Working in customer service can be an absolute nightmare at times, and retail especially! These horror stories from retail workers should remind you to always be courteous to people working in customer service.

1. One time, this middle aged guy was shopping around the store and he came up to me and asked for a fitting room. I said sure and walked him back to the rooms. We were back there, and he looked at me and was like “Hey are you a parking ticket?” I was confused because I figured maybe he was asking if we validate parking or something so I was like “no…” and he just goes “Cuz you got fine written all over you.” I basically bolted out of there as soon as possible and waited in the stockroom until my coworker told me he left. Then, about three or four months later, the power went out in the mall, so we were stuck in the store with the gate locked and no one was in the mall. All of a sudden I hear my coworkers talking to this random middle aged guy who was still in the mall even though literally everyone left, and he was asking if there was a ‘short blonde girl here’ and I assumed he was talking about another girl so I was like ‘Omg Amanda!” and he said ‘yeah I recognized her at the gym’ and then he just locks eyes with me and says ‘are you a parking ticket? Cuz you got fine written all over you’. It was the same guy. I took off and ran to the back of the store I was so freaked out. – Emily
2. I was cleaning out the clearance area, making sure everything was in the right place and stuff, and I found a MOLDY ICE CREAM CONE UNDERNEATH A ROUNDER OF CLOTHING. There were other pieces of it hidden around the room. It was SO GROSS.- Kristine
3. I was working a shift with one other girl, and it was so dead we were just standing around talking and this young guy walks in, probably like in his 20s, and comes up to me and asks to speak with me privately. I was kinda freaked out, but I said ‘sure’ and we walked over somewhere else. He said ‘ hey so I have kind of a weird question, and it’s a little personal’ I wasn’t sure how to react or anything so I said ‘ok..’ and he goes and says ‘so my girlfriend and I have this thing where we can’t say no to things.” At this point I was kind of freaked out so I just nodded and he goes on and ASKS ME IF HE AND HIS GIRLRIEND CAN HAVE SEX IN THE FITTING ROOMS. My jaw dropped and I had to tell him no and he was super nice about it and left. – Cait
4. I used to work at an underwear store, and this group of women with really thick African accents came in. They chose some underwear and bras and asked me about the fitting rooms, so I led them back there and when I came back, they were all walking around the area topless and braless, just hanging out. I was mortified – cait
5. I was checking out this dad and his kids at the register, and I see his daughter who is literally a size like extra extra small buying this cardigan in a large. I had the cardigan and wore a small so I said, “Hey is this cardigan for you?” and the dad goes “Oh no its for her cousin, shes a much bigger girl” so I laughed a little and said “oh okay I was gonna say that I wore a small so that cardigan would be huge on you” the dad just looked at me and said “Oh you wear a small? Hey, grab her a small then.” So this guy literally called me fat. I was not pleased.- Elle
6. I work at a kids store, and the worst is when parents use me (I’m about 5’2”) as a reference guide when buying clothes for their 8-10 year olds. – Bally
7. When I was working at a bra and underwear store, this dad came in with his three daughters (all under the age of 14) and they all wanted underwear bundles, which was normal for people to buy. The youngest one picks out some cute boyshort style ones, the other one picks out some cute cheeky underwear, and the oldest one just slaps down seven of our black lacy thongs. I felt so awkward and bad for the dad. - Cait