Warning:
Long-ass and long-winded post that brings out the profanity and violence in me as I talk about my past.
If there's any mention of ex-colleagues, names are not changed so you can be alerted to this person who is in your workplace and that you should be careful and wary of them.
You've been warned!

Well, I've been contemplating since forever if I should even do this post. But thinking back on how I always resigned from my previous workplaces due to rude customers makes me resolute in posting this up finally. This includes a history of my almost all of my previous workplaces and the kinds of rude customers I've encountered along the way. I never once believed in the phrase "Customers are always right" or "Customers are kings", I solely believed in that one true phrase instead, and that is "Customers are fucked-up idiots who think retail staffs aren't human enough to be given a little more respect". Yes, you heard it right. If you've ever worked in retail at least once in your life or is still in retail, I'm sure you understand what I'm trying to convey here. And for those of you who are so "blessed" to never have to work in retail ever, instead being just a little smart to have a desk job all your lives, here's one thing from me: Grow some brains and appreciate the retail staff serving your rude ass. It doesn't hurt to show just a little appreciation in the form of a friendly greeting such as "Good Morning/Afternoon/Evening" or a "Good Day" and end it with a "Thank you".

Let's face it, I have a short temper and that is probably part of the reason why I always managed to survive at any workplace for a good 2 years only. You heard me right this time round, I only work 2 years at any retail place, the max is 2.5 years before I call it quits with the rude customers. Sure, I would have to have a long-term career at least one retail place and I'm not being greedy, but being able to say I've worked at XX or YY for 5 years at the very least is somewhat like a lifelong goal in my retail workplace bucket list. But sadly, I'm just saddened by the monstrosity and atrocity that rude customers can go just to wreck someone else's rice bowl just because they needed someone to vent their frustration on. What better way to vent one's frustration than on a helpless retail staff who is fucking tired from 12-hour shifts for the past 2 days already?

Yes, you jerks and bitches whom I am talking about "anonymously", you know who you are!

~Image Source: 9GAG~

#1. KFC

Ah~ Who can forget KFC? My first workplace as a part-timer when I was still in Secondary School. I think I was around 14 or 15 years old, I was still in Secondary 3 and the KFC outlet I applied to was at Lot 1 Shopper's Mall located just beside Choa Chu Kang MRT Station. I forgot how much I was paid hourly, but I remember I only worked on Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 8pm. The only times I worked till 10pm was when the store manager asked me to work an additional overtime 2 hours because there was a sudden influx of customers and they were short of staffs. And nobody, and I meant NOBODY taught me what to do, what I should do, what to do if a problem occurs and so on and so forth with that shit!

What I forgot to mention is that, this was my very first part-time job as a student. And as every retail staff who works in the F&B should know, one should thoroughly teach, educate and impart the knowledge and skills needed to survive at their very first workplace. But sadly, KFC wasn't that place. Basically, there was this rude Chinese boy who is also a part-time staff who always mans one of the cash counters and a rude Malay lady who is a manager. I think they both schemed to make my part-time job as miserable as can be whenever I am on shift there. That rude Chinese boy is apparently a star staff, meaning he's one of the best staffs there, or whatever shit that means since I have no idea what a star staff means. But now I know better, star staff means someone who knows their job nd can run it well is given authority to bully new staffs.

Every single time, this little fucker always find an opportunity to give me a thrashing for something that I did and for things I didn't do. Instead of giving guidance, this little fucker just thinks he's the creme of the crop at KFC, but sad to say this dude, I hope your real stuck-up attitude shows and shines through when you have girlfriends because that is not a kind way to treat a girl who knows nothing for the 3 months she was working there.

And let's not forget about the rude Malaya female manager there, every single time she lays eyes on me, she like that rude Chinese little fuck-boy is also constantly trying to find things to blame me with. Always giving me that retarded attitude when she can't even clearly says what she wants, and she is supposed to be a fucking manager for god's sake. And the butch manager? God, I now realized I hate butches with a passion from the depths of my black little heart. Little thing is always trying to be the coolest person at that outlet, but we all know how butches came to be. Obviously, there's something missing in them that's why their boyfriend dicthed them which in turned made them go butch so that they can be on the other hand of the stick and reject a girl because well, karma is like that for these type of people. "What you do to me, I can do it to another female as soon as I go butch".

Pay-wise, my first month salary was exactly $100, no more and no less despite doing a few days of overtime on weekends. Then on the second month, my pay was exactly $90, no more and no less despite doing slightly more overtime hours as compared to the first month. Then on the third month, my pay suddenly shrank to $80, nothing more nothing less, exactly $80 and I did overtime as well, just so you know. By then, I knew something wrong was with KFC. My part-time salary was getting $10 short per month and I suspected that I would get even less if I were to stick with them. And shortly after looking at the miserable amount of salary I got, I stopped showing up for work instead choosing to stay at home and do nothing.

Few months later while going window-shopping at Lot 1 again, I chanced upon my store manager from KFC and he said that I should return my uniform if I longer have any intention of working there anymore. I think that was pretty much what I wanted to hear from him tell me so I can leave in peace without any hard feelings.

But thankfully, customers aren't that rude. Or more like, those 2 idiots: namely the chinese fuck-boy and the malay fuck-bitch kept throwing me to do the floor a.k.a clear tables and throw trash and customers can't be bothered as long as I cleared the tables timely so they can sit down and stuff their faces with dead chicken flesh and powdered mash potatoes. In fact, I have the good luck to not encounter any rude customers at all throughout the miserable 3 months I was there. The only 1 customer I remembered like as if it was yesterday was this old lady thanking me: "Thank You Uncle" despite clearly having C-cup boobs, but it was unfortunate my haircut was short like a boy, so yea LOL

Bottom line: I have no respect for KFC staffs and managers alike, even if they are all smiles when I am a customer as I've personally been through the phase where nobody have the courtesy of being patient or explain the ropes to me.

#2 McDonald's

Less than 6 months after my miserable stint at KFC, I was poached by my ex-BFF (who is now my arch-enemy whom I honestly hope married a lousy guy who beats her up, seriously, she is one messed-up girl even despite the times I've stuck with her for so freaking long) to go work at her work-place a.k.a McDonald's. I still remember the day I was there for my orientation really clearly. The manager who was in-charge of my orientation was patient with explaining everything I needed to know. I think it was around 1996 or 1997 back then, but my hourly wage at McDonald's for working part-time was $4.50 per hour and I was sworn to secrecy by the manager as I later found out that my ex-BFF who introduced me there was being paid $3.80 per hour as she transferred from Yew Tee McDonald's to Takashimaya McDonald's, so apparently, they were paying her the hourly wage for Yew Tee McDonald's instead of Takashimaya McDonald's. Well, lucky me then LMAO

I was even asked/instructed to watch a orientation video which was pretty much meant for new staffs, part-time or full-time at McDonald's and the manager even sat through the video with me, pausing every now and then and asking if I am able to follow and proceed with explanations if I have any doubts. I even got a free drink on the house to make me feel welcome, despite the fact that we were having an orientation in a squeezy room that doubles up as a eating place for the staffs on break.

Right after the video orientation, I was given a short tour of my workplace, where the burger flipping action happens, where the annoying as hell customers order for their food as if Hungry Ghost Festival is upon us but for infinity instead of the traditional 1 month long activity. The location of the stock-room, which conveniently is right at the back of the store only, where to throw the trash if I am ever on floor duty, so on and so forth. And each time, the manager patiently explained whatever he thinks is of use to me as a new staff working there. A stark irony to my KFC days when nobody told me anything at all, just expecting me to miraculously know what I am supposed to do right on my first day of work.

My orientation concluded in under 2 hours time, and all the while, the manager was still patient and even wished me well on my journey home and told me he's looking forward to me starting my first day at work on Friday. Thanks Mr Patrick, you're the world's nicest and most patient manager I've ever encountered in my fast-food part-time life ever!

On days of actual working at McDonald's, the staff who's on the same duty as me is just as patient, but in their own "auntie" ways as they impart secret knowledge on how to wash a toilet successfully withough having customers trying to barge in. Let's face it, customers are still blind at that point, what with the numerous chairs blocking the entrance to the toilet. They can simply choose not to see, force their way through and then look surprised at the sight of 2 McDonald's employee trying to wash a frigging toilet in peace. Seriously? You think McDonald's never wash their toilets is it? Little mindless fuckers....

However, I learned another lesson after I stopped working at McDonald's. Apparently, my ex-BFB who offered me a cigarette back then when we were trying to do underage smoking was considered a saint there when I lamented about her behaviour and how she betrayed me. The aunties actually scolded me threateningly and suddenly, me who stupidly accepted that cigarette is the Devil. Well done! Seems like only the managers are the actual humans who have eyes there. The aunties there, well, they choose to believe in their own version of who's right and who's wrong. It's just disappointing.

I've had my fair share of nice and rude customers. But surprisingly, it's the Singaporean customers who are rude, they have no hesitation in throwing money on the counter when being asked for payment. Angry? Yes, definitely. I'm not a slave or a beggar, you are queueing at my counter asking a favour when you buy the food my workplace offers and I demand a little more respect when it comes to paying. So yea, I also throw their change back at them, but discreetly. I just ensure that I fling my arm out violently with my fingers slightly opened so that the coins will fly out of my hands and onto the floor, thereby making them pick their money off the dirty floor. And while doing so, I just gently slammed their remaining change on the counter and call the next customer. So, who's the beggar and slave now, huh?

Bottom line: Have some pity for the staffs there, to be honest. They been brainwashed by their McDonald's management that when you asked for extra chilli, they literally give only 1 packet. But once they no longer work there, they think the same as us normal folks. "What on earth was I doing there?"

#3 Sun Moulin Yamazaki

My first full-time job after I was done with my O Levels and to be honest, I was brainwashed into entering the baking industry by a relative who was insistent I know the fundamentals of baking so she can open her own bakery while I slave away and sweat by the ovens. My buddy for the first 3 months there, surprisingly, a butch as well. But one of the nicest butch I've never met, encountered and worked with. She also patiently coached me on how to work, what are our duties, what we are supposed to do. I was literally the baby chick following the mama chicken for the first 3 months of my life there.

It was tiring, to be brutally honest, working in a bakery that sells baked goods. Machiam like Four Leaves you can see in your neighborhood air-con shopping centre, it is fucking tiring, baking and baking and baking and having to have to prepare the ingredients that goes in baked goods that has them. Think, for example, Mushroom and Ham Bun. The bun is practically easy as pie as it's almost the same for every bun they have to sell, but the Mushroom and Ham part that goes in have to be prepared in advance and stored so you can have them on hand when you need to get that bun baked and sold.

But because my butch senior knows how to make things fun, for example chatting about nonsense stuffs while working can actually make the chore less tiring. Suddenly bursting into song but without the awkward dancing when making a huge pot full of custard or chicken curry. She really made the day enjoyable for me since I have a feeling that she knows what and how it's like to be working full-time for the very first time as a fresh-faced O Level student. There was never a dull day at all, and she even showed me the staff canteen inside Isetan (the one that is opposite Wheelock Place) and boy, there were some cheap but tasty economical rice there. Our company is always the noisiest when it's on break time, that I assure you.

When someone is having a birthday, promotion or something, they actually made sure to invite everyone they can within the company so that no one feels left-out. And honestly, what more can you ask for in a working environment? From the cashiers who run the counters maniacally to the senior bakers at the level 1 bakery to the cafe staffs at the level 3 cafe, everyone has been a joy to work with. However, that happiness didn't last long.

But sadly, the store manager decided to shift a cake staff to my section while my senior goes back to the level 1 bakery. And on top of that, he also shifted some cafe duties to my department, which in turn meant that the cake staff who was transferred to my department is solely doing only cafe duties while I solo slave away in my department. Like seriously? Initially, I tried to make up for it by making certain pastry fillings up to half a week in advance so that I need not have to work a 9am to 10pm shift daily. And get this, when I started working here, my working hours was only 9am to 5pm. Sure, I was getting close to $2,000 per month in my salary despite my starting salary as being $1,300, but it was bloody tiring. Wake up, cried a little, off to work. Off duty at 10pm, go home and lament about being tired and cried some more.

Less than a year later, I left without regrets. I don't need to be so tired just for the sake of earning a salary. The staffs are always great, but it's just so tiring all the time. I never once felt alive at all, I felt like a mindless drone and belong long, I just lost all interest in baking and I don't even want to have anything more with baking. It just sucks the life out of me, and to quote J.LO, "Ain't your mama". I'm not going to work to the point where I don't feel alive anymore.

Customers wise, because I get to hide inside kitchen all day long, I need not have to see nor put up with annoying customers. Yay for the win!

Bottom line: Baking industry is only for the strong-willed, who only see is as their destiny to bake. Basically, if you're someone who is into baking, intend to make baking a life-long career and something you want to do for life, go for it. If not, just don't. It's tiring as hell.

#4 Books Kinokuniya

After sitting on my butt for a few months, I decided to go try out an interview with Books Kinokuniya as I saw an ad for their recruitment. Apparently, they send staffs to different locations based on their attitude and behavior, but in a good way though. The outspoken ones who have their own views are sent to the main branch at Takashimaya, while the quiet ones are sent to Bugis or Liang Court, that was what I assumed. Since I've been to the Bugis and Liang Court outlets and the staffs there weren't that talkative and boisterous like the ones I've encountered at Takashimaya.

The sucky thing is that each department likes to form their own cliques. For example, the cashiers only mixed with the cashiers, the English book department mixed with their own, Chinese and Japanese book with their own, Stationary staffs with their own, so on and so forth. By mixed with their own, I literally meant it as it is. When they chat during break or when they eat during break, they stick to the colleagues in their own department. Which I think is a shame, it's a big company but people are only mixing among their own crowds, based on the school qualifications they possess.

Reason why English book department staffs only hang and chill out with their own? They have diplomas, are undergraduates, so on and their monthly salary is in the $2,000 and above range, so it makes sense to hang out with their own crowd to feel slightly superior, I guess? The cashiers and Stationary department tend to hang around often, partly because we mostly have N or O Level certificates at best, and the rest think we are a crass bunch who talks loud and the fact that some of our English isn't so good. But luckily, not everyone behaves the same.

I have a cigarette friend in the English Book department (we sometimes encounter each other when we go for smoke breaks) who always have a smile whenever we passed by each other during work, and we do make small polite chat. Something that other English Book department staffs don't usually do when they encounter staff from another department. There's also another staff at the Chinese/Japanese Book department, she doesn't smoke. But she also have a kind smile on her face whenever we passed by each other and we also make polite chit chat if we do encounter each other outside our workplace.

Customers wise, well, the rude ones are aplenty, needless to say the least. Allow me to recount this rude bastard I encountered while on duty. I was chatting witha female cashier colleague and somehow the coversation drifted to how we give back customers change. I mentioned that I tend to place the change on the counter as some customers aren't really that comfortable with that kind of skinship going on. This bastard who walked up to pay suddenly ask, "So tell me, why do you not give the customers their change back in their hands?" Like seriously? You eavesdropped on 2 women's conversation and decided to butt in? Best part? Fucker complained as loud as he possibly can while going on about how he "introduced everyone he knows to this place, from his friends to his family, blah blah shit and so on"

Anyway, I got reprimanded for it and the little fucking bastard got to walk away with a $50 book voucher for being a douche. Well done, if you're reading this, you eavesdropping bastard. Hope you sleep well for the rest of your life. Retarded customers like these are just one of the many retarded cases I encountered on an almost daily occurence. I won't even go into detail about how Sylvia Toh Paik Choo showed up when we had our 20% store-wide discount coupon promotion going on, complained about how she can't get a 20% discount on all her purchases because she can't be bothered to go get her own coupons which in turn, I had to pay for a fucking copy of 8 Days magazine out of my own pocket to give her the discount that she is supposedly entitled to. Just because she recommended some books from Kinokuniya.

Bottom line: Unless you are really fond of books to the point you can ignore and still smile at rude customers, Kinokuniya isn't really the place I'd also recommend working at based on the cliques they formed within their own departments. Don't even get me started on that Sylvia Toh Paik Choo case also, just disappointing that a locally-only famous column writer can act like she deserved a discount despite not having a discount coupon in the first place.

#5 Comics Connection

Sat on my bum for around 2 years before deciding to try and ask for a job at Comics Connection. If I had know it was a family-run business, I wouldn't have went there in the first place. I'm sure most of you would have read about their closure online and probably in the newspaper and thinking "Wah! The boss looks nice sia!" Well, you've all been tricked. They all love to be ass-kissed, all by the same useless staff who goes by the name of Jenni. I'm not changing her name to protect her, in fact, I adamantly used her real name with the exception of including her surname so you all can be wary and alert to this girl. If you want to know how she looks like, search for the post titled "What the Bitch" I have made many years ago where I berated and voiced out my utmost displeasure regarding her.

When she first came in, she was supposed to be my assistance while I was to be made in-charge of the tidbit and knick-knack department. But little bitch decided to sugar her way into this position and the boss wife said that she felt that young immature and sugar-coating Jenni is more mature to do that role, as opposed to older me who isn't mature at all. And suddenly, I became her fucking assistance. And boy, did this useless Jenni fucked up big time. Never did overtime but insisted on copying our overtime sheet so she can also claim overtime pay. Left early because she was something on, and that something on is just sitting at home while the rest of us can't leave early despite clearly having real problems that insist that we can't stay.

And the boss wife even let her be in charge of the stocks to the point that her access code can literally do anything and everything, similar access privileges as the bosses themselves, to say it plainly. So if stocks don't tally up, she go forth and change it to the way she felt it should be. 6 months later, the boss was upset cos some of the stocks on hand doesn't even tally but refused to confront Jenni because she "sayang" Jenni so much she couldn't bear to do it. Partly because if she do so, Jenni won't ass-kiss her anymore so she would prefer Jenni to continuously ass-kiss her as long as Jenni is still in the company.

I went from a manga and anime hardcore fan to someone who hates that industry all because of a useless Jenni who couldn't care less about anime nor manga in the first place. I was finally asked to leave one fine day some time around 4ish in the afternoon. And even after leaving, this Jenni won't even leave me alone. She hacked into one of my old Yahoo accounts, changed the text on a layout I was doing, print out the text and bring it to the boss wife. Then claimed I was the one who wrote it. Like wow! Little bitch sure don't give up after she indirectly caused me to lose my job at Comics Connection.

The saddest and most disappointing moment is when the boss wife still believes this lazy bum and even call up my house to demand to know the truth. The truth? Your beloved ass-kissing Jenni did all that, aunti Monica. You've been the worst boss I've ever encountered and although I shouldn't be happy about Comics Connection being gone. But I am truthfully happy your company died out, all because you kept a useless lying and thieving bum at your side, while me who loves the anime and manga industry was kicked out. Yea! Damn right I'm happy your company died. This is called Karma, that took 11 years to happen. Thank you God!

Anyway, it took me close to 10 years before I could bear to read another manga or watch another anime again. That courage I took, courage I used to have which is all destroyed by a single person by the name of Jenni.

Customer wise, as I was working most times in the office, the time that I got to spent with customers is zero. I wouldn't recommend trying for Toys or Games a.k.a "T.O.G" as it's a newly released version of Comics Connection. Tried sending a job application to T.O.G, but I presumed the new boss probably asked the boss of Comics Connection and maybe that's why they never contacted me for a job interview. Goes to see that Comics Connection is still closely linked to T.O.G. Comics Connection never really died, it just got reincarnated as T.O.G to fool the masses.

#6 Pacific Coffee Company

No idea why I went there, but anyways the 2 Hong Kong ladies who were in charge of managing the Singapore outlets of Pacific Coffee apparently dislike me to the point of hating me. No idea why either, it was only when Amy, another store manager told me that I know about it. Not that I care anyways, the managers pretty much sucked there. They promote staffs who ass-kissed to be management trainees. My salary was a miserable $800 per month, and if a mananger fucked up at counting the sales, the staffs have to pay for the shortages. Hmm... perfect when you're already drawing a small amount of salary and your manager decided that the blame should always be pushed to the staffs instead.

Allow me to recount a perfect example of this ass-kissing. There was this new girl who previously worked at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. She never once throw any trash, instead prefering to stay inside the counter for fear of god who knows what? But anyone and everyone could tell she was scheming. Less than 2 months after joining us, she was a management trainee all of a sudden. I worked and slaved away like a fucking idiot, getting burnt, scalded, cut, bleed, fell and hurt my back all for a good 1 year and my useless pinoy manager decided that he prefer to be ass-kissed by a new staff who pretty much didn't do anything except to run the cashier counter.

Needless to say, I cannot tolerate anymore of this bullshit. I managed to stay on for another year since I was getting transferred to the Vivo City outlet, which sadly no longer exists. I finally left when another manager, let's call her Yani since that's her real name, called me at 7am to ask me to go to Red Dot Pacific Coffee to collect a carton of milk and still expect me to reach my workplace by 7:30am. At the time, my bus was already on the express way and it will take 20 to 30 minutes to reach the first bus-stop along Stevens Road/Bukit Timah Road since the expressway is always crowded around that time. And get this, I do not have any cash on me at that time since I didn't withdraw any from the ATM. But she expect me to miraculously hail a taxi and pay with cash. So, where's the cash going to come from since I don't have any on me? And you think the taxi is the magic cat bus from Studio Gihbli?

I was already frustrated with my colleagues and managers for being jerk-asses and now this? I promptly broke down on the spot right in the train station at the seats where you can sit down and wait for the train's arrival while calling Amy, who by now is the Operation Executive (She was a Store Manager when I just joined in 2 years ago). The few office workers who came up to me and ask if I was okay and the many stares I got while crying my eyes out inside Raffles train station, I never forgot that moment when I was so done with bullshitting and ass-kissing that I always and continuously encountered at every workplace led me to voice out whatever was on my mind to my Operations Executive while tears were streaming down my face.

I think that was the most pathetic and saddest moment of my life I simply couldn't find a reason to stay at Pacific Coffee anymore. I'm just done! I went back to my workplace and Yani decided that she needed to pick an argument with me as soon as I stepped in. I simply picked up my bag and walked out of my workplace, with tears still streaming down my face and calling my mother that I am coming home and that I'm never going back to work at that hell hole anymore.

Customers wise, it's a 50-50 percentage between nice and nasty customers. Worst ones are the regulars who worked above my first outlet at Raffles Link. Yep, this place doesn't exist anymore. But be aware when working in a cafe line, it can be good and it can be bad, that's all I can say.

Bottom line: Everyone seemed nice at first, but seems like it's all a facade anyways. Never have I encountered so much ass-kissing going on, and right in my face no less. So, I'm not joking whenever I said "I left my previous workplace because of the ass-kissing". I wish I was lying when I said that line, but that is precisely what I encountered and had to go through while being passed over for a promotion whenever this happens to me.

For now, I am done with these 6 ex-workplaces, there's actually still 2 more. But since I know most of the people at these 2 places, and what with some of them being friends on Facebook with me. I feel it is good manners to not drag them into this at all. Maybe in 10 years time if I am still blogging and working or still alive from all the bullshit and ass-kissing, I will continue from #7 and #8 and so on.