(I am in my first full-time job after just graduating. I’m taken advantage of a lot, but I’m new so I just put up with it. My friend and I have been working 18+ hour work days, plus weekends, for the past two weeks to design a book for an important client. My friend is hired for temporary help while I’m their only employee. My boss doesn’t know how to use a computer, so we’re left to do absolutely everything. They also live in the same building as the office so they can just take an elevator to go home while my friend and I have to commute. It’s about 2 am; the bosses have been out of the office for about an hour, possibly eating, taking a shower, or sleeping while we’re working. It’s the day we need to send the file to the printer to get the book done.)

Me: “This is so incredibly unfair.”

Friend: “Yeah, your bosses are unbelievable. You need to find a new job.”

(We finish up the project and the file is being uploaded to the printer’s server at 3:30 am. My bosses are chipper and trap us in a really pointless long conversation while my friend and I just want to sleep. I eventually have to cut the conversation short.)

Me: “Okay, well, [Friend] and I need some sleep. Good night.”

Boss: “Okay, thanks for the hard work. We have to catch up on all of our other projects, so could you come in at 10 am?”

Me: “I guess I’ll manage with five hours of sleep. Sure…”

Friend: *whispers* “Are they serious?”

Me: “FML…”

(My boss comes running once I get to my car.)

Boss: “There’s an error with the upload.”

Me: “Like what? If it timed out, you can just upload it one more time.”

Boss: “Oh, I don’t know how to do that. Can you come back and fix it?”

Me: *sighs* “Yeah, okay.”

(My friend and I fix the error, everything uploads correctly and all that is left is to buy a copy of the book. It’s 5 am. We’re driving home and I’m 10 minutes away from my house when I get a call.)

Friend: “Who is it?”

Me: “F***! It’s my boss…”

Friend: “Don’t answer it.”

Me: “Oh d*** it; I have to.”

(I put it to speaker phone.)

Me: “Hello?”

Boss: “Hi [My Name].”

Me: “Hi. Is something wrong?”

Boss: “Um well, we don’t know how to order the book…”

Me: *dumbfounded* “Have you ever bought anything online?”

Boss: “Yeah.”

Me: “…do the same thing.”

Boss: “But this is so confusing!”

Friend: *whispers* “Are you kidding me?”

Me: “Okay, are you on the page to order the book?”

(I give a step-by-step detailed walkthrough of how to order the book, including telling them that they need to enter their credit card number in the field that says, ‘credit card number.’ I get home and I’m still on the phone.)

Boss: “Okay, everything looks good! Thanks for taking the time to work on this and being flexible. And thank [Friend] too for your guys’ determination and dedication. We really appreciate it and…”

(They go on forever.)

Me: “Yeah, no problem. I need to sleep.”

Boss: “Oh right, well, [Partner] and I decided that we should take the day off tomorrow. You must be pretty exhausted from all the work.”

(My boss laughs. I clench my fist and cut the conversation short.)

Me: “Yeah, thanks. I’ll see you guys Friday. Good night.”

Friend: “Thank god for overtime.”

Me: “I don’t get paid for overtime…”

Did you find this story on our Overtime roundup?

Click here to read the next story!

Click here to get back to the roundup!

(I am bagging groceries and happen to notice a box of Earl Grey tea, sitting at the end of the register next to me.)

Me: *out loud* “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.”

(There are quite a few customers in the line I am bagging in. A customer in line pipes in, recognizing a popular ‘Star Trek’ phrase.)

Customer: “Right on!”

(The other customers look at us in confusion. Later on in the transaction…)

Cashier: “Wait, did you put three or four of those in the bag?”

Me: “There are four in the bag.”

(By sheer coincidence, the customer and I both say, at the same time:)

Customer & Me: “There… are… four… lights!”

This story is part of our ‘Star Trek’ roundup!

Read the next ‘Star Trek’ roundup story!

Read the ‘Star Trek’ roundup!

(A customer comes into the restaurant and buys a juice for $1.60 with a $20 bill. I’m a bit suspicious of people who pay small totals with much larger bills, as I had just been scammed that weekend and had to pay $19 to the store.)

Me: “Thank you, let me just get your change.”

Customer: “Wait, wait! I just found the change in my purse. Here’s $1.60.”

Me: “Okay, thank you. Here is your $20 back.”

(I stare at the bill I hand back to her for a full second before actually giving it back to her. I have to be sure I hand her a $20 bill, as that’s how the scam works.)

Customer: “Hey, you only gave me back a dollar.”

(As if to prove this, the customer waives a dollar at me.)

Me: “Ma’am, I am absolutely sure I gave you a $20 bill.”

Customer: “No you didn’t; take this dollar and give me my $20.”

Me: “Ma’am, I know I gave you a $20 bill. If you’d like I can pull this drawer right now and count it. If it’s over by $19, then it’s my mistake, but I am sure I gave you back your money.”

Customer: “No, no, I’m very busy.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am; store policy is that I pull and count the drawer, so I’m going to go ahead and do that. It’ll take a few minutes if you want to take a seat.”

Customer: “No! I’m very busy. I have to get to work. I can’t wait for you. Just give me my $20.”

Me: “There are cameras watching this drawer. I cannot do that. I have to pull the drawer.”

Customer: “Well, you do that! I’ll be back later!”

(The customer ended up leaving the dollar she was waiving at me on the counter. My drawer was spot on plus the extra dollar she left. She tried to scam me and instead lost money! She never came back, of course.)

This story is part of our Scammer roundup!

Want to read the next story? Click here!

Want to see the roundup? Click here!

(We have a very strict policy: there are only discounts on things that are marked as such by a corporate mandate, and that’s it. I’m the only register open.)

Customer: “Hi there, I noticed this lamp has some markings on it; does it get some sort of damage discount?”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir; everything is priced as marked. It’s not something I or even the manager can change.”

Customer: “Really? That’s lousy, but okay.”

(The customer leaves, and comes back with a new lamp.)

Customer: “I’ve got a question for you. Is it alright if I use your employee discount?”

Me: “…I’m sorry, sir; I’m not allowed to use my discount while I’m on duty.”

Customer: “What if I told you I’m related to Barack Obama? Would you give me a discount then?”

Me: “No, you would still have to pay full price.”

Customer: “You’re telling me the President of these United States of America can’t even get a discount?!”

Me: “I’m afraid [store] views everyone as equals, so no.”

(My six-year-old daughter is waiting for me to get home from work.)

Me: “Hey guys! I’m home!”

Daughter: *runs up to me and grabs me by the hand* “Daddy! Come look what I built!”

(She leads me to the living room, where there is a small Lego death star from ‘Star Wars’ sitting on the table.)

Daughter: “Look what I built all by myself!”

Me: *dropping my voice really low* “Don’t be too proud of this technological terror you’ve constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of The Force!”

Daughter: “Daddy!” *giggles uncontrollably and gives me a big hug*

This story is part of our Star Wars roundup!

Read the next Star Wars roundup story!

Read the Star Wars Roundup!