>

Yep. I would expand on this but u said it perfectly
Retail or food service, once. I agree with that. >

same thing in general, different specifics, but same outcome >

I'd rather work retail tbh >

As someone who has worked both, I agree. Don't get me wrong retail sucks balls, but food. Holy shit people are dumb and fucking cruel. Regardless I have stories from both that are almost unbelievable because even living it I'm like, "can people really be that fucking dumb?"
Small example. 
"OMG you have turkey burgers now?! That is so cool, they are like still beef though right?"
 It took me a good 30 seconds to realize she wasn't joking. >

How big is a 12 inch pizza? >

Working in the general public hurts lol >

I’ve never worked in retail, but I’ve worked in restaurants. People are just insane when they’re hungry. >

I've worked fast food and retail. I think diners are less reasonable than shoppers. Thinking back on it now it blows my mind that people can be that nasty to what are essentially kids.
But I worked at Home Depot, and I think that attracts a more laid back customer. Not that there weren't exceptions. >

Although i agree that we should treat everyone with respect, retail or not, but people with no emphathy will continue to be an ass, no matter what you enforce them to do >

Yeah, scientist are debating where empathy comes from, some people are just born evil. >

Not neccessarily. You always have that one asshat who claims they've 'worked here before' and 'you're doing it wrong'. >

That is the person I'm speaking of.. You think they worked in customer service? >

Yes, thank God I’m a CNA and I’m nursing school now, but most bitching customers during my food service in high school always broke out the “I’ve worked in food service for xx years and I would never tolerate this at my restaurant!” >

A mandatory year of retail service, sort of like Korea and their military >

I've actually considered this thought. 
What if EVERYONE had to either join the militarty or be placed into a public service job like the post office or city clerk, construction for the city or other ideas. >

No better way to get the most uncaring, uninterested work force imaginable. >

I imagine teenagers with no regard for anything who cause absolute pandemonium for shop owners lol >

Teenagers are usually the better people to work with, actually. They're usually very quiet and kind compared to 20-40 crowd ive had the displeasure of being around. 
In my 15 years in retail I've never had a teenager try to manipulate or gaslight me into giving in to work place bullying. It's always people who have been adults for a while. >

I know people who once worked in retail who are still rude to retail workers. Now that they’re out of the game they don’t care. Some people just don’t learn. >

sounds like you have shit friends sorry >

People don't learn. If anything experience makes them worse. >

Bro not even retail workers want to be retail workers. 👍🏼
But I guess the real problem is that... retail work usually requires to deal with people and that can be painful.
But hey here's another "unpopular opinion" 
Don't like your job? Get a better one
(If you can) >

And, this is the important part once you have that job, don’t move up, just live relatively frugal. >

Just for more context:
I don't work in retail at the moment. I used to work at Fry's Electronics. I was at the returns counter one day and someone was trying to return a 3 year old Cotton Candy Machine. It was clearly used many times.
​
I told the person I could return the item and then he proceeded to threaten to give me aids  and I should be careful who I "talk to like that"
​
Please tell me any other minimum wage profession that has that kind of interaction..... >

The care sector >

Kind people will be kind and shitty people will be shitty… regardless of their previous work experience. >

No. You don’t have to work a retail job to know how to treat retail workers. >

You'd think this was what everyone thought until you've worked in retail
​
Let me make it clear. YOU ARE RIGHT. but this isn't the reality we exist in >

I don't think those people are assholes because they didn't work retail. Some people just suck. FWIW the only thing that sucked about retail was the pay. The hours being off of the regular 9-5 made it easy as a student and the work itself was relatively easy. Hell as a best buy associate it was a terribly paying job with a bunch other horny people in their 20’s. >

I’ve never worked in retail and I 100% never will. I know how poorly they’re treated. I know how much it sucks to be yelled at. It’s the exact reason I’m never going to do it. >

well then, spread the gospel >

Or simply, “everyone should be kind to one another”. I’ve never worked retail, but why is that needed, just be a human being. >

Grocery store cashier in high school and then a little bit when I came home from college for breaks….
That job made me hate people, and made me realize the extent of human stupidity. 
Yes, me, the 17 year old was in charge of pricing and logistics of ordering. Oh and yes I was hoarding more of the ketchup in the back. And I too was really heartbroken when you told me that you’d never shop in my store again. And I was extra sad when you chastised me because the other store in town had that one item for 10 cents cheaper…. >

I work at a high-end grocery store, and people try to tell me how our store has gone downhill because we can't get certain things in right now blah blah blah. I reminded a woman that it's not just our store that can't get things in right now. It's EVERY store you go to!
My hubby got told in the dairy department that he ruined this lady's Easter because we ran out of Lamb shaped butter! He said yes ma'am,  because Easter has NOTHING to do with Jesus dying on the cross and being resurrected.  It has everything to do with LAMB SHAPED BUTTER!! What a twat! >

You don’t need to work i retail to get the same experience. You can work in customer facing role to understand how hard the role can be.
I work in hotel reception and I’ve sorta reached that point where I’m not worried about taking back to people. Because you catch on fast that sometime is they’re only there to cause you issues - and you have to the courage to say “hell no”
Retail worker or any customer facing roles are the back bone of todays business work. >

Why would anyone want to waste their time on a job that sucks when they have better choices? >

I was a bagger at publix and there was a dude that came in regularly that would always ask me to bag his groceries in paper bags and then put those bags in plastic. Spoiler alert, paper bags don't fit very well in plastic bags so this would always lead to him getting incredibly frustrated as my 15 year old self struggled with the impossible task and leaving in a huff to go speak to my manager after he was done checking out. Fuck that dude. 
Had multiple people put hands on me because they didn't like they way I'd bagged their eggs, had people yell at me in the parking lot as I tried to move carts back to the store... God I hated that job and what it did to solidify my contempt for humanity >

I don’t have to work in retail to know the stories enough to know how shit it is. I know how to treat people with respect.
Honestly it baffles me how many people can’t imagine what’s it like for a moment to live in someone else’s shoes. >

Never worked retail and I agree. 
Not that it is at all practical or enforceable or realistic on any level, but there's a gut feeling in me that says everyone can learn something about treating people better, by being treated like absolute crap for a week. >

I think it will become self enforceable in time when no one can get their starbucks or taco bell >

I'm not so sure. We're at minimum staffing already and I keep hearing, while I'm at work, how nobody wants to work anymore. Pay a living wage and hire enough people to do the job correctly, and people will take the jobs. Instead, the executive bonuses just keep going up. >

I worked in retail and I genuinely agree with this. 
The hours are long, your feet are dead, people treat you badly, your managers are often just awful. Your hours are bad. 
For example in high school I worked at Best Buy. My manager was cruel and also, she had me working shifts like: 8 hours close, getting off at 12:00am. Then, 8 hours starting at 10am the same day. Because you’re legally required to give a 10 hour break. My drive there was 30 minutes.
Now I’ve worked worse in my “career” life, for worse people, and been treated worse. All in all my retail experience pales in comparison to the awfulness in career jobs, mine being in tech. I had some bad luck maybe. But, my experience in retail was good for me and helps me have empathy to kids/people working these jobs. >

Hey, I work in tech too and I totally agree with the fuckery that is involved with the industry. In fact its very similar.
The reason I bring up retail is because the PUBLIC is involved and the public doesn't give a shit about people. >

Yeah, seeing Karens just shit on these kids trying their best in a bad situation always gets me. >

In Tech, Its also the same shit too.  " have you rebooted your computer recently?
"Yeah I did it today"
and then you check the logs and it hasn't been rebooted in 4 days >

In their mind, it is your job to help them to solve the problems, they think they need to pay zero effort. >

I don't think you understand how much you are relating to my original post
EDIT: i thought this was the original commenter >

I tried, I really did, no one would hire me. Also those resume questionnaires are impossible.
My only jobs have been full time office and studio jobs. >

Shitty people are shitty people, doesn't matter what jobs they've had.
Decent people will be decent regardless. >

I never worked in retail and i dont need to, to know that i shouldnt be an asshole to people who are just doing their job. >

Over the decades of my adult life I've known plenty of people who have and plenty who haven't worked retail.  The ones who have aren't noticeably more empathetic. >

Bollocks to that. >

Just because some people are forced into a retail job because of a life situation (I doubt many people consider it a dream job), doesn’t mean you should want to force it onto other just because of the asshole customers. You deal with assholes in almost many jobs. I’ve never worked in customer service but I bet they get it worse. >

I disagree because while I admire the optimism, you assume that everyone would act with empathy. Too many people, maybe even most, would still treat retail workers like Hell because they would see it as "their turn" to be the asshole. >

I’ve worked retail for 3 years now, assistant manager, and absolutely hate it. I only stay because frankly it’s the only thing I have going for me, but no one gets why I’m so stressed out once I get home and want to do nothing. People are assholes, no one does their job properly so I have to pick up slack, oh and also, why the hell don’t men flush public toilets. Why. Think about how you treat the people who sell you what you want we are about to retaliate >

Haven't done retail but I've done food service and call center customer service and I never want to see or interact with a customer ever again >

How people are treated in retail( can’t speak for restaurants. I’ve never worked at one) is blown way out of proportion. I worked at a grocery store for several years. It certainly wasn’t what I wanted my career to be and the odd customer can be an absolute nightmare. But 98% just wanted to buy their groceries and leave. Most were perfectly pleasant. >

This is a very popular opinion between people I know who have worked retail jobs. It is also absolutely correct - the number of people shitting on so-called unskilled workers is far too high and the treatment they get is often atrocious.
It is also far more valuable than most blue-collar office jobs who contribute absolutely nothing to society. >

white collar office jobs. blue collar is used to mean the workers on the floor. It comes from the blue thick canvas uniforms worn by techs. >

Everyone should work in food service and be responsible for a public restroom. >

Damn this hit home as a flight attendant. It’s a two-fer. >

I find it funny everyone will agree yet who are these people mistreating retail workers then? >

My mom and my brother. A waitress put our settings down too hard for my mom apparently and she went off about how she had an attitude, to her face, and that if she was going to get a tip she'd need to be better than that.  My brother used to try and get phone numbers from his servers.
These people mistreating retail workers will never admit to it because they walk away being told that the customer is always right. My mom's full on yelled at workers because my mom didn't read the return policy on things she was returning and still expected her money back. And the manager ALWAYS said he was sorry and my mom fully walked out thinking they were idiots and she was the smart one.
The fact that you clearly doubt this happens is very telling about the kind of person you are. >

I would say everyone should work an industrial job once. A lot of people have no idea what goes into making what they consume. >

what about the disabled, they might not technically be able to do the kind of industrial job people first think of when they hear that term and the kind some might have to get to get one would make others see them as "cheaters who got the cushy jobs" >

Fuck no. >

I said the same thing after my logging career was over about eveyone should have to do a day in the woods, to see what it really means to earn a dollar. >

I see what you're saying and I disagree. 
Most humans will  never have to Engauge with a logger. But do you want your starbucks? >

I don't mean talk to one do a days work in the woods like one.
I don't do Starbucks to be honest and I'm always polite to who ever. Hell when I was a corporate IT manager I would always address the janitor in the high-rise as others would never say hello. >

I would take it a step further and say that your education isn't complete until you've worked retail or in some similar private sector business.  You could have 10 PhDs and if you haven't done that then your education isn't complete. >

I never worked food service or retail and have a doctorate and full time career in my 30s. Are you saying I must drop it all and get one of those jobs or I will never be complete? >

No, not at all. 
Many people are kind.
However,  many people are entitled and therefore demand perfection from someone who is being paid minimum wage. >

To be fair, I’ve known people who have worked those jobs and still acted rudely to the workers. Some people are just demanding jerks regardless of experiences. >

I haven't worked in retail, worked in an Amazon warehouse though as my first job. Similar kinds of dumb shit you have to put up with, but also different. 
Anyway, i find myself inclined to agree >

Just wanna be able to upvote opinions I agree with :p >

I was a server for 4 years and have been working in somewhat retail for a year now. Had 2 notable rude customers for the entire 4 years of serving. With this retail job I have a mental breakdown and cry about once a week because these people are absolutely brutal. For reference I work for Stitch Fix which is supposed to be a personal styling service so I communicate directly with customers, but they seem to think that anything goes as long as you’re behind a computer screen. >

Doesn't have to be retail. Any job where you're serving another human would suffice imo. >

I've applied.  I was rejected. >

I think most people do >

Never understood rude customers or the ones who treat workers like they arent regular people as well. 
Bunch of manchilds and womenchilds
Thats... the first time i ever used the term womanchild...... >

I tried sending many job application to the supermarket or grocery store job.
But i didn't get any job offer sending over 150 job application in between 2018-2019. >

My father always treats waiters like shit and it's insane because he was one. I used to think it was because he thought he could do their job better, but I've come to realize that it's just that he's an asshole. >

I work at a small business with 16 retail locations.
95% if our transactions are great and the customers love us.
Every now and then we get pain in the ass customers.
If its a situation where the customer is 100% in the wrong we can just use our discretion on how we want to deal with it.
We've also had customers blatantly lie in online reviews with camera footage proving it. 
Those ones are fun because the owner of the company will politely, "professionally tear them to shreds in the response from the business owner" >

I'd venture to guess that most people have worked retail at least once. >

Nah I don't think it would make people change. The people that complain about service are the same one that complain about the smallest thing that happen in their life and work. Even if they'd work in retail they'd blame their coworkers or their clients or anything but their attitude. I've never worked in retails but I would never treat bad someone that is literally working to help me or make the shopping experience better for me. >

Also food industry >

I dont think we need everyone to work in food or retail to teach people how to be decent human beings. No matter what there will still be those people who scream, throw tantrums, and generally be rude just to get their way. >

Did my 2-3 years, never again lol. >

I used to think adults were smarter older people. After a while working in retail it really cured me of that idea. The world is full of idiots. Scary people who can't do basic logic are out there voting and operating fast cars every day, the world is much more chaotic than you'd ever believe. >

As a product designee, I ever think it once to be a retailer to know the operation… >

💯 I've said many times either retail at Christmas or being a server should be a requirement. I've done both and it'll show you the worst of the worst. I have tremendous respect for service workers >

I worked retail when I was putting myself through college, so I was there for a few years. I left when I started getting internships that were year-round, and I’ve been out of school for a few years now. I STILL have dreams—more like nightmares—sometimes of me going back to that old store and working again. >

Retail is the backbone of most western everyday society, the workers deserve better than to be treated so badly by the customers >

I feel like the 3 years at McDonald’s and Panera as a HS/College student, and a few months at Target prepared me for everything I’ve faced working as an adult. >

When I worked in retail it made me hate retail staff more. 
Your logic is sound but human behavior is not. >

Agreed. I couldn’t stomach food service so I went into retail. It’s not much better >

Hmm, many people here seem to have worked in retail. Do you consider me an asshole customer:
I’ve lived and live around similar areas my whole life, all of which are small towns or villages. I avoid conversations in a shop, like if someone asks me how I’m doing I’ll just say “good” or something short without trying to sound rude. Im not there to talk, I’m just trying to get my stuff and go. I do always say hello and thanks, but I don’t want to talk about anything nor do I like it when I’m stuck in long line because the middle aged shop keeper is busy talking to a customer, with annoying yelling children, about local gossip or, still after years, can’t work the register or the lottery system properly. 
Anyway I got my happy ending in the end. The village I live in now only has one shop and it’s run by an Indian couple. They are fast, not greatly talkative but not in a rude way, if there’s a line and the first customer is taking the piss they will serve the person behind them and sometimes serve two customers at the same time with both tills. By taking the piss I mean situations when people who do things like “oh I forgot…” while running back to get something or taking ages getting their money or busy being indecisive like talking to a child “you can only choose one, which one do you want”. 
Better yet people who come in daily for the same newspaper or item will just leave the money on the side if they’re serving someone and once acknowledged, walk out. I love them shopkeepers. >

Military too. >

As a neurodivergent individual, I don't think I'm the kind of retail worker you would want. >

And get more "I suffered you should too)? >

New form of national service? >

I tried when I was younger, they said I was overqualified. When I showed up for the interview in a suite the manager looked at me like I was ready to steal his job. >

I don't have the patience I would be fired within a week >

Is being a pizza hut server/waitress considered retail >

I understand conceptually enough that I ensured myself to never have to work at those jobs. >

if you ever want to know just how shitty your neighborhood is, work at your local pizza place. you will know within a week. >

Shitty people will still act shitty even after working retail. >

I’ll add to the list:
Customer service and waitstaff >

I definitely agree! I’ve been with Walmart for 6 years and it’s ridiculous how people don’t have basic manners or kindness for the employees in the store. >

What merit is there for individuals who would ordinarily not do so
What do they gain for sacrificing their time 
Keep in mind empathy or things of that nature is not a gain for them >

Or the Service Industry. Take your pick. >

Agreed, really shows you how you should be treating these workers >

I don't think it takes working the job to treat people with basic human decency. Also, there is no one size fits all for people to act how we subjectively think they should.
I do agree with the bigger thought here. People should be more respectful of others. >

I agree with you. Not only does it give people perspective, but it also builds character. I feel the same about owning an unreliable car. I think everyone should own a POS at some point in their life, so they can build their problem solving skills by getting where they need to go every day >

either it's mandatory and known to them so they don't learn the lesson or it's without their knowledge and requires moon-landing-level conspiracy >

I worked in food service and lost the will to live. I don’t think it should be mandatory lol >

Agree! It’s a real shit show. People wouldn’t believe the customers sometimes. >

Agreed.
And bosses of retail businesses should be retail workers as well once in a while.
And retail workers with a shit attitude should become garbage collectors for a while.
Humanity becomes better if we all once in a while have humbling experiences. >

not if they're mandatory >

I think it teaches great morals i agree that everyone should definitely at least once work in retail >

I feel the same way about the military.  I've done both and they are both met with a lot of misconceptions and attitudes >

Not an unpopular opinion >

I don't know, I've never had a job in retail yet I've never felt the need to treat any employee badly. I don't disagree that it's probably a valuable experience to have for everyone but I also think how people treat retail employees is more a matter of values and education not so much a lack of experience working that type of job. There's just a very ingrained (sorry if I spelled that wrong) sense of entitlement among many people, combined with the idea that certain types of workers are "lesser" that makes them think it's acceptable to treat them like trash, and that they should get their way every single time (even when their demands are completely ridiculous), and when they don't it's the employee's fault. A lot of people don't seem to understand that most employees are very limited in what they can do and don't set the rules and company policies, they just do whatever they were hired to do. >

Everyone should also work in a kitchen once >

Pretty much all customer facing jobs outside of extremely high end stuff isn't worth it.  Manufacturing is way better.  Pays more too >

Retail is way easier than back area at McDonald's, or any kitchen for any food place. I will stand by this until the end of time >

What’s amazing is after working retail and then working somewhere else, you realize how much of petty tyrants retail managers are. 
Did they really have that much of a power trip while only making $36,000? >

Everyone should wait tables, work in a kitchen, and outdoor manual labor at least once.
Retail ain't shit. Waiting tables is retail x 1000.
I'm 46 and I've worked quite a few different types of jobs. Working in a kitchen in any typical chain restaurant (not fast food) is the most difficult and exhausting imho. >

what about the disabled? and also what about all those other jobs and if you work more than one day in every looked-down-on job when do you have time to do yours? >

I worked retail at Service Merchandise for 3 years. It was an easy, breezy job. Learned a lot about electronics.