Working Retail: Stories of the Underpaid - General

maybe she was a pirate and was laughing at how bad you sounded or something

For about a year and a half now I've worked at Winn-Dixie, a grocery store in the southern states, and we have a few choice customers that will come in. I'll start with the 'nice' ones, we have the older man, Tom, who has an electric wheelchair, nicest guy. He always tells you not to work too hard, and stuff like that. He often buys some lunch from the deli, and sits in the front of the store, eating his meal. I asked him how his lunch was, and he said it was great, and that the best part of it was 'watching the pretty girls walk in.' Jeez, I love that guy. Then of course, there's the bad manager, we have this chick, Carol, and she always seems to have something stuck up her ass. She's the kind of person who will point out your flaws, and dwell on them for the entirety of the day. One time, I needed help finding the price of something for a customer, and she actually gave me this long lecture on how it would be faster for me to find it by myself rather than find her, and we find it together. She failed to realize I had no fucking idea where this was. But, all in all, it's a great place to work at. We really are like one big family. I've even found a nice girl at work, we've been dating for a little while now.

[QUOTE=JohnStamosFan;32618991]One time i had a stripper (I only found out she was a stripper because she worked with my GM's ex-girlfriend) come up to me at the register. She stood there for a second, so after it was thoroughly akward having this woman just stand there and stare at me i asked "Can i get you anything?" She leaned close to the register and said to me "I bet you get a lot of sex with those eyes". Now, i like to think i can talk to women just fine, i have had my share of girlfriends...but i wasn't ready for this. I just froze up and stared back... Finally i managed to mumble "It...happens?" She stared for a bit longer then finally walked off and into the mall. I promptly walked into the back and decided i was done with the register for that day. I think i have some sort of affect on strippers though. Just a few weeks ago (When i worked at the food court in the mall, it was about 3 years ago, that's when Grill-Bot was made, and all the other terrible stories i have) anyhow, i was out at a bar with my friends celebrating our friend turning 21. He was the youngest so we'd all been pretty excited that after years of waiting he could finally join us. We're outside sitting on the patio, and there's a woman sitting on a bench next to our table. Eventually she just walks up and plops down on the open chair, and lights up a cigarette. She starts talking and finally i decide to be polite and introduce my friends and I, and ask her what her name is. She says it's "Candy"...then says that's not her real name, just her stage name. So immediately we're all just kind of like "Fuck, stripper's here to make everything weird." And she did. Now, i don't really like strippers...i don't really like the idea of paying for blue-balls, or having a women who has had her parts god knows where, shoving them in my face. I have the internet for naked women...so anyhow, she proceeds to make it awkward for everyone. She drunkenly starts yelling at us all to take shots...despite us not having any. She starts walking around kissing everyone on the cheek telling us her boyfriend (Who was in the bar...hidden only by some giant panes of glass) would be so pissed if she saw her. (If he didn't, he's got worse vision than Ray Charles). Then she gets up, and asks who the birthday boy is, since we'd made the mistake of saying why we were there. She then gets up and walks behind him, and shoves his head under her shirt (She wasn't ugly...but that wasn't exactly doing the guy a favor either...) Then, she goes to another friend and tells him to take his shot that had just been delivered. He says he's holding off...so she picks it up, starts to pour it on his face, and when he opens his mouth to finish it, she leans in and tries to shove her tongue in there. Then she stumbles over to me, kisses my cheeks and drunkenly slurs "I like this one best. I would marry him!" Then she sees her boyfriend heading out towards the patio and rushes off, leaving only a cloud of smoke, and the faint stench of whore, and booze. tl;dr:I'm going to marry so many strippers.[/QUOTE] This reminds me of my work. I work concessions at a movie theater, on cash register. We get tons of people complaining to use about prices all the time. I try to save people money when I can, I know it's all a ripoff, so I do my best to explain ways to save money, like getting a big popcorn and splitting it instead of a bunch of smaller ones, etc. But anyway, I had these 2 women come up to me and order some stuff, they started to talk about how the prices were all so high. So they start asking what they can do for a discount and ask if they can get in my pants for lower prices along with a bunch of other really direct/aggressive stuff. I do alright with girls, but I don't really deal with that sort of thing. Now I've got a line full of families, little kids, old people, moms and dads, so I just go "Sorry I can't give you discounts" as they go on and on and I get more embarrassed by the second. Eventually they just paid, winked at me and left. It was flattering yet also extremely awkward. We got tons of shitty customers, but luckily my coworkers are good. And I think the best thing I've gotten out of it so far is that I met my girlfriend at work, just a chance encounter with a girl customer and now we've been together for going on 2 years.

I had a girl once come in and wanting to put a purchase on her card, but it didn't reach the minimum amount we have for EFTPOS transactions. She said "Can't you do a special deal for me?", squeezed her boobs together and made a pouty face. It didn't work.

[QUOTE=Moreto;32303612]In the training for where I work that is actually what you do if you suspect someone of planing to steal something, it lets them know that they are being watched without going straight up "don't steal yo, that's bad".[/QUOTE] "My those are some pretty CCTV cameras. Work perfectly, y'know."

[QUOTE=Ghost101;32649989]This reminds me of my work. I work concessions at a movie theater, on cash register. We get tons of people complaining to use about prices all the time. I try to save people money when I can, I know it's all a ripoff, so I do my best to explain ways to save money, like getting a big popcorn and splitting it instead of a bunch of smaller ones, etc. But anyway, I had these 2 women come up to me and order some stuff, they started to talk about how the prices were all so high. So they start asking what they can do for a discount and ask if they can get in my pants for lower prices along with a bunch of other really direct/aggressive stuff. I do alright with girls, but I don't really deal with that sort of thing. Now I've got a line full of families, little kids, old people, moms and dads, so I just go "Sorry I can't give you discounts" as they go on and on and I get more embarrassed by the second. Eventually they just paid, winked at me and left. It was flattering yet also extremely awkward. We got tons of shitty customers, but luckily my coworkers are good. And I think the best thing I've gotten out of it so far is that I met my girlfriend at work, just a chance encounter with a girl customer and now we've been together for going on 2 years.[/QUOTE] Son, those're what we call 'whores' 'round these parts. [editline]6th October 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=WubWubWompWomp;32651185]"My those are some pretty CCTV cameras. Work perfectly, y'know."[/QUOTE] We don't have no cameras :saddowns:

It was in my first year working, so I still wasn't really experienced in what kind of weirdness can walk through those doors to the movies. I'm better at dealing with most things now but it always surprises me how strange some of the people coming in can get.

[QUOTE=WubWubWompWomp;32651185]"My those are some pretty CCTV cameras. Work perfectly, y'know."[/QUOTE] We have so many of those little black spheres in our store, in the two large main isles there's about one every two feet, plus there are a few exposed cameras watching key areas like the area where we keep all the tools.

Another two stories here First one happened quite recently. We assembled an "enthusiast" rig for a customer's girlfriend (if you're an enthusiast you make your own rig, and why would you buy such a rig for a non-enthusiast? ._.). Anyway, the guy comes in to pick it up. Seems pretty standard, go out the back, pick up the machine + manuals & driver CDs and walk out to him pulling out [b]$3540 in notes[/b]. In 60x$50, 25x$20 and 4x$10 notes. The wad was about [b]1 centimetre thick[/b]. What the fuck. He didn't bat a fucking eyelid when I asked him why he was using illogical amount of cash (two owner credit card, girlfriend would see the purchase). After showing the wad of cash to my boss, to which he shouted "LODS of EMONE, WHOP IT OUT" in the thickest Enfield accent he could muster, we decided to make a store policy that we don't accept cash for orders over $500. We've only had to enforce it once. The second story relates to a customer who brought a 240GB ssd for his gaming computer. Came in the next day complaining that it wasn't working, to which I find that he's tried to set up his Blu-ray drive and the ssd in in a [b]IDE-like master/slave configuration(Blu-ray being the master, whyyyy)[/b] thinking that the [b]SATA cord was for bridging two devices[/b], not for connecting the device to the motherboard. He then came in the day after furious that we had scammed him, as he didn't have a spare SATA port. We (first me, then my boss) explained that it wasn't our fault and that he has no grounds for a refund. I did suggest however that he could get a SATA add-on card for $30, which he immediately calmed down. It's like the IT industry attracts retarded people.

LODES EMONE

I'm back again. I was just thinking about some of the customers we get at the store and I remember we do get some really nice customers that make you forget about the hordes of dumb and rage inducing customers. When I was being trained on check outs I kept making little mistakes here and there that would usually send the average arsehole into muttering under their breathes and loud tuts, but this once I got a very sweet old lady who said "Don't worry dear take your time there's no rush" I thanked her a lot for this and carried on when it came to her paying she payed and I handed back her card and said thank you very much and before she left she said "You've done a great job here dear, you deserve every penny you earn for a great service" Customers like that really make you feel good about your job and make it that little bit better. I've also helped some yuppy find his way around the shop and finally said in the most yuppy voice you've ever heard "Thanks a lot you absolute star! Have a FANTASTIC night!" :v:

Is a yuppy like slang for a flaming homosexual

[QUOTE=Wikipedia]Yuppie (short for "young urban professional" or "young upwardly mobile professional")[1][2] is a term that refers to a member of the upper middle class or upper class in their 20s or 30s.[3] It first came into use in the early-1980s and largely faded from American popular culture in the late-1980s, due to the 1987 stock market crash and the early 1990s recession. However it has been used in the 2000s and 2010s, in places such as in National Review, The Weekly Standard, GreenwichVillage.com, and Details.[4][5][6][/QUOTE]

Why would someone like that say something like "Thanks a lot you absolute star! Have a FANTASTIC night!" that sounds like something a flamer would say

Maybe he was just really grateful

I stayed up to 4am reading this thread. So full of fucking win!

Gonna see about applying for a job at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, which is one of the largest Outlet centers in the world. It's less that 2 miles from me. The reason I mention this is because it's a major tourist attraction, primarily Japanese. I don't know how many of them can speak any English. The stores I'm gonna apply at are: Adidas Aeropostale Geox Puma True Religion We'll see if I can get me a job.

[QUOTE=Chaotic Lord;32676033]Gonna see about applying for a job at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, which is one of the largest Outlet centers in the world. It's less that 2 miles from me. The reason I mention this is because it's a major tourist attraction, primarily Japanese. I don't know how many of them can speak any English. The stores I'm gonna apply at are: Adidas Aeropostale Geox Puma True Religion We'll see if I can get me a job.[/QUOTE] I can honestly say that I cannot fucking wait to hear the results of this. Especially the story that follows applying at 'True Religion.'

Although it's not strictly retail, I've been training for 6 months to be a ski instructor at my local ski slope, and now I'm trained, my future boss won't send me the forms to apply to the council. :grrr:

Had an elderly man tell me a joke last night that was very funny and made my day tbh. So a piece of string walks into a bar and sits down,orders a beer and a shot. The bartender says "I don't serve your kind here get out!" So the string leaves and as soon as he gets outside he bumps into a man and say, "Sir would you mind tying me into a knot?" "Sure" the man reply's and does so, Then the string asks if the man would be able to fray his edges a little.So the man does so and the string thanks him and walks back into the bar, Sits down and once again asked for a beer and shot. The bartender now at the far end of the bar squints to see who just asked for that order and reply's "Hey aren't you that piece of string i just told to leave?" To which the string reply's " No sir, Ima Frayed-knot." Granted it might not be the joke of the century but hearing it from a friendly old man made it seem so much better. I still think it's funny.

[QUOTE=Boomslang;32657995]I'm back again. I was just thinking about some of the customers we get at the store and I remember we do get some really nice customers that make you forget about the hordes of dumb and rage inducing customers. When I was being trained on check outs I kept making little mistakes here and there that would usually send the average arsehole into muttering under their breathes and loud tuts, but this once I got a very sweet old lady who said "Don't worry dear take your time there's no rush" I thanked her a lot for this and carried on when it came to her paying she payed and I handed back her card and said thank you very much and before she left she said "You've done a great job here dear, you deserve every penny you earn for a great service" Customers like that really make you feel good about your job and make it that little bit better. I've also helped some yuppy find his way around the shop and finally said in the most yuppy voice you've ever heard "Thanks a lot you absolute star! Have a FANTASTIC night!" :v:[/QUOTE] I hate people that tell me I'm doing a good job. I know that I'm doing a good job, telling me will just make me flustered. I also hate how people comment on the weather. "It's a nice day out there." They tell me all happy and smiley. "I wouldn't know," I reply. They shut their mouths after that.

[QUOTE=-GTFMiika-;32676853]I can honestly say that I cannot fucking wait to hear the results of this. Especially the story that follows applying at 'True Religion.'[/QUOTE] They make jeans, if you don't know. I had never even heard of them until some kid in my English class wore them.

(Just so you know I work in an arcade as a technician, I mainly fix the machines) I was called to a customer who was complaining a machine wasn't holding nudges. (He also showed me bashing the button making the machine reset itself) I said I'd replace the button and it should make it work completely fine, I then said it should still pay out whatever it was going to before, and he started accusing me of calling him a liar, I said "I'm not calling you a liar, I'm just trying to explain it'll still pay out" He then said "Fuck off then" so I just left and ignored him, and went to my supervisor and said "£5 says he complains about me". :v:

This thread is hilarious. I'm laughing more at the posters than I am the posts though. Some people need to get a grip.

[QUOTE=Hana-San;32681014]I hate people that tell me I'm doing a good job. I know that I'm doing a good job, telling me will just make me flustered. I also hate how people comment on the weather. "It's a nice day out there." They tell me all happy and smiley. "I wouldn't know," I reply. They shut their mouths after that.[/QUOTE] "Thanks for reminding me what I'm missing stuck helping you all day." [editline]8th October 2011[/editline] [QUOTE=Clunj;32689806]This thread is hilarious. I'm laughing more at the posters than I am the posts though. Some people need to get a grip.[/QUOTE] This man has obviously never worked.

[QUOTE=Ven Kaeo;32690594]"Thanks for reminding me what I'm missing stuck helping you all day." [editline]8th October 2011[/editline] This man has obviously never worked.[/QUOTE] Clunj is the only person I have ever put on my ignore list and to this day he still reminds me why hes there

[QUOTE=Chaotic Lord;32676033]Gonna see about applying for a job at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, which is one of the largest Outlet centers in the world. It's less that 2 miles from me. The reason I mention this is because it's a major tourist attraction, primarily Japanese. I don't know how many of them can speak any English. The stores I'm gonna apply at are: Adidas Aeropostale Geox Puma True Religion We'll see if I can get me a job.[/QUOTE] Good luck for Adidas, I work at Adidas in NJ actually. It's probably one of the best jobs ever considering all the perks that we get.

[QUOTE=Sykez;32696360]Good luck for Adidas, I work at Adidas in NJ actually. It's probably one of the best jobs ever considering all the perks that we get.[/QUOTE] Like what? I was gonna go apply at the places this weekend, but it's a nightmare there because of Holiday shopping so they'd be too busy to get applications and stuff.

[QUOTE=Hana-San;32681014]I hate people that tell me I'm doing a good job. I know that I'm doing a good job, telling me will just make me flustered. I also hate how people comment on the weather. "It's a nice day out there." They tell me all happy and smiley. "I wouldn't know," I reply. They shut their mouths after that.[/QUOTE] The music section is in a basement so whenever a person says that I just look at the ceiling and sigh.

[QUOTE=Hana-San;32681014]I hate people that tell me I'm doing a good job. I know that I'm doing a good job, telling me will just make me flustered. I also hate how people comment on the weather. "It's a nice day out there." They tell me all happy and smiley. "I wouldn't know," I reply. They shut their mouths after that.[/QUOTE] rude