'Everyone is incompetent and lazy': 30+ People share the "dirty little secrets" from the industries in which they have worked

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Mar 22, 2024 10:00 AM EDT

Working a job can open your eyes to all sorts of things that you'd never even imagined were possible. Unfortunately, most of these—at least the ones that stand out in your memory—will make you never want to use that service or buy that product ever again. Once the curtain is lifted, it's impossible to close your eyes to the reality of the world as you now see it.

Having previously worked in fire alarm maintenance in another life, you'd be horrified how many buildings are non-compliant to local building codes or have not been properly maintained due to the building owners not wanting to waste money one something so "silly." 

Another one is from one of my first jobs as a drinks merchandizer, and all I can say is clean the tops of your cans before you drink from them… It's unnerving how dirty many backrooms are due to the products they're stored near and the rat droppings on the cans. 

See this hearty collection of stories from people sharing their "dirty little secret" from industries in which they have worked. It's definitely an interesting thread that's well worth the read.

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  • 01
    "What's a dirty little secret that you know only because you work in the industry?"
    via Dylan Gillis
  • 02
    ratdarkness There isn't a "larger than normal call volume." We just don't have enough staff. Also, your call is not important to us. We actually want you to go away. 14.1k Reply Share • • • • Timely_Bill_4521 1 day ago That became obvious when every single company started saying it all the time 4.4k Reply Share • • •
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  • 03
    w0rx4me - 2 days ago Enterprise Rent-A-Car buys their cars straight from the manufacturers at a price lower than dealerships get. After they rent them for a year, they sell them to the public at a price higher than they originally paid. 8.3k Reply Share ... fdjeoevsnsicb . 2 days ago One of the shops I worked at did service on Enterprise cars. Doesn't matter what the manufacturer recommends they all get the cheapest 5w30 regular oil in every car they sent us. Wouldn't pay for the synthetic requi
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  • 04
    rotyag 2 days ago Work in large scale construction. Large developers effectively borrow on the credit of all of the smaller players who are their subcontractors. You have billion dollar companies asking smaller companies to pay for them with a promise to pay later. The larger the developer, the slower the process is to get paid. If a project goes bust, it's these small guys that get hit because all of the developers have LLC's that are project specific. No assets to speak of. 7.2k Reply Share .
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  • 05
    theinternetisnice 2 days ago I used to work in radio and we totally didn't take caller 10. We maybe counted 1-6 and then sorted through the callers until we found an excited sounding voice that fit the target demographic. 22.3k Reply Share
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    ron197192064 · 2 days ago I "won" a radio call in trivia at a local station. We had to answer questions about Frosty the Snowman and what all his features were made from. I guess the phone screeners had enough of everyone not getting the 3 questions right so when I called and they picked up I got 2 right but missed one about his eyes, the screener then just told me to say "coal" and I think it was recorded and edited to make it seem like I got all 3 correct without prompting...I enjoyed $100 of
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  • 07
    windcalmer 1 day ago . I own a sign shop, and I can tell you with 100% certainly that almost all businesses fail within the first year. If you think you are going to open a restaurant or a boutique, you are about to lose a bunch of money. Also, no matter what business you want to start, go talk to your local sign guy and ask how many businesses have been in that location and failed. Trust me, we know which locations are cursed. 2.2k Reply Share . . .
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 08
    MY SHOCK BlackHoleRed · 2 days ago As a cybersecurity consultant I can tell you many, many companies I have worked with are a "when" they are hacked, not a "if" they are hacked. Some orgs have people in charge of cybersecurity that barely know how basic protocols and technologies work. 9.2k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 09
    bailout911 2 days ago • There are TONS of buildings out there that don't meet code. Even new construction. Inspectors either don't care, don't know the code or don't even bother to inspect in the first place. On the plus side, building code is extremely over-conservative, so if you get "close" it's probably safe. Maybe. Most of the time. Except when it's not. And then everyone gets sued. 8.2k Reply Share • • •
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    StrebLab 2 days ago . I work in the medical field. This isn't really about my field exactly but an adjacent field: health insurance. There is a guy reviewing our notes looking for reasons to deny a claim. The guy reviewing generally has no clinical knowledge whatsoever, but they are looking for certain key works so they can stamp the "denial" on the claim. For this reason, I will omit certain things on the clinical notes if it isn't directly applicable to what I am treating because I know from e
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  • 11
    Appathesamurai · 2 days ago I'm in insurance If you call to request an estimate for a claim, they will count it as a 0 dollar claim on your file when they deem the damage not enough to repair. That means when another company pulls your information it will not only impact your future rates, but might make you ineligible for future policies Don't ever call insurance for an estimate first, get a third party inspector to tell you whether you should file with insurance. 14.9k Reply Share . . .
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  • 12
    LaughGreen7890 · 2 days ago I am working at a sports club with way over 2000 members and I can tell you, you might sign some paper about data security and how we handle data, but believe me, your data will go places you dont want it to go. 21.6k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 13
    Twat_Womble · 2 days ago This one is fairly well known, but I'm just confirming its truth as some one that used to work in a factory. The brand you buy doesn't always matter. Sometimes it's all the same stuff that comes out of the same vats, but just labelled differently and sold at different price ranges. 13.0k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 14
    • ammon-jerro · 2 days ago Car part manufacturers know that aftermarket sellers (local repair shops but also DIY places like Autozone) don't have the testing capabilities like OEM manufacturers, so will sometimes ship them questionable and/or outright defective parts. 2.1k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 15
    firebullmonkey - 2 days ago In a a lot of cases: The fancier the marketing, the messier the management. 7.8k Reply Share
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  • 16
    CunningRunt . 2 days ago I'm no longer shocked by the vast amount of software we all use on a daily basis that is rushed into production, shoddy, insecure, held together with spit and band-aids, etc, etc. I'm amazed everything hasn't just collapsed into dust already. 17.5k Reply Share
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  • 17
    . Browngina 2 days ago Beer taps at bars and restaurants, are not always clean. And can be very very dirty. 11.1k Reply Share • • • OddBed9963 · 2 days ago Same with the inside of soda spouts 4.6k Reply Share • • •
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  • 18
    CaptainJay313 2 days ago reading these posts the general takeaways are: everything is dirty. everyone is incompetent and lazy. 1.8k Reply Share ...
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  • 19
    madnhain - 2 days ago Printers aren't smart enough to know the amount of ink / toner is left in the cartridge. They guess based on usage percentages and only know when they are empty. "Low toner" doesn't mean replacement, it means have one on hand. 2.2k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 20
    . snartling 2 days ago The grad students teaching your classes sometimes have more direct power over your grade than your professor. Please be nice to us. Not even to get a good grade, just please be nice to us because we're stressed and tired 673 Reply Share ...
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  • 21
    Clemsoncarter24 6 days ago I worked at a Marriott for several years. I learned the following: Bed bugs happen more often than you would think. There's not much we can do about it. A hotel with frequent international traveler's is bound to end up with someone who brought something with them in their luggage every now and then(every now and again? I forget which is the proper saying). All we can do is quarantine and clean the room when the problem is discovered.
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  • 22
    Those sheets are probably not as clean as you think. People in the hallway can hear you having in your room. Or you watching if you don't wear headphones. Always flip the bolt-lock on your door. People make mistakes in booking/blocking rooms. I can't count how many times a room has been double booked which leads to very awkward/angry interactions.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 23
    If you had something bad happen to you, or are angry at something you booked not working out, make a bit of a fuss. You can usually get free food/drinks or a free nights stay. Don't be a about it, accidents happen and its often not the fault of the person you will be interacting with. But hotels bend over backwards in order to not get a bad review. At the hotel I worked at, every review lower than a 9 or 10 was considered a 0. So, get your money's worth.
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  • 24
    Lastly, we can smell the smoke/weed coming from your room. We can also smell it when you leave. We might not be able to do anything about it when it happens. But, you will absolutely be charged for the 1-2 extra nights that the room is unavailable while we clean the stench out. Please stop smoking in the rooms. You're the only one who can't smell it. Everyone else can. We know you're lying. Stop being childish. 4.5k Reply Share
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  • 25
    buttmagnuson · 2 days ago Well, I work for Boeing......secrets are out, I guess. 9.8k Reply Share ... yourmomssubluminal · 2 days ago I feel like this is a "tip of the iceberg" situation, and they're going to do anything they can to muddy the waters so nobody can see how massive the problems are. 1.1k Reply Share . . .
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  • 26
    Nehima123 2 days ago Drugs don't turn into poison the second they expire - most medications are going to be effective for YEARS after they expire. Manufacturers put expiry dates on their stuff to cover their assets - they have to garuntee 95% effectiveness until that date. As long as it isn't an antiviral or antibiotic, you can probably use it for years after it expires with no issues. 1.5k Reply Share ...
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  • 27
    hopsinduo 2 days ago Will writer in the UK here. If you have £325k in assets or less, and you don't intend to exclude anyone from your will, you need a bog standard will. You don't need a solicitor to write it, and if it costs you more than £150+vat then it's a rip off. It takes me about an hours worth of work to gather information and write that will. I would recommend getting power of attorney though. It's a pain in the ass if you lose capacity without it!!! 4.8k Reply Share ...
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 28
    SadlyNotDanny DeVito 2 days ago • People cleaning their underwear in kettles is a huge problem in hotels. We find so many forgotten underpants in the kettels, that I can't even assume how many we didn't catch. Don't use them. • If you want a nicer room in a hotel, book under Prof. Dr. /your name/. That makes you way more likely to be bumped up.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 29
    • When you're travelling privately, take a card from any hotel testing company with you and give it to the reception when you arrive to enter as the "address for your bill". Staff will be extra nice to you.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 30
    • If you want to steal towels from your hotel, don't steal them on the day you're leaving. Just put one in your suitcase day after day and throw the remaining towels on a stack on the floor. Housekeeping will most likely not count them because they don't have the time and put a full amount of new towels in your room. As long as a full set is there when you're leaving, you'll be fine. • We keep records about who was nice and who wasn't in our system. If you were nice, you're more likely to be bum
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 31
    wheeler1432. 2 days ago When journalists want to get back at people they quote them exactly instead of cleaning up their grammar. 570 ⇓ Reply Share . . .
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  • 32
    saudela_said · 2 days ago Always wash your new clothing before you wear it. Even if it looks fresh and new. It's been thrown on the floor, moved around a dusty warehouse, tried on by a sweaty post-gym person, and probably sat in a stinky, humid shipping container for 2 months. Plus, you wanna wash off all the starching / finishing products which make it look so "new." 1.3k Reply Share
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  • 33
    Pm_me_bush_pics · 2 days ago The education system in America is ... because of contracted employees. I work for an organization called Soliant. They own 4 different staffing companies in Special Education. We place special education teachers, speech pathologist, school psychologist, paraprofessionals and such.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 34
    We pay our employees 60% of what we charge the schools. On an hourly basis, it's a bit more than what a government employee could make, and we keep that margin razor thin. Our executives act like we are doing good work but we are pulling HUNDREDS on millions of dollars out of educator's pockets and out of schools. We pay lobbying firms to keep it this way as special ed is federally funded.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 35
    We aren't the only firm that does this, but our org is specifically bad because we have 4 sister companies that work together to drive prices up. Our parent company doesn't care where which of our companies makes the money so we constantly bid up work against our own. 2.8k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 36
    big_daddy68 · 2 days ago All phones sales are poorly trained, lying, or both. That is why your bill is always messed up after leaving a store. 2.4k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 37
    discostud1515 - 2 days ago I have a Masters degree in Exercise Science and have worked in the industry for 25 years. 90% of what trainers say and do is fluff and just used to keep you interested and make it sound like they are worth their price. 950 Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 38
    CaptainAwesome06 2 days ago Most residential HVAC contractors have absolutely no idea what they are doing and often times their recommendations are complete I do a lot of residential mechanical design and on just about every project I'm forced to defend my drawings because the contractor has ideas on how to make it "better". Most of the time they are just trying to make it cheaper. Often they just don't understand how things work.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 39
    Me: You ignored the drawings and installed an oversized system. Contractor: The way I see it, they got an extra 1/2 ton of cooling for free! Me: Not only is that against code, but that can promote mold growth in the house! Contractor: We'll just agree to disagree. Me: There's no disagreeing with any of that.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 40
    Contractor: We need a bigger fan. There's not enough airflow. Me: Your own balance report shows there's enough airflow. You just need to properly balance it. Contractor: There's just not enough airflow.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 41
    Me: So is your balance report wrong? Contractor: Of course not. Me: Then just balance the air. A new fan is a waste of money. Tell you what, you give me your calculations that show we need more air and that your proposed fan will produce that much air and I'll look over them. Contractor: I don't have calculations. I'm not the engineer.
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 42
    Me: Well I am the engineer and I'm telling you a new fan is a waste of money. Fast forward to a new fan being installed and them finding out it didn't do anything better. 3.8k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 43
    • virgilreality 2 days ago I used to be in the insurance industry. Their target for you to have a life insurance policy is about ten years. After that, they passive-aggressively try to get you to\allow you to forget to pay it anymore, and it lapses. By then, they've made enough to cover the initial commission paid out, plus a good amount extra. And if the policy lapsed before you died, then they have to pay out nothing. 2.1k Reply Share • • •
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  • 44
    pm-me-ur- -pics980 2 days ago I worked weddings for a few years, the fact that people would pay upwards of 100-150 dollars a plate is crazy. That food is not worth that much money. In fact the wedding industry as a whole is an insane cash grab and I never knew until I was in it 2.3k Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 45
    somecow 2 days ago • We touch your food with our hands. Yes, we do wash our hands. People wear gloves because they think it protects them from the food. They don't wash their hands, just wear gloves for an entire 12 hour shift. 840⇓ Reply Share
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 46
    • hippz 2 days ago Stagehand here: most famous musicians are TOTAL back off stage. I've worked with a few good apples, and they're the ones that have been touring for decades usually. 1.8k Reply Share
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  • 47
    HeadFit2660 · 2 days ago IT staff even highly paid ones Google most problems. We are just better at it than you. Given we also understand how to apply what we found but still. 4.7k Reply Share
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  • 48
    CarpeNivem 1 day ago As a former waiter, "Have you really not been helped yet? Wow, I am so sorry, I'll take care of you even though this isn't my section," means, I completely forgot which tables are in my section and was just made aware, this is one of them. 447 Reply Share
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  • 49
    JuiceGirl300 2 days ago • Not a dirty secret but Little Ceasars makes their marinara sauce from scratch every morning, same with the dough Not once in my time working at Wendy's did they clean their ice machine. Water is frozen and melted constantly and I'm sure there's mold in there. Most Fast food restaurants all suffer this problem 809 Reply Share
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  • 50
    AnakinsAngstFace 2 days ago Everyone knows gyms are dirty, but no one knows HOW dirty. When you finish a workout, scrub your hands with hot soapy water. Get between your fingers, under your nails, your palms, as if you've been touching raw chicken. 4.2k Reply Share
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  • 51
    i_do_it_all 2 days ago software engineer. all software . They are all vulnerable. security is an illusion. You cannot hide your trail. 297 Reply Share
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  • 52
    • CTnaturist 2 days ago edited 2 days ago When you send your food back to the kitchen...we fix/remake it and make it right and typically feel bad if it's our mistake. If it's the server's mistake who put it in the ticket, it's okay if she makes up with it with a round of ice waters, sodas or later on beer. If the customer didn't understand that a BLT had bacon on it, we still fix it, but call you an idiot. Side note...servers talking to the kitchen will blame the customers ("They said then knew
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  • 53
    Snake Plisken1981 2 days ago • I worked in the Casino business, nothing is fixed or shady...you're just going to lose over time. That's why there are no clocks in a casino. Longer playing time is the goal. If you win big, they want to keep you there 1.0k Reply Share ...
    via u/Eastern-Violinist-46
  • 54
    Western-Sky88 2 days ago Airplanes are filthy. They stopped sanitizing them in 2022. Also, they don't give us nearly as many sanitizing wipes anymore. Please bring your own. 277 Reply Share
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  • 55
    CBlackwood404 · 2 days ago This thread is bumming me out 2.1k Reply Share ... DesineSperare 1 day ago Okay, I didn't want to say this, but I work at CBlackwood404's favorite restaurant, and every time they come in, we all talk about how much we think they're awesome and kind and amazing, that's our dirty secret. Now you know. 1.0k Reply Share • • •
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  • 56
    . jonhinkerton 2 days ago Most applications would collapse if one mid-level developer who doesn't like job hunting left. 663 Reply Share
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  • 57
    3rdeyeseeker - 2 days ago I worked in a for 20+ years. (DJ, General Manager) The strippers don't like you and you don't have a chance unless you're mega-rich or a broke musician. All the in-betweens will get played until you wise up. Most of them have a partner but will never tell you that. Regulars are the biggest suckers. 276⇓ Reply Share
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