Happy Tuesday, Everyone. Hopefully you are one of the lucky ones and you have a short week this week! I get the joy of working Black Friday at a book store so I don’t get much of a vacation.
Since I have your attention though, as a employee at a retail place, I must ask all you guys to keep three things in mind when you are doing your holiday shopping- please be patient with your retail sellers this holiday season, please pick up after yourself and please check the hours of your store.
A lot of the employees at these retails places have been hired just for the holiday season and don’t always know everything you are asking. Be Patient. They will do their best to help you and if you approach them with a smile and manners, they will be a lot more willing to go out of their way to find that obscure book/gadget you simply must have for your husband/mom/sibling/etc. Everyone is stressed during this time of year. I get it. I can assure you that the employee you are asking help from is far more stressed then you as a shopper at that moment so take a deep breath, smile and be patient.
Also, clean up after yourself. Don’t leave random objects in random aisles. Are you done with that coffee you are drinking? Awesome! Please find a trash can. If you aren’t sure what to do with that DVD you decide you don’t want to buy, return it to someone who works for the store- the cashier, the info desk worker, etc. For instance, for the love of all that is holy, please do not leave 1,000 books on antiques spewd all over a table at 8:55 at night when the store closes at 9:00. I assure you, those employees, no matter how nice they are to you, do not want to stay any later then necessary during the holidays.
Which brings me to my next point, check the hour of stores!! If a store closes at 9, do not get there at 8:50 and begin to browse. The closing hours aren’t flexible! We will do our best to accommodate you but its pretty inconsiderate to expect an entire store to stay open because you didn’t plan accordingly. Especially when those employees have probably been running around like chickens with their heads cut off for a solid 5 hours, running on nothing but caffine and adrenaline. So please, please, check the hours of stores and be aware of the time
So remember kids- Be Patient, Clean Up after Yourself and Check the Hours of Your Store.
-End of Public Service Announcement-
wickedvegan.com 
This is awesome! I will bring my patience, along with my credit card, next time I go shopping. I hope people take your advice – although all bets are off in the parking garage!!
I couldn’t agree more. As someone who has worked countless Black Fridays, Christmas Eves and New Years Eves, I’ve seen a lot of horrible stuff, and I’ve stayed hours past closing to clean and restock. Good luck!
Amen sister!!