Retail worker exacts revenge on micromanager by letting innocent toddler steal from shop, setting off uncomfortable discussion with superiors

Author image for Sienna Varady
Sienna Varady
Jul 31, 2024 6:00 PM EDT

It is never simple to work in customer service. It's far worse, though, to work in customer service when your superiors are awful.

An employee of customer service recounts her frustrations in the story below. The original poster (OP) has a long history of employment in the hospitality industry. While initially everything was going along very well, things started to go south when OP began having issues with his manager. But leave it to OP to avenge in the most creative means possible. When it came time for stock reports, OP let a toddler steal from the shop, which ended up costing his manager a very awkward encounter with higher-ups.

That being said, be sure to read the story below if you're interested in learning the specifics of what transpired! When you're done, don't forget to read the account of the worker who drives his supervisors crazy by collecting high lunch bills and putting in extra hours in order to prove to them the importance of having devoted workers!

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  • 01
    "Mom wasn't watching but I was..."
    via canva
  • 02
    I let a toddler shoplift because I hate my boss.
    via u/Apprehensive_Tip2725
  • 03
    I've posted here before on my job. I give customers extra change now and again. This is a new one, though. I had a mother with 4 kids come through my line, the youngest was about 2. She said he could have a candy bar and told him to put it on the belt. I rang everything up. Apparently the little dude still hasn't internalized object permanence and
    via u/Apprehensive_Tip2725
  • 04
    grabbed the same bar from the display. Mom wasn't watching but I was. I guess she thought one of the other kids gave the bar to little dude because she picked him up and carried him out, candy bar in hand. He waved bye. I waved bye back. No one came back later to return the bar or to pay for it. I know because I was there another 4 hours and I didn't see . Corporate treats us like s t so they can afford a missing candy bar. Mom probably didn't notice a second bar either.
    via u/Apprehensive_Tip2725
  • 05
    KitFan2020. 16 hr. ago I saw a woman give a mum and her toddler an ice lolly straight out the freezer in a well known supermarket recently. They were both having a bad time - mum was stressed, toddler was snuffly, over tired and had fallen over. The staff member opened a box and handed them to the mum.
    via u/KitFan2020
  • 06
    It was lovely to see and I'm sure the supermarket coped with the loss. You saw nothing OP. Don't give it another thought.
    via u/KitFan2020
  • 07
    ET4117 · 11 hr. ago My toddler ripped open a box of trader Joe's mini cones just after we finished checking out, cones on the floor. I just assumed it was a loss since I already had my receipt but a staff member handed me a new box and insisted that I take it even though it was my fault. Made my day.
    via u/ET4117
  • 08
    thatkindofdoctor · 15 hr. ago Well, technically preventing loss of sanity on customers is still Loss Prevention.
    via u/thatkindofdoctor
  • 09
    pitmeng1 15 hr. ago They pay you (poorly) to run the register. Acting as security requires better pay.
    via u/pitmeng1
  • 10
    ElectricalTeardrops 13 hr. ago After I witnessed our cart guy have a full psychological breakdown because the store took away his free water, I stopped being able to see certain forms of "theft".
    via u/ElectricalTeardrops
  • 11
    They wanted him to work in 105f weather, with no protection or water. If he wanted water he had to buy it from them. It simply became a matter of equilizing the wages they legally stole from us.
    via u/ElectricalTeardrops
  • 12
    Q_My_Tip 16 hr. ago Corporations always like taking candy from babies...
    via u/Q_My_Tip
  • 13
    Amateur-Biotic . 14 hr. ago I think our corporate overlords can deal with that. I work at Target. One of our (our main?) sources of profit is cutting worker's hours. None of us are guaranteed hours.
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 14
    I have worked here for almost two years. It's on record that I want 40 hours, and that I am available 24/7. I'll get 35 hour weeks for 4 weeks in a row and then without warning, it will go down to 22 hours. For 2, 3 weeks in a row. I don't get more hours unless I BEG for them. I have to beg for
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 15
    consistent minimum wage hours. I'm sure all retailers do this, but they cut a department's hours over and over again to see just how few hours they can run that department. I used to give excellent customer service. I really like helping people. Now
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 16
    I have to be an unhelpful that runs the other way when you say "Excuse me" because I have to do the work of 3 people. If I don't cut every single corner I can, I am seen as too slow of a worker. It used to be that when I see things on the floor that fell or were knocked off of the shelf, I would pick them up. Now I walk right past them.
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 17
    Now when you ask if we have more of something in the back, I lie and say we don't (we probably don't) because I do not have time to check. If they would just give us enough hours, we'd have everything managed so that the shelves were always full. But those days are long, long gone.
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 18
    To the customers I am to... I am truly sorry. It has to be this way.
    via u/Amateur-Biotic
  • 19
    jacobcj 10 hr. ago I took my wife and kids to waffle house for breakfast a while ago. We'll typically get two all stars meals and split it up among the 4 of us. Maybe add in an extra side of sausage or bacon.
    via u/jacobcj
  • 20
    My oldest only drinks water or milk. My youngest will try just about anything. She asked for orange juice. It came in a bottle with a sc w on/off lid. Surprise, she spilled it. The 20 somethings (I assume) came over and tried to help us clean up the spill. They were so kind. They even brought us a new bottle of OJ.
    via u/jacobcj
  • 21
    I made some comment along the lines of "Thank you so much, just put that on my bill," and the guy said "Sir, it's no big deal. This one is on us." Fast forward 5 or 10 minutes, and our plate of sausage fall on the ground. I flag one of the other 20 somethings and ask if I can get another side of sausage. The look on their faces made me think that they thought they had forgotten to bring it to the table.
    via u/jacobcj
  • 22
    I wanted to make sure they knew that they did what they were supposed to, but we dropped food. Again I said "just charge me for another side of sausage, we're good." They cooked up the sausage patties and dropped them off, again saying "This is on us." I said "Are you sure? I'm good to pay for another side. It's not your fault we dropped a plate."
    via u/jacobcj
  • 23
    They said "Sir? Waffle House will be ok if we give you 2 extra sausage patties." I tipped well. I hope they're still out there nickel and diming bottom lines for the sake of people they serve.
    via u/jacobcj
  • 24
    • princesshaley2010 13 hr. ago I had a cashier at target give me a Christmas tree. I even pointed out to her she hadn't scanned it and she just waved me on.
    via u/princesshaley2010
  • 25
    Tasty_Two4260 • 16 hr. ago I rate you a high performing team player, excellent work!
    via u/Tasty_Two4260
  • 26
    Ok Perception1131 13 hr. ago When I worked in retail (store sold hair products) I used to ring people up using my employee discount or would tell them not to buy anything and I'd give them a giant bag of samples, lol
    via u/Ok_Perception1131

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customer service workplace-stories employee of the month malicious compliance Professional At Work work askreddit petty revenge workplace Horrible Bosses creativity in the workplace Reddit
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