The Worst Thing Someone’s Done at an IKEA, According to Employees
Anyone who has ever worked in retail will tell you that it’s often a thankless job. The hours are long, the wages are low, and sometimes you have to deal with the worst of humanity. That’s why as customers, a little kindness goes a long way.
Insider recently asked some former and current IKEA employees about the most annoying things that customers do. One person, however, gets a gold star for truly being terrible.
“We once actually found that someone had used a display toilet for their own needs,” said former IKEA employee Sonny Cartright. “There have been interesting finds in the beds as well.” You can definitely get comfy in the showroom, but don’t treat the merch like you already bought it. This rule especially applies to the display toilets.
Other bad behavior includes leaving crumbs, spills, and trash behind. “So many people come in with snacks and drinks, and you can see all the marks they leave behind on the furniture,” said Cartright. “The staff have to clean up the empty food and drink packages customers leave in the furniture area. It’s disrespectful to employees.” The restaurant area exists for a reason, people.
Of course there are less egregious—but still frustrating—behaviors employees would like you to quit doing. Asking for an employee discount, for one.
“Not only does this put us in an awkward situation, it can also put our jobs in jeopardy,” said IKEA merchandise associate Kelly Roberts. “Whether we say yes or no, it’s not very fun to answer that question.”
Plus, the IKEA Family program is free to join and has exclusive discounts throughout the year.
Putting an item back where it doesn’t belong might not seem harmful, but it’s a habit that makes retail workers’ jobs more difficult.
“A lot of the time, furniture comes in several boxes and if one pack is misplaced, it makes it impossible for staff and customers to find a complete set,” said Cartright.
For the full list of annoying IKEA customer behaviors, check out Insider.