We’ve all known someone that’s gone on an undeserved power trip. Every once in a while, it blows up in their face.

Check out this story from Reddit to see what happened when one manager ended up eating their words.

“Just work where you’re scheduled to work. That’s it.” say less boss.

We’ve all known someone that’s gone on an undeserved power trip. Every once in a while, it blows up in their face.

Check out this story from Reddit to see what happened when one manager ended up eating their words.

hi y’all. I currently work at a big-box store that you’ll probably be able to figure out fairly quickly by the end of this. there are only two main characters: myself and an assistant manager (AM).

anyways, yesterday I was scheduled to work as a cashier, however my main thing is customer service, so on days that I’m scheduled to cashier (every once in a while) I’m most likely at the service desk anyways because there’s never a closer for service desk.

Anyone that volunteers for the service desk when they don’t have to be there deserves a raise, in my opinion.

this has never been a problem and to be honest some days I don’t think managers ever even notice I was supposed to be on a register.

so it was an extremely busy day, we had way too many people in the store and not enough cashiers. an assistant manager decided she’d take it upon herself to get the lines down, paging every cashier to the front (including some on lunch)

eventually I get paged to the front… it’s 6pm and all the other service desk associates went home, I have a line and i’m getting it down, so I ignore the page with plans to let them know where i’m at after I get through the customers.

Sounds like the author was putting the customer first.

not two minutes go by when she goes through her list again, I start rushing and once I finished I went to tell her I was at the service desk. here’s how that went down:

me: Hey! I heard you paging me to the front but I’m already here, I’m at the service desk there’s no one over there-

AM: I paged you 10 minutes ago. I need people on the registers, you’re not supposed to be at the service desk right now it’s supposed to be…

me: both closers called off. there’s no one there that’s why I went over there

AM: no one sent you there?

me: well, no but—

AM: then you don’t go there. you don’t supervise yourself, we know what’s going on if we need you there we’ll put you there. open register 6 and from now on work where you’re scheduled to work at and nothing else. understood?

me: … understood ^I guess

What’s more important? Taking care of the customers or doing your assigned job?

anyways, she did let me stay at the service desk but not without continuing to ***** about how I shouldn’t go where I want and all that. it ****** me off so I said **** it I’ll just do that from now on.

I bet you can guess what happened next.

well guess what? today I also had a cashier day, and the first thing I did after clocking in today was ask which register i should open. pretty smooth, it’s 1pm and the service desk has its associates.

5pm rolls around and this is where I know it’s gonna get interesting because once again the two closers called off (this happens too often- right now there’s no attendance penalties due to recent events).

I watched the last service desk associate for the day leave, and I continued ringing people out. I was giddy with anticipation, the AM was supervising the front end again, and this time I did as she told me! I stayed at a register.

The pettiness level is off the charts. And it’s just getting started.

Well it finally happened: the first customer. she rolls up to the service desk and looks around and waits. Then someone else rolls up behind her too. Now I’m watching waiting for the AM to notice, when the first lady decided to walk back and ask the nearest cashier (presumably) if there’d be someone to help her.

I don’t know what the cashier told her but she walked back and waited again. there are now 4 customers in line for an unmanned desk.

when the 5th person lined up is when she finally noticed and by then people were already antsy. I saw her scrambling behind the desk and looking around and I didn’t dare make eye contact lol I kept ringing people up.

Would the manager ask for help or would pride get in the way?

well she had to help the customers and not only that but her pride was so much she didn’t actually want to ask me for help. she closed the service desk today and by the end she was angry as all hell and said she never wanted to cover customer service again. she closed it an hour early

weak.

Sounds like pride won in the moment, but the manager learned a lesson.

Let’s see what Reddit has to say about how this one played out.

The first commenter wants to know what happens the next time this situation arises.

One commenter felt like the best avenue for an employee was to just do what the boss says.

Another, who is a manager, agreed.

Several commenters shared stories about what it’s like to be, or have, a good manager.

And of course someone was going to blame failing upward.

Sounds like this particular manager deserved their piece of humble pie!

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.