TikToker Maddie Stover (@maddiestover13) recently took to the platform to share an intense experience she had at Bath & Body Works, which she described as Scarface-esque.
What happened?
The video opens with Stover addressing the camera, saying, “OK, my theory is that at Bath & Body Works, in the back, it’s like ‘Scarface.’” She goes on to explain, “There’s money everywhere, and I feel like before they go out, they like get a gun in their back or something. The energy in there is so intense.”
Stover recalls entering the store and hearing someone say, “There’s someone coming in,” as if to instruct a worker to “look alive,” to which she thought, “It’s really OK. It’s just soaps and candles. It’s not that serious.”
But when she made her way to the checkout, the intensity of the staff persisted.
“I go up to the register. All I want is three hand sanitizer sprays,” Stover shares. “The woman is staring at me so intensely, and I’m like, ‘Hello, just these three. These are three for $10, right?’” She says the worker clasped her hands as if in prayer, sighed deeply, and said “Yes.”
“It’s OK. It’s three sprays,” she says, pointing out that the transaction isn’t that serious.
Then, the cashier faces a problem: The items aren’t scanning.
“I’m like, OK, I can’t jump behind the counter and solve the tech issue. So, what are we going to do here?” Stover tells viewers.
She observes that, instead of just asking someone for help, the cashier refuses to reveal the issue to her coworkers, as if doing so would somehow “get them killed.”
“Instead of just asking, ‘Hey, why aren’t they scanning?’ … she types in every single number herself,” Stover adds.
What was supposed to be a quick trip quickly turned into a drawn-out ordeal.
Reflecting on the Store’s Culture
Stover reflects on the store’s atmosphere: “I do wonder what the overall culture is like there. I feel like a lot of the women who work there really love the product, so maybe it’s just a personal passion.”
Her video has 1.2 million views and thousands of comments, with many viewers resonating with Stover’s observations about the Bath & Body Works culture. Many validated the intensity she felt.
Former Employees Chime In
One viewer shared, “I came in for a pick-up order and they were having a hard time finding it. I kept saying, ‘It’s okay,’ but they were acting like we’re on Grey’s Anatomy and they lost my new heart.”
Another commenter added, “I’ve literally put my basket down (completely full) and left because they won’t leave you alone in there!!!”
Even former employees chimed in.
“As a former Bath & Body Works employee, I am CRACKING up at the accuracy. They train us to be super passionate!! I had to do soap/lotion demos, and now I’m realizing I was probably insufferable,” one shared.
Another recalled, “As a former employee, my ex-manager was so scary/weird… she made me feel like I should be unalived for asking for help. They act like it’s war.”
“I work in a hospital, and the part-time seasonal job I got at Bath & Body Works was more stressful to me than my hospital job,” another former employee added.
@maddiestover13 Why so serious #bathandbody #lore #storytime #customerservice #fyp ♬ original sound – maddiestover13
Former Employees Speak Out
Former employees have even taken to the internet to share their unsavory working experiences. TikToker Madi Flynn warned in a viral video, “Do not work for Bath & Body Works. Trust me.” Meanwhile, Reddit threads are filled with current and former employees unpacking what they describe as a “toxic culture” and “mean girl show.”
The Daily Dot reached out to Maddie Stover via TikTok comment and Bath and Body Works via email.
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