People Tell Ironic Stories Of Being Mistaken For A Store Employee

Retail workers are the backbone of America. From clothing stores and movie theaters, to restaurants and gas stations, company employees make the world go ’round. Most retail staff have special uniforms to wear at work—you know that those orange-clad outfits from Home Depot, or those blue tops at Best Buy. There are also logos, name tags, or other swag. Now imagine how awkward it is to accidentally wear orange into Home Depot, and have customers swarming you when you don’t even work there.

From strange vacation requests, to being threatened with termination, the people of the internet have a ton of crazy stories about people thinking they work somewhere. Do you just play along when someone thinks you’re a Walmart employee? The good news is that you can’t get fired from a place you don’t work, right? For these people, being mistaken for an employee ended up being weird, crazy, or just plain hilarious…

The Getaway Car

One day, my mother had injured herself at work, and she had trouble walking. After school, I was sent into the grocery store for the essentials while she waited in the car. As I was loading up my basket, I heard someone behind me clear their throat. Thinking I was blocking the path, I didn’t look back at them and just moved closer to the shelf. Then, I heard an aggressive sounding, “Excuse me!” 

That’s when I felt a hand clamp down on my shoulder. The woman yanked me around while yelling something to the effect of, “Get me the dang [insert item here] now.” I was holding a heavy glass bottle of soda, and as I stumbled back, it collided with the woman’s head. I just ran out, jumped in the car, and told my mom, “Just go.” Reddit User [redacted]

Giving Up My Seat 

I work as a manager at a fast food restaurant. After finishing, I decided I would pop into the local shopping center. I changed out of my shirt into a hoodie. I was wearing black, nondescript pants and a blue hoodie. I sat down at a table with a burger and popped my headphones in. All of a sudden, someone slammed their hand down in front of me on my table….

I looked up, and there was a middle-aged woman. She said, “Excuse me; I said I need that table.” At this point, I was entirely confused. I told her I was busy using the table. She then said, “Mall employees have to give up their seats to paying customers.” There’s no such rule; it’s the food court. Also, I didn’t look like I worked at any of the restaurants and told her I don’t work here. She then asked to speak to my manager. I burst into laughter. Reddit User: yesharoonie

Time For Your Own Medicine 

I stopped by a grocery store to grab a couple of things. I had spent all day dealing with rude customers, so I was already grumpy. I was wearing my uniform (a red polo and black pants), but I also was wearing a sweater, a purse, and had a grocery basket with me. As I was pondering what to get for dinner, I heard someone behind me clear their throat…. 

Out of habit, I stepped to the side. “Oh my god, seriously?” I heard. This got my attention. There was this girl with her boyfriend; they were fighting, I guess. She then said, “Are you freaking kidding? I have a question. Isn’t your job to be helping the customers, or are you stupid or something?” I turned around and said, “I don’t work here, and even if I did, that’s not how you ask someone a question.” Reddit User: deekari

Pumping At The Gas Station 

I was just at a gas station pumping gas when the lady at the pump across from me stuck her head around and, in very broken English, asked if I could help her. She said that she was having a problem with the credit card reader. I went over to see. She put her card in backward, and it became stuck. Easily enough, I got it out for her and showed her how to put it in the right way….

I headed back to my Jeep and started to put the pump back, only to find some woman blocking the door. “It took you long enough. I’ve waited five minutes already. Hurry up and pump my gas,” she said. She had an Oregon license plate. I started to explain that in Washington, we do our own gas. “What the heck?” she screamed at me. “You won’t help me because I speak English? You freaking racist! Go pump my gas, or I’m going to get you fired.” Reddit User: inibrius

Get Your Own Game 

A friend and I decided to go to GameStop. I was wearing a polo shirt and had a lanyard/ID around my neck because I had just left the office. This kid came up to me in the Xbox section and asked me if a certain game was available for PS3. I went ahead and answered him in the affirmative, “Yes, this title is available for PS3.” He simply said, “Get it for me….”

“Excuse me?” I asked. “Get it for me. I want to buy it.” I told him to get it for himself and then turned away. He carried on and got pretty angry and ran off to his mom. We were now about to stand in line when we saw the kid and his mom making a fuss. She was complaining about an employee who wouldn’t get a game for her son. The manager looked at me and told her, “Ma’am, he doesn’t work for GameStop.” Reddit User: b4dkarm4

Don’t Mess With My Earphones

Last weekend, I was at a big box home improvement store looking for components for a little project I was working on. I wasn’t dressed remotely like the staff and was listening to an audio book with a set of Bluetooth headphones. This middle-aged dude kept asking me where some product or other was. I glanced over at him and said, “Sorry man, I don’t work here….”

I went back to browsing the shelves when suddenly, I felt my Bluetooth headphones ripped from my head. I heard a distinct snap. I grabbed the guy by the front of his shirt. “I told you I don’t work here, you idiot,” I said. I have never been in a fight in my life. Now I had threatened a dude in a store. My headphones, shockingly, were fine, though. Reddit User: donttouchmyheadphone

Looking For The Pretzel Buns

I work for a university police service as a security officer. My uniform consists of a white shirt with gray slacks and a blue striped tie. I rolled into a grocery store where employees wear brown slacks and green polos and started putting together a dinner for the evening: spicy tacos. While I was doing my thing, I felt a tap on my shoulder….

I turned to see a woman in her mid-40s. “Where are the pretzel buns?” she asked. After a second of wondering how she mistook me for an employee, I indicated the general direction of the breads and told her she could head that way to find what she was looking for. Noticeably dissatisfied with that answer, she said, “Do your job and come find them for me.” Reddit User: [redacted]

I Really Don’t Work Here 

After finishing up a grueling shift at the restaurant I worked at, I contemplated going home to change out of my uniform before I drove to the store. I was browsing the store for the particular items I wanted, and this lady was just staring at me. She said, “I’m looking at you because I need help, and you just look at me and pass me by?”

Absolutely tired of all the stress from my own job, I just replied, “It’s because I don’t work here, ma’am.” “Don’t give me excuses!” she said, obviously too infuriated at me to believe me at all. As soon as I showed her my name tag, she became quiet. The next day at my shift, she was in the store complaining to my actual manager about how rude I was to her the previous night. Reddit User: among_shadows

Clear As Day 

I work for McDonald’s. The location of my store is surrounded by grocery stores. One night, I walked in with headphones on, a red and black polo that CLEARLY SAYS ‘McDonald’s’ untucked, and my McDonald’s hat still on. I was just browsing the pasta aisle when, all of a sudden, someone came up to me and pulled out one of my headphones….

“You work here, right?” asked the lady who interrupted my music. “You shouldn’t be listening to music while you’re stocking. Now, do your job and help me find paper towels.” I said, “Ma’am, I don’t work here.” She immediately went to find a manager. She found me a few rows later, manager in tow, and started screeching. “Ma’am, she doesn’t work here,” the manager explained, “She’s a customer just like you.” Reddit User: nijiroppi

Asking For The Manager 

I was traveling for a job interview a few months back and needed to pick up a replacement charger for my phone. I was dressed up, blue button-down, black slacks, blue and white striped tie. I’m browsing PC headsets when a lady walks up to me and crosses her arms and starts tapping her foot, clearly upset. I start to walk away, assuming I’m blocking her view of headsets….

She says, “Um, can I get some help?” I tell her that I don’t work here but could try to answer some questions she has. This is when she loses it and says, “All of your employees here are so rude, you want my money without giving any service!” I tell her again that I’m just a customer. She then says, “Then why are you dressed in the uniform?” I tell her I’ll find an employee to help her and she says, “No, I want your manager, I’m getting you fired.” Reddit User: abchiptop

She’s Not Employed By Us 

I had just finished my shift at a supermarket; my mum picked me up from work, and we stopped off at a petrol station on the way home. I was just browsing waiting for my mum to pay when a lady came up to me. She says, “Where are the nuts?” Me: “Oh, really sorry, I don’t work here. I’m just still in my work uniform….”

Once again, she asks where the nuts are. I tell her again that I don’t know since I don’t work here. She then says, “Excuse me? Where’s your supervisor, you’re rude.” The lady then storms over to another employee and starts loudly proclaiming that a “member of their staff” was being rude to her and refusing to serve her by pretending to not work in the shop. I make eye contact with the employee and gesture to my ‘WAITROSE’ apron. The employee explains to the lady that I don’t work here. Reddit User: leonardo-di-caprisun

Stealing A Child 

I was in a bookshop with my infant daughter sitting in the stroller beside me when the stroller suddenly began to get pushed away. I turned to see a lady pushing my daughter away from me. I ran for the stroller, grabbing one of the bars and yanking it from her fingers. “Ma’am, what exactly do you think you’re doing?” I asked her tensely. She looked up at me, alarmed….

“I was just trying to find the kid’s parents! Do you think you could help me look?” I said to her, “What’s wrong with you? It’s my daughter!” The lady began to cry. “I don’t know. I thought you worked here. I’m so sorry,” she sobbed out, and I finally put my hand down as she ran off out of the store. I pulled my daughter from the stroller, picked a book, paid for it, and left. Reddit User: DoctorBitter

What Goes Around Comes Around 

I was at a local big box hardware/plumbing/gardening store picking up a few bags of topsoil for my garden. As I’m loading the back of my truck, some woman drives up to the loading area and tells me, “As soon as you’re done with that one, I need you to load up my order.” I plan on finishing up my load and leaving, but while I’m working, I can hear her on the phone…. 

“Ugh, this store hires the laziest people; the kid they have doing the loading is so slow.” I load the back of her SUV with the wettest, nastiest bags of mulch I can find on the piles, being sure to stack them neatly in the back. Tell her she is all loaded, “Have a good day, ma’am.” I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take her to clean 480 pounds of moldy wet mulch out of the back of that SUV when she gets home. Reddit User: yetshi

I Don’t Work Here

I work as a POS technician. My job is essentially driving around with a truck full of touch screens and receipt printers doing service calls at grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and retail stores. Many times each day, I’m confused for staff, and it’s completely understandable since I’m usually behind a counter. I do what I can to avoid customer contact; dress in all black, no nametag, carry tools with me, avoid eye contact….

I make sure to get in and out as quickly as possible. This works most of the time, but otherwise, I have no problem explicitly telling people, “Hey, sorry I don’t actually work here, but they can help you on the other till.” My job is literally ‘I Don’t Work Here, Lady…The Movie.’ I wish people would be friendlier when I tell them I don’t work here. Reddit User: [redacted]

Are You Deaf? 

It was freezing outside, so on my way home, I decided to buy a portable heater for my bedroom finally. I stopped at a hardware store and was crouched down in one of the aisles, looking at the various heaters on the bottom shelf. “Hey, I need to find the bathroom fittings,” came a voice from behind me. I clearly heard what the woman said but assumed she was talking to a shop employee somewhere behind me….

“Hey,” she tapped me heavily on the shoulder twice, so I looked back over my shoulder at her. “Are you deaf? Where are the bathroom fittings?” I just looked at her, and that pushed her over the edge. She started yelling, “It’s your job to help me! Are you going to tell me where the bathroom fittings are, or do I need to go find someone who isn’t stupid?” I just walked off. Reddit User: ohdonpiaano

The “Ask Me To Help You” Look 

I swear I have an “ask me to help you” look because I get this on a regular basis. I’m at the store with my wife and one-year-old daughter. My wife grabs the store-brand bag of marshmallows, but it’s actually the name brand that was just placed in the store brand’s spot. So I squat down while holding my daughter and search for the store brand because it’s the exact same thing but $2 less. I find it, and we move on.

Then I go back because I forgot to get sugar. So I take my daughter with me back to the baking aisle. A woman who had been in the aisle previously is still there. She comes up to me and tells me she needs me to get something for her. I look at the ten pounds of sugar in one hand and the 20 pounds of baby in the other arm and tell her, “Sorry, I’ve sort of got my hands full here.” Reddit User: [redacted]

Serving On Vacation 

So I’m on vacation with my family. The hotel we’re staying at has a nice free breakfast. It has one of those waffle machines as well. We walk down to eat breakfast. I make everyone a waffle because “dads are the best.” After I hand out the waffles, I finally make mine and start to sit down when I hear, “I’d like two waffles.” Obviously, I ignore it and sit down with my family. The lady follows me. Crazy lady: “Didn’t you hear me? I said I wanted two waffles….”

I say, “Yeah, I heard you. The breakfast is self serve. You have to make them yourself.” She says, “I just saw you hand out waffles to these people. Get off your butt and do your job.” I laugh and say that they’re my family and that I’m on vacation like her. Her kid then points out that I’m wearing Batman pants. It finally clicks, and she makes her own breakfast. Reddit User: crazyjoe20999

In My Star Wars Pajamas 

I had this experience at a hotel once, and I wasn’t even serving people. I was wearing Uggs, a Disneyland sweatshirt, and my hair is freaking purple and in ratty buns. I’d just woken up. There was nothing about me that said, oh yeah, she’s in control of the food. But this woman comes up to me as I’m fixing up a plate to gluttonously/lovingly take back to the room I was sharing with my parents….

And she starts making an order. “We’d like two white toast, butter, and jam, a bagel with cream cheese….” I just said something like, “All right, yeah, that sounds good, and I have toast, too.” She looked at me like I had said the rudest, most bananas stuff she’d ever heard. It wasn’t until just as I was leaving that I heard her husband say, “She doesn’t work here! She had Star Wars pajamas on!” Reddit User: Pedadinga

Just Because I’m Wearing A Blue Shirt

I was at a major electronics store known for their blue polo shirts. I just got off work at a warehouse and had a blue t-shirt on. I was looking at movies when I heard a woman snapping her fingers right at my face and, in an angry, loud tone, said, “Excuse me!” I slowly turned to see a middle-aged woman standing there. “You need to go get (whatever item she was looking for) from the back….” 

It was only then I realized what had happened. I quietly replied that I didn’t work there, which just set her off in a rage. Now I can’t remember exactly what she said, but it was along the lines of “Listen here, you stupid idiot. I know you do work here. You have a blue shirt on. I’m going to get you fired. Where’s your manager?” I don’t yell at people, but I said, “Listen here, lady! I don’t work here! Just because I’m wearing a blue shirt doesn’t mean that. I’m a customer. Now leave me alone!” Reddit User: moderndante

Merry Christmas To You Too 

I decided I needed to go out and buy some groceries for the week. What completely slipped my mind is that it was the day before Christmas Eve. It’s not until I see the parking lot that it dawns on me: this place is PACKED. I find a parking spot, take a deep breath, and make my way inside. I grab a cart and start pushing through the crowd….

I begin walking down the aisle when I notice a confused woman staring directly at me. I keep walking, and my intention is to walk past her to where the tape I need is located. She says, “Excuse me.” I realize she’s speaking to me. I ask if everything’s okay. She then asks about repairing something and told me her whole life story. I think I helped her, and she said thank you and went on her merry way. Reddit User: foxyguy

Bridesmaid Troubles 

I was a bridesmaid at my friend’s wedding this past weekend and had a very strange experience in the venue parking lot. So it’s 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. The bride can’t find a bag with her nylons in them and thinks it’s still in her car, so I offer to go grab it for her. So I’m walking across the parking lot towards her car when some random lady pulls up to me in a van….

I can’t hear what she’s saying at first, but naturally, I assume she’s a guest or something. I ask her if she’s here for the wedding. She says, “No, I’m looking for the office. Where is it?” I tell her I’m a bridesmaid and I don’t know. She then asks where the manager is and if she can still eat here if the wedding is happening. I didn’t see her eating at the venue, so I guess she was told to leave. Reddit User: PhosphorescentWoman

Here Comes The Bride 

We had a small wedding and a big evening reception for extended family and friends at a local hotel; as a thank you for my mother and newly minted mother-in-law, we bought them bouquets and the staff hid them in the bar stock room until we were ready for them. I got changed out of my dress and into something I could have fun in after the traditional first dance and dancing with my dad….

Things were going well. The time came to get the flowers; the staff was busy but said I could walk behind the bar and get them myself. As I was headed to the storeroom, a man shouted, “Excuse me.” I thought this was for the bar staff because I don’t work here. The man says, “Can’t you just serve me? I’ve been here for ages.” I tell him I don’t work here and that I’m actually the bride. Reddit User: [redacted]

Karen 1 And Karen 2 

A few years ago, I worked in the phone department. Our uniform was a blue shirt and black pants. One evening after I got off work, I went across the street to a store that had their employees wear a red shirt with khaki pants. I’m shopping around just like every other customer in the store when these two middle-aged women approach me. We shall call them Karen 1 and Karen 2…. 

Karen 1 asks me where she could find an item in the store. I’m a little caught off guard because obviously, I don’t work there, right? I look at her and say, “I have no idea.” She glances at Karen 2 and then looks back at me and says, “You don’t know where ____ is?” I stare at her and say, “Um…no, I don’t.” She huffs and rolls her eyes at me, and the Karens turn around and stomp off. Reddit User: newmansam6

A Helpful Young Man 

I was in Boots looking for some perfume for my wife when an old lady, who must have been 90 if she was a day, came up to me. She asks if I can show her where the hand cream is. I tell her that I’m sorry, but I don’t work here. She then says, “Oh dear, there’s never anyone around, is there? They’re all on the tills or in the pharmacy….” 

I tell her that we’ll go and have a look together. After finding the hand creams and other items, she turns to me and says a big thank you to me. I tell her, “That’s no problem; you’ve made my day, it’s a long time since anyone called me a young man.” She says, “Well, you’re young compared to me! Thank you again, let’s hope there’s someone at the till now.” Reddit User: darkfishlord

A Helpful Stranger

Now I’m not one to bother anyone who isn’t a store employee for no reason, which is why I find my story so appropriate. I was in my second year of college and first year living away from home when the situation happened. I was out shopping for an electric chopper to make my favorite Passover dish, which is Charoset…. 

The problem was that the exact appliance I wanted to buy was on the very top shelf. But of course, I’m only 5’2,” and I would only be able to reach it if I climbed the shelves. At this point, I’m missing my older brother, who’s 6’1”. So what do I do? I go on a mission to find someone tall. I see my target. A very random customer nearby who is very much a tall guy. He was very helpful! Reddit User: Girl848

The Lady In Black 

A week before Christmas, my wife and I took a trip to New York to do some Christmas shopping; we’re from Sweden. Now, as many other Swedish people do, my wife and I wear a lot of black—all black all the time, pretty much. We’re on our way home to Sweden and have a few hours to kill at the airport. We decided to take a look at the tax free-shop…. 

I get bored and go sit on a bench outside the store. My wife stays in the store and looks at some products when a lady comes up to her and asks about the price of something. My wife tells her, “Sorry, I don’t work here.” A moment later, another lady comes up to my wife and asks her something. Once again, my wife says she doesn’t work there. A third person came up and asked her, and that’s when she left the store. Reddit User: Babbelisken

The Moment She Realized 

I’m standing in the frozen food aisle, staring blankly at tater tots when I get this annoyed “Ahem.” I look over and there she stands with the classic Karen, hairdo and all. I get “Ahem” again. I go, “What?” She says, “Are you going just to stand there, or are you going to help me?” I say, “Help you what?” She yells at me, “Don’t be so rude and help your customers. What aisle is chai tea in?”

I tell her, “Lady, I don’t work here.” This Karen goes ballistic, shrieking at me and losing her mind, accusing me of lying to her, that I shouldn’t treat customers that way, and demands to speak to my manager. I said,” I’m wearing an oversized hoodie and fluffy slippers; do you really think I work here?” She then spots an actual employee, and I could see the moment she realized what a fool she was. Reddit User: -Redonkulous-

A Real Animal Lover 

My class and I went to our local Petco for a field trip. Now, I love animals and am high-functioning autistic (important later), so whenever I go to a pet store, I learn all the names of the cats up for adoption. On this day, I did the usual routine of going to the cats and saying hi. I already knew this Petco, so I showed my classmates around, then went back to the cats…. 

There was this older man looking at the cats and seemed interested in a cat named Lucy, the friendly one. Being the animal lover I am, I start trying to convince him to adopt little Lucy. Now he seems interested and says he would talk to his wife about it. He then asked me for my name so he could talk to me with his wife. “Oh, I don’t work here, I’m just a student.” He then laughed and said, “Thank you anyway.” Reddit User: Creata_Owens21

More Helpful Than An Actual Employee 

I just came from a pretty long run, still in my sportswear, and decided to quickly hop into the store to get some stuff for later before going home. On the way to the counter, an older woman grabbed my arm and asked me why the nail polish was so expensive. I was kind of dumbfounded and said that I didn’t know what she was talking about…. 

She tried to explain that she wanted to buy some nail polish but wasn’t willing to pay so much money for it. Still confused, I told her that there was cheaper nail polish on a different shelf. She looked at me for a second and started laughing after she realized that a sweaty person in running clothes was probably not an employee. I showed her the nail polish that I usually use, told her about the difference between top and base coats, and we went to the counter together. Reddit User: Eefillil

Lending A Hand 

Last night, my wife and I ordered food from O’Charley’s for pick-up. Since it was raining, I went inside to get it rather than having the poor curbside girl deal with us in the cold rain. So I’m standing at the window, waiting for my food to get assembled, and I feel a tap on my arm. I turn to look, and a woman says, “Hey, when you get a minute, could one of you go wipe those tables down?”

I’m confused for a moment and realize she’s the manager. O’Charley’s has a similar dress code as what I’m wearing for their managers, and I’m standing there looking into the kitchen and observing. Once I realize what’s happening, I just grin and say, “Oh! I don’t work here!” The realization that she doesn’t know who I am hits, and she laughs and apologizes, saying I looked like I did. Reddit User: vernanonix

Stirring Up Some Trouble 

I went to Target wearing a red polo and khaki pants, knowing the dress code is, of course, a red polo and khaki pants. Now, I worked in retail all through high school and most of college, so I know how the industry works. I headed to the shampoo aisle and started pulling all of the products to the front of the shelf (facing)….

It was about 30 minutes when a manager came over and asked if I could help her stock part of the truck. I said, “Of course!” When she asked where my name tag was, I told her I didn’t have one. She took me to the back and apologized, saying, “What’s your name again?” So I told her and bam—I’m officially in! I worked about 10 more minutes and told her I was leaving. When she asked if my shift was over, I told her, “I don’t work here.” Her face was priceless. I left. Reddit User: Mars_Adventure_Camp

Giving Some Useful Advice 

I had just gotten off work at a popular fast food joint and went to the best place to buy things. I wasn’t buying, just looking for a new SSD to order at a later date. This nice young woman walks up to me and asks if we repair MacBooks here. I say, “They do. But I wouldn’t recommend getting repairs here.” I say. She looked at me, confused, and I realized I had to say it….

“Sorry, I don’t work here.” She laughed, a bit embarrassed. I then said, “But I can try to help. I worked on my own computer.” She explained to me that her MacBook isn’t working and that she knew something needed to be replaced. I told her about a computer repair shop where she can get the MacBook fixed for cheaper. She thanked me, looked up the shop on her phone, and then left. Reddit User: mattstorm360

It’s Not My Job Anymore 

So I worked for an ISP, and years later, I was made redundant; I wasn’t happy about it, but it happens. I had given a customer my number a while back to try and help them. That was a bad idea. I get a call from them saying their email isn’t working and when am I going to fix it. I tell them I don’t work for the company anymore and that they will need to call the company…. 

I get told that’s not good enough, and I once again say I don’t work for them. The grumpy customer says, “You’re supposed to be contactable about these things; when are you fixing my service?” I tell them it’s not my job anymore. The customer says he’ll sue the company for poor service. I say, “Feel free; they made me redundant, and I don’t work there. Sue them to bankruptcy.” Reddit User: warmachine83uk

Thanks To The Random Guy

I was at a clothing store in a mall sorting through some red skinny jeans. I normally wear size 40, but I lost some weight, so I was looking for pants that fit as my legs were slimming. 36 was the biggest size they had. A gentleman came up to me and asked me if I worked there. I told him no. He said, “Oh, you’re really well dressed, so I figured you did….” 

I thanked him, and he went on his way. That gave me the confidence to go from 40 regular fit khakis to 36 skinny fit red jeans. The pants fit perfectly, and I had no trouble getting them off and on. On top of that, they were 50% off from $30, which I expected to pay, but I only paid $15 due to it being an online return. Thanks random guy that made me feel good! Reddit User: Tabgap

Almost But Not Quite 

So recently, I moved to a different state, and instead of getting a whole new job entirely, I decided to transfer to the same pet store chain that I’ve been with for over a year. A few days ago, I walked into the store to finalize a few things with the transfer. However, I was not wearing my usual blue work polo, since I hadn’t officially started working just yet…. 

As I was trying to find my manager, a man came up and asked me how I was doing, to which I replied, “Great, how are you?” and then he asked me if I worked there. I laughed and said, “Nope, not yet!” and he just laughed and walked away. I don’t know why he thought I worked there, as I was wearing a black logo t-shirt and jeans, but hey, he was nice about it! Reddit User: lilheley

Employee Of The Year 

I was at Fred Meyer one day, and a frustrated seeming older woman walked up to me and asked me if I could help her find measuring spoons. I was shopping for food, but almost six years of Walmart training kicked in. The lady and I made pleasant small talk, and I helped her find her measuring spoons, which were too high for her to reach anyway…. 

When I turned around to hand her the spoons, a look of horror crossed her face, and she said in a very embarrassed tone, “Oh my god, you don’t work here!” I just smiled at her and said something like, “No, but I don’t mind helping people find things if I know where they probably will be and the person asks nicely.” She told me that they should just give me a job here on the spot. Reddit User: Foggy2016

The Unintentional Salesman 

So I work for an electronics retailer that wears blue shirts. Down the street a little is a savings membership warehouse wholesale store. I’ll often stop in after a shift or for lunch. On this particular day I was there after work, just sort of browsing. A woman walks up to me as I’m looking at one of the TVs and asks, “What can you tell me about this TV?”

Without skipping a beat, I tell her all there was to know. Refresh rate, resolution, true blacks, recommendations of smart app programs, the works. It was conversational to me. She says, “All right, you sold me. I’ll take one.” I tell her there’s a store worker over there and they should be able to help her. She looks confused, and then I tell her I don’t work there. She laughed. Reddit User: Seannj222

Helping Out When You Don’t Have To 

This happened in Quebec, Canada. I was comparing a few laptops, and when I finished up with them, I took the time to fix them up to the way they were presented to me. I work in technology retail and know how annoying it is to keep all fixed up. This all happened while I was wearing a blue shirt and jeans. When I was checking laptops at Best Buy, I was approached by a senior lady….

She says she’s looking for a new laptop. I tell her I don’t work here and I’m sorry. She says, “Oh sorry for bothering you. Since no employee is around, could you help me find a good laptop?” I tell her I’m happy to help out. After 10 minutes, she made her choice. She even gave me $10 for helping her out, and I was very surprised. Reddit User: smaltais

Minding My Own Business

So for starters, I’m a trucker by trade and a biker by choice. I was just running to the store for some lunch and a few supplies for when I headed back out in my truck, I had my beard neatly tied up, and I wasn’t riding, so I was just in a gray t-shirt, jeans, and my “truck shoes”—in other words, dressed down. And this store has the “clean cut” with a red branded polo and khakis outfit….

I’m not sure if they thought that I was security or something, but a lady and her daughter charged up to me wanted me to “do something about those kids.” Apparently, some of the kids were playing on one of the free provided motorized carts, and they didn’t approve. For the record, I don’t approve either, but 1) I don’t work there, and 2) they’re not my kids, so I was minding my own business. Reddit User: vagrantmessiah