30 Funny Comics Illustrating A Typical Day Of A Service Worker’s Experiences With Customers
How can you make your bad days at work good? Watch and learn from this artist's comics.
Stephen Beals turns the everyday chaos of customer-facing work into sharp, funny comics that hit a little too close to home. His Adult Children series takes the frustrations of retail, service jobs, and public-facing work, then turns them into quick jokes that feel painfully familiar.
After studying animation at the California Institute of the Arts, Beals moved through library work, retail, advertising, and print shops before settling into a career that still leaves room for comics. That mix of jobs gives his work its edge, especially when it comes to awkward customers, long shifts, and the strange rules of service work.
These comics capture the burnout, the sarcasm, and the tiny victories that keep workers going. Read on.
1. Do they even have an employee's vacation on their calendars?
stbeals2. It really does not make it okay.
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4. Hate the parents, not the kids, for reproducing their kind when they shouldn't.
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5. A higher position means staying longer in the store.
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That kind of shift never really ends on time.
6. Working during the busiest time of the year feels like being in prison.
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7. Making the most of your one and only day off.
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8. Learning the art of saying nothing.
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9. She's just enjoying the fun part of her day.
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10. You don't want to be a hero if you're treated this way.
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Some customers really do test your patience.
11. Motivating yourself through true crime shows.
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12. Now you know.
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13. When work haunts you in your sleep.
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14. From a retail worker to the best customer.
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15. What makes a job better.
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16. Is this part of the assistant manager's job description?
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17. The price for giving directions was $14.63.
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18. Missing personal appointments due to overtime.
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That is the kind of schedule nobody wants.
Also, if you love visual chaos, these 70 photo glitches will make your brain need a restart.
19. Burned out on material things.
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20. Letting customers know that American currency isn't accepted everywhere in the world.
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21. I hope the owner understood why he didn't want to wake up.
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22. Sorry, it's an emotional moment.
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23. It's either you get in line or deal with it.
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24. Life goal of a cat lover.
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25. Maybe it's the other way around.
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26. That's part of the big plans.
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27. How was work?
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28. The phone call wars.
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29. Grandma and he could be text buddies.
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30. Does caring mean giving a 2% discount?
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Stephen's comics have shown the harsh reality of what it's like for individuals working in retail, which customers and others might not understand. Although it is conveyed in a humorous way, it cannot be denied that his works serve as an eye-opener for everyone about the struggles of retail workers.
And that is exactly why these comics land so well.
Before you clock out, check out practical fixes for handling daily tasks when everything feels impossible.
