At almost seventeen-years-old, I got my first job at a shoe store. I was looking for a job for a while, but was never contacted by any places I applied to. Then one day, I went into a shoe store and overheard the employees talking about how they really need a new associate. I went home, applied, and a few days later, I got a call from the store’s manager asking me to come in for an interview, and was told I was hired later that day.

Before working in retail, I was an extremely optimistic individual who believed everyone was a great person deep down. I believed the stories I heard from employees in retail were all slightly embellished to make the situation seem worse than it actually was. I believed that all customers were tolerant, and that it was the employees’ problem for having a bad customer interaction.

After working in retail for over four years, I have learned that none of that is true.

Below are some fun conversations I have had with customers throughout my years of working in a retail environment.

1. When a customer walks into the store and I happily greet them, but they choose to ignore me and my existence

2. When I ask how a customer is doing and if they need any help and they say, "I'm okay," and basically just doesn't answer any of your questions

3. When you see a huge mess on the floor next to a customer, and they say, "Oh, I'll clean it up, don't worry!" (Hint: they never clean it up)

4. When you see kids running around the store with the parents nowhere to be seen

5. When a customer calls you over to an item just to complain about the price, even though you have no control over the prices of anything

6. When you see it's a minute before closing so you go to lock the door, but then see a customer start running towards you

7. When you genuinely try to make conversation with a customer at the register but they're more interested with their phone than you

8. When a customer tries to return something that's over a year old and extremely worn

9. When you look over a $100 bill and the customer says, "It might be wet, still! I printed it myself!"

10. When it's finally time for you to go on break and a customer tries to ask you a question

11. When you try and scan an item but it doesn't scan right away and the customer says, "So it's free, then, right?!"

12. When your shift is finally over and you leave the store, even though you'll be back in roughly twelve hours