We give these people our money. We consume their products. We watch their advertising. But how much do we actually know about what goes on behind the scenes.
This piece is based on an AskReddit thread. Link on the last page.
28. Siri: what is a triple bypass?
Sometimes surgeons Google how to do things while they’re already in surgery. You’re welcome.
mechaoprah
27. Crooked on phonics.
Phone companies use deception as a core business practice. When I was employed there, if we didn’t sell customers useless items, our manager would come over and do it for us, even if you were adamant about not needing the items. They actually lie to you about the price by simply not mentioning it.
Think you can get 4 lines for $160? Nope. You have to buy the phone’s on top of that price, so $160 turns into $230. Plus insurance at $10 a line, so $270, plus taxes. But if we said 4 lines for $300 you wouldn’t come in our store. I quit when my manager tried to get me to sell a tablet and an iPhone to a woman with crippling arthritis. I never felt better about leaving a job.
blackholes_
26. How do you like them apples?
I work on a farm. When they say you should wash your produce thoroughly at home, they’re not joking. DO IT.
me878
25. Is it hot in here?
I used to work for a popular clothing retail company. We were told we weren’t supposed to hire people based on their looks, yet we would get in trouble for hiring unattractive people.
ayohriver
24. Red fish, blue fish.
I used to work in a small fish market/deli. The red snapper you are buying could be any number of different fish but it’ll be sold as snapper regardless. Name changing is pretty common since few people can tell the difference between the different species.
brokendownandbusted
23. Popping off.
In some hotels the housekeepers do something called “popping the sheets.” (continued…)
Keep reading on the next page!
They wipe off crumbs and straighten the sheets out to make it look like they made it with fresh linen. The thing is it just depends on the house keeper so no brand is immune to this. However, this is a big thing that most good managers look out for and the employee can get fired if they are caught.
boogiemange
22. Hear no cute, see no cute.
Your child may take his first step or say his first real word while at daycare. But we aren’t going to tell you that.
Outsidebones76
21. But me no butts.
The only thing about your body that a Massage Therapist will judge you about is if your butt is stinky.
jsmoo68
20. Everything must be liquidated.
Many retail stores have days where they just destroy a bunch of old merchandise instead of continuing to try to sell it.
I used to work at video game store and whenever they decided not to carry something anymore it got “pennied out” of the system and put in a box in the office.
Every couple months, our district manager would come through and get a pair of scissors. He snapped game disks in half, cut the cords off controllers, smashed toys on the ground, cut holes in shirts, and then threw everything in the dumpster out back.
jumpedupjamboree
19. Graphic content.
On Graphic Design skills alone, only 10% of the entire industry actually earns over $50k. Considering the amount of money art schools charge to learn this craft, chances are you’re getting hustled. Hard. Sorry.
rainbowbarff
18. That’s pretty slick.
Half of the so-called ‘services’ they offer at any oil change place never actually get completed. (continued…)
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Either because of laziness or because it may be impossible to do it the proper way on certain cars. The store’s hours distributed for employees are directly affected by ‘average ticket sales’, which means (at least when I was store manager at one) that if we didn’t have an average of $65+ at the end of the day per car, then we got wrote up.
The place I worked is a dirty, evil company that takes advantage of people, and that’s why I left to take a lower position elsewhere. Even though I made less money, I knew I wouldn’t be selling people things they didn’t need.
tost878
17. Watch your waste.
I work in the waste hauling industry. At our recycling collection/sorting facilities, the recyclables are sorted by hand on a conveyor belt. If they’re in a plastic bag, they get thrown out. Too dangerous to have guys try to open plastic bags with who-knows-what in there. If there’s some pasta sauce still in that glass bottle? Thrown out. A little bit of grease on the pizza box? Thrown out.
The vast amount of recycled stuff gets thrown out. The key is to make sure everything you recycle is completely clean, and isn’t in the plastic bag.
wedropbass
16. Nobody’s home.
Most of the time, radio stations do not actually take requests unless it’s an actual request program. The log (playlist) is already set for the entire day, and the entire weekend as well.
deadpanxfitter
15. Say “hell no” to the dress.
Even though it may be a “well duh” comment, I worked at a bridal shop and I had a lady try on two dresses: a $900 dress that made her look like a bumpkin, and a $550 dress that looked beautiful. The lady asked me my opinion and I told her the truth. My boss was standing right behind me and fired me that day because I “lost her money.” Come on, this is somebodys wedding day were talking about!
Mysticfox32
14. Compensation package.
I used to work for a major delivery company. Anyway, the management dont care about the employees at all. To the point where I have heard managers openly wish death on staff. (continued)
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We had a driver that used to ride his bike to work everyday and one morning a guy fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into him causing all kinds of life threatening injuries. Collapsed lungs, broken bones, possible lifelong paralysis, weeks long coma, etc.
The district manager, during a meeting about a week after this happened, is passing around a get well soon card. We all sign it and pass it around until it gets back to her. She looks up and says, “I should really just be writing ‘we hope you don’t get well soon and it’d be great if you just died considering the headache this whole thing has caused the company.”
A few snickers from other managers followed but it was obvious she was NOT joking.
Loud_Mouth_Soup
13. Urine luck.
If you have a urine based drug test coming up, drinking a ton of water will not make you pass, but it can return a result of “diluted sample”. It might at least buy you some time.
rightahn
12. HDMI can’t believe it.
I don’t know if this counts, but the mark up on HDMI cables is ridiculous. I worked at a tech store for two years and the employee discount is 5% above cost. So every now and then, I’d see what something would cost me if I saw how expensive it was. I once saw an HDMI cable that was like $250 and it would’ve cost me $11.
IamLuke555
11. Pay dirt.
Don’t waste money on an expensive coffin, the one with the air pulled out. All that fancy stuff as soon as the soil hits them they almost always pop.
jmrovers
10. NCAAnonymous
I work in athletics at a major American university. Some (but not all) football and basketball players are told by the athletic department which majors they can and can’t take. A lot don’t even choose a major, but are given one. (continued…)
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It all has to do with the NCAA academic requirements which are built around keeping a player eligible and have them progressing towards a degree. There are no checks for quality of the degree/program they take.
As a result, underpaid and overworked academic advisors who risk getting fired if a star athlete doesn’t do well in a harder major, take advantage of the system to keep their jobs.
bestprocrastinator
9. You need an agent.
Third party booking agencies intentionally hide information and mislead people. And there’s not a whole lot the hotel can do about it.
BOOK DIRECTLY WITH THE HOTEL.
SketchyConcierge
8. I really don’t like potions class…
When your kid says “the teacher hates me, parents generally don’t believe it. My wife works in education and says she regularly sees teachers that have dislikes of specific kids and treat them like crap.
cjmolm
7. If I’m not much of a teacher, you’re not much of a learner.
Teachers don’t actually know everything about their content. Once had a girl who was in love with Elizabeth I and all the queens during the age of absolutism. She had read biographies and documentaries and anything else she could find. Anyways, she mentioned that Marie Antoinette was related to Maria Theresa. I didnt know, and I told her so.
Kid in the back: Its sad when your students know more than you.”
Okay kiddo you go a 55 on the last test, fight me.
Arcade42
6. Keeping abreast.
I worked for a company that dealt with breast cancer awareness. (continued…)
Keep reading on the next page!
Without going into full detail, I can tell you that I personally raised over $20,000 in 2 months that I know went to pay someone’s salary rather than research.
bobbylink21
5. Flour of youth.
When purchasing bulk packaged flour, it’s not worth it to buy name brand flour over generic. I ran a packaging machine and there is no difference. You’re paying $1.50 more per 5 lbs. bag based on the brand name printed on the bag.
FodderInTheRough
4. What choo looking at?
Freight train conductor. We have to blow the horn at EVERY street crossing. So no, when we’re coming through your neighborhood at 3am laying on the horn, we aren’t doing it to be jerks.
Also, we have speed limits too. So when we’re moving really slow through town holding up traffic, we aren’t doing that to be jerks either.
FrankZx14
3. Save and save as.
Investment advisor here. Most financial advisors out there are only after commissions, half don’t know what they are doing.
Find a fee-only fiduciary advisor with significant education. This is your life savings after all.
PileOfAlienTurds
2. “Either that wallpaper goes or I do.” -Oscar Wilde
If you’re a jerk to us during your remodel, I’ve written nasty things about you on the back of a sheet of drywall now hanging in your house.
Warkitz
1. These tearaways are a rip-off.
Retail price for pants: $120. They wholesale at $50. They cost $3 to create. Clothing is a rip off, especially fancy brand names. They benefit from their stuff breaking after a year. Then you’ll buy their new stuff. Total rip off.
mahade