The Service Industry: Your Best Stories Here

[Soft*Silver]

I interned at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo for part of my horticulture degree. One of my tasks was to learn about landscape immersion, which is simulating the native environment of a species using comparative hardy plant life. First though, you have to know how exhibits work. Many people are under the assumption that barriers/walls/fences are put up to keep the animals in. Not so. They are to keep humans out. If you go to a zoo, you will see at least two levels of barriers..one to keep the animal from getting to the human barrier and a human barrier to keep the animal safe from them. So you might see a glass wall or chain link fence where the humans might stand, some grass and simulative plant materials, a dip in grade, and either a water moat or wide ditch or a wall closer to the animal. Keeps everybody safe...

and its a good thing. You read about how monkeys throw feces at humans? Well, they learn it from the humans themselves. It is awful the things humans do at a zoo. And it is menacing to watch parents who are oblivious to the behaviors of their kids. Kids who grab limbs of trees and try to crack off a good portion of it so they can taunt the gorillas with it. Kids who throw food at the animals, and pop cans and baggies and toys. Or kids who hang over the fencing or sneak thru a fencing area, to bang on the glass enclosures. Meanwhile parents are talking, walking, hollering, grabbing elbows, or worse, videotaping little johny or susie while they make faces at a primate who is obviously getting agitated.

[apretty]

the time i (per store policy) returned a pair of jeans and the lady had had her 'LADY TIME' INSIDE of the jeans. or a miscarriage, either way--she got her $ back. (there's a special place in hell for ladies who return worn clothes and stand there while some clerk has to touch your used filth--you're not being slick, you're being gross--if you can't afford it, don't buy it, trashy.)

the time a woman had the audacity to ask me into her fitting room because she got 'stuck' in her shapewear (read: girdle). the time a woman opened her fitting room door to ask me if 'this' is how one is supposed to wear 'a thong'.

the timeS women peed in fitting rooms/changed tampons and left them in the fitting rooms/peed in a drain and my coworker caught her squatting with her skirt hiked up and (i'm guessing) panties pulled to the side/handed me a used diaper to dispose of (fuck you and your kid)/peed on a patio/peed on a chair/pooped on a wall/smeared poop on a wall/left behind hypodermic needles/left behind a bag of weed/told my coworker that he hoped he died of aids/washed their bodies in the bathroom after being released from the half-way house/shelter.

people are awesome.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by apretty

the time i (per store policy) returned a pair of jeans and the lady had had her 'LADY TIME' INSIDE of the jeans. or a miscarriage, either way--she got her $ back. (there's a special place in hell for ladies who return worn clothes and stand there while some clerk has to touch your used filth--you're not being slick, you're being gross--if you can't afford it, don't buy it, trashy.)

the time a woman had the audacity to ask me into her fitting room because she got 'stuck' in her shapewear (read: girdle). the time a woman opened her fitting room door to ask me if 'this' is how one is supposed to wear 'a thong'.

the timeS women peed in fitting rooms/changed tampons and left them in the fitting rooms/peed in a drain and my coworker caught her squatting with her skirt hiked up and (i'm guessing) panties pulled to the side/handed me a used diaper to dispose of (fuck you and your kid)/peed on a patio/peed on a chair/pooped on a wall/smeared poop on a wall/left behind hypodermic needles/left behind a bag of weed/told my coworker that he hoped he died of aids/washed their bodies in the bathroom after being released from the half-way house/shelter.

people are awesome.

meanwhile. the staff is supposed to be sales-focused to 'drive' those numbers up 20% to last year. maybe, if we were selling haz/mat -wear.

[Medusa]

Originally Posted by apretty

the time i (per store policy) returned a pair of jeans and the lady had had her 'LADY TIME' INSIDE of the jeans. or a miscarriage, either way--she got her $ back. (there's a special place in hell for ladies who return worn clothes and stand there while some clerk has to touch your used filth--you're not being slick, you're being gross--if you can't afford it, don't buy it, trashy.)

the time a woman had the audacity to ask me into her fitting room because she got 'stuck' in her shapewear (read: girdle). the time a woman opened her fitting room door to ask me if 'this' is how one is supposed to wear 'a thong'.

the timeS women peed in fitting rooms/changed tampons and left them in the fitting rooms/peed in a drain and my coworker caught her squatting with her skirt hiked up and (i'm guessing) panties pulled to the side/handed me a used diaper to dispose of (fuck you and your kid)/peed on a patio/peed on a chair/pooped on a wall/smeared poop on a wall/left behind hypodermic needles/left behind a bag of weed/told my coworker that he hoped he died of aids/washed their bodies in the bathroom after being released from the half-way house/shelter.

people are awesome.

WORD!

What is it with people and their nasty?!

I'll never forget the time I walked into the bathroom at Office Depot after a fucking 12-hour shift one Saturday and someone in the women's bathroom had spread their lady time and feces all over the walls, floor, and even CEILING in one of the stalls. It looked like a gotdayum Jackson Pollock painting in there!

Or the time when someone filled both sinks full of toilet paper and turned the faucets on to flood not only the bathroom but most of the employee breakroom and manager office.

Or how about the time a man showed up at the airport for a flight and was covered in feces?

Or the time someone tried to return a chair at Office Depot that they had *obviously* had sex in. (yes, there were stains of an obvious nature)

Oooh! OH! Or the time a dude showed up wanting to make 300 copies of his "novel" that included full-color photos of him having sex with random objects such as donuts, stuffed animals, and even a Pringles can.

[Miss Scarlett]

Having worked in the service industry, I have the utmost respect for folks who work in food service, retail, medicine, etc. anywhere you have to deal with the public.

I always say "hello," "please" and "thank you" - especially "thank you."

If the person assisting me is wearing a name badge I always call them by their name.

[Rockinonahigh]

While I was working at another casino as banquett chef I went to the bathroom that we had in the kitchen for our staff,each night threre are two ppl scedualed to keep it clean but the ppl who use it are suppose to take care of there own mess like flush the dam thing,not get water(or what ever) everywhere and put things in the trash can. I went in one night about mid shift and OMG the nasty mess was plane awfull and stank like something had died in theire.I called the santation folks who came down to check it out.Well folks he took one look in the door then called his offiice who sent three ppl down in what looks like haz mat suits to clean it up.They found a dead rat in the water tank of the toilet,old diapers in the garbage along with tampons and condoms.The whole staff and I had a long meeting about this in wich they were told that till some renovations were dont the bathroom would be closed so if u need to go please ak for a personal break of 5 minits.This means that had to ask for a break then go three floors up the elevator to the bathroom by the lunch room and then get back in 5 minits,It didnt take long before they were haveing a fit cause they needed a bathroom back in the kichen are to save time.Three weeks later they got a new bathroom..self flushing toilets,times water in the sink,hot air dryers for drying hands with gave off a sent that was srtonger when blown over washed hands...oh yes each member of the staff had to key card in to the bathroom so now I didnt hear ...I didnt do it....I wasnt ever in the bathroom ect.U bet they were a whole lot cleaner after that.

[dixie]

OMG! I have so many stories like these that I could write a book! And I bet I'm not the only one. Anyone who has worked with the public has my utmost respect. All my work life, on and off, I've held public jobs. My first job was at a pizza parlor. (Which after two weeks, I realized that I would NEVER again in my life work in the food industry.) I've managed convenience stores and hotels. I've worked in tax offices and doctors offices. I worked for the last Census. ugh... So many stories, so little time...lol

Some of the worst though:

While managing a Shell convenience store which had a laudromat: someone decided to fingerpaint a mural in the restroom with their own feces. I have to admit, they had quite the artistic talent. I just wish they had used a different medium...ugh
In the laudromat I had to hand wash the washers and vacuum out the dryers. You would not believe the nasty disgusting filth you find in a public laundry. *shudder* Dirty diapers, used tampons and maxipads, human/canine/feline feces, puddles of piss in washers...


When I worked as an optometric technician for an eye doctor, I had to take folks into a little dark room and administer different vision tests with different machines. You would not believe the amount of times that patients would piss in the chairs. It blew my mind!! It's a doggone EYE doctor office!!!!! wtf??


As for the hotel, you can just imagine the insanity I have found in the rooms and even in the pool...

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Oooh! OH! Or the time a dude showed up wanting to make 300 copies of his "novel" that included full-color photos of him having sex with random objects such as donuts, stuffed animals, and even a Pringles can.

Maybe it's just my messed up sense of humor (after years of stuff like this and dealing with public in general perhaps) or my voyeurism showing, but this would amuse the Hell out of me,

Then again, as a teen working for BK, I had no problem with the guy who would order his stuff in drive thru and then drive to the window, naked from the waist down and jacking off. I took the money from his free hand, gave him change, and wished him a good day. Of course, as he drove forward, I jotted down his license number and asked the GM to call the 5-0 for a public indecency charge. The police came, I gave them the info between getting orders out (for those of you who don't know, fast food drive thrus are often timed and those times can make or break a raise for the staff and bring down fiery rings of fast food Hell upon the restaurant in general) and thought nothing of it.

Then the dude came back. Doing his thing...literally...again. This time, I'd had a really rough lunch, I'd been up since 3am and I'd had to walk to work that day due to car issues, but I lost it. I started with the inappropriate giggle and then it just escalated from there. I just kind of tossed his food at him and he sped away, but not before I saw the crestfallen look on his face. Sorry, dude. I can do three inches on my own, yanno? Bad luck for him, one of the officers I spoke to before about him was in the lobby and went after him.

I never found out exactly what happened but I didn't see him anymore after that. Too bad, I was just starting to get used to the guy.

[Apocalipstic]

A woman in a hotel where I used to work had a baby in the locker room restroom and was screaming It's Not Mine.

[apretty]

Originally Posted by dixielady

When I worked as an optometric technician for an eye doctor, I had to take folks into a little dark room and administer different vision tests with different machines. You would not believe the amount of times that patients would piss in the chairs. It blew my mind!! It's a doggone EYE doctor office!!!!! wtf??

what's with all the people PEEING everywhere?! seriously, wtf.

[christie]

I am really grateful that bean counting doesn't mean that much interaction with people.

*goes back to petting abacus*