An open letter to holiday shoppers

From RHUer Ad Girl.

Dear customers,

Yes, it is nearly that time of year again, where you come running into our stores to drop a bunch of money on items for friends, family, co-workers and neighbors for the holidays. Seeing as nearly a year has passed since we last communicated, let me refresh you on some things, and bring up some new points:

1) Yes, we open at an ungodly hour on Black Friday. You may be super excited about it, but rest assured, we employees are not. For those of us who have to open the store, we need to be at work at least 30 minutes before the store opens. For some of us, that would be 11:30 PM on THANKSGIVING NIGHT. Yes, we have to cut Thanksgiving dinner with our families short, because we have to go home to get some sleep in before our 8+ hour shifts on Black Friday. Oh, you didn't take a nap, and have been standing in line all night? Well, fuck off, because YOU get to go home and get a nap in before 10:00 AM. I still have to be here after you leave the store.

2) Line holders. While you might think it's the greatest idea ever to bring someone along who will save your spot in the crazy long line while you shop, WE HATE YOU. I have lost count over the years of how many people complain about how unfair it is that they've been waiting in line, and then you come waltzing up with 2 carts overflowing, and cut in front of them because "Oh, she was saving my spot". I hate not being able to tell you to get your sorry ass to the back of the line.

3) Speaking of the line, DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT, IT'S FUCKING BLACK FRIDAY. What the hell did you expect, to have the whole damn store to yourself?! I have 14 registers running, 14 people in JUST to bag your stuff, NONE of my registers are ever unmanned, I've got people in to cover breaks. We're going as fast as humanly possible.

4) Yes, the store is trashed. Again, it's BLACK FRIDAY (or any random weekend before Christmas). If YOU guys wouldn't make such a mess, we would be able to recover much more efficiently.

5) Don't yell at my cashiers. For any reason. Especially if you're too lazy to read a sign in it's entirety. It's not their fault that you picked up a king sized sheet set, expecting it to be $9.99, when that price is in actuality for the TWIN size, but since that price is in a larger font then the rest, you just assume that's the price for all of the sheets. My cashiers are anything but lazy.

6) For the love of all that is good and covered in chocolate, DO NOT leave your cart unattended for more than 5 minutes. If we find it, we will watch it for a few minutes. If no one comes to claim it in that time, we will think it abandoned, and re-shop everything that is in there. If you come back 30 minutes later and it's gone, don't come screaming to me. It's your own fault.

7) Boxes. We hand out boxes as a courtesy. You get 1 per clothing item you are buying, IF you ask. Don't be greedy and ask for 10 boxes for stuff you have at home. Don't be greedy and ask for boxes if you are buying a vacuum cleaner or a Barbie car. We are allotted only so many cases of boxes. Once they're gone, it's a hassle trying to get more before the end of December.

8) Closing times. Please respect them. Don't continue to shop after you hear the closing announcement. It's rude and selfish. In conjunction, don't pick out over $1,000 worth of merchandise, and wait until we close to cash out. My cashier didn't finishing ring you out until half an hour AFTER we closed. You might think that's perfectly acceptable, but most of my cashiers are either collage students, or people who have a full time day job. They're exhausted by the time we close, and you keeping them past the end of their shift is selfish.

9) In order to save time at the register, have all of your coupons and/or method of payments ready. I don't want to stand around waiting for you to dig through your purse for your coupon or credit card. Paying by check? Start filling it out while you're waiting in line. Have your drivers license ready. Those actions will save SO much time at the registers.

10) If, while in line, you decide against an item you have picked out, don't just dump it anywhere. Wait until you get to the cashier, and hand it over, politely saying you've changed your mind. Don't throw it at them.

11) If you need to get my attention, please do so politely. A simple "Excuse me" or "Pardon me" not only gets my attention better, it's also courteous, respectful, and shows you have nice manners. A "Thank you" is also appreciated.

12) Please do not have your cell phone glued to your ear while at the register. If you insist on talking on it, don't get all pissy when we wait to ask you a question. At least *we* are polite, and won't interrupt your big important phone call.

13) If you are returning something to a store, please don't throw the bag of merchandise on the counter, and expect the associate to take the stuff out. It's rude. Also, please have your receipt or credit card ready. We hate having to wait for you to dig it out of your purse/pocket/wallet (psst, so do the other people waiting behind you!)

14) Please remember. We will be working ourselves to the ground between now and the first of the year. While that will not be an excuse for any unprofessional attitude or actions you may feel you have encountered, we're only human, and can burn out.

Some of these points are also encouraged all year long. I may have missed a few, but a little common courtesy, a little respect and a little common sense will go a long way to making your holiday shopping much more pleasant. Not to mention the state of our mental health.

Sincerely,

The retail employees

Comments

[Psyche]

My parents and I once camped out at Best Buy for Black Friday. Great deals or not, there's no way in hell I'm doing that again.

[Book Baby]

I am in the minority of American in that I HATE to shop. Black Friday is a day I usually sleep in since we are closed that day. I usually meander over to Walgreens or RiteAid about 1 p.m. Otherwise, I just STAY HOME.

[Chicajojobe]

I've done Black Friday shopping when I wasn't working in retail, but only during the day. I'd rather be sleeping in at 5 am on a Friday that I'm off work, not freezing my ass off waiting in line in a mall parking lot.

I remember my Christmas season in retail two years ago. Talk about hell! I mean we get it the holidays are stressful, you have to shop for people and plan visits and deal with relatives and try to stay within your budget and listen to Christmas songs over and over, but just remember the person behind the counter also has to do all of that AND spend every day from Black Friday to Christmas Eve dealing with stressed out, grouchy shoppers like you. Cut them some slack!

[CashierBtch]

Everyone works on Black Friday at our store, unless you're the dick that got that day off...

Oh, one that was forgotten. In the two weeks after Christmas, don't complain that the lines at the customer service desk are too long. Like you, half the city decided to bring their stuff back today. Better luck next time. xP

[angie]

Never understood the reason for the madness. I don't shop on black friday, I think it's ridiculous to make you give up your thanksgiving time just to sell stupid crap that will be out of date next year. Oh, I just thought of another one! Don't complain about not getting one of the tvs/computers/whateverthehellitis. The store only got 5 and you didn't get it. Get the fuck over it.

[New Retail Slave]

People seriously complain about the lines on Black Friday? I've never had the misfortune of leaving the house on that day, but I always assumed that people weren't quite that stupid.

[The Last Archimedean]

Best solution is to do what I do: buy everything online and have it shipped to your house. And for Christmas gifts, place the order by 12/1 to ensure you have plenty of time to package it up and send to reciepient befotre Christmas.

[Skittles]

I like to get a movie and stuff the monday before black friday that way I don't need to sleave the house at all. Frankly people are just plain crazy in the stores and on the roads, that day. It's too bad stores can't pump THC laden gas throughout their buildings as it should help calm customers and workers.

[perky]

There has never been anything for sale that I have ever wanted to line up for in the middle of the night when I could be home with my family or sleeping. I can not think of anything I would even want that badly, even if they were giving it away for free (unless it was student loan forgiveness)that I would want deal with the shit that is black Friday to get it.

[KattyBitch]

This is the time of year that reminds me why I love working at a fabric store We have our crazy big crowds and long lines. Our hands will be blistered from cutting shit loads of fabric BUT we still don't have to deal with 89% of the shit those in other retail stores do

[Queer Geek]

Oh if only the average consumer understands the plight of Black Friday employees. Truth be told, studies showed that the better deals occur through the year not just the day after Thanksgiving. If these shoppers were really smart, they'd knowed that but of course they have been ingrained by the media to thiank that they will save more money on Black Friday. YOU'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING MORE MONEY DUMBASSES!

[Govy Bitch]

There is nothing that's worth dealing with the rude selfish pushy assclowns to get cheap shit that will break in a few weeks. I sleep in and treat myself to lunch since I have that day off every year. My hubby used to work at hell mart and that day sure took a toll on him.

[hiya]

I will gladly pay more to avoid Black Friday madness.

That said, I want to address one of your points. I'm leaving my cash/credit card in my purse until I'm at the till. I'm not about to sit around with it hanging out.

[perky]

@Hiya, I don't mind someone not having cash or card in hand, as long as it doesn't take more than 3 minutes to dig it out from their handbag, or pocket. If you know were your wallet is in your handbag and it does not take a 5 minute fishing trip to find it, then I don't see it as a problem. But as a cashier my lane is often held up by ladies with these suitcase size purses that they have to spend 5 minutes digging around in to find their wallet , then they take another few minutes going through the thousands of cards in their wallet to find the right one taking more time to pay than it ever took for me to ring them up.

[NC Tony]

On the subject of having your payment ready, I think the best thing to do is either get it out while the cashier starts ringing everything through, or when they're almost done (maybe down to your last 2-3 items). Since most people use credit/debit cards to pay it just takes a minute to fish the card out, wait till the order is totaled up and (if the customer is smart) a few seconds to scan their card, punch in their PIN and get a move on.

Like Queer Geek said, most people don't realize the so-called "deals" they're getting on Black Friday are no better than the deals they get the other 364 days of the year. I mean sure, there are the few really great deals that some places have, but for the most part, that item that's 50% off, was 50% off last week, and was also 50% off a month ago during our pre-Thanksgiving sale.

If I can avoid going out on Black Friday, I do. About the only thing I do is drop my wife off at work because she knows she'd have to park 50 miles away from the front door, and it's not worth the headache she's already going to get from having to work on Black Friday in the first place.

[candieaddict]

I went out once, and only once, to shop on Black Friday. I don't plan to do it ever again after getting a shopping cart driven into my side bad enough to leave a bruise. BF brings out the WORST in people!