Well, some employees have faced difficult managers. For instance, there was an employee who was constantly criticized for not meeting unrealistic sales targets. The manager would publicly shame the employee in front of others, which really affected the employee's confidence and made the work environment very toxic.
One horror story could be the extreme rush during holidays. Employees have to deal with hordes of customers. I heard an employee talk about how they had to constantly restock shelves while being bombarded with questions from customers, and there was no time to take a proper break. It was pure chaos and exhaustion.
One horror story could be getting a sample that was clearly spoiled. For example, a customer took a bite of a sample sandwich only to find the meat smelled rancid. Another might be when the sample giver was extremely pushy. They wouldn't take no for an answer and made customers feel uncomfortable. And there was a case where a sample had an ingredient that someone was allergic to but it wasn't clearly marked. A customer had a minor allergic reaction right there in the store.
One horror story could be dealing with an extremely irate customer who just wouldn't listen. An employee was trying to explain the return policy for a damaged item, but the customer kept yelling and even threatened to sue. It was really scary for the employee as they were just doing their job.
Well, I heard a story where a sample of a new type of meat was being given out. A customer took a bite and found a piece of plastic in it. That's really a horror story as it could have caused harm. And there are times when the sample booths are so crowded that it's a safety hazard. People might trip over each other or push small children in the chaos. There are also stories of samples running out too quickly and customers getting angry because they had been waiting in line for a long time.
There was a case where a couple booked a cruise via Costco Travel. During the cruise, they faced issues with the food quality. It was not up to the standard that was promised. Also, some of the excursions they booked through Costco Travel were mismanaged. For example, the transportation to one of the excursions was late, and they almost missed the activity. They had to constantly complain to Costco Travel to get some sort of compensation.
Sure. There are customers who can be really rude. One employee said a customer threw a product at him just because the item he wanted was out of stock. The employee was just doing his job and had no control over the inventory situation, but still had to face such aggression.
There was this one instance at a museum. I was standing near an exhibit, looking at it intently. A family walked up and the mother asked me if I could explain the significance of the piece. I politely said I was just a visitor. But she gave me this look like she thought I was lying. It made me feel so awkward. I guess it's because I was standing still and looking like I was knowledgeable. However, it really put a damper on my day as I then felt self - conscious about just being in the museum.
Well, there was this time when there was a big roach infestation in the kitchen. We were trying to keep it quiet from the customers, but it was so gross. And the managers didn't seem to be in a hurry to fix it. Also, I had a coworker who would steal tips from others. It created a really bad environment among the employees.
Another horror story was the lack of proper security measures in the store. There were instances of shoplifting that put employees in danger. They were not trained well enough on how to handle such situations, and sometimes they were blamed for the losses even though it was not really their fault. Some employees also had to deal with people coming into the store just to use the facilities and make a mess without buying anything, and they had no real way to stop them.
Perhaps there were issues with workplace bullying. A new employee at Lush might have been targeted by some of the more senior employees. They could have been made fun of for not being fast enough at serving customers or for making small mistakes. This created a really hostile work environment for the new employee, and they may have even considered leaving the job because of it.
Some employees have had to deal with unruly guests. There are cases where guests verbally abuse employees for minor issues like a ride being closed temporarily. An employee at a Disney store once shared that a customer got really angry because the item they wanted was out of stock and started shouting and using inappropriate language. The employee was left feeling very distressed but had to keep their composure as per company policy.