1. When a customer shows up a minute after you close and you pretend not to see them trying to get in:

 

~Looks everywhere but towards the door~

2. When you ~coincidentally~ take your break before all hell breaks loose:

 

“Oh yeah, I noticed how crazy it got! But I still have 20 minutes left on my break, so…”

3. Those times when you just straight-up lie to the customers in order to be left alone:

 

“Miss, I’m so sorry, I just started here and I have no idea where the Panda Express is in this mall. But you can ask that guy up there folding sweaters, he might know.”

4. The moment of relief you get when that customer who “will never shop here again” finally leaves:

 

“Please tell me you’re keeping your word on that promise.”

5. When you’re already off the clock and you tell that one manager you can’t clock back in and stay a little longer to help out:

 

“Sorry, I’ve already clocked out and it’s my dad’s/sister’s/mom’s/brother’s birthday and we have plans. LATER!!!”

6. When the store is a mess, but you just smile because you know you’re not closing:

 

“Sir, please toss your clothes into that pile over there, the closing crew will handle it!”

7. When you have to tell that especially rude customer that their credit card has been declined:

 

“Um. Do you have another way to pay for this? The payment isn’t going through.”

8. When you sneak in some extra-long bathroom breaks on busy days:

 

“I wonder if anyone has noticed I’ve been in the bathroom for 25 minutes?”

9. When the customers put the clothes back (correctly) where they belong:

 

“Wow, they did a better job folding the sweater than I could.”

10. When you see your work number pop up on your phone and you immediately feel relieved not to be there:

 

“Wait, you’re understaffed ‘cause someone called in sick, yeah, that’s too bad. I’m going to enjoy not dealing with customers yelling at me because of the ‘line’!”

11. The moment when you put a not-so-nice customer in their place:

 

“See, just like I said, this has NEVER been on sale!!!”

12. The sense of pride you feel when your store blows way past its sales goal:

 

“And it’s not even the holidays!”

13. And finally, when this rare golden moment happens: