Students reflect on the horrors of working Black Friday

Black Friday, the Day after Thanksgiving, is Nov. 23, 2018. Across the country people wait in lines to get deals on products in stores. Rebecca Slezsk,DN.
Black Friday, the Day after Thanksgiving, is Nov. 23, 2018. Across the country people wait in lines to get deals on products in stores. Rebecca Slezsk,DN.

Retail workers have a different story than the shoppers who hit the stores to buy for the Christmas season. 

Within Kohl's, Michael's and Target, students experienced similar customer-related situations. 

Kelly Ritter shares her story about working at Michael's during Black Friday in 2013. As she worked to run the register efficiently, a customer came up to inform her there was a problem in the women’s bathroom. 


“I walked into the bathroom and found that someone not only smeared a candy bar all over the handicap stall, they had also smeared their poop all over the toilet, walls and floor,” Ritter said. “There was poop everywhere. I left in disgust but had to laugh because I wasn’t the one to clean it up.”


Serena Hendershot shares her story about working as a cashier during Black Friday at Kohl's in 2014. At Kohl's, certain sales only lasted for parts of the day, but a shopper argued with Hendershot and her manager to give her the sale after the designated times, even though advertisements clearly stated the restrictions. Michaela Kelley, DN.


“I ended up folding the denim table two days later. I think it was on Sunday, in the women’s section,” Hendershot said. “It was that big of a mess because people had put them on the floor; they weren’t even on the tables anymore. 

“You think people who were trying to get a sale would rush and grab stuff, and if it didn’t fit, return it and get money back for it. But they were actually using the fitting rooms. You can exchange it, so why are you trying stuff on?”


Charlie Magan shares his story about working Black Friday in 2016 at a Super Target in Carmel, Indiana. While unloading 20 turkeys from a shipping truck, a father chastised Magan about his daughter’s lost toy customer service had the whole time.


“I have personally been Black Friday shopping. I didn’t go during the madness, but I remember it looking like a hurricane had went through,” Magan said. “Just all of the shelves were empty and nothing was there. 

“I also remember working the next day, and for a good two or three days after Black Friday, the shelves were empty. We didn’t have anything in the back room, and everyone took everything. So we were sitting there, and when people would ask if we had a certain toy or home appliance, we would just have to say no.”

Contact Pauleina Brunnemer with comments at pdbrunnemer@bsu.edu or on Twitter @pauleina15

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