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I thought about writing a Thanksgiving-themed column this week.
But instead, I will write something I’ve wanted to write for a couple of years.
It’s about the Christmas shopping season that officially starts the day after Thanksgiving---the so-called Black Friday.
But it’s not about the joys of power shopping or how to score the best deals. It’s the perspective from the other side of the cash register.
You see, I worked in retail for a couple of years: from October 2008 through April 2010 at a suburban location of a nationally-known department store. It was quite a learning experience---everything from the cash register I worked to the clothing racks I stocked to the fitting rooms I straightened up.
So heads up, shoppers…my light is on, my lane is open, and I’m waving you over to my cash register. Whee
l your cart over here and let me offer you a little advice that won’t save you a penny, but which definitely has value.
** First, remember that retail store owners and six-figure managers love Black Friday because it makes images of sugar-plum profits and fairly fat bonuses dance in their heads. But Black Friday is often a day of dread for cashiers and other front-line retail workers making minimum wage or not much more. It means we are about to get steamrolled by an army of people who will frequently be rude to us; and if we forget to smile and say thank you, we’re fired.
** So treat cashiers and salespeople as you would want to be treated. They are not your mother or your housekeeper. They are not your servant; rather a helper to direct you to what you need.
** If an item is not in stock, it is not the clerk’s fault. Go to Customer Service and see if it can be ordered in time for the holiday. Remember, most major department stores have a website you can use as a backup.
** If your credit card is rejected, it is not the cashier’s fault. Make sure your credit card is paid off before you start your major shopping.
** Harrumphing at the cashier or the salesperson on the floor is not going to make things better. They aren’t management. They don’t make the rules. They follow them.
** If a shopping cart is not available, it is not the clerk's fault. Bring it up with the manager.
** Don’t bark at a clerk who asks you if you’d like to open a store credit card account. Trust us---we know you don’t. And we know this may be the umpteenth time today you’ve been asked. But if we don’t ask you, we lose our jobs.
** Don’t dump clothes on the racks, shelves or on the floor. No one wants to buy clothing from the floor. Do you? Customers don’t want to have to clean up after other customers. Salespeople don’t want to have to stay until “Oh Dear God” o’clock in the morning cleaning up after you, either.
** Don’t complain to the cashier that you can’t find a salesperson on the floor. Complain to management. They are the ones that make up the schedule. Salespeople and cashiers do not make up the schedule. They also feel the pinch when enough people aren’t scheduled for a shift. And if you can’t find sales people on the floor, they are probably on the register trying to ring up the long lines of people so they don’t complain about waiting so long in line.
** And for everyone’s sake, leave your children at home. The store---specifically, the t
oy department---is not your babysitter. Parents who let their children run wild through a store ought to be (insert medieval-style punishment here).
** To balance my “don’t” advice, here are a few holiday shopping “do’s”: Do bring your patience, sense of humor, smile, patience, optimism, holiday cheer, patience, compassion for the overworked clerk who is smiling through her pain (her feet, ankles, legs, hips and back hurt from standing in one spot all day); and oh yes, your patience.
So to all shoppers reading this and considering my advice, I say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart. Truly. And to my former co-workers in retail who are reading this, smiling smiles of recognition and taping this column to the break room wall, I say “You’re welcome.”
Have a great week…….
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