out and invite extended family and coworkers. This OP wanted to invite his coworkers,…

How many people working in customer service, retail, or the service industry have had to deal with this exact same scenario? The closing time was 6 pm—it's now ten after—and there are still customers in the store. You're not allowed to turn customers away—management has forbidden it—still, customers continue to pour in. This same thing happens often, and management insists that every last customer be able to order, forcing you to stay late well past scheduled closing… Yet, every time you try to…

When working retail and customer service, you're playing a constant tug-of-war with customers over policy, laws, and even the simple ethics of trading—and it's not uncommon to have someone standing in front of you passionately quoting some piece of slightly relevant legislation their aunt's friend told them about, with flecks of spittle flying in all directions. The only problem is that they clearly don't fully comprehend the trading act that they're quoting, but there's no way they're going to…

When customers demand help , they want to be helped immediately. And instead of listening when workers actually try to help them, they seem to shut off their ears, and end up throwing a tantrum instead. Cashiers don't get the respect they deserve, and lots of customers are very rude to them on the daily. U/NiftyGoblin had a strange story to tell, which they shared to r/TalesFromRetail, a subreddit for retail workers to share the realities of life behind the cash register. This OP was just tryin…

People don't quit jobs; they quit bosses… Most of the time, at least. This saying has echoed off of the walls of this site a thousand times, and yet it remains just as true as in its first utterance. Too many jerks out there have ended up in a position of workplace authority—either by starting their own business or through the power of the Peter principle—and find themselves wondering why they can't keep staff, not realizing that the answer is looking at them in the face every morning when they…

Don't underestimate the pettiness of these fed-up workers . You'd be acting petty too if customers treated you the same way . Cashiers work so hard for so little recognition. If I was running things, all cashiers would be allowed to sit down, they'd be allowed to talk back to rude customers, and they'd all be paid at least $1 million per year. In reality, though, cashiers have to deal with the grouchiest customers one after another for minimum wage (and no sitting down either). You can only han…

Most days in the workplace are ordinary and routine, so when something out of the ordinary happens, it can make for a memorable shift. These people know that all too well — they replied to u/Murkantilism's question, “What is the craziest thing you've seen somebody do at the workplace?”