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There are two types of people in the world: the ones that have worked in the service industry and the ones that have approached the cash register only from the customer’s side. The latter will never understand the struggles service workers have to deal with every day, even if most of those struggles have to do with the said customers.

And sometimes for their own mental health, service workers have to come up with little lies and hacks that help not upset customers and make them more lenient towards them. For example, Twitter user @makaylathinks shared that she once worked with a person who told the customers it was their first day when they had messed up.

Image credits: makaylathinks

In response to this tweet, people were sharing their own stories of when they lied to customers and these are just hilarious. Do you have experience working in retail? What do you think of this strategy of telling little lies to customers to avoid confrontation? Have you ever told a lie to a customer to not admit that you made a mistake? Share your stories in the comments and upvote the lies that you liked the most!

More info: Twitter

It seems that the situation Makayla tweeted is very relatable, as more than 800k people liked it and most of the comments were applauding the coworker for such a genius idea, or people were saying that they did exactly the same thing and it always has worked like a charm.

But lying about being new isn’t the only lie service workers say. Twitter users let others in on many secrets they have used to try to get out of situations they don’t want to be in with customers, or if they have to cover up something they did wrong.

So these tips and little lies are tried and proved to work. If you work in the service industry, maybe they could help you once in a while when you’re having a bad day.

#2

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Just a girl with a brain
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is introverted kids when they say their parents won’t let them when they don’t wanna hang out with someone

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

*Complains about surgery preparation* "sorry m'am it's my first day at work" 😱😱😱😱😱😱

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Looking from the outside customer service doesn't appear that hard. Most often, it doesn’t require a degree or specific qualifications, which is why so many young people work in this industry. You can learn everything on the go and there are plenty of job offers.

According to Pew Research Center, 107.8 million people in the United States (71% of all nonfarm payroll employees) worked in private service-providing industries, which include trade, transportation and utilities (27.8 million workers), followed by education and health services (24.3 million), professional and business services (21.5 million), and leisure and hospitality (16.7 million).

#5

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For tips i suppose! That's kinda sad she needed to do that cause she was underpaid

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Night Owl
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"What's the answer to the ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything?" "42" "Wrong. It's "idk the manager just does it that way"."

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah that bitch always on vacation having us work all day😅😅😅

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Even though the skills required for customer service specifically are easily learnt while on the job, probably the most challenging part is dealing with angry or dissatisfied customers. It seems that they forget that service workers are people too and that they can make mistakes even if it’s the second year they’ve been working the same job. Of course, you would expect them to be professional, but who doesn’t slip up once in a while?

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then he asks where and you have to find the country with the right time difference🤔

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Night Owl
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wonder...did he learn the signs and dates before (so he found a new way to use that knowledge) or after (so he would be more believable) he started doing it

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For months in my job our card machine was broken and nobody really cared that we had to deal with angry customers! So i was blaming the internet connection!! 😅😅

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If you are looking to improve your customer service skills, there are many other tips on how to deal with angry customers that don’t include lying. For example, Business News Daily suggests these 10 tips when dealing with difficult customers: listen, build rapport through empathy, lower your voice, respond as if all of your customers are watching, know when to give in, stay calm, don’t take it personally, remember that you’re talking to a human, and if you promise a call-back, call back and let the customer know what to expect.

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If you are looking to improve your customer service skills, there are many other tips on how to deal with angry customers that don’t include lying. For example, Business News Daily suggests these 10 tips when dealing with difficult customers: listen, build rapport through empathy, lower your voice, respond as if all of your customers are watching, know when to give in, stay calm, don’t take it personally, remember that you’re talking to a human, and if you promise a call-back, call back and let the customer know what to expect.

#13

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Nikki Sevven
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Everyone who speaks English is "still learning English." There are always words you've never heard before.

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

"I used to work here but then a tragic accident happened"😱😱😱

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's not so nice though... they might write review

Alethia Nyx
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You can blame it on the kitchen to take some of the heat off you and still be super nice to them to male up for "the kitchens" mistake so they don't.

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John C
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get this - it's important for the server (the person that has the most contact with the customer and therefore does the most in representing the business) to maintain a good relationship with the customer. Same thing with nurses in the hospital - they blame us (pharmacy) all the time when in reality we delivered the drug 30 min ago. But I think it's important for the patient to have a good relationship with their nurse so I've even gone so far as to apologize to a patient for something I didn't do to reinforce the trust in that patient-nurse relationship.

Fidgets McGee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hey, kitchen always got a cut from my tips so if I could make customers happy in any way, everyone benefitted $$

Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Never make your cooks angry. They have knives and they prepare your food....

Stannous Flouride
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a cook I always told the servers to blame me even if it was their mistake. I was on salary, they had to earn tips. And as a nice side effect I never had to ask twice for a drink from out front.

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can pretend i can't speak my own language even if I didn't speak any other language😅😅

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In some companies "training" lasts even 6 months so they don't have to pay you!

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to work in a really big building and i couldn't remember where all the departments were, so every time someone was asking i was saying "sorry it's my first day"!

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read it three times and understood nothing! Some commas would be useful

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Vicky Z
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There will always be someone to comment: don't they train you enough???😡😡😡

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AzKhaleesi
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

same if I accidently forget to email someone back in a timely manner I'll always be like, I am so sorry it's been crazy here and had a bunch of legal calls etc to deal with. Works like a charm.

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Natalia A
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is kind of sh&&% though. Someone's made the effort to come to the store.

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