14 Reddit Horror Stories About Working In Retail
It’s almost Christmas, which means it’s time to pour one out for the most under-appreciated heroes this chaotic time of year: retail workers.
Like many, I myself once worked as a Christmas casual in my early twenties. I even did a few of those absolutely ridiculous 24/7 shifts at Chadstone Shopping Centre. If you think customers suck, try dealing with them at 4am when they expect you to be bright and bubbly, while you’re struggling to even remember your own name.
Christmas brings out the worst in customers, and retail staff often bear the brunt of people who are stressed out and take out their frustrations on them when they’re just trying to get through their day and pay their damn bills. If this is you, or you’ve previously worked in retail, then these horror stories from Reddit are going to sound way too familiar.
Subreddits Rants From Retail and Tales From Retail are filled with hundreds of stories that will make you laugh or cry, or both at the same time. I, for one, am triggered.
Here are 14 Reddit horror stories about working in retail:
1. When the choice of a shopping bag causes WW3.
Grandma goes crazy over a shopping bag! from TalesFromRetail
2. When the customer is sometimes extremely wrong.
"No ma’am, I know that’s not true. No, that’s also not true." from TalesFromRetail
3. When you probably should have taken the 10 cents from the register.
10k in Damages Over a 10 Cent Overcharge from TalesFromRetail
4. When the customer has the nerve to try and use your discount.
So how much is it with your employee discount??? from TalesFromRetail
5. When you should learn how to read the used by date or STFU.
Lady pulls 30 jars of food off the shelf to tell me they’re out of date, they weren’t. from TalesFromRetail
6. When you’ve got to remember to backup your lies.
7. When you’re not even allowed to eat.
"You’re working, thats no time to eat!" from TalesFromRetail
8. When bad behaviour comes back to bite you.
Customer accused me of assaulting him. Is now banned from our whole chain. from TalesFromRetail
9. When trying to use your dad’s credit card info is never a good plan.
How would you like to pay for this, Miss? from TalesFromRetail
10. When you try to be a smartass and it backfires.
CC signature line says SEE ID, so I’m going to need to see your ID. from TalesFromRetail
11. When you probably should have just kept the first jacket.
Sorry, that thing you returned isn’t in the store anymore from RantsFromRetail
12. When people truly are THE WORST.
14. But small wins make it all better.
My cabinet doors have COMPANY NAME written all over them!!! from TalesFromRetail
14. And when there’s nothing better than flipping the switch on an ignorant customer.
Never assume what languages a person can or cannot speak. from TalesFromRetail
Retail staff, we salute you.