Back in the summer of 1999, I took a job in the mall working at Orange Julius.
Despite being a young teenager, I quickly became the best and most responsible workers that they had. Most of my coworkers were older burnouts and felons. A real hive of scum and villainy (and smoothies and hot dogs.) At 15 years old I was entrusted to open and close the store, handle all of the money, food, and registers. I did everything you could possibly do in that store, and I did it well.
Come raise time, the store manager gave me a stellar review, but I still had to take a written test that was required by Orange Julius corporate. The results would determine the amount of my hourly raise.
I ace the written test, but the manager informs me that she CANNOT give me the maximum 30 cents per hour raise that I deserved, and instead I would be receiving 25 cents per hour.
The reason?
One of the questions on the test asked to list all of the ingredients in an Orange Julius, which my manager agreed that I had done correctly…
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…but at the end of my answer, I neglected to write that all of the ingredients were “swirled to perfection.”
That was the reason for why I couldn't receive a full raise.
“Swirled to perfection.”
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I quit my job at Orange Julius at the end of the summer, and have carried that lesson with me ever since.
No matter how good of a job you do, they'll find any reason at all to deny you what you've rightfully earned.