You'd probably be horrified at how common these types of requirements are within certain industries. The industries where manipulative employers tell you with a smile that you're a "family"… while simultaneously plotting how they can squeeze as much unpaid labor out of you as possible. Working in the service and retail industries is no walk in the park—that should not come as a great surprise to anybody. The frantic and inconsistent demands of these businesses place considerable strain on staff…

Not only have you not properly rested in 5 years, but even with your 75% tips on the iPad, you can barely make rent this month… again. So far, being a server has only trapped you in a lifestyle of fatigue and chasing your own bills with irregular cash flow, swollen ankles, and a ferocious Karen biting at your heels all the time.

This manager may not understand the concept of generosity.

Every retail or service person has learned the hard way why you don't make exceptions for customers and guests. It's always the customer you think is level-headed, sane, and “gets it” who ends up being a woefully entitled complainer, review bomber, and exceptionalist. These people will go feral on you and make your life a verifiable living hell for a few weeks until they've done the damage they're seeking and disappear into the void of their miserable existence to ruin someone else's day. The c…

Everyone should be required to work in the service industry at least once in their life. Then maybe everyone can gain a little empathy. Because the types of entitled customers that these servers, bartenders, hosts, etc. have to deal with is absolutely insane. The antiquated saying “the customer is always right” has been long gone tossed from work cultures once millennials entered the workforce—and Gen Z is only help keep it out. So why is it that every server still experiences some kind of inco…

Often when we see stories online about customer service people, it's regarding the abuse they receive from customers. But, since service industry workers are people too, it should be expected that there are plenty of examples of the worker themselves being unreasonable or entitled. These stories don't fit the popular narrative, so they often don't get upvoted as frequently, getting shared less overall as a result. It's no surprise to anyone that ‘upscale’ trendy establishments can have a bit of…

There's no workplace event more heartbreaking than experiencing the sudden dissolution of a supportive and thriving workplace culture. Most workplaces that claim “they're family” are toxic… but when you actually have a team that operates like an extended family unit, it's magical and makes working—well—tolerable, at least. It's one of those “show don't tell” types of deals. If you have to tell someone what they're experiencing, it's not going to be nearly as powerful as letting someone reach th…

I guess in some sense, you have to appreciate this dude's honesty.

It's rare these days to get a manager that you actually like. Usually, boomers are in the upper management and they think the world revolves around them and/or around a toxic management style. The whole “eat or be eaten” mentality that spirals many managers into treating their employees like crap—especially in the service industry! Why does that industry attract a certain type of toxic management style, who knows?! On longtime service industry employee recently got a new manager and they love h…

Some horrible bosses give you horrible tasks just to be horrible.

Sorry we can't split the check 10 ways, it's company policy

My customer service voice is not a reflection of who I am as a person.

Working in the service industry is often stressful and traumatic for a number of reasons. On the one hand, you're often treated poorly by clientele, who mostly regard you as subhuman because of your line of work. On the other hand, you're at the mercy of the unrealistic expectations and unethical practices of the small business owner who owns the place, and—let's be honest—these people often shouldn't be allowed to operate a business or have responsibility over the livelihood of others. These o…

People really will just pick the most random thing and build their personality around it; it's as if they just spun a wheel of haphazardly selected topics and went with the first thing it landed on. Enter I-can-eat-hotter-foods-than-you guy; everyone knows this guy, and chances are he's one of your friends or a friend of a friend and—well… is kinda known for being a boastful egomaniac. Somehow, at some point, he decided to base his fragile ego around the spice levels of food, and now he's going…

Nothing stings like the pain of looking at your schedule for next week and seeing a Saturday-Sunday 'CLOPEN'

Everything just hits different in Florida. Fondly known as the ‘penis of America’, Florida has proven that its mercurial population and DGAF approach to life can simply raw dog reality with no consequences. One local restaurant took that same Floridian spirit and has gone viral on Reddit through a post by a former patron, who shared a picture of an egregiously back-handed sign displayed in front of the business. Camellia Street Grill, a small local place in the heart of the Everglades, is obvio…