Retail work is often seen as straightforward and routine, but as these stories reveal, it’s anything but mundane. Salespeople and retail workers interact with a wide range of human behavior on a daily basis, making their jobs among the most unpredictable and demanding in the customer service industry. From the bizarre to the downright absurd, the experiences shared by these workers offer insight into the complexities and demands of retail life.
Ranging from humorous misunderstandings to downright bizarre incidents, these accounts provide a deeper appreciation of the resilience and adaptability required in the retail sector. They highlight the unpredictable nature of human interaction and emphasize the unique challenges of serving the public. Each story serves as a testament to the patience and quick-thinking skills retail workers must employ, often in the face of confusing and challenging situations.
Business partners and salespeople communicate with hundreds of different people during the day and must be able to find a common language with each of them. They try to be compassionate, polite, and fair. However, not all clients are so receptive in return and often leave workers in the sector bewildered and confused by their demands and behavior.
We at Bright Side have read stories about how challenging the job of a retail associate can be and decided it deserved its own compilation. A bonus at the end will show you some little-known details about the profession.
I was with my wife at the supermarket checkout. A woman in front of us paid for her purchases and left when the theft detection device suddenly beeped. She began to take out all the contents of her shopping bag and show them to the officer. The next time she passed through the detector, it started beeping again. This happened about 5 more times. There were 2 girls behind us. One of them approaches the guard and seriously says, “She must have eaten something in the store!” © Overheard / Ideer
Once when I was in the mall they pulled the fire alarm because there was smoke in the food court. Everyone was in a hurry, the sellers were closing their shops. Suddenly, I saw the saleswoman pushing a young woman out of the store and trying to loudly explain to her that the building was on fire. She replied: “Nah, I’ll buy this bag. It will burn and I won’t be able to find the same one again! I’d rather burn it with this bag.” In the end, nothing was burned and the woman probably came back and got what she wanted. © Overheard / Ideer
A guy came to our store the other day and bought a radiator grille. 2 months later he came back and said the grill didn’t fit in his car. I decided we would be able to sell the item and ignoring the fact that all return periods had expired, I told the man he could go ahead and bring the grill back. He did, but only brought the chrome strip that came with the grill. I asked, “Where’s the rest? Where’s the grill itself?” He replied, “I didn’t need the grill when I bought it, I only needed the press as mine was completely worn out.” Me: “I see, but you bought the whole grill. Where is it?” He replied, “Like I mentioned, I didn’t need it, so I threw it away right after I bought it.” Me:
“Sorry, but I can’t take it back.
He asked indignantly, “But why?!” What goes on in the heads of such people? © KG127 / Pikabu
I worked in a jewelry store for several years and the bride and groom were frequent visitors. While the brides tried on their rings, their grooms flirted with the saleswomen. Also, there was one guy who came into the shop with different girls over the course of a few months. Tried on wedding rings with everyone and had a great time. © Overheard / Ideer
My store has a salad bar where you can fill a container with whatever you want for $6 a pound (weighed at checkout). A woman came through my line with one of these containers that contained a single leaf of spinach.
No other items. She came to the store to buy one leaf of spinach, which cost about 13 cents. © Not_fbi_i_swear / Reddit
I once saw a customer throw a fit in line because the cashier wasn’t laughing at his joke.
He insisted that “that was funny!!” and the cashier just stared at him with cold eyes.
I don’t know what joke he told. © AlleKeskitason / Reddit
One day I was standing at the customer service counter when a visibly upset woman in her 50s came up to me. According to her, the cashier withheld her receipt, and as such she would not be able to leave the store. Deciding to calm her down, I said, “No problem ma’am. I’ll just call security and you can be sure you’ll get it safely.” But she angrily replied, “No, but I can’t get out without a receipt!” As I pick up the bin and show her, I say, “Ma’am, since neither you nor the cashier has a receipt, just don’t leave and security won’t bother you.” He says, “Are you kidding me, why are you making me pay twice for my groceries!?!” Me: “Not at all, ma’am. You don’t have to pay again, you can j” As I say this, the woman pulls out her Ziploc bag of bills and something falls out of her pocket – a receipt. She independently states, “You need to train your cashiers better. I shouldn’t be paying for my groceries twice every time I come here.” © Jonathan Lai / Quora
Once upon a time, I worked in a movie theater.
A woman in her 30s comes to me and orders 4 children’s combos and a children’s soda. When I asked which soda she wanted, she said “Soda.” I ask the woman again for an explanation and she says “Soda” again. I tell her I understand she wants a soda but I need to know the type, now she’s yelling at me “SODA!” | Take a breath and go to the soda fountain and I’ll mix random amounts of all the different flavors in the cups and give her combos. He takes a sip and exclaims, “What the hell is that?” I just smile and say “Soda. Next in line please.” © Thebearsandthebees / Reddit
Meet Dice. It has been living in our board game store for 7 years. Dice’s mission is to appease customers who demand a discount “just for coming here.” And I offer them a choice: if the result of your roll is greater than mine, the store will give you a 5% discount, if it is 20, you will get a 10% discount, if it is lower than mine, I will have to pay 5% more. The last possibility has only appeared recently, but I believe it is quite fair. After its introduction, the requirement to provide a discount to customers “just because” became zero. The Dice has already seen several department expansions and major relocations. © Alexey. Yushin / Pikabu
I worked at the cash register. I had the man hand me his candy bar to scan and when I touched it he slapped my hand and said:
“Nobody touches my stick but me. When I asked why he said that, he said that other people who touch the wrapper make the bar dirty. © atlasraven / Reddit
One thing you have to watch out for is people trying to scam you. When I was in school I was a cashier and customers would try to give me a $5 bill and then swear they gave me a $20. If I gave them a change for $20, my registration would be short and I’d be in trouble. I started putting the bill they gave me on the register while I made the change. In plain sight. I completed the transaction and gave them a change and if there was any question about what they gave me it was sitting right on the register drawer which was still open. © Ann Austin / Quora
I work as a manager in a home goods store. One day the saleswoman comes and says that there is a customer who wants to return the goods. I always try to solve these situations calmly. So I go to the client and say, “Hi, how can I help you?” He replies: “I bought wood putty from you a week ago. I don’t like the quality – it’s too thick, please refund my money.” I replied, “Okay, please give us the sealant. These kinds of goods are not really returnable, but if the supplier allows it because there is a quality problem, we will accept it.” His answer stunned me: “Well…
I used it all. But when I worked, I felt uncomfortable because it was too thick.
Please give me my money back.” And then he tried to give me an empty glass. © Isadora.violet / Pikabu
A customer purchased 2 identical products at the same time. 75″ TVs. Bought the lowest model available at the time. 8 years later both failed within months of each other. Not 8 weeks or 8 months…. 8 years. He called and demanded we replace them. Obviously, the answer had to be no. Warranty on electronics is 5 years max. He came to the store and threatened to not give him new TVs.He was laughed at before he got really mad, we offered to help him with the cost of a new purchase, much more than any other. trade I’ve ever seen and it still wasn’t good enough.
Some people just cannot understand that things will fail. © Mike Parks / Quora
I work in a cosmetics store. A woman once came in and asked for a good waterproof mascara. I helped her pick one out. After a few days, he comes back, starts some drama, and asks for a refund. When I tried to find out what happened, she said it was really hard to remove the mascara. When I told her there were special products to remove waterproof mascara, she said I was trying to sell her unnecessary products and make her spend more money. © Overheard / Ideer
Bonus: Some details about the business partner’s work
Did you know that business partners in almost all business chains are prohibited from sitting? There are actually no chairs anywhere. They may only lean against a table or a wall. Even when there is no work, he has to move around and straighten his clothes. 12-14 hours on your feet. © Chabandaria_/ Twitter
At the most, I could last 2 days of my life working in a store. I was almost crawling on the way home the next day.
On the third day, I gave up this job and couldn’t get out of bed for a week because my legs hurt so much. I do have some health problems, but in my opinion, this job could destroy the health of a healthy person. © ******** / Twitter
Being a cashier is demanding both physically and mentally. After working as a cashier for 15 years, I got a job in an office. Being allowed to go to the bathroom whenever I need to is the best thing ever! © Bobby Callahan / Quora
These compelling stories from retail workers highlight the unpredictable and often challenging nature of their daily interactions with customers. From bizarre requests to completely unreasonable demands, the life of a salesperson is never dull and often tests their patience and problem-solving skills. These anecdotes will not only entertain but also illuminate the resilience and adaptability required in customer service roles.
These stories underscore the unpredictability of human behavior, whether dealing with a customer who believes the burglar alarm was set off by something they ate or a customer who insists on buying a purse in the middle of a fire alarm. The retail environment serves as a microcosm of the larger society, where different personalities and unique situations converge, sometimes leading to amusing, confusing, or enlightening results.
Ultimately, these stories from business partners underscore the importance of empathy, patience, and humor when navigating customer service. They remind us of the unseen challenges faced by people on the front lines of retail and offer a perspective that promotes understanding and respect for the individuals behind the counter.