'That's what you get for making an old lady cry': Sole mattress store employee fakes sick for 3 days before quitting after boss treats elderly customer poorly, store's forced to shut down for a week

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Dec 22, 2025 1:00 PM EST

An off-brand mattress salesman was just trying to do his job as best he could after his manager left. He was now the only employee in that store, so he was juggling a lot. There was one sale his ex-manager closed with an elderly woman who was caring for her sick husband. She called one day, long after this manager quit, to ask where her mattress was? When the employee checked, it said it would be out there for over a week. This broke her heart. She was told the mattress would get there that day, so she had already arranged for someone to pick up the old mattress and take it away. Now, she had to have her sick husband sleep on the couch or worse, the floor?? This was unacceptable. So the employee went to work to try and amend the situation. 

 

All of his higher ups were saying that they couldn't do anything, that she must have missed the fine print when she bought the mattress. But he did not want to fail this sweet old lady, so he eventually got in contact with the CEO. Who then ever-so-greedily said that he could send her a mattress today, but he would lose money, so he wouldn't do it. WOW. The employee gave the CEO the number of the old lady and told him to tell her himself. He then called out sick for the next three days, and with him being the only employee, the store had to shut down. Eventually, he told this manager what he was doing was wrong and greedy and that he would not be returning. The shop had closed for over a week and now this CEO had to find a new hire, fly them out, and pay for their hotel. You get what you give, boss man. 

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  • upset old lady being comforted by a helping hand in a mattress store
    via Unsplash+ (and Stephan Coudassot)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
    Upset old woman via Unsplash+ (and Getty Images)

  • I used to work at an offbrand mattress store. A nice old lady visited, spending a good hour trying mattresses.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • She reveals her husband has been waiting outside sick with cancer, so we need to make the process quick for him.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • I treated them very well. I get a call a few days after my manager quits.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • It's her delivery day, and she's wondering when the mattress is going to show up. I call my superior, it's not coming for weeks.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • They say to tell her she agreed to this in the fine print. I call her back.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • She is crying. She says she trusted me. That the manager had 100% promised it would be there that day, so she had her previous mattress taken away to make room.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Now her husband, dying of cancer in his last months, has to deal with this. Rage.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • I called my superior. She tells me there is little we can do. Unacceptable. I text the CEO he must fix this.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • He calls me, says he could get a bed out there quick but he'd lose money.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Fuck him. I tell him he can call her back and tell her himself. I was the only employee for that store.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • He'd have to fly someone out and pay for a hotel, or find an immediate newhire to replace me.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • MATTRESS
    via Unsplash+ (and DLX Mattress)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I stopped showing up with no warning. At opening hour he calls me, I let him know I'm very sick.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Okay no problem, will I be good tomorrow? Yes of course, do not cancel my appointments.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • (Each appt. costed him $100+ in ads). Next day, no warning, I don't show up again.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Same deal. I'll totally be fine tomorrow. And I got him again the third time the next day.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Nope, still not coming in. He got the memo and closed the store for the week.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Only then, I broke it to him what he's doing is wrong and I'll have no part in it.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • He had to fly someone out and pay for their hotel to keep the store open.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • I never went back. EDIT: For anyone saying I should have delivered a mattress out of the store to her, I wish.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Deliveries were not in my role, they had a delivery guy. It would have been obvious theft, the CEO sucked but he's not worth risking jail time over.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • Right? For the same reason I haven't outed the store because I don't want to get sued.
    via lickmy*ipples69
  • If this blew up and hurt their business I'd be potentially liable. I'm not confident enough in the law to out them.
    via lickmy*ipples69

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salesman work respecting your elders inspirational uplifting justice served workplace
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