In Defense of Retailers

This is the busiest time of year for us. Most of us love our jobs; retail can be a lot of fun. Most of us love the crowds and the excitement and the chaos of the holiday season, and we certainly love our paychecks. This is not a bad thing. You wouldn’t work if it weren’t for your paycheck, either. But there are some things the rest of you should understand about us:

You are the reason we are away from our families. If you walk into the store at the exact moment it opens on Black Friday, or Thanksgiving, please understand that we have been here, away from our family celebrations, for two hours already, getting ready for you. You probably brought someone you love with you, but we don’t have that luxury. We are alone on a family holiday, and if you refused to shop on Thanksgiving, we would not be here. An extra measure of kindness and appreciation for what we are doing will take no extra time and will make you our favorite customer of the day. You have no idea what a precious commodity a friendly customer is.

We are working long hours on our feet on cement floors. If we are lucky, we may find 15 minutes to swallow our lunch whole, but we have learned not to expect that. We want to help you find the perfect gift, because we understand how important that is (we have families, too, you see, and we want to find the perfect gift for them, just like you). We will do our very best. If you understand that we are exhausted and hungry, and treat us with care and consideration, we will love you, and thank whatever deity we hold holy for you.

We say “Happy Holidays” not because we are trying to be politically correct, and certainly not because we are trying to offend anyone. We say “Happy Holidays” because we don’t know you, or your religious beliefs, and we are working very hard to be inclusive. We will not be offended if you respond with “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Hanukah” or “Salubrious Solstice” or whatever you like, as long as you say it with politeness and good cheer. Remember, you don’t know us, either. We may not celebrate the same holiday you do. Our diversity is part of what keeps our world interesting. Greet us pleasantly, both coming in and leaving our stores, and you will be one of the bright spots in our holiday, special for your rarity.

All of this is very simple. Say “Please” when you ask us for something. Say “Thank you” when we do our best to help you. Be patient when we have sold out of something, and let us suggest alternatives. Understand that we are not CEOs (they are all hiding in their nice, safe offices because they aren’t as brave as we are) and don’t really have control over our company policies. Remember that we are real people with real feelings that can really be hurt, not emotionless robots.