(I am 22 and have just gotten hired as a student at a pet-care facility. I am very excited about working with the cats and with my mom, who had been there for almost ten years. I am frequently complimented on how quick I catch on and on my work ethic. My first evaluation goes well, though I do have a couple things to improve, as I’m still fairly new. I acknowledge what I need to work on, and we end our evaluation on a positive note. I continue to get compliments on my work and even start to develop a good friendship with the other students. My next evaluation is only positive feedback. Six months in, I am randomly stopped in the hallway by my team leader…)

Team Leader: “[My Name], can I talk to you for a minute?”

Me: *judging by the tone, I assume we’re going to her office and I start that direction and grow confused when she doesn’t move to follow* “Sure, what do you need?”

Team Leader: “Look, the other two supervisors aren’t particularly happy with some of the feedback they’ve gotten about you. They’ve heard that you talk more than you work, and you’ve been skipping tasks on the student list that you don’t want to do. They wanted to fire you, but I talked them out of it. So, for the next three weeks, you’re on probation. If we hear any more complaints, then I’m afraid we’ll have to let you go.”

(I simply nod. I am very embarrassed, as anyone could have overheard our conversation, though thankfully the hallway is empty. I start working even harder to keep my job. I check in with my team leader frequently to see how I am doing, and it is all positive, with no complaints. I’m even commended by my team leader for having such a positive attitude. Two months later, long after the probation period was supposed to have ended, I am in the middle of watering the cats for the morning when my team leader stops me…)

Team Leader: “Hey, would you mind coming with me for a minute?”

Me: *not thinking anything of it* “Sure, let me just finish watering this row—“

Team Leader: *interrupting* “You can leave the water.”

(I am now very nervous, as my team leader has never been that short with me. I have no idea what’s going on as she leads me to HR. The HR rep that did my paperwork is at her desk with an odd expression on her face. My team leader asks me to sit.)

Team Leader: “You remember the conversation we had about not receiving any more complaints about you?”

Me: *confused* “You mean the temporary probation I was given?”

Team Leader: “Well, we’ve received emails from over ten different employees over the last few weeks stating how you’re rude, abrasive, skip tasks, and generally just don’t do a very good job. Unfortunately, because of our last conversation, we have to terminate your contract.”

(I am shocked speechless. No one has said anything to me about my work slipping, and I’ve certainly never gotten a complaint that I was rude or abrasive. I am also very confused as to who all the complaints came from, as I only work directly with five or six people. I am mostly upset that I had not even been given a chance to refute the claims.)

Team Leader: “Do you have any questions for us?”

Me: “I don’t understand; what tasks was I skipping?”

Team Leader: “Apparently sweeping and mopping in the room you work in was a common one.”

Me: “No, because I’m always scheduled on isolation cats…”

(In the circumstance that there are enough people to sweep and mop, it is acceptable and preferred that the person scheduled for isolation skip those two tasks to get started on their job, so long as they ask first. There is only one day a week that I am not scheduled to clean them.)

Team Leader: *rather brusquely* “Well, it was on days you didn’t have isolation; I checked the schedule.”

HR Rep: *looking very unhappy with the decision* “We want you to make it clear to your mom why we are letting you go.”

(I thought the comment odd but nodded numbly, and she walked me out of the building. I called my mom in tears, as it was her day off, to explain what happened. She was very upset, but only became angry when we found out a group of her coworkers had purposefully gotten me fired to try to get her to quit, as her no-nonsense attitude doesn’t sit well with everyone. It’s still the only job I’ve ever been fired from, and though I still miss the cats, I am now in a job that I enjoy and am appreciated in.)

(I work at a doggy daycare that also happens to be a bar, so people come there to drink with their dogs whether they are going to daycare or not. A woman who’s never been there before is hosting a meet up.)

Woman: “My dog has been stinky lately… How much for a bath?”

Me: “A bath for a dog of that size would be $24.”

Woman: “Well, I don’t mean a bath bath… Can’t you just put a little soap and rinse him off?”

Me: “That would be a bath. And it’s $24.”

(I work at a pet-boarding facility that also offers grooming and daycare. As a kennel worker, we had first, second, third (janitorial shift), and a daycare shift. I am currently about 20 minutes from the end of my daycare shift that day and my coworker is already there for second shift where it is her responsibility to clean the walls of the daycare area, and third shift sweeps and mops when they arrive. All the tasks for my shift have been completed and I’m now killing time by helping out my coworker and cleaning one of our potty rooms.)

Manager: “[My Name]! [My Name]!”

(My manager finds me, pooper scooper in hand, cleaning.)

Manager: “What are you doing?”

Me: “Cleaning the front potty room for [Coworker].”

Manager: “Well, can you clean the walls in daycare? The dogs somehow got poop on them; they need to be scrubbed really well. And sweep and mop the floors, too.”

Me: “Okay.”

(I proceed to finish what I’m doing and head out to daycare with a scrub brush and a bucket of soapy water and scrub the walls perfectly clean, which was a chore. I then notice it’s time for my shift to end and head to the front to clock out, assuming my manager wouldn’t mind and had only asked me to do those tasks to fill time, since they aren’t my responsibility on my shift.)

Me: “Can I go home now? I finished the walls but didn’t get around to the floors; sorry about that.”

Manager: “Yeah, I guess so, but I’m going to have to write you up.”

Me: “What?! Why?”

Manager: “You didn’t finish all your tasks.”

Me: “But I did! All my tasks for my shift are done. Cleaning the walls is second shift’s job and sweeping and mopping is third shift’s. I know because I’ve worked all those shifts!”

Manager: “Well, I’m still going to have to write you up.”

(Needless to say, I quit not long after this. Along with the manager having no idea what the shift duties were and never keeping cleaning supplies stocked, she also lost customer information and showed up drunk multiple times, including my last day when I was training my replacement. It’s amazing to me that they’re still in business.)

(I’m at a job interview for a dog boarding facility. My previous job has a very laid-back environment, but I want to show that I am serious about the position. They have asked me the basic questions, which I have managed to answer professionally. After a while, they start asking some weird questions.)

Interviewer: “So if you were a type of cereal, what would you be?”

Me: “Frosted Flakes…? Because they’re grrrrreat!”

Interviewer: *completely expressionless*

Me: “I… That was a joke….”

(Surprisingly, after that idiotic joke, I got a call from them a week later with an offer. I ended up declining for a better offer.)

(I own a kennel which provides both boarding & grooming services. I answer the phone:)

Me: “Good morning, [Kennel]. May I help you?”

Caller: “I need to board my dog. We’re here on vacation.”

Me: “Very good. What dates would you like to board your dog?”

Caller: “We need to bring her in today. We wanna go to Dollywood!”

Me: “We do have space for her, but we require proof of vaccinations: rabies, the distemper shot, which includes several other vaccines in it, and also bordetella, which is kennel cough.”

Caller: “WHAT?! We don’t have that with us! You HAVE to take our dog!”

Me: “I’m so sorry, but we’re required by law that every dog has to have current vaccinations. It protects not only your dog, but all the other dogs here as well. You could have your vet call us and confirm that your dog is protected. If you don’t have a vet, I can give you the number of several veterinary practices near you, and they can administer the needed shots today.”

Caller: “NO! You WILL take our dog! You don’t want to make my children cry!”

(I can then hear the woman talking to her family:)

Caller: “This mean woman just told me that she won’t let you go to Dollywood! She’s going to ruin our vacation!”

(I can then hear wailing (as if on cue) from several children.)

Caller: “Now look what you’ve done! You made my children cry! I hope that makes you happy! Now are you going to take our dog or are you going to ruin our vacation?!”

Me: I’m sorry, but without proof of vaccinations, I can’t take your dog.”

Caller: “Well f*** you! You ruined our vacation!” *hangs up*

Me: “Well, alrighty then!”