Foo - Worst job in the world?

Well at least for the first few days after Xmas.

The Counter Staff working in the Dept stores "Returned Goods",at the likes of Asda or Wall-Mart in the States,

I was unfortunate enough to find myself at the Metro Centre, the first day of opening ater Christmas day. Start of sales day and all that.

On entering Asda. At one end of the dept was this long trail of people either clutching,wheeling.pushing or dragging, unwanted or faulty Xmas gifts to the "Returns Counter".

Now I don`t know if the staff on this counter volunteer (very doubtfull) are designated or work on a rota for this position. anyway, this has to be the "the job from Hell".

The expression on the faces of the Harrased counter people,sayes it all.
Having to listen to an array of excuses for the return of this "flotsam" of goods.

Can you imagine, for instance. Granny, retuning her son in laws "Jumper".
"I bought this for a present and he does not like the Polarbear Motif could I perhaps exchange it for one with Leaping Lambs" :) or and this one is true as I could not resist siding up as close as I could get to listen for the "excuse".

A rather large Lady with her equally large son in tow, were wheeling (as opposed to,a clutcher, pusher. dragger) a hypermarket "Clunker Cycle" up to to the counter.

"This Bike I bought here for little Jimmy is to big for him, even with the seat right down and every adjustment made he still cannot ride it" :D More like by the looks of "little Jimmy" he rode it 100 mtrs down the Street, it practicaly killed him with the effort so he desided Cycling was`nt for him, and persuaded his parents that he really wanted a "Radio controlled Model Ferrari" for Christmas...

So my nomination for the "worst job in the World" goes to these poor benighted staff on the "Returns Counter"

P.S. Oh by the way. (from a cycles standpoint) What happens to all these returned "cheapo" supermarket bikes?. but I guess that is another story........

Anything that requires standing behind a counter where the general populace can assail you (well, me) is a bad job. I'm not a 'people person' to begin with (you're all seeing my good side here), but counter service is the past-due-date icing on the moldy cake. Next to it and elbowing for position is food service. I'd rather slop hogs. I'm not denigrating those who can do either successfully and with aplomb; rather, I admire them for being better folk (or better medicated).

Shucks, y'all never seen nothin' until you birthed a cow!

Shucks, y'all never seen nothin' until you birthed a cow!

So Festus, you did not tell us your wife finaly gave birth. :p

Those are some nasty jobs (IMO) but at least they have 'em.

:beer:

Unemployment is by far the worst job. to paraphrase:
"There's no busines like no business like no business I know..."

Corn shucking or working in a fishing boat in Alaska performing the jobs of pulling, working the freezer, or scooping. It's the worst if you have to do all three, though.

When I was in college, a few of the cornbelt buddies went home for the summers and shucked corn. They were describing the work and conditions, and it seemed like one of the worst jobs out there.

After college, I did a stint doing molecular biology research at UCLA, but then that job ended, so I moved up the coast to Seattle and got a job working on a fishing boat. 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for months left very little time for work and rest. The first few weeks I was there, my hand swelled from the cold and from holding that scooper for 16 hours to the point where I begged this guy to help me get my rings off. He cut off all my beautiful silver rings I'd bought while I was in Malaysia. That was cold.

Since then, I've preferred unemployment anyday to working on a fishing boat. Seriously, I'd rather be in a food kitchen standing in line with all the other unemployed people then ever go back to that boat. I still get nightmares sometimes from working on that boat.

Koffee

I'm one of those people working the returns desk. Well, actually, at my store we don't have a separate returns counter and all returns are done at the regular registers. Really, it's not so bad.And no, I'm not overly medicated or anything. Of course, it probably helps that I don't work at a big box store, but at a bookstore (admittedly it's a large national chain bookstore and as big as your grocery store)

About 95% of all people doing returns are pretty cool about it. The other 5% who get upset if you have to give them store credit because they're returning something without a receipt or if you can't take a gift back because you've never carried it in the store, well, you just learn to let their complaints roll off your back. Yeah, some people's lives are so small that they can't think of anything better to do than harass an innocent salesperson. :rolleyes: but that's not most people.

Honestly, the fishing boat sounds far, far worse. I kind of enjoy my job. Well mostly anyway.

Okay, I take it back. At least those two types of job I described afford one a little variety. Koffee's wins for horrendous working conditions, I think.

For sheer drudgery, try an assembly line. I worked for Texas Instruments for a (very) short time assembling software packages and fitting flap 'A' into slot 'B' for eight hours per day. Every once in a while I got to operate the shrink-wrap machine, but that was pretty much the gamut of my duties. I had skid-marks on my forehead from the conveyor-belt, it was so tedious.

I kind of enjoy my job. Well mostly anyway.

I've always wanted to work in a bookstore! I love books! I dream of roaming the stacks, of opening fresh cartons of books, of lovingly shelving books and creating book displays! Ahhh, BOOKS!

But then there's that whole customer thing; coming in all day, demanding attention, getting in the damned way...

If it weren't for them, maybe I'd open my own bookstore! Or two!

Between the time I retired from the U.S. Navy and was hired for my current job, I worked at Radio Shack. I almost didn't last one week.

A customer wanted to return a turntable that had obviously been dropped. He said it was defective. I said that he had caused the problem and I would be glad to sell him a new one. He started calling me all manner of unprintable names, threatened to vandalize the store, the mall, and my car, and to sue me.

I held up my hand, to say Stop, and said "There is an alternative. I can come out from behind this counter and ram that turntable down your throat, then pound you into the floor. Your choice." He retreated from the store as fast as he could go.

The manager had heard the whole thing, and almost had a heart attack. Had he not heard the abuse that had been heaped on me, I would have been out on my ear. As it was, I was told to refer all returns to the assistant manager.

Dealing with the public is not an easy way to make a living.

Dealing with the public is not an easy way to make a living.

'ear dat!

In dealing with a challenging customer I've become a master of the subtle eye-roll and the slight shake of the head as I turn away. Shame on me, but it has to come out!

Working at a slaughterhouse has to be up there. Nasty, exhausting, repetitive, and extremely dangerous work.

I've waited on customers one way or another for a long time. Some customers are just awful, but most are very nice given the chance to be. If I dwelled on the awful ones I would hate the job and do something else. But many times regular customers become your friends and you're able to call them a friend.
Koffee's job had to be a lot worse. I read somewhere that working on a fishing boat was one of the most dangerous jobs out there.

[QUOTE=Koffee Brown]Corn shucking or working in a fishing boat in Alaska performing the jobs of pulling, working the freezer, or scooping. It's the worst if you have to do all three, though.


The mention of "Fishing boats" as a difficult job. Reminds me of a particularly stormy crossing of the North Sea (A notorius evil stretch of water at the best of times).

I was up on deck, along with several other passengers, Bringing up the remains of several days Stomach contents(yuk) Feeling so ill. It was almost a subconsious awarness of the huge mountainess state of the Sea.

At this moment I remeber looking out and seeing what seemed,compared to the huge waves, this tiny Fishing Trawler, tossing and plunging between the massive watery troughs and I recall thinking "are there really a crew of fishing workers holed up in that unfortunate vessel ,living through those conditions.

When I saw the movie "A perfect Storm" I recieved "flashback" to the vision of that fishing boat tossing about like a demented Cork.

:) I was at Walmart myself the weekend after Christmas. I was looking for a new filter for my car. Of course, there were only two of that type left on the shelf. Soon, afterwards I went to the checkout counter with many other items that were 50% off. Well, guess what? One of my bags was picked up by another customer and of course the filter was in that bag. I found that out of course later when I left the store and went looking for that filter to place in the car.
I was out in the parking lot with my hood open when this young guy was like
can I help you out with anything. I looked over and stated I am putting in my filter. Of course, I left it back at Walmart. He of course was disappointed I'm sure. Well, I went back to the cashier and she indicated that the bag which
the other customer picked up was returned to that busy customer service desk.
Well, I am a very, very patient one.....let me tell you. That day was TOOO
MUCH. I understand!!! :eek:

So sympathetic am I for people that have such jobs (wait staff, customer service folk, etc.) that I try to make myself the easiest customer to serve they've ever had, even when the company for whom they work has royally screwed up. I like thinking that perhaps, when they've arrived home after a hectic day and a spouse or other family member asks them "How was your day?", they will remember that not everyone they served that day was a squealing bad-tempered ninny.

Worst job in the world?

One that you HAVE to do versus one that you LOVE to do.

Anything that requires standing behind a counter where the general populace can assail you (well, me) is a bad job. I'm not a 'people person' to begin with (you're all seeing my good side here), but counter service is the past-due-date icing on the moldy cake. Next to it and elbowing for position is food service. I'd rather slop hogs. I'm not denigrating those who can do either successfully and with aplomb; rather, I admire them for being better folk (or better medicated).


"I'd rather slop hogs"

Humm, hogs are a lot like people, a full belly and a comfortable place to nap and they are no trouble at all.

BTW, hogs are now fed a very carefully mixed ration of corn/soybean feed, delivered to them by overhead convayer with a fresh water dispenser along side.
Cooking in a cauldren for them went out 40+ years ago, which I am very thankfull for, much easer to call the feedmill and have it delivered 6 ton at a time.
PS, I don't think I would last a week in retail.
farmer kev

http://www.greenapple.com/~jorp/amzanim/yukjob.jpg

This, hands down, IS the worst job in the world - wouldn't you say? :roflmao:

I remember reading this funny book of short stories about bad jobs. ALl written by bright, educated types who, due to the recessions of recent years had to take crappy jobs, like many people I know. The stories were all amusing, about jobs including: help desk, telemarketing, ice factory, cannery.

I worked telemarketing once, and lasted a day. I also worked in a clothing factory, in the 'finishing' meaning you cut the threads and loose stuff off of sweaters. That was also horrible.

"I'd rather slop hogs"

Humm, hogs are a lot like people, a full belly and a comfortable place to nap and they are no trouble at all.

BTW, hogs are now fed a very carefully mixed ration of corn/soybean feed, delivered to them by overhead convayer with a fresh water dispenser along side.
Cooking in a cauldren for them went out 40+ years ago, which I am very thankfull for, much easer to call the feedmill and have it delivered 6 ton at a time.
PS, I don't think I would last a week in retail.
farmer kev

At this point I think it wise to add that I meant no disrespect to anyone charged with the care and feeding of livestock. :D

http://www.greenapple.com/~jorp/amzanim/yukjob.jpg

This, hands down, IS the worst job in the world - wouldn't you say? :roflmao:

The only way it could be worse is if you aren't furnished with the bag. :eek:

I worked telemarketing once, and lasted a day. I also worked in a clothing factory, in the 'finishing' meaning you cut the threads and loose stuff off of sweaters. That was also horrible.

I worked as a telemarketer for almost a week fifteen years ago, for Time/Life no less. Painful. I still find it difficult to be rude with a telemarketer in the rare occurrences wherein I've allowed myself to get caught by one. When I think of sitting at that little desk with that telephone and those stacks of little yellow slips, punching in number after number, attempting to adopt a professional tone while trying to ignore the hint of annoyance (and worse -- I think I was sworn at in Farsi once) in the voice of the person I'd called...

Ack! Happy place! Happy place!

The worst job ever has got to be the booth mopper in the Peep show booths.... Why would you even apply for it, unless you are desperate ?

Jeff

The worst job ever has got to be the booth mopper in the Peep show booths.... Why would you even apply for it, unless you are desperate ?

Jeff

Oh, cr@p! I did that too! :eek:

I've had too many rotten jobs. But I was rotten at doing them, so there is balance. :D

I would have to say working in a freezer stacking boxes of ice cream on a pallet and then stretch wrapping them by hand in the freezer is in the running but nothing I have read here compares to Koffee's experience on a fishing boat.

Shucks, y'all never seen nothin' until you birthed a cow!

Um, been there done that. My father-in-law ranches in the Bitterroot Valley of western Montana. We won't even talk about buck'n hay bails for days on end sun up to sun down!

Ohmygosh, seeing this thread again is going to give me even more nightmares.

I remember just feeling so ill from all that jostling from the waves on the boat that I was dry heaving. Some peoople were throwing up right there on the floor and we still had to work the conveyor belt. Then there were the times we had to work the freezer. The boat would come into dock to drop off the freezer load when we got full, and they would make us clean up the floors with all the guts, slime, and vomit, then we'd go into the freezer and work in temperatures so cold that I was crying the entire time I'd be down there. They'd make us work in the freezer for 12 straight hours without breaks. One time, I was in so much pain from the cold that I broke down right there and cried for hours until one of the managers came down and carried me out. I couldn't feel my fingers or toes, and I could barely move, it was so cold. The women weren't strong enough to move the boxes because they were heavy, so we couldn't build up enough heat to keep us warm. Eventually, we all cried and got to leave the freezer. And working the mince thing was terrible- all those ground up guts, scales, and diseased fish coming out in a big, pasty mush, and we had to push them into boxes, and then afterwards, we had to clean it all up. It was nasty.

*shudder*

What nightmares.

Koffee

I would have to say working in a freezer stacking boxes of ice cream on a pallet and then stretch wrapping them by hand in the freezer is in the running but nothing I have read here compares to Koffee's experience on a fishing boat.

I worked at Kroger a while back and would get stuck in the frozen food section sometimes when they needed help. Sometimes we would get unexpected deliveries and a few times I got stuck in the freezer for an hour wearing shorts moving pallets of food. This really sucked, but I am sure there are many things worse.

After a day like today, I think the worst job in the world might really be working with 30 wild, spring-feverish 5th graders who are all on the verge of puberty and are ready for school to be out.