'The markup on eyeglass frames is 300%': The unexpected secrets that make different industries work

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Nov 14, 2025 9:00 PM EST

A lot of industries operate in ways that they don't want us to know.

In fact, it is often the secrets that they rely on to turn a profit and keep their whole business model operating. No matter what work experience you might have, you have probably realized that it gave you a lot of insider knowledge about things that the customer or equivalent is none the wiser about. They can ask to see the manager all they like, but they are never going to get these kinds of revelations from them.

Even in those sectors that do not directly face the public, they have plenty of processes that they like to hide for the sake of doing business. We never know what might be happening behind closed doors in pretty much every kind of industry that we may have interacted with, without working for them or having more intel.

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    Cheezburger Image 10576132864
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • It is only natural to be nosy about the industry secrets that are so often kept from consumers, and thankfully, some people are more than willing to spill the beans about them all. When somebody asked people about what we might not know about the behind-the-scenes of their chosen industries. Some may be more obvious, but others are true surprises.

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    what's a secret from your job that we should know?
    via moonkieBaby
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    Snoo-40735 Flight attendant/former gate agent here.. if a flight is oversold and they discuss having to bump you to a later flight, you are entitled to 4x the amount of your ticket. Not a travel voucher, an actual check. Versus volunteering to take a later flight, where they give you the travel voucher (knowing that a majority of
    via Snoo-40735
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    people don't actually claim them within the alloted timeframe). It's bullshit that they can legally oversell flights but they do have to pay you out AND still get you there. P.S. Please be nice to the poor agents rebooking you. They didn't make this policy and are getting very underpaid to have to enforce it bc of their greedy employer. Being nice to them can def help you get extra hook ups
    via Snoo-40735
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    jimfish98 Lending....This is not really a secret, but few people outside of the industry know for some odd reason when it should be common public knowledge....if you are ever behind on payments or know you will be with the next one, call in. Banks do not want to take your car. They do not want to take you home. It is in their best interest for everyone to finish out their loan. Banks have entire teams who's only job is to keep you in your home/car and
    via jimfish98
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    get you to the finish line of your loan. There are ways to hold payments, to modify loans, etc. to keep you put. If there are issues with say COVID, mass firings in DC, natural disasters.....there are programs for backed loans (VA, USDA, FHA) where payments can stop for a bit. If you don't think you can do payments ever, consider a surrender. A deed in lieu of foreclosure, short sale, etc are things they can help you out with as well. You never want to proverbially stick your head in the sand an
    via jimfish98
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    Soulfighter56 It's common practice in the Pharma industry to pay daily fines instead of following the law. Fines cap out way below the cost to fix some stuff, so they just budget for an extra $100k per day.
    via Soulfighter56
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    rosesforthemonsters The markup on eyeglass frames is 250- 300%. That is the industry standard.
    via rosesforthemonsters
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    suck_ulent There are SO many people that come to our clinic with very obvious dementia that are still driving. I cannot tell you how many people I've seen that are unable to draw a clock who drove 20+ miles on the highway to get to our office. Please make sure to drive defensively because you never know who you're driving next to.
    via suck_ulent
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    innocuousfigdream Keep all the syllabi from your college courses. If you ever decide to do another degree or if you decide to transfer, the syllabi can help prove that a course should "count" for transfer if the new university rejects it initially. Just put them in a folder on your computer somewhere or in your backup and leave them there. You don't know what you will do in 5-10 years or more and this will help you save money and time if you do ever go back to school. I
    via innocuousfigdream
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    Aromatic_Ad_3312 Cremation urns are marked up 300+% at funeral homes. You can buy your own for a fraction of the cost and it's coming from the same place. Same with caskets.
    via Aromatic_Ad_3312
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    needtimeforplay1 I do Collison repair (auto body) and a surprising number of people don't realize that wrecking your car and THEN getting insurance after the fact to try getting it repaired is insurance fraud, and you can go to jail for that. Also if repairs run longer than expected, it's almost always because parts didn't show up, but we'll also blame parts not showing up even if it's just because our painter is an idiot and works 2 or three days a week.
    via needtimeforplay1
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    Otherwise_Ad2804 Im a nurse. There are ALOT of literal stupid nurses. Dangerous to your family level of dumb.
    via Otherwise_Ad2804
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    mrblackc To this day, the restaurant industry does not have sick days like normal, and awareness needs to be raised. Most restaurants are staffed so low today that team leaders end up working sick all the time as they have no one who will cover.
    via mrblackc
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    Amazing_Disk_8328 Any email or document you have on your work account or computer can be collected. If you perform work via your personal phone or personal email, those can also be collected in litigation. Only write at work things you don't mind strangers or a court reading.
    via Amazing_Disk_8328
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    These_Speech_9366 Taking an ambulance will not get you seen quicker in the ER. I have taken many people to the lobby.
    via These_Speech_9366
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    Strainonthegame fedex does not track your package with any accuracy.
    via Strainonthegame
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    ginger_and_coping I work in tourism in a popular holiday destination- seems obvious but always buy your excursions straight from the seller. Find their instagram or phone number on google. Reps/agencies will sell you the same ticket for the most inflated price they can get away with.
    via ginger_and_coping
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    IAMAUNIT54321 I work in IT, I have no idea how I got this far (4 Years) from just googling the answers or copying from a colleague each time
    via IAMAUNIT54321
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    Askfslfjrv Patients “fall through the cracks" and doctors often forget to put in orders, leading to procedures and treatments (I work in oncology) being unnecessarily delayed. Literally a matter of life and death but because the patient population is so high and the doctor/nurse to patient ratio is so skewed, things get missed all the time. Scary to think about
    via Askfslfrjv
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    dirtymoney Many country clubs buy cheap food and pass it off as something premium And because they are private they do not get inspected by the health department. I have seen some seriously nasty/disgusting practices working two decades in various fancy country clubs
    via dirtymoney
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    Greyattimes Always wash your clothes when you buy them. You have no idea how many used tissues and free sample cups I find hiding in the clothes.
    via Greyattimes

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