I never realized how rude a complete stranger could be until I worked in retail, and the incidences of customers being ill-mannered doubled around the holidays.
While I loved working at my old job during the holidays, some interactions my coworkers and I had made me question how someone could treat another human being like that.
Last year alone, I was blamed for the store not having the item someone wanted, for refusing a coupon because it expired, not letting someone return an item from a different store for a full refund, and had people repeatedly accuse me of hiding what they were looking for in the back.
I started to get sarcastic with my answers, like we all did to cope with the stress around the holidays, and actually made quite a few people laugh.
When one gentleman pointed to a sign and asked if he could buy the products on the sign, I told him he could have three weeks earlier.
Robynne Henry The Henry Hype
It floored me when people asked if we had things hiding somewhere, and usually asked why we would put it back there. The goal was to sell out of everything, and keeping things in the back affected that greatly.
It also shocked me when people would come into the store days before Christmas, expecting to find holiday items they wanted and they got frustrated when they were informed we were sold out.
One customer accused a friend of mine for ruining her daughter’s Christmas because we didn’t have the one thing her she had asked for, and stormed out of the store informing us she wouldn’t be shopping with us again.
It was the amazing customers that really made my job worthwhile and made me forget about the bad ones.
I’m talking about the people that came in looking for anything for their loved ones and were genuinely happy when you took the time to help them find it, or the men that came in with their list in-hand and begged for help in a store that can sometimes be overwhelming, or the shoppers who opened their bags of candies to us, knowing that we were working long shifts and taking time away from our own families to help them shop for theirs.
You really form a bond with the people you work with in those situations, and I had some great times with them. We shared our good experiences and comforted each other when a bad one got the better of us, spending nine-hour shifts side by side and closing the store down before Christmas.
I miss that, and I miss them.
When you hit the stores for your Christmas shopping this year, please be kind to retail workers. They’re doing their best and are genuinely wanting to give you the best experience they can.
