I have a job, but I am casually looking for better compensation (and not retail). I mention this to a friend, and he says his job is hiring. It’s warehouse order fulfillment, so it’s not my cup of tea, but I would only have to travel ten minutes to work instead of half an hour. I tell him I will look into it, but the next day, I get a phone call. 

Me: “Hello?”

Recruiter #1: “Hi, this is [Recruiter #1] at [Company]. Can I speak to [My Name]?”

Me: “Speaking?”

Recruiter #1: “Hi, thank you for taking my call today…”

He goes into a speech, talking about the great opportunities his company provides, the benefits, the hours, and so on. 

Me: “That’s great. So, it’s full-time?”

Recruiter #1: “Yes! We work up to sixty hours per week.”

Me: “That’s a lot. I do have a job right now, so—”

Recruiter #1: “Oh, we were under the impression that you were unemployed.”

Me: “No, I have a job. I’m just seeing what else is out there to decide if I want to switch career paths.”

Recruiter #1: “Well, great!”

The next part of the conversation is what feels like an interview. He asks about my previous job experience, how I handle pressure in the workplace, and whether I can lift up to fifty pounds.

Recruiter #1: “Well, this has been great! Do you have any questions for me?”

Me: “Could you tell me the pay range for this position?”

Recruiter #1: “The… pay range?”

Me: “Right. Like, [Local Gas Station] has window clings saying they pay $13 an hour to start. What is your starting rate?”

Recruiter #1: “Oh. Um, I’m not sure. We can discuss that during your interview, though.”

Me: “I thought we just did the interview?”

Recruiter #1: “No, this is just the initial contact. We can set up an interview for [time and date] if that works for you.”

Me: “Okay…”

The interview time comes, and the conversation is much the same: employment history, conflict resolution, and so on and so on.

Recruiter #2: “Well, I think you would be a great fit for [Company]. If you can come by today, we can get your drug test done, and as long as everything comes back clean, you can start next week.”

Me: “I’m sorry, what is the starting wage?”

Recruiter #2: “Oh, [Recruiter #1] should have told you.”

Me: “He said that would be discussed in this interview.”

Recruiter #2: “I see. Well… I will have to get back to you on that. Are you able to come get your drug test paperwork today?”

Me: “I would like to know the pay before continuing any further with this process.”

Recruiter #2: *Getting annoyed* “That’s not something we discuss outside the company.”

Me: “But you just said [Recruiter #1] should have told me. How can—”

Recruiter #2: “I will have to have someone call you with that information. I don’t have it on hand.”

Me: “Okay. Once I have that, I will decide if I want to join [Company].”

He hangs up without another word. I have basically decided that I’m not taking this job, but I still want to know the pay; their avoidance of the subject just makes me want to press harder.

A week goes by before my next call. [Recruiter #3] goes through the same interview questions, talks about the same benefits… and avoids the same question.

Recruiter #3: “We offer a lot of great benefits, and—”

Me: “Look, I am not going to go forward with this until someone tells me the pay range.”

Recruiter #3: “I don’t have that information on hand.”

Me: “Your team has called numerous times, and I’ve answered the same questions time and again, but nobody there can tell me what the hourly rate will be. If the next person to reach out doesn’t have the answer, I will not be taking the job.”

Recruiter #3: “Okay. Well, thank you for your time.”

They did not call again. I asked my friend what he started at, and he told me it was a dollar above minimum wage.

I work in a cafe counter inside of a chain retailer. I was not directly involved with this incident, but I got the details from the manager, and I saw the entirety of the exchange.

A customer came up to the register our store manager was counting and demanded service.

Customer: “None of your incompetent cashiers have been able to help me, and they said you were the manager!”

The manager closed his till and turned to her

Manager: “Yes, ma’am, how can I assist?”

Customer: “I want to purchase this toaster for the sticker price, which shows $1.50, but your cashiers are saying that is impossible.”

Manager: “Can you show me where it said it was $1.50?” 

The customer proudly showed her phone screen to our manager with a smug look as if she had caught him in a lie.

Manager: “Oh, I see the confusion. The price here is what we pay to display this toaster, and the price is for our inventory prices. It is listed as display — see here?”

The manager pointed to the name of the item which, instead of saying the type of toaster, said, “DISPLAY,” and then showed her that next to the price, it said, “INVENTORY PRICE”.

The customer started gasping like a fish.

Customer: “Well, this is false advertising, and I need to be compensated! You can’t overcharge me for a $40 toaster when you pay $1.50.” 

The manager held up a hand. 

Manager: “No, we pay $1.50 to display this. We pay the price for the toaster and then some.”

Customer: “Well, I want a discounted price!” 

Manager: “Sure. We can give you a discounted display price. Let me go get the display, and you can have that at a discount.”

Customer: *Shouting* “I don’t want a display that has been out and touched by people! I want a brand-new-in-the-box toaster!” 

Manager: “Ma’am, you do not have to shout, but you will not get a brand-new toaster for the display price. You can either get a display price for the display model, or you get full price for a brand-new toaster.” 

Customer: “No! The customer is always right! I will get a cheaper price for this. You will open that drawer up and take my $1.50, and I will leave with this brand-new toaster!”

Security had arrived after she had started yelling the first time and was waiting behind her.

Manager: “No. I will not be doing any of that. If you want that price you will have to find it elsewhere, and security will be escorting you out. Have a great night.”

The manager plucked the toaster from her hands and put it under the counter, and then he turned to his till, opening it to continue where he left off.

The customer reached into the till and attempted to grab money from the till. The security guard body-blocked her attempt, letting her know the police were on their way.

The customer freaked out and started booking it out the door. Little did she know, security had been having lunch with his officer friend in his office, and the lady was greeted by the officer’s partner who was waiting outside for their shift to start. 

This happened a couple of years ago at a department store with one of their tools that often go on sale for huge discounts.

We were helping my in-laws clear out old belongings when they were moving, and I found an impact wrench that looked unused with an old receipt attached. My father-in-law said that there was always a problem with it, so he never used it and forgot to return it.

I decided to try to return it to [Department Store] since they have long warranties on their products. The customer service representative looked at the receipt for $60 (on sale from $200).

Representative: “You can’t return this item with this receipt. Too much time has passed and the receipt is useless.”

I tried explaining that there were issues with the wrench, but she didn’t believe me. I Googled the issues right there, and it came up as a recall item for the exact reason I had stated. I showed it to her, and she begrudgingly agreed that I could return it as a recall.

She asked for the receipt back so she could refund me.

Me: “No, too much time has passed and the receipt is useless.”

She glared at me and processed a cash refund for $225+ including taxes.

I parked in a two-hour zone in front of a store that had just opened half an hour before. The city meter maid came through and ticketed every single car on the block for overtime parking!

Security: “Uh, they’ve all only been there for half an hour!”

The meter maid just ignored him.

Half an hour later he came through and ticketed everyone AGAIN! 

It’s the only ticket I have ever gotten in my life, and, unfortunately, it was not worth fighting a $10 ticket.

The client here is an office ward of a big city in Japan.

Client: “Could you do this pamphlet translation? How much will it cost?”

Me: “Yes. It will cost [amount] per character.”

Client: “Our budget is very small. Can you do it for [smaller amount] per character?”

Yeah, yeah, I know. You have the money, but you don’t want to give it to freelance translators who are working on their sofas while watching TV.

Me: “Okay. As it is the first time I’m working with you, I’ll accept this time — and this time only.”

Client: “By the way, after the translation, you also have to check the pamphlet for layout problems.”

Me: “Fine, but that will cost additional fees. It’s not included in the translation work.”

Client: “If your translation has to be revised, will that cost fees, as well?”

In Japan, there is always someone in the office who likes to “revise” translations — or, in other words, “mess it up”.

Me: “If there is a problem with my translation, no. But if someone in your office revises correct parts of my translation, I will charge you to retranslate, yes.”

Client: “Okay, thank you.”

Me: “Does that mean I’m hired, or…?”

Radio silence. Good riddance.