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Service job gripe thread

813 views 15 replies 13 participants last post by  ShwarmaQueen 
#1 ·
I know many of us work or have worked in service-oriented jobs like waiting tables, retail sales, etc.

My friend and I were just talking about our days as retail sales clerks when we were in college, and we were cracking up at some of the horror stories we both had.

So I thought it'd be fun to start a thread in a similar vein here -- share your service job horror stories here!
 
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#4 ·
I was once hit repeatedly by a whiny little kid who was yelling "I want french fries" over and over and OVER. While his mom did nothing.

Oh, she did order him some french fries. But I guess hitting the waitress was acceptable.

One of my other favorites was the guy who cornered me behind the counter when I was selling jewelry in a dept. store, and tried to see me on his religion. When I politely refused his pamphlets he looked at me narrowly and said, "are you going to hell?" Imagine his shock when I laughed a little and said, "oh, probably." That shut him up.

My manager happened to be standing next to me at the time and just about burst out laughing. Coolest manager ever - we never got reprimanded for standing up to rude customers!
 
#5 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen View Post
Having no predictable work schedule from week to week!

Oh yeah, I forgot about that! That was awful.

One thing that stuck out for me was how offended people got when I asked to see their ID if their credit card was unsigned. One lady laid into me about how she had lived in that town her whole life, blah blah blah, and a guy got so pissed that he threw his ID at me. It was so weird -- I'm always grateful when someone asks to see my ID because I know it's for my own protection.
 
#6 ·
I had a patient once call 911 and local television station because we wouldn't serve her a grilled cheese sandwich.

She had eaten 2 hamburgers, french fries, ice cream, salad, fruit, soup, 2 grilled cheese and a spaghetti dinner already for her meal, but said we were starving her.
 
#7 ·
When I waited tables this loser guy asked me to turn around so he could see my ass in front of his girlfriend. I refused! I also had a regular patron tell me I looked terrible/sickly/nasty because I had lost some weight. I think I just chuckled at her because I really didn't know what else to do.

I know there are tons more but these are the two that popped into my head.
 
#8 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by limabean View Post

One thing that stuck out for me was how offended people got when I asked to see their ID if their credit card was unsigned. One lady laid into me about how she had lived in that town her whole life, blah blah blah, and a guy got so pissed that he threw his ID at me. It was so weird -- I'm always grateful when someone asks to see my ID because I know it's for my own protection.

I loved when people got mad I asked even when it said on the back to check their ID! Sign your card if you don't want to pull out your ID every time you shop.

I also loved when people got mad when I wouldn't let them return stolen merchandise. We had a lady who came in all the time with the same story about how someone stole her purse and she bought all this stuff a few weeks ago and she needs the cash and could she return it for cash? We saw her take the items off the front table when she came in the store!

I do not miss the hours at all.
 
#9 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by ShwarmaQueen View Post
Having no predictable work schedule from week to week!

This is what I hate MOST about my housekeeping job! It's soo hard to plan anything in advance, and at my job the housekeepers ALWAYS work the weekends. Yeah, I hate the service industry w/a passion, but can't find any other jobs-besides sales.
 
#10 ·
Quote:

Originally Posted by turkeygw View Post
Yeah, I hate the service industry w/a passion, but can't find any other jobs-besides sales.
It's tough to get out of service, especially w/o a Bach degree.
I was so desparate to get out, I told my boss (at a grocery store) that I was taking a weekend college course and couldn't work weekends for 10 wks. I took a paralegal certificate course instead, then got a temp job at a law firm the week after I graduated, then landed my current (perm) job! It took a ton of motivation- but I couldn't stand shift work ANYMORE. I cried everyday until I started the program.
 
#11 ·
When I worked retail - calling my manager to tell him I couldn't work the next day b/c I was having emergency surgery on my jaw (he could barely understand me b/c my jaw was locked shut from an infected wisdom tooth).

He replied that I had to work because no one else could cover for me and he didn't want to work that day. My reply was "what part of 'emergency surgery' do you not understand?"

He threatened to fire me (I didn't get sick days anyway) and would have if the owner hadn't intervened.

The manager got fired a month later b/c he was sleeping with the owner's brother's wife. That was fun.
 
#12 ·
I worked in a discount store deli while working my way through college. My favorites were always the people who got ticked off about waiting in a long line, and then would take it out on me by *snatching* the bag of lunch meat from my hand and then walking away, without saying thank you. It always made me feel better to call after them ever-so-sweetly, "Have a wonderful day!"

When I worked as a hotel housekeeper, the worst were the ones who would leave used condoms scattered all over the room. Was I supposed to be impressed at their creative use of the shower, or what?
: I wasn't the least bit impressed... It just seemed sort of pathetic to me. Yuck.

Working service jobs all through my teens through mid-twenties really motivated me to get the most out of nursing school, even if it was exhausting. It still irritates me to get yelled at by the occasional cranky doctor at work, but now I just remind myself how much I'm getting paid per hour, and shrug it off.
 
#13 ·
I had people who would talk to me in a really loud voice (almost yelling) because they assumed I didn't speak English (I am not white) when I speak perfect English with no accent. An older man came in really PO'ed about something and was yelling at me, and I was just speechless, so I looked at him. He yelled "What's wrong? Don't you speak English?!" Ah, how I miss those days.
 
#14 ·
When I was about 16, I was working as a waitress in one of my small town's restaurants. Just so happened one weekend the local biker gang was celebrating the marriage of 2 of their members. They all came in for Sunday breakfast ... and all sat in my section! I was so terrified that I called my parents who came down and sat at a nearby table until all the bikers left.

I'll say for those bikers that although they flipped me endless amounts of crap, they were good tippers.
 
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