(I’m a shift manager for a fast food chain and have been in food service for two years. The store I work for is almost constantly understaffed during the afternoon. On this day, I am called in on a day off to give some assistance as crew rather than as a manager. Towards the end of my shift, the staff level drops to only one person taking orders, one on the grill, and another manager in the office preparing to leave, leaving me to mind the entire front area — counter, drive-thru, drinks, fries, and order prep. The drive-thru has now backed up considerably as I rush around to prepare the orders I need. As I’m at the window:)

Me: “Hello! You had the three [Sandwich #1] meals with a Coke and a shake?”

Customer #1: *giving me the stink eye* “No. I had the [Sandwich #2] meal.”

Me: *angry at the potential customer loss and the waste of a very large order, but not showing it* “Oh, I’m sorry. Give me a few seconds and I’ll get your food out to you.”

(I rather angrily push the bag to the side and start to prepare the next order. I’m unaware that the original customer has come inside.)

Customer #2: “I’m right here, man!”

Me: *trying not to give a “WTF?” look* “All right, just give me a couple seconds so I can take care of these orders.”

Customer #2: “I don’t have ‘a couple seconds.’”

(By this point my frustration has reached its peak, and I gesture to the empty stations that I am minding due to my store’s situation.)

Me: “Look. I’m sorry, but I am the only one up here right now. If you would like to help, please jump in, by all means!”

(I give the customer at the window their food and when I look back, [Customer #2] looks embarrassed.)

Customer #2: “Hey, man, I’m sorry. Do you have any applications?”

(I grabbed an application and handed it to him as I gave him his food. I apologized for my temper and he apologized as well. It was very refreshing to find someone who wasn’t exactly ignorant of what food service has to handle each day. Unfortunately, I have not seen his application returned.)

(I see a job that isn’t in my field and apply. It has a note saying they will train and that no experience is necessary. I call their number.)

Me: “Hello, I’m calling about the job?”

Guy: “Yeah… Do you have experience?”

Me: “No, but it said you will train.”

(He let out a mocking laugh and hung up. I sure wish I could report him for false advertisement, to warn others!)

(I am 16 and looking for work. I’ve been applying to places on job sites, and also handing in my CV to all the corner shops in town. Due to my lack of experience, I never get a response from anywhere. My mam doesn’t seem to understand this and believes I’m just “not trying hard enough” and just “don’t want a job.”)

Mam: “Have you even tried applying to McDonald’s? McDonald’s is always hiring!”

Me: “I already looked on their website. See?” *shows her page* “There are loads of listings on this page for whatever jobs they have, and our local one isn’t here. They aren’t hiring.”

Mam: “Oh, that doesn’t make sense! They are always hiring! If it isn’t on the website, then you just need to hand in your CV in person. They’ll think that’s better, anyway.”

Me: “McDonald’s doesn’t hire like that, Mam. It has to be through the website.”

Mam: “I’m sure you don’t even want to work. How are you meant to get a job if you won’t even apply anywhere?!”

Me: “I’ve literally applied everywhere else I can. They just aren’t hiring right now.”

Mam: “Right! Well, I’m just going to drive you there now, and you’ll hand in your CV!”

Me: “There’s no point! I’ve told you they aren’t hiring.”

Mam: “But McDonald’s is always hiring!”

(We make the drive over. I go in by myself and have this awkward exchange with the manager while they are swamped with people.)

Me: “Hi, I was looking at jobs on the website, and there was no listing for this place, so I was wondering if I could give you my CV.”

Manager: “Um… Yeah. I mean, I can take it, and we can look it over, but there’s no listing because we aren’t hiring at the minute. Just keep checking the website for an opening.”

(When I get in the car and tell my Mam, she says the same thing she always says when I am right about something but she still drags me through whatever nonsense, anyway:)

Mam: “At least we know for certain, now!”

(I already knew for certain.)

(I apply for a dishwashing job. They call me for an interview. A guy that introduces himself as the manager greets me.)

Manager: “After this interview, you’ll have a second one and then a third. We’ll also need five references.”

Me: *knowing that this isn’t standard procedure* “Really? For a dishwasher?”

Manager: “Yes! We want to hire the best!“

Me: “Okay, then.”

(I give him the references and the interview ends. Weeks go by and I hear no more of him, so I assume that he’s no long interested. I find another job. MONTHS later, he calls me.)

Manager: “Hellooo! How are you?”

Me: “I’m fine.”

Manager: “Well, I wanted to tell you that only four of your five references answered, so I’ll need another one.”

Me: “Really? You waited months to tell me?”

Manager: “Of course!”

Me: “…”

(I told him that I was no longer interested and he was speechless. Really, what did you expect after months went by? I guess he thought I’d be waiting by the phone for his call!)

(My work is hiring for both grocery and cashier positions. It is eight pm, and I’m working on the floor in grocery. A man in his twenties approaches me, carrying a resume. I’m a woman, also in my twenties.)

Job Seeker: “I need to see your manager.”

Me: “We have a manager-on-duty at the moment.”

Job Seeker: *gets a little snippy* “Are you saying he can’t see me?! Why isn’t he here?”

Me: “He was here before five am. He is probably sleeping right now, because he’ll be back here tomorrow at five am, again!”

Job Seeker: *looking a little ashamed* “Oh, I have a resume to hand in.”

Me: “If you go up to customer service, they will give you an application to fill out and attach to it. You can leave both with them.”

(He ran off without another word.)