Sometimes you have a job that you really like, but one manager seems to have it out for you, which makes you want to leave the job entirely.

What would you do if your boss was constantly yelling at you, even in front of customers, to the point that a customer complained to the store manager about it?

That is what is happening to the worker in this story, so she thinks she might want to quit her job, but she isn’t sure.

When a customer suggests your manager’s behavior towards you is not professional…

It’s time to start considering new jobs.

One bad boss can ruin a job.

So, I’ve been working at a lovely arts and crafts store for awhile now, and while I love my coworkers, the perks of working there, the store and tasks itself (I do replenishment), and the store manager, I cannot seem to get along with my manager.

Everything I do is wrong, or not fast enough. Every single day I’m being scolded. Under other managers or the store manager, I do a much better job and am not nearly so stressed.

Doing things right the first time is always important.

I recognize I’m on the slower side, but going too fast is how I make mistakes and receive another tongue lashing from my manager.

Our relationship started out okay, but went downhill. Any attempt to cut corners was considered “doing things wrong on purpose.”

If I didn’t cut corners, I’d be told that I’m taking too long and the truck needs to be finished and all the products put out onto the store.

If the store manager is happy, why is it a problem.

It’s only me who’s considered slow. Yet I’m told by my store manager that if everyone worked at my admittedly slow pace, we SHOULD be done at the end of a single shift or at least two shifts.

Yet continually, every time my manager is in, we all work so fast we trip over our own feet and then have to take time to redo the work.

Ok, let’s see where the problem happened.

So cut to today. A customer asks me if there’s any way I can find her one more of a color of yarn she wants. I scan it and it tells me that the three she HAS shouldn’t even be in the store yet and that there are six on order.

So, being a good person (I like helping customers) I go to the back to search, and my manager pushes me aside and tells me to go back to working on cart loads of items while she throws aside the yarn in the boxes looking for the item, then says it isn’t there.

Sometimes you have to do what the boss says, even if it is wrong.

I have my doubts about that, but I move on. The customer stops me again and asks when we might have more, and as I begin to tell her we should have some at the same time next week, my manager comes out in blazing fury.

“YOU’RE WALKING LIKE WE HAVE ALL DAY, COME ON NOW WE NEED TO GET THE TRUCK OUT, I KEPT TELLING YOU THIS A MILLION TIMES TODAY YOU NEED TO MOVE FASTER”

The boss really shouldn’t do this at all, but especially not in front of customers.

(this was the first time today that she scolded me for being slow- and I had to put out the entire gigantic children’s craft section yet again by myself, because my manager keeps making the coworker that used to help me do the things that can actually wait till later in the day).

She grabs my cart and tugs it along away from the bewildered customer.

This manager really has it out for her.

Heart pounding, I tell her I’m sorry and she snaps at me to stop saying I’m sorry and keep working and I should know that by now. So meekly, since I’ve already brought this behavior up to my store manager and nothing was done, and I don’t want to rock the boat anymore- I go to the section I was assigned.

Now cue the customer who comes up to my section and discreetly walks towards me, making sure my manager isn’t around.

It is really nice that the customer seems to care.

“She just chastised you, didn’t she.”

“Yes but I deserved it, it’s my job to go fast as I can.”

This is typically correct.

“No, your job is to help customers first and foremost. You were absolutely right to stop and help me.”

At this I just shrug and repeat that it’s my job, and she shakes her head.

What a nice lady.

“A store that scolds its employees for helping customers with sales is a store that doesn’t remain in business for very long. What that woman did was not only rude to me, but also to you. Thank you for at least trying to help me, and don’t worry- you did the right thing.”

I thanked her, almost tearing up, because those are the words I’ve been wanting to hear. It isn’t me, I’m not continually screwing up- my manager instead is lashing out at me, for reasons I don’t know. I try to do my best and that’s all I can say.

If a customer complains, things might change.

What I hope is that the woman complains anonymously online. If a CUSTOMER, who doesn’t know me, sees the situation and thinks it’s unprofessional, than maybe something will be done about her attitude towards me.

What I hope is that the customer didn’t complain then and there. I don’t want my manager on the warpath towards me again.

So, the customer did complain?

When my store manager called us in to talk about her behavior towards me, she made a big deal in thinking it was only about the things she yelled at me for that day- not her behavior overall, and seemed to think I was not being honest and trying to get her in trouble, before saying she couldn’t deal with me and storming off in front of the store manager.

I don’t want to quit… but maybe I should, to be honest this manager is the only thing I hate about this job, but according to my mother this is her ONLY job whereas I will not be there forever and that I should stick it out until I go away to a four year college.

Whatever she does, I hope she gets another job before leaving this one.

I don’t know if I should be more thick skinned about this woman and just power through, or quit.

That manager is really mean, but part of life is dealing with mean people sometimes, so it is hard to say what she should do.

I’m sure the people in the comments below will have some good insights.

Bad bosses are very common.

It sounds like this commenter worked at the same store.

This person put up with a bad boss too long.

I don’t think it is illegal for a boss to yell at an employee.

This person quit and found a better job.

One bad boss can ruin a job.

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.