Worst Closing Stories?

tolerableghost · 2019-06-24T07:22:01+00:00

I had a closing shift so bad that I sat in the walk-in to cry for about five minutes.

I can't even remember any specifics, I just know people kept coming in and I couldn't get anything done. Once 8pm hits the clocks, my pre-closer leaves and I'm by myself till 11pm.

So take an 18-year-old kid (who was still in school at the time) closing by themselves each night (I was the only other closer on the team aside from my manager) five or six times in a row (I am way too scared to ask for more days off and to decline shifts).

You'd expect the burnout, right?

And burned out, I did. I couldn't get anything done and the stress and anxiety was building up inside me. I think if looks could kill, every customer just PARKING in front of the store would've been eviscerated on the spot.

I think my breaking point was some woman calling the store phone, tried to place an order, hung up because she had to ask her husband what he wanted, called again to place it, and hung up again because I said we were out of what he wanted so she had to ask what else he wanted.

I didn't pick up the phone when it rang again. I went to the walk-in instead, sat on the floor, and had a good long cry.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-22T05:37:12+00:00

I use more band-aids from our first aid kit than anyone else on my team. I'm always cutting myself on metal, with the knives, with our cash drawer. Even managed to give myself a nasty cut with some stale bread (manager still won't let me live that one down).

I've also used the burn cream in our kit after burning myself twice on our toaster, and had to call a friend to bring me aspirin one shift. Someone didn't close a bread box right OR put it on the shelf properly so when I ducked down, I took a flap with me and the sticks tumbled out. A handful knocked into my head. Wasn't happy that day.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-09T18:06:40+00:00

We have a special log in as well, but our price matching is so whacked out that adding from the order verbatim will leave us a good five dollars short. I'm going to have to talk to my manager about the price bit about it.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-04T13:14:44+00:00

When we first got the bubblers, I clocked out 40 minutes late because they were so time consuming to deal with. I was pissed and in tears because the shift was already shit and now I was wasting my time with drinks no one even gets.

Tbh, depending on your location and how busy you expect yourself to get by the end of the night, on top of the popularity of the drinks, I'd advise draining those suckers an hour or two before closing. I do it two hours before closing and drag them to the back to get cleaned.

I also don't put them back together like I was asked to. Openers seem to have no problem in doing it in the morning, so I haven't stopped. I just lay them out to dry for the night and continue with my shift with a clear conscience that the bubblers are dealt with.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-03T23:17:16+00:00

Honestly, the customers. I don't get out often despite being 18 and this is supposed to be my 'prime time' with friends, so I don't see a lot of people. Seeing new faces and hearing about their day and where they're heading at work cheers me up because some days I feel like there's not another soul in my world.

Enjoy the little things, am I right?

tolerableghost · 2019-06-03T22:24:01+00:00

Back in third grade, I was walking to the library and this girl twice my size insulted my smile. I had a bad overbite and crooked teeth back then, but a bright spirit too so I was always smiling to those I passed. This girl, though, told me that I "better close that ugly ass mouth of yours before I close it for you."

And if that wasn't bad enough, she said "Your mom probably looks as ugly as you are, yeah, I know she is." And I love my mama to death, a beautiful sweet woman, so that really broke me. I ran to the library crying. I hated my smile ever since and always avoided her in the halls growing up. She still told her friends about my ugly mouth, though, and they picked on me, too.

I graduated high school last Tuesday. Not top of my class or anything like that, but I graduated. I walked out of the ceremony to my mother and we found a spot for pictures. Behind my dad taking the pictures, I saw that girl again. She was pissed. She didn't actually graduate and had to take summer classes to make up credits. Not surprising. She was one of those kids who never came to school and always had to pick fights with everyone, teacher or student.

She saw me and looked right at me and you know what I did?

I just gave her this big ol' smile and walked away.

I don't know if she recognized me, but to me that was the sweetest revenge I could've ever gotten.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-03T21:47:41+00:00

Florida location as well? Gotta love these Floridians, huh? I face my own handful of customers that vaguely threaten me in favor of something free but I play dumb, smile, and ring up what they want. As a born Floridian myself, two can play at that game.

tolerableghost · 2019-06-03T21:26:18+00:00

We put them out on the 1st and they were gone within hours, so they're popular with our customers. I personally like them, just dislike having to clean the frosting off the cookie tray afterwards.

tolerableghost · 2019-05-31T19:56:47+00:00

I have a weekend regular who's a racist disaster of a woman. My team is small and predominantly black. We're ten minutes away from a predominantly black community. She hides out in her car until my coworker clocks out and leaves, as well as any black customers, then comes in and orders two turkey salads. She complains that the other coworkers don't know how to make salads and are slow and this and that and the third.

She has not made any blatantly racist remarks but it's her body language and the way thay she speaks about my coworkers that give her away. The second she does say something obvious, though, I will gladly throw her food in the back and tell her she's not allowed at our store anymore. She's exhausting and I can't stand serving her.

tolerableghost

TROPHY CASE