I work as a drive-thru attendant at a popular diner franchise which has a very high turnover rate. This has lead to several people being hired that probably shouldn’t have been due to desperation on management’s part. Here are some highlights of spectacularly bad workers.

Worker #1: The Lazy Thief

This girl was hired to help me by being a second closer, so I wouldn’t have to close six days a week — corporate mandated I get one day off to avoid overtime payments — and so we could start rebuilding the drive-thru, which had lost six employees on both shifts. At first, she seemed okay, worked hard enough, and was friendly with customers. But after three weeks, she began to show her true nature.

It all began with her calling off work saying she was sick. Fair enough, she just needed to bring a doctor’s note in. She never did. Next, she called saying her son had fallen and needed to get staples in his head. This was a lie, as confirmed by a family member of hers who started working there later on. Then, she called in sick on one of the busiest days of the year, and posted to Facebook about the “sick” party she was getting wasted at.

The general manager, despite having evidence against her, did nothing because he was afraid of turnover numbers getting higher. The next weekend, the employee called an ambulance for herself and faked a seizure — she was bouncing her leg up and down while sitting — and still didn’t get fired. At this point, she was also trying to assert herself as Drive-Thru Leader, which she wasn’t, so she was starting to get on everyone’s nerves.

Then, the breakthrough happened.

This girl was always bragging about how customers loved her so much that they gave her fat tips; drive-thru sometimes gets people who let us keep the change, usually a dollar every so often. One night, we had a different manager, from day shift, who was eager to prove herself as a good manager and actually went through and looked at the paperwork for our coupons. One coupon we had was a survey for two dollars off, and came with every fifth receipt we printed. The girl had rung in 45 of them, but only two physical coupons existed. Corporate was called in to watch the cameras and her scam was exposed.

She’d tell the customer the total, and if they paid with cash, she’d keep two dollars for herself and just hit the survey button to keep the drawer balanced. Then, she’d lose the customer’s receipt and send them on their way. Needless to say, once the GM saw this, he went from passive to the angriest man alive. She was fired and sent home crying, and an investigation was put into place to see just how much she ended up stealing.

I’m not privy to the results of this investigation, but given that she’s banned from the premises, it’s probably still ongoing.

Worker #2: “I Have To Do The Job?”

This worker was bad news from day one. He refused to learn, or to do anything, really. He would throw away our equipment and refuse to wear gloves when handling customers’ food. I was put in charge of training him and he wouldn’t listen to me, saying, “You’re not my dad.”

When the manager got involved after he said that, he called her a b**** to her face. This led to all four managers and the GM crowding into the office with him to find out what his damage was. He told them he didn’t have to listen to any of them, which led to the GM telling him he was fired.

He apparently didn’t believe it would stick, because when that GM retired the next month he put in a second application. I informed the new GM about him and got him put on a blacklist.

Worker #3: “They Were Mean to Me!”

A staffing hole was filled by a day-shift employee that had only been there two weeks. Upon my arrival, I found she had taken over the bagging station and would not move anywhere else, saying that since she was working a double shift, she wasn’t doing anything else.

This quickly proved problematic because she couldn’t keep up.

She also had an attitude about everything my coworker and I did. My coworker told me she wasn’t wearing gloves when she grabbed the food. I went over and firmly but fairly told her to put gloves on when handling other people’s food. She didn’t like that, but did it anyway when the manager backed me up.

For another hour, we struggled to maintain a good time, and then, with nine orders hanging, two partially bagged, and no warning, she left. Clocked out and left. The manager had no idea she had done this. We had to scramble to deal with the late rush with only two people.

Later on that evening, she sent the manager a three-page text complaining about my coworker and me. I had “been rude” and “snatched bags out of her hand” all night, and my coworker had been on her phone the whole time. The problems with those things were: 1, I only talked to her once, and it was about gloves, and 2, we have to move fast, so I tend to grab while moving, and 3, my coworker couldn’t have been on her phone as it was charging and I was standing in front of it the whole time as it was next to the register. The manager took our side and promised never to let her work with us again.

(I am working at the customer service desk. Our parking lot is shared with a few other stores and owned by the borough, not the store. As such, we have signs at every entrance and exit stating that 18-wheelers, buses, and motorhomes cannot park in our lot. It’s inconvenient and stupid, but there’s nothing we can do about it. The police regularly patrol the area because they know people are going to park there anyway. On this day, there is a line snaking through customer service and into the store when a man storms up to my register, slams his palm on the desk, and shoves a piece of paper in my face.)

Man: “What the f*** is this?”

Me: “Uh, a parking ticket.”

Man: “Why? I’ve only been here half an hour!”

Me: “Where did you park?”

Man: “In the back of the lot.”

Me: “Well, sir, I apologize for the inconvenience but the lot is owned by the borough, not the store.”

Man: “And?”

Me: “It’s out of the store’s hands.”

Man: “Fix it.”

Me: “Uh, sorry?”

Man: “I said fix it, b****.”

Me: “I can’t.”

Man: “Take this ticket back or I’m calling corporate.”

Me: “I can’t do anything about it. You can call the local police and see what they can do.”

Man: “What the f*** kind of store is this?! How was I supposed to know I can’t park here?”

Me: “There are signs at every entrance and exit of the parking lot.”

Man: “Well, I wasn’t going to be here that long. I’m not paying this.”

Me: “I’m not going to encourage you to avoid paying a parking ticket, but there’s nothing I can do, sir.”

Man: “You’re a dumb c*** and I’m calling corporate.”

Me: “Good luck.”

(He balls up and throws the parking ticket in my face and storms out. The next customer comes up with her return.)

Customer: “Well, that was pleasant.”

Me: “Yeah, that’s how it goes here.”

Customer: “You do not get paid enough.”

Me: “Can you call corporate, too?”

(I’m working a double shift at a popular sports pizza joint near Christmas time. There also happens to be a huge sports event going on, so we’re packed. I’m a supervisor and have two waitresses not show up for the night, and one cook calls in sick, so we’re short-staffed. For this night, I’m supervisor, acting manager, and waitress/hostess. A table of regulars has come in — a father, wife, and young teenage daughter. A newly-hired assistant supervisor is also on shift this evening, who I can tell doesn’t like me from the get-go. I appoint her to help the kitchen staff. The customers ask to sit in my section by my name. After a thirty-minute wait, they’re finally seated. The lineup to get a table is still out the door, not to mention the many delivery orders flooding through.)

Me: “Hey, guys! Just a heads up: we’re super busy tonight due to the game, but I’ll try my best to get everything out for you as quick as possible.”

Husband: “No problem, [My Name]! I’ll have the large spaghetti Bolognese with garlic bread.”

Wife: “[Daughter] and I will share a medium deluxe pizza, please!”

(I ring their order into my computer and get their drinks. Twenty minutes later, I stop at the table and assure them their food will be coming soon. They smile and let me know there’s no rush.)

Me: *to kitchen* “How’s my order for [table] coming, guys?”

Assistant Supervisor: “Are you blind? We’re busy. Chill out.”

Me: “Just asking, hun! Going on 23 minutes now, and I want to keep everything flowing smoothly.”

(I finish up some other tables and get more people seated. As I’m walking back to the kitchen area, the table calls for me.)

Husband: “It’s been about 45 minutes now, and I know I said no rush, but we’re starving. Could you check how long it’ll be?”

Me: “Of course! So sorry, guys. I’ll promo your bill for 30% off for the wait. Be right back!”

(I go to the kitchen.)

Me: “Guys, I need [table] right now; what’s taking so long? [Other Waitress]’s order went through after mine and she served her table fifteen minutes ago. Let’s go, guys!”

Assistant Supervisor: “Don’t tell me how to do my f****** job! It’s done when it’s done!”

(I go back into the kitchen to look for the order printout and food, both of which are nowhere to be found. I check the computer and my order has been deleted. You have to input a code to delete orders or take payments, and the assistant supervisor’s code was used to void out my order.)

Me: *to her* “What the h***?! My customers have been waiting nearly an hour now and my order is gone!”

Assistant Supervisor: “Whoops, must have done it by accident!”

Me: “It’s a five-step process to void an order without payment once it’s been sent to the kitchen. Do not touch the computers, and get these orders made. Stay in the kitchen.”

Assistant Supervisor: *mumbling* “F*** you.”

(By this time, all the staff at the front desk and kitchen are staring at us. I personally go to the kitchen and make my table’s meals. I turn around and they’re standing at the front desk.)

Husband: “It’s been over an hour and we have to go; it’s already like 9:30. Can I get our food to go, please?”

Me: “Of course. I’m so sorry. There was a mix-up in the kitchen and your food wasn’t made, but I prepped it myself. Please accept my sincerest apologies and—“ *hand them the food* “—it’s on the house.”

Assistant Supervisor: *yelling* “YOU CAN’T DO THAT! I’M CALLING [OWNER] AND YOU’RE GOING TO BE FIRED! YOU CAN’T F****** DO THAT! STUPID B****!”

(The customers go red and literally run out the door. A number of customers waiting to be seated gasp and some walk out.)

Assistant Supervisor: “THIS IS SUCH BULLS***! I WON’T TAKE ORDERS FROM SOME STUPID COW WHO SCAMS THE TILL AND STEALS MONEY! I’M CALLING THE OWNER RIGHT NOW!”

Me: “[Assistant Supervisor], you need to calm down. Come back with me in the office and talk like a normal person. Voided orders come out of my cheque, so nobody’s stealing anything.”

(She continued screaming and swearing, and eventually, only three tables remained — customers who were too occupied with the game on the big screen to notice what was going on. I ended up walking out, in tears, from her words to me. The owner begged me to come back the next day and she was fired.)

(My boyfriend’s younger sister is pregnant. My boyfriend is super overprotective of his younger sister, and she once told me a story of my boyfriend completely kicking a guy’s a** for trying to get a photo of her chest. I go with my boyfriend to her gender reveal. While the pregnant sister is mingling, we hear a conversation with the older sister.)

Older Sister: “Yeah, I mean, it’d serve her right.”

Their Grandmother: “Don’t say that!”

Older Sister: “Why not? She got married and pregnant before me! She doesn’t deserve to be pregnant! She should get an abortion.”

Boyfriend: “What did you just say?”

Older Sister: “I said, [Younger Sister] shouldn’t be pregnant. She should get an abortion, or at least miscarry, or something. It’s not fair.”

Boyfriend: “Just because every hint of semen that even goes near you immediately realizes how f****** bitter you are and turns the h*** around doesn’t mean you can be a b**** to [Younger Sister]!”

(His older sister gets super offended and goes inside. Ten minutes later, we hear a scream of anger and the younger sister comes outside bawling.)

Younger Sister: “[Older Sister] just destroyed the cake, and told me it was a girl!”

(My boyfriend went rigid and then bolted inside the house. I didn’t follow him, unsure of what to do, but I could hear him screaming at his older sister from outside. Apparently, the family doesn’t talk to her much now, besides her parents.)

When I was about four, my parents decided to get a Pomeranian. This was the first pet I ever had, and my parents were very attentive, making sure I was gentle with him. After a week or so, they trusted me enough with him to leave us alone together, and we were inseparable. I loved playing with the little guy. 

My grandparents were over for dinner one day and I excused myself to play. I was running back and forth from one end of the house to the other, so my parents asked me to stop. That’s when they noticed I had a pillowcase in my hand. They asked me what was in it and I said, “Nothing,” and ran off giggling as the bag started to bark. My parents chased me down and wrestled the bag out of my hands, rescuing the poor Pomeranian from me. When they got him out of the bag, he had doll clothes on him with marker all over his face and paws as if it were makeup and nail polish. 

After giving me a huge scolding, they sent the dog home with my grandparents, where he lived out his life very happily. They decided to wait a while before getting a couple of labs, figuring it would be harder for me to bully a larger breed. Luckily, I grew up to be much more loving towards dogs, but my parents still won’t let me live it down to this day!