What is the best excuse you have heard lately?

I have always thought the best excuse is “My boss will be unhappy with me.” That is one I always used when I worked retail and I respect it every time a retail worker says it to me. Not that I have ever asked for much from retail employees. I have been there. It is hell.

I originally started with “I would like to keep my job.” That seemed to irritate people, so I went with the less hostile, “My boss will be unhappy with me.” My boss is in control of how many hours I get a week and what shifts. I would like to keep my boss happy so I can continue doing my job in the most pleasant way possible.

All bosses are different. Some are sticklers for rules. Others are super into “the customer is always right.” It is their boss so I am going to assume they know what their boss will say. If it is unreasonable, I will talk to the boss. Never blaming the employee, only asking for clarification on the rules. I never snitch on an employee. Sometimes they have changed managers and that is just how the new manager likes things. Which is understandable. Again, I do not work there, I only shop there. I do not know what is happening behind the scenes. A lot of the time it is because somebody abused the system and we all have to suffer the consequences. It sucked, but is understandable.

I never wanted to get in trouble when I worked. I do not want to get anyone else in trouble. Retail work is hard and incredibly undervalued. There is a huge difference between someone who is good at their job and who is not. We really should pay people for the experience of a friendly and competent employee. I value the customer service more than the product most of the time. I am also more likely to spend more when the customer service is better.