A TikTok video has gone viral for showing a scene that every retail worker dreads. The clip shows what happens when someone walks into a car parts store right before closing and asks for something that would take hours to finish.
The video was posted by TikTok user Whoismario, whose handle is @whoismario2x. He shared the 40-second funny video on October 11, and it has gotten more than 3.9 million views since then. In the video, Mario acts as both the customer and films his coworker behind the counter at O’Reilly Auto Parts.
Mario’s character walks up and asks what time the store closes. The worker says they close in about six or seven minutes. That is when Mario drops the bad news. He tells the employee he needs 40 oil changes for his company’s cars. The worker asks “Are you for real?” which is exactly what anyone would say in that situation. Mario keeps going and pulls out a long list of cars, saying his boss told him everything needs to get done today.
This kind of thing happens way too often in retail
Mario made the video as a joke, but it shows a real issue that people working at auto parts stores deal with all the time. When big orders come in right before closing, it makes things really hard for workers who are trying to wrap up for the day.
O’Reilly Auto Parts works with regular customers and also with businesses that have lots of vehicles. Companies can order supplies in bulk through special programs with better prices. But getting 40 oil change kits ready would mean counting inventory, doing paperwork, and spending a lot of time on it.
This gets really tough when workers are about to lock up and go home. Just like other customer service workers who face uncomfortable situations, auto parts employees have to stay polite even when customers ask for too much.
The funny part of Mario’s video is how relaxed he acts while asking for something so crazy. The employee gives a little eyebrow raise near the end, which shows how he is trying to stay professional while thinking about how impossible this request is.
Lots of retail workers related to the video and left comments about their own experiences. Many people shared stories about customers who showed up right before closing and wanted things that would take forever to do. Customers making wild requests happens in all kinds of stores, not just at auto parts shops.
Car parts stores like O’Reilly do handle big orders from companies all the time. But these orders usually get scheduled ahead of time through websites and special systems. That way nobody has to scramble at the last minute. The joke in Mario’s video is thinking about what would actually happen if someone really tried to do this right before closing.
