Happy Holidays.
Another Thanksgiving is damn near on us all. For most of us, that means holiday vacation, three day work week, and enjoying tons of time with your family. But for me, and my fellow retailers, it just means the beginning of hell. That’s right, the day after Thanksgiving, aka Black Friday is also here. That means hordes of people waiting in line after they stuff their faces, trying to get the best deals on that sweet new television, or some other door-buster they saw. The true meaning of the holidays.
It’s not so much that I mind working. Really, I don’t. When you’ve done retail as long as I have, it’s just something you have to get used to. While everyone is celebrating time off work, we are working overtime. I am well over a decade in now, it’s all I’ve really ever known around this time of year. Just a part of the job. 10 months out of the year, I absolutely love retail. But for eight weeks at the end of the year, lots of people seem to lose their holiday cheer. I may use that last line in a song actually. It’s already copyrighted, so don’t try and use it.
This season especially has a different feel to it. You see, with the way the economy has been going, lots of retailers are hurting for business. Especially the big box guys. So, how do they make it up? Well, that’s easy. Shave even less time off the holidays for your employees. Make it as easy as possible for people to get their holiday needs met, at all costs. At all costs to the grunts that is. The people who bust their asses on the day after Thanksgiving, now have to work on Thanksgiving. Which really, really sucks.
If we have dinner at 5pm on Thanksgiving night, and I have to be at work at 12am on Friday morning….well, you do the math. Either way you add it up, it’s bullshit. Even worse, some places are opening up as early as 9pm. Everyone is just trying to keep up with what everyone else is doing. It happens all of the time of course, and not just in retail. At the rate we’re currently going, we will never close for anything.
I know what you’re thinking. Well, at least a lot of you anyway. “Just find a job that doesn’t involve retail”. Or maybe even, “I don’t feel sorry for you, it’s part of the job”. I do want to re-iterate the fact that I actually like customer service. I really, really do. I’m great with people, and genuinely love almost all of them. With people going online more and more for things they want, actually selling something to someone is a bit of a lost art anyway. When they come to me specifically for something because of how I treated them, that is a big deal to me. I love people, so I don’t want another job. Nor, do I want you to feel sorry for me.
I know there are lots of people without jobs (which is another reason why we are getting pushed so hard) and I am fortunate to have one. The holidays are troublesome times for lots of people, people with actual problems. So, I don’t want sympathy. All I do want, it nice, compassionate people. That’s it! After all, it is the season, right? If you do go out and shop on Black Friday, just remember that the people that are there working all have families too. Wives, husbands, grandparents, etc. They are working to make your lives a bit easier, so maybe just slow down a bit, and think of them.
Here are just a couple of quick tips to keep it clean out there. Trust me, I’ve been doing it a while:
- Be Patient-If you go to a store, that’s packed with people from wall to wall (which it will be) and you feel like it’s taking too long, be patient. Everyone is there for the same reasons. Your life, or what you have to do isn’t necessarily more important than anyone else. Just know it’s probably going to be crowded, and you might have to wait a bit.
- Know what you want- Don’t be that shopper. The shopper who comes out on the busiest day of the year with no real agenda. Plan your attack! Don’t come up to me and ask me what our specials are today. Know in advance. Not only will this help you get what you want faster, it will help me better serve you. And for gods sakes, DON’T CALL THE STORE! We are most likely busy, and don’t have time to answer your questions. The internet was invented, remember? Don’t be scared of it, use it.
- Paying with Checks- Under no circumstances should you ever even consider paying with the method on Black Friday. Even if you know the exact dollar amount with tax, and you have your check already filled out, we still have to type a bunch of things into the computer. People will look at you with utter disdain, and loathing if you pull on of these babies out. Even cash can slow down the line. Today, credit/debit only.
- Place the money/card directly in my hand- I touched on this a bit yesterday, and was informed that Dane Cook had a joke about something similar. (I swear I didn’t know) You’d be surprised at how much of a demeaning tone this has. It says to us that you don’t have to actually interact with us, because you are above us. Even if you don’t think that, your body language conveys it. Some people actually throw the card on the counter. It’s seriously annoying, and needs to stop. Not only that, but having to scrape something off the counter adds precious seconds to an already hurried transaction. It may not be that much at one time, but over the course of the day, it adds up quickly. So don’t do it pal!
- Be Kind- This one is the most obvious, but the most overlooked. Just be kind to everyone out there. The parking lots are full, your item is gone, there are kids screaming everywhere…If you start to feel your blood pressure boiling just remember two things 1) You made the choice to come out 2) You have money to burn. It’s that simple. Everyone is high strung that day, so just be extra kind to everyone. Your fellow shopper, and the employees. You’d be surprised how far a smile, or even a Happy Holidays would go to someone.
So, there you have it. I hope everyone has a great time on Thanksgiving and gets some quality time with all of their family. Just remember, no one would be open like this around the holidays if people stopped showing up. If it bothers you that the true meaning of the holidays isn’t baby Jesus anymore then just don’t shop. Or, shop at a local store, a mom and pop store, a thrift store…anywhere but a mall. That’s the only way the madness of the holiday shopping trend will ever stop. Until that day comes, I will be on the inside getting you all the goodies you need, that you won’t use in six months. Happy Thanksgiving.
-B-
