Can you imagine needing to scratch your shopping itch so badly that you had to dip into your child's college fund? It doesn't get much more desperate than that, not to mention risky. I mean, if you're willing to go there, you're willing to sacrifice your future relationship with your kid, all for a pair of shoes you'll probably wear twice or three times a year. Thankfully, this shocking revelation and the difficult consequences for the family at the center of it all did not stop the daughter fr…

Have strength retail workers , you will need it when these customers show up. As a cashier, you'll ring up hundreds of customers each shift, and you'll probably forget all of them, except those who are exceptional. Maybe they're especially kind in a job where many customers are impolite. Or maybe they're really funny and manage to make you laugh. Or, if you're these people, you've remembered the customer because they've asked some of the most absurd questions ever. Several people who worked in…

While working retail, these people have seen it all. Cashiers get to see people from all walks of life, of all ages, and of all levels of sanity. These retail workers shared some stories of the wildest interactions they've had with customers. That's one of the strange things about working retail---you always have to take the customer seriously, even if you're pretty sure they're messing with you. Some customers love to mess with retail staff , even though no one seems to find it funny except th…

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…

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…

When you order online, you do so at your own peril. It's a learning experience: can you really buy that $200 blanket for $2? Could a new gaming console really cost just $15 plus shipping? You know the saying, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is"? That definitely applies here. After you check out these goofy expectation vs. reality photos, check out these fashion trends from each generation that haven't aged well (shoulder pads and big hair, we're looking at you).

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…

Everyone hates when they're trying to finagle a tight spot in a parking lot and their path is blocked by a wayward shopping cart. Is it really so challenging for shoppers to return their carts to the designated areas? Or is walking an extra 20 feet too challenging? Apparently so.

There's nothing worse than feeling like you're being rushed. When you're at the store and the person behind you in line is breathing down your neck, there's a part of you that wants to run the other direction to get out of their way. But there's a smaller, louder part of the pettiest corners of your brain that wants you to succumb to the intrusive thoughts and move as slowly as possible, just to enrage the person behind you.

People will go to any length and make every attempt to turn even the most petty situations to their advantage. Just a single trip to any busy parking lot will show you this, with desperate drivers doing anything in their power to secure a spot, even getting their passengers to jump out of the vehicle to stand in front of it and (hopefully) prevent anyone from getting there first, whilst engaging in outrageous displays of behavior from within the safety of their oversized vehicles. Of course, on…

While online shopping , you can't believe everything you see. Sometimes you have to read between the lines a little bit, and know when a deal is too good to be true.

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

This customer has a life hack to get into any store . All you have to do is take a little initiative. What could go wrong? U/Sparrowmoss shared this wild story of customer entitlement . Some customers take deep offense to stores being closed, or having hours of operation in general. If the customer can't get that random item at 10:59pm, they'll insist that the store is in the wrong. It's not the employee's fault that customers procrastinate so badly that they intend to shop at a store that's cl…

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…