Random People Are Sharing Their Stories Of Being Mistaken For Employees (17 items)

• (#8) Candy Apple Lady With Surprise Ending

  From Redditor /u/seanbeedelicious

  So I went to Aldi today on my lunch break from work. I was shopping for ingredients to make hard apple cider. I found the only apple juice Aldi sold without preservatives and loaded up my cart with a dozen half gallon bottles and kept them in their cardboard boxes so they would be easier to transport. There were a few other items I needed to pick up so I pushed my cart through the store shopping for them. A woman noticed the boxes of apple juice in my cart and asked where I had found them. I had nothing better to do, so I walked her over to the apple juice display where she thanked me. Another woman immediately came up to me and asked,

  "You used to have these candy apples in the store but I can't find them. Where are they?"

  I had no idea where they were so I said, "I'm sorry, I don't know - I don't work here."

  Her eyes narrowed and she responded, "What do you mean you don't work here? I just saw you help that other person."

  Now, I am in a t-shirt and corduroy pants and don't look at all as if I would be working at this store. I could tell that this was not going to go well no matter what I said, but I attempted to be polite, "I'm sorry, ma'am. She asked me where I had found this apple juice so I showed her. I don't actually work here."

  "What do you mean you don't work here?!"

  "I don't work here. I am a customer, like you."

  "Just tell me where the candy apples are!"

  At this point it was getting weird. "I really don't know where the candy apples are. I don't work here."

  "You don't know where anything is in this store?!"

  "I know where the apple juice is."

  "WHERE ARE THE CANDY APPLES?!"

  "Ma'am, I'm sorry I can't help you. I really don't work here."

  "WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

  "It means that I don't work at this store. I don't know where the candy apples are. I am a customer like you."

  "THEN WHY ARE YOU STOCKING THE SHELVES?!" She indicated the boxes in my cart filled with apple juice."

  "I am shopping I am going to buy what is in my cart..."

  "NOBODY NEEDS THAT MUCH JUICE! YOU WORK HERE AND YOU NEED TO TELL ME WHERE THE CANDY APPLES ARE!" At this point everyone around us had stopped and were staring.

  An Aldi shelf stocker came over and said, "Ma'am, the candy apples were a seasonal item and I'm afraid we are sold out."

  The woman glared at the Aldi employee, and then me and said, indicating me, "WHY DIDN'T HE TELL ME THAT?!"

  "He doesn't work here, Ma'am."

  The woman then roared in exasperation, pushed her cart into an aisle display of canned food, knocking it over and screamed, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE!!! I AM NEVER COMING BACK!"

  She stormed out of the store, fuming. The employee gave me with a WTF look, which I returned, then I proceeded to checkout.

  I loaded the juice into the trunk of my car and hopped in the driver seat. I checked my mirrors before backing out and noticed that the candy apple lady was in the SUV to my left, sitting in her driver seat, sobbing.

  I rolled down my window and waved to get her attention. She noticed me, waited about 15 seconds, then rolled down her window.

  "Are you OK, ma'am?" I asked.

  Through sobs and tears she said, "I said I would bring candy apples to my grandson's party."

  I asked her when the party was to take place and she told me 'tonight'. I told her that I had seen kits to make candy apples over at Safeway, and that if she made them now they should be ready by the time of the party.

  Her eyes lit up and she looked at me, "Thank you."

  "You're welcome."

  I went back to work.
• (#17) "I Might Be A Chef, But I'm Not Catering This Party"

  From Redditor /u/serenitylights1002

  This takes place at my grandmother's 30th birthday party. I know it sounds weird, but all my life, she claimed she was 29. I figure this was actually her 80th birthday and told my boss such since the party took place in a different state. Her birthday was close to Halloween so the guests were encouraged to come in costume. Having recently graduated from culinary school, I wore my old chef's uniform that I used to wear to my classes. Nice cheap costume without having any money.

  The party catered with all kinds of seafood that my grandparents ate on their yearly winter excursions to the Florida keys. When it came time to eat, I happily filled up my plate and sat down at an empty table to eat. My grandpa's cousin (GC) was sitting at a neighboring table, eating with one of the other party guests. She said something about the nerve of staff eating while the party was going on to the person next to her, indicating me.

  Being shy, I got up to find my mom and told her what GC said and ate my food. Later on in the evening, my mom introduced me to GC as her daughter.
• (#16) Toilet Paper Is Suddenly Making Everyone Angry

  From Redditor /u/cyber_gypsy15

  At the end of February, I got a job as an Inventory Associate. As luck and timing would have it, the pandemic swooped in and basically made my job useless until stores can get their inventory back. So, in an effort to give employees hours and keep their job secure, my company has been sending groups of us to stores like WalGreens and Rite Aid to help them put their trucks away, since many of the stores lost employees and they are seriously undermanned.

  So, I can understand why people think I work at those stores because I’m putting stock away and going in the back room to put totes away. Sometimes people do ask me where things are (such as toilet paper and thermometers) and are very understanding when I explain my situation. More than one actually apologized for interrupting my work.

  Except for today.

  Cast: Me: a non employee, RD: Rude Dude, GM: Good Manager (the guy I reported to while I was there)

  So I’m stocking some food products and basically keeping to myself. I’ve been to three of these stores in three days and I just wanna get done. Im sitting on the floor as I hear the dreaded call.

  RD: Excuse me (I keep to myself again, silently hoping there was an employee near by). Excuse me!

  Me: Yes?

  RD: You guys got toilet paper?

  Me: Actually I don’t work here. I’m just...

  RD: No one has any. You got some?

  Me: I don’t think any is here.

  RD: Fine where are the masks?

  Me: Probably by the gauzes, I think aisle 16?

  RD: What do you mean “you think”? You should know. Who just sits on the floor?!

  Me: Again, I don’t work here. I’m helping out.

  RD: Just tell me where the damn things are or I’m getting your manager.

  (As a side note: I don’t have a “manager”. We have a “supervisor” but people can’t really tell the difference because they are working with us. The only time we get “called out” by a supervisor is because we did a count wrong... which we aren’t doing at this moment.)

  GM comes walking through, coming to check on us. I think he was coming over by just how loud RD’s voice was getting.

  GM: Hey, ____. How’s it going here?

  RD: This girl won’t tell me where your toilet paper is. She’s trying to keep it to herself.

  I had to stifle a laugh at that.

  GM: (confused) Sir, we are all out at the moment. ____ is here because she’s contracted to help us stock due to the pandemic keeping our employees at home.

  RD: So she does work for you! She should be fired for trying to keep products away from the customers.

  GM: Again, she is contracted through another company. That’s why her uniform is different. Toilet paper products are in (some aisle number I don’t remember). Don’t be too upset if you can’t find any.

  RD huffs and storms off to the empty aisle. I look up to the GM, who has a satisfied smirk on his face.

  GM: I get upset when people around here treat my employees badly. I don’t want you being treated that way just because you’re here helping out.

  I hate doing stocking but at least it’s money. And I’m glad I at least I got to be in a good environment where the store employees helped me out. Apparently a pandemic equals treating people like sh*t.
• (#4) She Stole His Milk

  From Redditor /u/Crimson6alpha

  I was out at a local grocery, just doing a basic food run.

  While walking past the milk coolers I grabbed the last two pint bottles of chocolate milk. As I let the door to the cooler close and put the bottles in my cart I notice a rather hefty woman standing a tad too close to me. As I start walking away I hear her say “where are you taking those?”

  Unaware she was talking to me I kept walking. Next thing I know my upper arm is grabbed and pulled. Now for reference, I’m about 6’2”, built like a brick sh*thouse, and generally a fairly bristly person (so I’m sure my demeanor didn’t help the situation.) At first I just sort of stared at her almost surprised that she had the gall to act this way with a stranger that looks like I do.

  HW: I said where are you taking those?

  Me: what?

  HW: what are you doing with those chocolate milks?

  Me: buying them?

  HW: ok well first off, lose the attitude, and second, I’m sure you’re supposed to let customers have them and not take them for yourself.

  Now at this point I will point out that it took me some time to realize that she thought I worked there because the uniform for this store is red shirts and khaki pants. I was wearing tan pants, a red white and blue flannel, and a brown jacket.

  Me: what are you talking about?

  HW: those were the last two milks. Give them to me.

  Me: oh f*ck off.

  I then walk away a few aisles down to look at soups. I step a few feet away from my cart, so as not to block other people trying to come through the aisle, when I see movement in my periphery. I figure it’s her and decide it’s best to just laser focus on the soup and ignore her. After waiting for a bit and sensing her leave, I go back to my cart and immediately notice my milks are gone. I’m now in a sort of mood where the next person that talks to me could be Tom Hanks and I’d probably be rude.

  I continue my shopping when the woman comes walking over with an employee, I’m assuming a manager. She shoves a one of her sausage fingers in my face and shouts about how “this is the employee that took my groceries and told me to f*ck off. I want him fired NOW.”

  Now that I had realized what was going on I just about lost it:

  Me: I don’t f*cking work here you moron.

  Manager: woah, hey now.

  HW: see what I mean? Fire him.

  Manager: ma’am he doesn’t work here.

  HW: then why did he say he did?!

  Me: I DIDNT!

  HW: you’d better watch your tone my husband is-

  At this point the woman was cut off (though I am genuinely curious as to what her husband was. An eggplant farmer? As big of a jerk as her? The world may never know) by another store employee, this one wearing a black shirt and khaki pants, although the shirt had the store logo on it. I believe he was their asset protection employee.

  AP: ma’am may I look in your bag?

  HW: what? No. Why?

  Manager: what’s up Greg?(not his real name)

  AP: was watching the monitors, saw her take something out of this guys cart and put it in her bag.

  At this point I start laughing.

  HW: (to me) screw you! (To the employees) I was going to pay, I just didn’t want him trying to take them back!

  I start to walk up to the front so I can pay and leave. As I get there I notice a couple local police officers walking in and an employee point them offer to the guy in the black shirt who is now walking the woman up front as well. As they walk past me towards a back office I hear one of them explaining to the woman who is now in hysterics that “yes ma’am just hiding them in your purse constitutes retail fraud.”

  I then left, wanting nothing more to do with this lady. Moral of the story: play stupid b*tch games, win stupid b*tch prizes.
• (#2) She Threw Her Cart At A Jaguar

  From Redditor /u/vita_est

  I work at a hospital as an ER nurse, which means when I start at 7am, by nine in the morning all the f*cks I possess are gone and by the end of my 12.5 hour shift I’m pretty much just done with people in general (don’t get me wrong, I love my job, but fighting Darwinism can be exhausting).

  So after a rather grueling shift I stopped by the grocery store for dinner. I’m tired, and feeling super lazy at this point so even though I’m only grabbing a couple of things I use a regular cart (coz, you know, I can lean on it). I do my shopping, pay for my goods and head out to my truck. Just to inform, no khakis were involved here. Store employees wear dark brown slacks, white collared shirts and ties. I was wearing an Incredible’s scrub top (yes the animated movie, no you can’t judge me) and bright blue scrub pants.

  After loading my groceries I, of course, return my wheeled crutch (ahem, shopping cart) to the corral and return to my truck when a harpy with a RBF that would make Louis from Malcom in the Middle proud screams across the lot.

  (M) Me (H) Harpy

  H: Boy! I’m done you can take my cart now!

  M: Huh?

  (I know I look young but, really? Boy?)

  H: Come over here and take my cart!

  M: yeah I don’t work here, sorry.

  H: just do your d*mn job and take my cart!

  M: that’s gonna be a hard no from me, sorry.

  I start (again) back towards my truck. Harpy at this point decides to thrust her cart towards me. It rolls (as carts with wheels are wont to do) and to me, it’s like a train wreck. I want to look away but I can’t, I’m mesmerized by the free range movement of this cart as it runs right into a Jaguar... a nice clean one... with dealer plaques still on where the license plates should be... and a woman who totally looked like a Karen (you know the type) just getting out...

  The Karen obviously starts screaming and hollering as only a Karen can. Harpy is trying to blame me for not running out to catch the cart. I’m trying very hard not to start laughing. I finally get back to my truck as Harpy is screaming at me to stop because this is my fault coz I should have collected her cart in the first place. The last thing I heard before closing my door and driving off was the Karen screaming at Harpy about how “he’s f*cking wearing scrubs! How could any idiot think he works here?”

  I think this was the first time I’ve ever rooted for a Karen.
• (#15) When The Manager Thinks You Work There

  From Redditor /u/aijerithai

  Had my roommate take me to Whale Mart last night, I was wearing average sign friendly clothes (Dark shirt, blue button up overshirt that was open, black swim shorts, no yellow vest indicating I work for the mart of Walls).

  Completely second hand. Some of you may recognize me from my account as I've posted some more wholesome stories on this subreddit. But I'm severely hard of hearing, so much so I claim to be deaf. I can't hear women and children, completely silent. That's important to this story.

  A female manager at the Whale Mart was apparently screaming and hollering at me for a solid 10 minutes before my roomie figured out WTF was going on, and got my attention. He had told the manager that was screaming at me that 1) I'm a customer and 2) I'm deaf.

  The manager went as white as a sheet of paper and apologized profusely.

  Silver lining? $10 gift card for not even knowing that I was getting screamed at by a banshee.

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