I am selling expensive art markers at conventions. I always have a tester of each marker ready for people who want to test out the colours. At one of those conventions, I spot a little old lady looking at the markers. This is not unusual; people of all ages use the markers.

However, the sweet little old lady is holding up her bag, looking at it, looking at the markers, taking a marker, looking at the bag, putting the marker back… Since that strikes me as odd, I decide to walk over to her, as I can’t see it that well from my angle.

By the time I reach her, I see that she has grabbed a non-test marker… and is colouring her bag with it?! These markers are not made for cloth, and this lady is painting over a leathery surface? I am baffled, but it seems like she is colouring over scratches on her bag to make it look undamaged! She then puts on the cap and tries to put the marker back in the display!

Me: “Oh, that does look like the same colour, doesn’t it?”

Woman: “Oh, eh… I’m not really sure it is.”

Me: “Well, I can hardly see the difference in colour.”

Woman: “Well, you can’t really see the colour at all.”

Me: “That’s because it’s an alcohol marker; that’s more transparent. You can compare it to watercolours. But I really think you matched the marker to your bag. I must admit, I’ve never seen anyone use this marker on leather! Is it real leather?”

Woman: “Oh, eh, no… just fake leather.”

Me: “Oh, I wouldn’t have guessed. Anyway, I think it’s a great match. And you’re in luck: we’re having a special offer today! They are only [price], and you can pay with both card and cash with us!”

Woman: “I don’t think this marker actually works.”

Me: “Let me try it.” *Makes a mark on a piece of paper* “No, it works perfectly. And to be honest, considering how much you used it on your bag, getting a different colour would be very visible. I think it’s best to stick with the colour you already used.” *Points at the flap she used it on* “I mean, from a distance, you can hardly see how much of this is coloured with marker, don’t you think?”

Woman: “Eh… yes… so… how much was the marker?”

I don’t like pressuring people into buying my goods, but if you use the goods, you buy the goods.

I recently started working for a media company specializing in science, health, and medicine. Part of the job entails going to numerous trade shows throughout the year.

I am talking with the editor-in-chief and one of the sales guys about the expectations and decorum for the trip.

Editor-In-Chief: “Since this is your first trip. Just so you know, you’re required to take any samples that are offered to you. That’s just what [Publisher] told us. However, you’re not obligated to use or eat any of them.”

Sales Guy: “Actually, [My Name], I have a story about why that policy is in place. Do you want to hear it?”

Me: “Sure.”

[Sales Guy] proceeds to tell me a story about a man who held my current position many, many years ago. He was attending the same show and was told not to say no to any of the samples.

The show proceeded as normal with the publisher manning the booth and [Sales Guy] wandering the show floor speaking to his clients and potential advertisers. The employee was also wandering the show floor. At some point, [Sales Guy] went back to the booth.

Both he and the publisher soon realized the employee was due back at the booth but was nowhere to be found.

Publisher: “[Sales Guy], do you know where [Employee] is? He’s supposed to man the booth for a few hours now.”

Sales Guy: “I don’t know. Let me call him.”

[Sales Guy] picked up his phone and called [Employee].

Sales Guy: “[Employee], where the h*** are you? You’re supposed to be back at the booth now.” *Pauses* “What do you mean?” *Pauses* “Why are you back at the hotel?” *Pauses* “Are you…” *Sighs* “Never mind… Don’t worry about it.” *Hangs up*

Publisher: “What happened, [Sales Guy]?”

Sales Guy: “So… you know how you said the editorial team isn’t allowed to say no to samples?”

Publisher: “Yeah?”

Sales Guy: “Well… I think you should’ve added an extra bit of specificity. Apparently, [Employee] thought that ‘can’t say no’ meant he had to eat and drink everything.”

Publisher: “So… where is he now?”

Sales Guy: “In his hotel room, s***ing his guts out…”

Publisher: *Sighing* “Well… so long as he’s not dead… I honestly didn’t think he’d try and eat everything.”

Sales Guy: “To be fair, he didn’t break the rules…”

The publisher then had to emphasize to all new employees that eating and drinking the samples was completely voluntary. That employee was never reprimanded and remained at the company for quite some time. I made sure to listen to the revised policy.

I sell hand-made jewelry. Because they are meant for daily use, I pride myself on making them very sturdy. I sell my wares online or at conventions

At one of those conventions, a teen girl just runs to my table.

Girl: “Oh, my gosh, look at this! Look, it’s so beautiful!”

She picks it up… but accidentally drops it.

Girl: “Oh, no! Oh, no! I broke it! I broke it!”

She is on the verge of tears, panicking and going back and forth. Since the floor at the convention center is carpet, I wonder how the heck she managed to break it.

Me: “Calm down. Just let me see it.”

Girl: “I’m so sorry! I’m sooooo sorry! How much did it cost? Oh, no, I have no money left! What do I do?!”

Me: *Trying to smile reassuringly* “Just show it to me; I’ll see if it’s easy to fix.”

She hands over the jewelry.

Me: “Oh, it looks fine. Nothing broke.”

Girl: “Yes, it did! Look, the ring is all bent and open, and I broke it!”

Me: “This thing?”

The girl nods and I can’t help but laugh.

Me: “Don’t worry! It’s supposed to be a hook! It was never a ring!”

Girl: *Tearing up* “Really? You’re not just saying that?”

Me: “Absolutely not. Nothing broke. So calm down and don’t worry. My stuff is kind of hard to break.”

Girl: *Sniffing* “Really?”

Me: “Yes, but don’t see it as a challenge!” *With a very obvious wink* “I’ll put it back on the table for you.”

Suddenly, a woman joins the table.

Woman: “May I please see it?”

Me: “Sure!”

Woman: “Wow, this is beautiful. And it even survived a fall! How much is it?”

She bought the item. Thank you, teen girl! Thanks to your enthusiasm, I made a sale!

I brought a friend to an anime convention, and we ended up walking past the maid cafe.

Friend: “Oh, my God, that is so typical!”

Me: “What’s wrong?”

Friend: *Pointing to maid cafe entrance* “Look at that! It’s a total male fantasy thing. I can’t believe this is allowed.” 

Me: “Nobody is forced to do it, and it’s something they’ve done at anime conventions for a long time. It’s kind of a tradition now.”

Friend: “And it’s also totally unfair. I mean, you don’t see a room where women can have cute guys serving them.”

Me: *Pointing* “That would be the butler cafe. It’s just down the hall.”

My friend did look quite embarrassed by this revelation and quietly apologized. She actually made an appointment at the butler cafe later.

Once upon a time, I worked for an event production group that organized a specific convention/event that takes place in multiple states around the United States.

The event took place over three days, so most of us were on-site for five to seven days for prep and tear-down. This meant packing up and hauling out to the next location — some of us by equipment trailer caravan and others via plane.

Prior to this job, I was a Client Relationship Manager for a very large corporation. That job entailed more or less living out of a suitcase for days and weeks at a time, often flying from client location to client location within a matter of days. During my time with this job, I got really, really good at packing everything I would need without having to check luggage or deal with the consequences of losing my luggage. I’d put my toiletries in the laptop bag, I carried a pocket lanyard instead of a wallet, I had mix-and-match suits rolled up in a duffle bag to be ironed in the hotel, and I had shoes that would match everything. Not to brag, but I was something of an efficient machine when it came to packing and being prepared.

For some reason, my coworkers at the event planning group found this efficiency offensive. Traditionally, the team would load up garment bags with their professional event clothing with the equipment caravan so that it would arrive prior to those of us coming by plane. Makes sense!  

So, I carefully packed my trusty duffle bag with a blazer for each day, a clean pair of trousers for each day, and a selection of collared shirts to go with each. I threw in some shorts and T-shirts that would work equally well for lounging, sleeping, or running for take-out, undergarments, and a spare pair of jeans just in case. After all, I was only going to be gone for five days, and most of that time would be at the convention. We didn’t even have twelve hours between when we would leave the event in the evening and when we had to be back on duty.

The next day, we loaded all of the equipment and saved our bags for last. My coworkers each brought out two to three large garment bags, as well as an extra-large suitcase each. It turns out they had brought blazers and trousers for twice the amount of time that we would be gone, along with extra changes of clothes depending on what they would be doing between 10:00 pm and 5:00 am when the event wasn’t running. They also packed large bags for their toiletries and separate bags for their shoes.

I honestly didn’t think much about it — different strokes for different folks, after all — until we got to the event. It turns out my single duffle bag was the talk of the staff. The president of the company sat me down and explained to me how important it was that we look professional at all times. I agreed.

Each day, I showed up freshly bathed, professionally dressed, and well-made-up. In fact, the sample-sized conditioner I brought really agreed with my hair, and several presenters complimented me on my appearance.

And then we came home. I was hastily ushered into the vice president’s office, where she had the president on speakerphone. I then got a stern half-hour talking-to about my disregard for the company.

Me: “Wait. Wasn’t I professionally dressed each day of the event?”

Yes, they both agreed. My clothing was appropriate, and I was well-kempt in every way.

Me: “And did I conduct myself appropriately?”

Yes. There were some communication bumps due to a lack of cell phone service, but everything was resolved to everyone’s satisfaction.

However, I didn’t pack enough. The president of the company spent the whole event terrified that I would show up looking like a slob, so she was distracted from her other duties. Furthermore, it was said that after the event, I went back to the hotel, got dinner delivered, and went to bed rather than going to the bars with the other workers.

I tried to explain that I was simply really good at packing and that I needed every possible minute of our daily seven hours of downtime, but that was the beginning of the end for my employment. Ultimately, it was decided that I wasn’t trustworthy, and my judgment was questioned on absolutely everything. It got to the point that I quit for my own mental health.

Who knew that being resourceful could be a bad thing?