Industry Secrets You’re Not Supposed To Know

A thread with a simple question has been burning up the front page of Reddit: What's a big industry secret that isn't supposed to be known by the general public?

People from all kinds of jobs, from Dunkin' Donuts to hospitals, have been offering secrets, schemes, tricks, and general insider knowledge. Here are the best of the thread, along with some bonus information from other sites.

The employees at Dunkin' Donuts don't double-check the survey code at the bottom of the receipt; any five digits will earn you a free donut. (Reddit)

Some hotel workers never buy lunch; they get enough to eat from room service carts sitting in the hallway. (The Mirror)

Sometimes print shops mess up printing T-shirts and fill in missing spots with Sharpies (Reddit)

Fitness gyms will label machines "Out of Order" or schedule them for maintenance to decrease the amount of people in the gym, because memberships to quiet, uncrowded gyms are easier to sell (Rate My Job).

Even when grocery store employees know what a customer wants isn't "in the back," they will go in the back and pretend to check so the customer feels satisfied. (First-hand knowledge)

Most web design companies outsource their work to India for cheap and keep the profit. (Reddit)

Car dealers are most eager to make a deal at the end of the month and the of the year, when quotas are due. (Rate My Job)

Grocery story bakeries don't bake the cakes they sell. They come to the store frozen. (Reddit)

Theme park ticket sellers and their managers can use their employee discounts to lower the price of admission for anyone they think deserves it. However, guest relations managers will rarely refund admission, no matter how bad your experience is; they'll give return tickets or front-of-line passes instead. (First-hand knowledge)

"Garlic butter" in Italian restaurants and pizzerias is usually garlic margarine; there's no milk in it at all. (Rate My Job)

80% of casino dealers' wages are from tips. Be sure to tip them, even if you lose. (Business Insider)

Radio DJ's sometimes record their patter in advance so they can do other things when they're supposed to be on the air. (Reddit)

Instead of donating books that don't sell to schools, bookstores rip up the pages and throw them away. (The Daily Beast)

"Hospitals and doctors office bills in the U.S. can be negotiated, and many will offer huge cash discounts if you pay at the time of service. But once the insurance gets billed, there is much less room for negotiation." (Reddit)

At most of the lesser awards shows, like the VMA's and Kids' Choice Awards, the attendees know if they won -- which is why they show up. (The Daily Beast)

95% of the time, turning your computer (or cable box or modem or router) off and then on again will fix the problem. Always try this before calling tech support, because it's the first thing they'll ask you to do. (Reddit)

Do you have an industry secret you want to share? Whisper it in the comments.

Image via iDiva