‘I don’t actually work here’: Customer asks for help at Staples. Then a worker asks her to come behind the counter
Be real, what would you do if a worker asked you to essentially clock in with them? This woman's reaction might surprise you.
Fewer and fewer people have a printer at home, and a 2019 survey found that the printer industry is declining at a rate of 1.5 to 2.5 percent a year, Toner Buzz reported.
With these kinds of stats, it's no wonder that when people do have printing needs, they end up piling up at places like Staples Print and Marketing Services, sometimes leaving the workers overwhelmed with the sheer amount of customers and order requests to fulfill.
That's why this overwhelmed worker reached out for help in an unexpected way, and commenters were surprisingly supportive of her unorthodox method.
Customer asked to clock in
In a viral video with more than 450,000 views, TikToker Tenille (@prettybullyinthestreet) said she accidentally got a new job while waiting in line at Staples. Not everyone would have handled the situation as kindly as her.
"My life is not real," Tenille said.
In the TikTok, Tenille explained that she went to Staples to print out invitations for her son's birthday party and was expecting to wait in line for quite a while because it was really busy.
Once it was her turn, Tenille showed the worker what she needed and said she needed four of the printed invitations.
The lady's response to her request took her by surprise.
"Why did the lady make me come behind the counter with her? The line was so big, and she was getting like intimidated by everybody," Tenille said,
"She literally said to me, 'Just come back here,'" Tenille recounted.
In the video, you can see that Tenille did, in fact, commit to the bit and went behind the counter at the worker's request. She even started handling customer questions despite not always knowing the answer.
"The line was HUGE & people were getting so mad so I tried to help lol," Tenille wrote in the text overlay.
Once the line went down, the worker, who Tenille referred to as "really sweet" in a comment, was able to help her with the invitations she originally wanted.
"Off cam I thanked her 20x. She was nice," Tenille said.
Given that this post was made approaching the last day of the year, it seems Tenille is bringing in some good karma for 2025.
@prettybullyinthestreet I got a new job lol
♬ original sound - Tenille
The ask was actually kinda sweet?
While everyone may not interpret it this way, several commenters pointed out that the worker was likely feeling overwhelmed. Tenille's mere presence might have made her feel calmer amid the chaos.
"She decided you were a safe person," the top comment read.
"She just needed that support, someone on her side, & the universe put you in the right spot," a person said.
"Working in retail used to give me so much anxiety. I feel her. Like girl you don’t even have to do nothing just stand here with me for a second," another explained.
"Not her using you as security in case anyone in that line tried her," a commenter wrote.
It's safe to say that in an internet culture that often dogpiles, Tenille's comment section passed the vibe check.
The Daily Dot reached out to Tenille for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message and to Staples via email.
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