/r/retail

Photograph via snooOG

RETAIL - tell me your story, show me your picture, etc

Complaints. Shitty customers. Shitty boss. Retail news. Memes. Awesome deal you got. This is the place for your retail story, video, and picture!

The Rules

  • Don't be an Asshole.

/r/retail

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0

Kmart was one of the largest companies in the world

0 Comments
2024/12/02
13:42 UTC

29

Hate people so so much

I have oral surgery scheduled this week, it'll cost me money to reschedule for any reason. Freaking customers are coughing left and right mouth open, and I freaking know I'll get sick and cost me $$$ I don't have. I hate people so much! Just close your mouth! Teach your kids the same! Dammit, I'm so sick of people coughing right in my face!

10 Comments
2024/12/02
02:12 UTC

2

Issue with accommodation, manager doesn’t seem to get it, feeling very defeated

Issue with accommodation, manager doesn’t seem to get it

I’m a seasonal cashier at Burlington and I have something called MCAS it’s an immunological condition that causes a wide range of allergy symptoms, the biggest thing is it leaves me constantly overheated, it doesn’t matter how cold my internal body temp is always warm, its very hot in the store and so my immunologist wrote a letter explaining my condition, and what accommodations I need, which is to be able to wear shorts or skirts to help keep me cooler, and then the option to sit down for a few minutes if I have a dizzy spell. I gave the letter to the assistant manager today, who gave it to the main manager, and afterwards, she wanted to talk to me in her office. She started going on about how the dress code is for employee's safety and that HR probably wont be able to approve it, I explained that this accommodation is for my safety tho, and that I understand it isn’t on them if in the unlikely case of this happening, I was to get cut on something, etc, from not wearing pants. Then she also said me needing to sit down if I get dizzy is going to be difficult to approve, bc there’s “nowhere for me to sit” which isn’t true, bc there’s a room with computers and chairs literally right by the registers and no one is in there 90% of the day. She then went on to say that bc of me getting dizzy spells and needing to wear shorts, this might not be the position for me but she will still submit it. I’m really mad honestly, I know most people hate retail but I actually love my job. This is my first job bc I wasn’t able to work for the longest time and I’m really scared I will get fired, what should I do? Should I try and explain to her that this isn’t something that will affect the work environment and that I’m not posing any safety risks to myself or anyone else? I don’t even know why she is thinking this. It also doesn’t make sense to be concered about safety if I get dizzy but then at the same time say there’s nowhere for me to sit down. This genuinely isn’t anything that would affect them I think she is just confused about my condition and instead of asking question is making assumptions about it being bad for business. What should I do?

Update: also, I just want to clarify two things

  1. Me needing to go sit down if I have a dizzy spell is extremely unlikely to affect the line of customers bc we are not understaffed at all, there’s been multiple times there wasn’t even a register for me to work on bc of how many people are up there, so it really wouldn’t affect the speed of anything.

  2. I have already proven that I can do my job so there is literally no reason for anyone who’s worked with me to think these accommodations somehow mean I am not capable.

I know I have rights but I don’t know how to advocate for myself I have hardcore people pleasing tendencies.

18 Comments
2024/12/01
23:41 UTC

8

Today’s No1 idiot.

It was 3:30pm PEAK trading time on any Saturday but on this lead up to Christmas it is insane . Big ol queue’s despite every till being manned & every SCO terminal running & enough supervision for users. One daft bitch joined a long snaking SCO queue to ask me whether we still have cashiers anymore to which I replied yes but offered to help her on SCO. But no she decided to go join the back of another half hour long queue because she “ doesn’t believe “ in SCO. 😂😂😂. Another woman asked if there was any way to check out any quicker again at PEAK trading. WTF else do you want us to do ?!

4 Comments
2024/11/30
20:21 UTC

0

What does a contract part time for an opening look like?

Job description says supporting streaming, running product, window installation, lighting and fixture setup.

0 Comments
2024/11/30
18:19 UTC

5

Anybody get angry customers for not being open on Thanksgiving?

2 Comments
2024/11/30
18:08 UTC

8

I hate this week

Everything that can go wrong has gone wrong.

Like callouts galore, safety issues, product issues. Corporate visits.

I just want to curl in a ball and cry.

4 Comments
2024/11/30
12:16 UTC

12

Is it ok to refund a broken item customer bring back?

I am a shopkeeper and my customers are mostly locals. I sold an item that was intact but next day customer brought it back broken. I refused to give discount since it was obvious. But due to competition being so high I felt like I should have given refund so to retain my customer. Would this had been a good call or am I overthinking?

9 Comments
2024/11/30
12:02 UTC

14

Had a panic attack thinking I forgot to go in for my shift today when I didn't even work it yet

As the title states, I got my days confused and thought I missed my 2-8 shift for 11/30 when I didn't even work it yet. I need a vacation 😅

5 Comments
2024/11/30
06:03 UTC

6

Working tomorrow but i cant speak

Hi everyone! So I am a cashier at a grocery store. Unfortunately, my voice is completely gone as of yesterday which is super annoying, considering how much talking goes into cashiering. Do you think it would be better to call out sick, or to try and get through it while being quiet?

9 Comments
2024/11/30
01:44 UTC

13

Hate my coworkers even more now

I can work alone fine, I get everything I need I do done. I usually don't need to be told what to do as I've been doing this job for years, but when I get told to do the things my coworkers don't want to do, it pisses me off. They just shove any kind of chips on the shelves and don't put it with the price tag, you can imagine how much of a hassle it was today due to that. People complaining, asking to get their items for free due to a policy because of incorrect price tags I want to scream my head off.

2 Comments
2024/11/29
20:01 UTC

8

What is the general consensus on having friends at the workplace?

Generally speaking is it a bad idea? I got tired of being in the social politics where I work so I cut everyone off but now I’m not sure if I made the right decision. I’ve seen more anecdotal evidence that it isn’t a good idea to be more than professional with coworkers though.

13 Comments
2024/11/29
05:00 UTC

39

would you judge someone for buying alcohol in the morning?

i (18f) often work late in the evening or early in the morning and if its a weekend i just want to buy myself some liqour in the morning (in my country it is legal to drink at 18), would you judge me if i went up to the cash counter and got myself something to drink? should i wait until its midday or the evening?

59 Comments
2024/11/29
04:14 UTC

5

Advice on having a work crush

I don't even know if this is the right community to post this on but oh well. So I started working at this supermarket nearly 6 months ago after my dad helped me get the job. There's this guy that works there that I would see when I would go to get something from my dad but the only time we spoke is when I would ask if he knew where my dad was or he'd ask if he should go and find him.

Him and my dad are pretty close, despite their ages and he's told my dad some deep things. Anyways I think I like him and I don't really know if I'm coming across too well. Bear in mind i'm a very awkward and shy person as it is but add to the fact that I like the guy, yh not a highly functioning person lol. I work on the tills and he's on replenishment but we still see each other a lot as the store is fairly small.

He's tried to start conversations with me a few times and many times i've literally replied with a word and then he'll walk off and i'll realise how rude I was. He asked me how my mum was once as she is really sick and I replied with shes okay. She was not but like I don't even know why that was the first thing that came to mind. Obviously my dad had told him but in the moment I was a little shocked he asked. Let's just say he hasn't tried to make conversation with me after that and the only time we will speak is if we absolutely need to.

Obviously I like him but fairly certain it's unrequited and i'm very delusional idk. I also feel a little guilty that I know quite a few personal details about him because my dad talks about him to my mum.

Anyways this was definitely not the place to say this I HAD to get this off my chest, oh and also fairly sure that my colleagues know I like him because I stare at him all the time. I'll kind of catch him staring at him and when he sees me looking he'll look away.

If anyone has had a work crush please let me know how I should proceed. I will take whatever advice u give me and run with it. No like actually not even kidding.

Also if u couldn't tell this is my first job, therefore first work crush. I'm sure there will be many more to come.

16 Comments
2024/11/27
23:58 UTC

24

My boss is forgetting stuff, and it's slightly hilarious

Yesterday I started at 1500, for a closing shift. I was well rested and in a good mood. When I walk in the door my SM looks at me and say "I love when you are looking like you are in a good mood, because then you might say yes to a shift tomorrow". Then I ask if he have the budget for me to come in for a 100% overtime shift. Then he realised that he has the weekend off and I work opposite weekends to him, and thus I already have a full week and entitled to OT if I work extra. He always tries to get me to work Wednesdays when I work weekends.

4 Comments
2024/11/27
13:29 UTC

5

Christmas gifts for staff

Slightly strange pist I'm aware haha however every Christmas I always buy my staff appreciation gifts. In my old store I worked in a team with people who if worked with fir years so I knew them really well so Christmas gifts was always easy. They were also happy to relieve different gifts. In this store most people complain about others getting things and them not getting it (i don't know if that makes sense I just don't know how to word it) so I'm wanting to get them all the same thing pretty much. I'm just looking for ideas and ehat you guys would like as a gift from your manager TIA

10 Comments
2024/11/27
10:00 UTC

303

For those of us in the US who understand how our stores operate, this is hysterical!!!

15 Comments
2024/11/26
16:43 UTC

87

Why are people so mean?

I was just trying to do my job. It's my first time in retail and I got a call from a customer asking for a certain plant. I checked the stock on my phone for it, we didn't have any in store or in other locations. They kept calling me a stupid B because I couldn't do my job. I feel so useless.

46 Comments
2024/11/24
23:41 UTC

42

Just got asked by a customer why I don't speak my own language

A customer who's from the same place as me was speaking our native language, I told them I don't speak it, and they turned it into this big whole deal about how I should be able to speak it. I tell them I want to be treated with the same respect as others who don't or can't speak the language, and it's not my fault I can't. Now they're going to report me for not knowing my language, their words. This was odd, I never had someone complain about this before, and they even had someone backing them up who came in and decided to chime in, which made me feel even more vulnerable as I was alone. Ended up refusing both of them service, and locked up for 10 minutes for a break in the washroom to try and calm down. We finally got our water pump fixed btw.

32 Comments
2024/11/24
21:12 UTC

18

Customers who don't mind their own business

People need to get their noses out of others private conversations. I'll be talking to a customer or coworker and another customer will jump in and act like they're wanted

2 Comments
2024/11/24
19:12 UTC

9

Searching for a job

I’m already getting tired of where I currently work and I haven’t been working long. I’m just tired of the company and the shitty customers. I’ve been thinking of other jobs to get and I was wondering what the work experience is like in the options I have. Places I’ve been thinking of working at: Walmart(my friend has told me if you ask for a certain position, you’ll only have to work in that position, is that true?), Target, Aldis, Hobby Lobby, Fare-way(idk if I spelled it right), and that’s all I’ve thought of so far🙏🏽 [EDIT: i did delete some things that I thought would help, but decided I didn’t need them in the post]

Sorry for the long post, any and all advice/help is appreciated, thanks!!

16 Comments
2024/11/24
15:58 UTC

43

My mental health improved so much as soon as i left retail.

I got fired in June, I had a manager bully me and call me names. I requested a new schedule that cut back like 5 hours per week for school, they approved my schedule, just for them to fire me saying my schedule will no longer work for them. Honestly i think that was just BS & the manager there was so rude and would bully & belittle me & she just found a reason to get rid of me. The minute i stood up for myself (professionally) asking her to not call me these names, she got me fired a few weeks later. She would give me dirty looks, name calling, micromanagement, etc. The customers & working in retail was SO draining. Dealing with rude customers everyday was hard mentally plus a toxic work environment. It’s been a few months now, and I’m so thankful everyday that happened. If you are unhappy, drained, in a toxic workplace, if you can leave. I have a new job now & im so happy. I worked on previous retail stores for 4 years & as soon as i left i feel relieved.

7 Comments
2024/11/23
18:10 UTC

17

People of Reddit, if there was a day, where everything you can buy in a store or online was free, what are the top 5 things you would get

22 Comments
2024/11/22
22:12 UTC

10

Pungent coworker

Pungent coworker

Ok, not sure where this should go so I’ll put it here I guess . I manage a small family owned furniture store and have a few staff on hand . The issue is a sensitive one and these days I’m not sure what is correct or even accepted under the circumstances. I have one staff member who is of Indian background who has what I can only describe as a moldy ( gross ) smell about her. When she walks past a pungent odour follows her and it is enough to make me try and hold my breath so I don’t inhale. I can only guess what our customers think and can’t believe they don’t notice it . How do I bring up this sensitive subject with her, without her getting upset and reacting badly or hurt by it . She is on the larger size and doesn’t seem to notice herself . Where if I have BO from sweating I can smell it and use a quick spray of deodorant at the time to fix it . Hoping for some advice or insight, thanks in advance .

2 Comments
2024/11/22
19:55 UTC

26

I'm going crazy

People constantly ask me when I'm working all alone in a gas station "WHY ISN'T THERE THIS?! WHY ISNT THERE THAT?!", I'm clearly all alone and they're using that moment to scream at someone who can't fight back. I can't get a vehicle, get merchandise, bring it indoors, and put them away while serving customers, it CAN'T BE DONE. Then I made an order for pretzels, which is what they wanted from the main store, THEY WERE JUST WAITING FOR THEM. I had to explain it'll take hours as they need people to do it too, as they're bringing way more than pretzels for stock. So they finally drive off, holy crap, they really think everything will be done for them immediately.

1 Comment
2024/11/22
19:46 UTC

19

Let go from a job when you max out?

Has anyone been let go from a job, after many years of working their way up in wages, only to be let go once you reach a certain wage/hour, essentially being too expensive for the company? Just curious if this happens.

8 Comments
2024/11/21
21:17 UTC

8

Job coaches

Does anyone have job coaches at their store that stand around talking to people or scrolling on their phones? Basically they don't do shit, not even what they're being paid to do.

For those who don't know, job coaches are basically people who "coach" people on the spectrum and help them perform their tasks at work. Or that's what they're supposed to be. They're not hired by the store, it's a seperate job from a different employer.

We have 3 job coaches for people in our store who get paid to pretty much sit on desks/pallets and scroll their phones. There isn't much "coaching" going on, from what I've seen. One lady is on my shit list because she is literally glued to her phone the entire shift, not even paying attention to the person she's supposed to be coaching, and constantly getting in my way (I'm OGP). And because they aren't hired by the store, the store can't discipline them when they see this going on.

Yeah, sorry, but I am a little jealous. And I have the right to my feelings without being invalidated or told to work for them, just saying. They get paid $20/hr to barely do shit. And then I learned they get paid time&1/2 off for their birthdays and holidays. Meanwhile the people they're coaching fall behind because they get confused, and the coach wasn't paying enough attention to be able to help them.

Also, they're not employed by the store - so why the fuck is the one who works for a girl in my department, turning my department in to the store director because we "curse too much" 😑 We're all grown adults, including the girl who's on the spectrum, and we aren't on the floor cussing up a storm. We are in OUR back room, having our own conversations that she's not even involved in. But she'll stick her nose in our business and try to get us disciplined for "being vulgar" 🤣 Of COURSE she's a Christian, coming into spaces that aren't hers and trying to police the place. Oops, did I type that out loud??

Like lady, we get paid half of what you get paid, to do more work in an hour than you do the entire fucking week, pipe down. Totally overstepping, and you don't even work for the store; don't get uppity about people saying the f-word "too many times" when we are in our back room. What goes on in the back room is none of anyone's business but ours and the people paying us, and it's crazy that she can turn us in to the SD and try to get us disciplined for language, but we can't turn her in for scrolling her phone for hours, sitting on pallets and desks, and blocking aisles to talk to her friends (away from who she's supposed to be coaching) instead of doing her fucking job.

I love the concept of job coaches and it's great for people who need that kind of assistance. But the coaches at my store abso-fuckin-lutely suck and don't do what they're supposed to do 95% of the time; and they know they can get away with it because their employer isn't watching. Crazy. Well, our employer IS watching, knows how we talk, and doesn't care as long as we get our work done. And honey we get our work done, unlike her, and everything else is none of her concern.

2 Comments
2024/11/21
17:15 UTC

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