JFF: Whats Your Worst Retail Experience, for Those Who Have Worked It.

I worked at a craft store and this homeless drug user ) used to come in and follow me around. I had to get the manager come and escort the guy out, because he was really scaring me. He got really mad one time when the manager told him to leave me alone and leave the store, he pulled down his pants and pooped. I'm serious. Just took a poop on the bead aisle. The guy totally freaked me out and he was banned from the store. I was not the only girl he followed around, either. He did that to several.

I hated retail. I met my husband at that job, so something really wonderful came from it. Other then him, it was terrible. You sort of lose faith in humanity working retail!!

In high school I cashiered at the front end of a crummy drugstore. This customer kept asking me if I would let him photograph me. I, of course, told him NO!!! So one day, he brought in his "portfolio" to show me. It was all pictures he had taken of himself masturbating. iewww!!!
Told my boss about it and the next time he threw the guy out of the store.

Years ago, I worked behind the customer service counter at Krogers. I can't list all the kooks I've encountered. There's the guy who dressed up in outfits he'd fashion I can only assume from things he'd found from a dumpster; Robin Hood, Alien Space Guy, etc. There's 'String Boy' a man who'd tie things to his shoes and drag them from his shoes. There's 'Mouse', a woman who'd steal all the complimentary coffe into her huge 2 liter carry carraffe and who once left a poop on the floor. But I soon learned that these people were the spice to my day. I mean, what on earth would we have to talk about if the oddities of humanity didn't grace us each day?

The customer I could have done without was the uber-rich self important realator who didn't know that Western Union was a cash only service. Been that way FOR-EV-ER. If you would like to use Western Union with your credit card, you can call their 800 number. Easy. She wanted to make some business transaction for $8,000 with me - a little grocery store girl - and wanted to use her credit card. When I informed her we could only take cash, she lost it. I was nothing, a waste of a human being, and didn't I know that practically a million dollars would be lost without this transaction taking place. I informed her I was only adhearing to the guidelines with the agreement Kroger set with Western Union and that she could do the exact transaction she wanted by calling the 800 number on the sheet of paper printed on the form she was holding. It even stated that on the form. She went berzerk and berrated me some more and then left. She returned 20 minutes later with an envelope full of what I assume $8,000. She threw it at my face. I calmly handed the envelope to my co-worker and walked away and had a good cry in the back room. The next day I gave my two weeks' notice. Nothing was worth that.

back when i was a teenager - I worked at Macy's for the Fall/Winter Break - I was working linens and china/crystal....

A family comes in and sits their DIRTY (diaper) child on the towels - YUCK!! And I had to pick up the towel and throw it away...there was nothing else to do..and they acted like I had some nerve!!

Then another family comes in when I'm in crystal and knocks a place setting to the floor!! URGH!!!!

I'm sorry - kids felt like they could get away with something they didn't earn...how sucky is that?!

l

I used to cashier at a grocery store. We had one customer who always came in the daytime and kept her money in her bra. She was sweaty and smelly and would often fish around for another bill. It was really gross.

Really, I see everything through the eyes of my daughter, who is 14 and a half. And HER answer to this question would be 'OMFG, what is your employee DISCOUNT?'!

Families come in all shapes and sizes, and those who do not want to be judged should really be the very last to be judging, don't you think?

Just sayin'.....

You know ILY, right?

:)

I have worked in retail ever since I have been in high school. I actually enjoy it! lol. I definitely have seen my share of strangely dressed people... Usually, I try to look at it as personal style... heck, I used to enjoy dressing in the craziest outfits I could and heading to Walmart to see what reactions I could get. lol.

My worst one was the stinky cat dude. He came in the store wearing a button-up flannel shirt, with the sleeves cut off. And unbuttoned down to his belly button... with the tails tied, so his sexy roll of chub was hanging out. It gets better, when you add in the black sports shorts (like what basketball players used to wear... short, with the little indent-slit thing in the side...), white knee socks, and leather sandals. Add a liberal coating of cat fur, and you have the look of the guy. As if his clothes weren't enough though, this guy REEKED!!! Not only did he have a lot of BO coming off of him, but he smelled like a combination of uncleaned kitty litter, cigarettes, and dead rodent. (have you ever smelled a dead mouse? blegh...) You could smell him literally from 3 registers down. Blegh. Take a shower dude!

i had 2 bad experiences. the first was some older man came in and i was checking him out at the register. having a nice conversation. he started to get a little snarky, and i tried to be pleasant. well, he goes to leave and i say "have a nice day". don't you know he wrote home office and complained about me. for saying "have a nice day". the second was some guy used to come in all the time. he had a son who was down syndrome. cute as could be. probably about 8 or 9. anyways, he would come in with a lady. i assumed it was his wife. well i was dating my now husband at the time. so the guy that used to come in called my dept one day asking for me. i thought it was my husband. nope. it was the guy i always rung up asking if i was married or dating someone cause he would love to take me out. that was awkward.

Watching a coworker get her ankle broken by a stampeding group of Moms swarming a new Beanie Baby display.