28 Industry Secrets From People On the Inside
Stuff most people don't know.
1.
If you’re someone who purchases bulk nuts, grains, etc. Just know that those bins are probably rarely cleaned, and even when they are “cleaned”, odds are they were just rinsed out/wiped down to look clean.I used to be a bulk buyer at Whole Foods Market and when I took over our bulk department had no cleaning logs or sanitizing procedure. The bins had moths/insect colonies and mold in them. Our store was opened nearly 5 years prior.”
2.
“The off brand products are created in the same factories as the name brand products a surprising amount of the time. The product itself is the same with different packaging and a lower retail price.”
3.
I’m a teacher. If you as a parent will read with your child often and early, your child will thrive in school. I’m talking daily books read together from newborn to about third grade. Every single day. No teacher can replace that.
4.
“Human Resources: we exist to protect the agency from the employees, not the other way around.”
5.
“Plumber here. There’s no such thing as a flushable wipe. The package lies. You drains WILL clog, and fast; your landlord will charge you; it’s going to suck. Throw wipes in the trash if you use them; toilets paper is the only acceptable wipe.Not a secret at all, just not common knowledge somehow.”
6.
“I’m a server. No matter how much we insist it’s “okay” that you are keeping the entire restaurant open after we’ve closed, please know we are 100% lying. We will get fired if we deviate from anything other than pure delight that you are keeping us from going home. We dread it. Please don’t believe us.”
7.
“A lot of librarians will waive your fines if you have an excuse and you don’t ask too frequently, even large fines. Also, librarians DON’T CARE about your fines and aren’t judging you. Please come back. We personally have more fines than you. Librarians are ALWAYS overdue with their books.”
9.
“Knowing how to research the answer to a question is at least as or even more useful than knowing the answer to begin with. I made a living in IT for a decade with that mindset.”
10.
“Managed boarding and grooming kennels for 8 years: the secret is that the employees actually do love your pets too. Even the difficult ones, most of us realize they just miss their people. The number of times I’ve weeped when a pet died, or spent way too many hours comforting a dog with separation anxiety, or spent hours off the clock with a boarder who needed to be rushed to a vet office…wouldn’t trade it for the world.Some pets just suck though, not gonna lie.”
11.
“I’m a dentist. Here’s the lowdown on toothpaste. As long as it has fluoride they are all basically the same. When I was in dental school, the [Tooth paste brand] lady came by and said that everything that says [Toothpaste brand] on it is all exactly the same, the only difference is the packaging. So whether it says whitening, or gum protection, or whatever else, it is all exactly the same. The exception is sensitivity toothpaste typically does have an extra active ingredient. KNO3, which helps with sensitivity. Don’t ever feel obligated to buy the expensive toothpaste because you think it will be better for your teeth, just buy whatever you like best.”
12.
“As a beginner counselor I worked with a lot of children and adolescents. Consistently the discussion with my colleagues was how it was the parents who were the biggest problem and the kids were just adapting to a crazy environment.”
13.
“I’m a musician. It’s not really a secret but 90% of of our revenue is from merch. Spotify plays, show guarantees, etc, everything is menial in comparison to shirt sales. In fact, a big reason bands tour as often as possible is because we can sell more shirts when we’re in front of people.”
14.
“The ice cream machine isn’t broken, the f@#kers were just too lazy to clean it, or more likely, none of the people working that day know how. It’s a b#tch and takes like 4 hours. It shuts off and makes you clean it, so rest assured it’s gonna be clean. Just not when you need it.”
15.
"I used to be in a sales role. One of my customers was a milk bottling plant. I was somewhat surprised that they were putting the exact same milk in both organic and non-organic cartons. Turns out all of their milk is organic, but in order to not miss out on the sales of non-organic milk, they just bottle them differently and sell them at different prices.”
16.
“I’m a fossil replicator and apparently the industry secret is the fact that we exist. So many people are blown away to learn that most fossils they see in museums are replicas.”
18.
“Construction boy here. If your windows or sliding doors are tough to open and close. 9 times out of 10, we put your own dish soap on tracks and the thing works perfectly. It take 5 minutes and we charge 150. Dish soap people, its better than WD40 sometimes.”
19.
“Scientists: We disagree with one another a lot more often than the media would often lead you to believe.The reason we’re good at our jobs though is that (ideally) we like disagreeing with each other and we are able to move on when proven wrong. It’s a part of the job.”
20.
“Former aircraft fueler. Don’t check your pets in kennels. Especially in summer or winter. They are submitted to some very harsh environments, left on belt loaders in the sweltering heat right next to a running APU that’s loud enough to deafen human ears, let alone a dog’s. It’s terrible. I always feel so sorry for them.American Airlines will destroy your luggage. They get overloaded on carts, fall off on the way to the plane, and are left there to get run over by tankers and yes, fuelers, and rained on, then dragged to the edge of the ramp to sit all night while you arrive at your destination and wonder where the hell your bags are.If your departure is delayed, 90% of the time it’s us (the fueler). Look out the window to the right side if it’s a small plane, left side if it’s a really big plane. If there’s a truck sitting under the wing, we’re the reason you’re late. Sorry.”
21.
“Used to screen resumes for small companies. Job “requirements” are more of a wish-list situation. Never let some unchecked boxes deter you from applying – you have no idea what the applicant pool is like. The biggest boon, especially at small companies, is someone who legitimately cares.”
22.
“Former industry: commercial radio. It’s never caller 5. It’s the caller who sounds best on air.”
23.
“Auto insurance agent. Please, for the love of god, don’t tell auto insurance agents more than you have to. They ask you a question, just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and answer the question as straight as you can. If you go on and on about your life story, you will probably end up saying something you don’t have to and making your rate higher, or getting yourself declined. We WANT to get you that policy as cheap as possible, only tell us what we need to know and don’t say anything else.”
24.
“At Goodwill, we don’t clean anything that we sell, and we get some really gross stuff that touches everything else so next time you buy something from Goodwill, wash it well.”
25.
“There is way more butter than you think in almost every dish you eat at fancy restaurants, and that is usually the reason you won’t see the amount of calories in each dish.Source: 5 years as a chef in Italian cuisine head chef, 8 years in an Italian kitchen.”
27.
“Healthcare. Homemaker.If your grandparent or parent gets in-home care, please know that your family member could live in a cockroach infested house and not have to move if they didn’t want to. It’s not up to the company to give your loved ones environmentally safe places to live, it’s up to the family. They can certainly try to persuade, but they can’t force.Why do I know this? Because I’ve been to the cockroach infested house where an 80 year old woman lives. I have a mentally ill client that put bleach in his dog’s water to help with it’s breath. I have a client who never cleans his cat box. I have a client who has a caved in ceiling. I’ve called it in, but there is no help from the company. All they say is, “There’s nothing we can do. It’s up to the family members.”
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