Wow this brings back some memories...
Way back in 1993/94 I worked at Computer City's flagship store in Wilmington, DE (no sales tax and close to 3 different states). We consistently cranked out the most sales in the company and had a thriving business sales office. At age 18 and within six months I went from cashier to customer service rep to "order expediter" in the business sales department, only getting one raise. I was up to a measly $6.50/hr but I was doing pretty good; shared a cheap apartment with a coworker and managed to get by after dropping out of college (mostly because I sucked).
Well it turns out that we had a 400% employee turnover rate during the year that I worked there because Tandy did not know how to properly manage anything and we were all treated pretty much like crap. We weren't allowed any overtime but were expected to "put in the extra effort", we were constantly under the microscope of loss prevention, and they put the fear of god into us with secret shoppers and unannounced visits by the dozens of regional corporate "top brass" who we were expected to recognize and fawn over on sight. I guess this took its toll on my manager because one day I caught him in the shipping department, jumping up and down in a giant cardboard box, tossing styro peanuts all over the place, shouting "Ship me away! Ship me away!" I guess maybe he thought he was being funny but nobody was laughing.
Even though I was stiffed out of another raise I was promised at six months ($.50/hr woo hoo let the good times roll!), I stayed on because I had actually built up a clientèle that I was loathe to leave, plus nobody else knew how to do my job at all. (I organized shipping stuff to and from our store from other stores to complete purchase orders.) Plus I was only 18 and had few other prospects, plus I felt that by working at a computer store I was somehow working on the "leading edge" or something. Anyway. At about the 9 month mark I started carrying my two-week's notice in my jacket pocket...
One day I stopped to help a customer on the sales floor (we all wore yellow shirts and I wasn't a prick, I actually cared) and thus I was "late" getting back from a break. My manager flipped out and started literally tossing Mac Power PC's around the office--I was stunned that my actions had precipitated this. Speechless and wide-eyed, I stood before him, shook my head, reached into my pocket, pulled out my notice and gave it to him. As I was walking out of the store he came running after me, fawning all over me, begging me to stay, he was sorry, etc. etc. No way dude, I was out.
I never even bothered to go back for those two weeks, and I'm sorry to say that I probably left a lot of people in the lurch because of that; however it was the first time I'd actually done something like that and It. Felt. GREAT. I went on to work two jobs (plant nursery and telemarketing) for a couple of months before I finally decided enough with this, I need some actual education, and the Navy seemed like a good prospect.
I cannot tell you how happy I was the day I learned that CompUSA had bought out Computer City (1998), and then again, just recently when I learned that CompUSA was going out of business. Oh happy days, those. I'll save leaving the Navy after ten years due to other micro-managing incompetent nitwits for another thread.
Thanks for letting me share, it's always cathartic to tell that story. Good luck OP.
Cheers~