The Service Industry: Your Best Stories Here

[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.

[Apocalipstic]

At a different hotel, people used to call the front desk screaming that their room had been burglarized....

I would ask them what had alerted them to the alledged break in.

They would reply that the lights were low, the trash was empty, soft music was playing and the bed was turned down.

I would ask if there was a candy and a note about complimentary turn down service on their pillow...(cause every time I break into a room I leave a single fiendish piece of chocolate for them as a memento of my visit)

The Candyman Strikes Again!

[Gemme]

Originally Posted by 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.

*nods*

I call that the Shaggy Syndrome...."it wasn't me!"

[Waldo]

You people are depressing the hell out of me.

[Apocalipstic]

I work for a Production Company now.

One day someone called and asked to rent a midget. Not book, not hire, not a little person....no, they wanted to rent a midget.

[Medusa]

I worked for a financial firm that dealt with reposessing automobiles and boats and also dealt with car loans when I was in my early 20's.

I'll never forget the time I had been dealing with a lady who claimed to have faxed me proof of her cashier's check at least 6 times.
I informed her that we were going to come pick up the car unless she provided the necessary documents, at which time she began screaming, "Im FAXING IT TO YOU RIGHT NOW! IS IT NOT COMING OUT OF YOUR MACHINE RIGHT NOW?"

"No." I answered.

"But Im faxing it AS WE SPEAK", she said.

Come to find out, after me asking her to describe IN DETAIL exactly how she was faxing the papers to me, she was actually holding her papers up to her computer monitor and hitting the "print screen" button repeatedly.

[socialjustice_fsu]

I was the director of an adult psychiatric inpatient unit within the confines of our state mental hospital several years back. I would often work late or come in at odd hours (insomnia). My office was in the basement of a very old building that once housed the morgue. It was about 2 AM one morning and I was making some rounds on the units and most all the patient's were either sleeping or unusually quiet (rare but rather nice). I had just settled down to review charts in the basement and this voice bellowed out over the PA system stating boldly, "THIS IS GOD!" Now mind you there were speakers in the pt. rooms much like the one's that are found in modern day hospital rooms today (really therapeutic for paranoid patients). Within a matter of seconds the staff and patient's were out in the halls waiting for 'God' to speak again. Before I could get to the patient that was the guilty party of knowing the code to access the PA system he had spotted a patient turning paintings around and hanging them backwards down the halls as all the commotion was going on. Right before I got the phone away from him he was shouting (where this pt. could not see him) to "Put those paintings back or you don't get your weekend pass, BANG, BANG...signing off, THIS IS GOD."
My guess is several of those patient's remained with us a little longer than anticipated since they had now heard the voice of God. There was quite a bit of xanax dispensed that morning...to staff. God, I miss those days.

[Kobi]

Ok, I am getting totally grossed out here.

I like the PA stories tho. Never had a message from GOD. But we did have an employee named Clark Kent so I didnt think anything when I heard him paged. But Clark was followed by Lois Lane, Jimmie Olsen and Perry White! It was good for a chuckle and a reprimand for all those involved.

[Apocalipstic]

Working Bar Mitzvahs....

Also at a fancy hotel where I once worked were various Bar Mitzvah parties...

The kids, would go in the bathroom stalls and lock all the doors then crawl out.

Tie all the chairs together and to the table with cloth napkins.

Make sculptures in the salt shakers with layers of salt and ketchup.

Line matches up on ribbon between 2 tables and catch them all on fire.

Try to play choking games with belts and napkins.

Their parents in the room looking fondly on......

Yeay.

[WolfyOne]

When I was a teenager I worked at a place called Hollywood Kiddieland. I was working a helicopter ride when a lady tapped me on the shoulder and asked me to stop the ride and get her son off it because he was scared. I did as she asked. When her son came around to the gate, he said to his mom, why did you make her stop the ride, I was having fun......as his mom just tugged him away.

[Greyson]

Originally Posted by Medusa

Come to find out, after me asking her to describe IN DETAIL exactly how she was faxing the papers to me, she was actually holding her papers up to her computer monitor and hitting the "print screen" button repeatedly.

Oh this is the best one yet.

[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*

[Medusa]

We can reverse this shit and talk about the service we have received too.

I can't wait to talk about how I went through a drive through a year or so ago and the person at the register sneezed into her hand and then used her snottyness to cap my drink.

Um, NO.

[Apocalipstic]

Or driving through and they ask "will this be for here or to go?"

Well, I was planning on sitting right here at the drive through munching on my fries.

[Mitmo01]

omg this i have so many of these stories but something that always sticks out in my mind is this:

I worked for MCIWorldcom for 6 years in customer service and when 9/11 happened there was a skeleton crew at the center that i worked at because most everyone went home---so there is like 20 of us on the phone when usually there would be like 300 or more

so 9/11 has just happened and we literally had people calling in wanting to know why they could not reach new york and they were seriously mad like irate

we were all like well just turn on the television youll know why
it was freakin sad