The countdown to Christmas has begun.
In a season that is supposed to bring out the peace, joy and happiness in all of us, it seems some folks still lack that spirit, especially when they test their patience with gift shopping.
Anyone who has ever worked in retail can attest to the craziness that takes place on Black Friday and continues for the next four weeks. It's the busiest time of the year in this industry and it can usually accurately predict how the next entire year's sales will turn out. With the recession reportedly coming to a close, many stores wanted to burst into those next quarter sales with a flourish so they went all out in their promotions this year for the sales holiday.
I've worked at a clothing store in the Muncie Mall since May 2007 and this year marked my third dose of after-Thanksgiving madness. Following a philosophy along the lines of "just pull the Band-Aid off quickly," I decided to work my store's opening shift on Black Friday, which started at 4:45 a.m.
When I got to work, we had a team meeting and got our cash register assignments. As we all walked up to the front of the store, we could hear the murmur of the crowds that had engulfed the outside of the store, and they didn't sound particularly pleased. In fact, they were pressing up against the gates in anticipation, a few of them glaring. I tried to avoid looking directly at them, because they looked too much like a pack of lions ready to rip us to bits.
Apparently, my manager said, there had been misunderstandings between customers and the circular ad about what time we opened.
Wonderful.
Some people told us they had been waiting outside our store since midnight, thinking we opened earlier than we did. They were antsy, pissed off and tired, which is a combination that especially terrifies employees.
When the gates went up, hundreds of people stampeded into the store, literally running to snatch whatever items they wanted. Some people filled carts quicker than had ever been seen on the "Supermarket Sweep" game show. The cashiers stood tentatively behind the counters, eyeballing each other, while also thinking a silent thank you for the slight barrier from the herd.
As the first customers came up to check out — maybe two minutes after the gates had gone up — I could tell they were not happy. Truthfully, I was afraid of smiling at them; they looked like they'd sooner slap me than make cheerful small talk. Fleeting curse words could be heard throughout the register lanes from time to time; some customers complained about the opening time and others about a lack of available doorbusters or sale items.
If you can work at a retail store on Black Friday, I'm convinced you can handle pretty much anything life decides to hurtle at you. The absolute chaos, mind-bendingly long lines, rude customers, "Oh my gosh, a bomb exploded over there" messes and ridiculously early hours are enough to drive any person nuts. This year's Black Friday was even nice enough to give parts of Muncie — including the mall — a power outage during the early morning rush.
So when you are shopping this holiday season, try not to take out your anger on the plebeian employees who have nothing to do with corporate decisions. Many of us would like to change a few things as well; after all, we are the ones who hear the complaints repeatedly. Most store employees are working at just-over minimum wage to pay for rent, school or bills. Try to give us all a break this year.
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