Black Friday is the bane of the retail worker’s existence. I worked in retail for five years. That’s five Black Fridays and five holiday seasons that I have survived. Although the discounts, employees and customers change, the struggles that every retail worker faces don’t. After experiencing the horrors of many a Black Friday, here are just a few thoughts that cross the minds of retail workers:
The Fitting Room
Why are you trying on clothes on Black Friday? It’s almost 90 percent off, so it’s basically free! Who cares if it fits? Worst case scenario, you have to return oe exchange it.
Returns
“I just have a return, do I have to wait in line?” Yes. You do. It’s not my fault you chose to do a return on the busiest shopping day of the year.
Price Adjustments
We literally advertised our sale a YEAR in advance, and it hasn’t changed in three years. It’s not my fault you chose to buy it for more money two days ago.
Oh and returning it and rebuying it is a price adjustment.
Go-Backs
It seems that on Black Friday, people seem to give back more clothes in the fitting room than they even try on. Employees are running around trying to put it away thinking, “Where does this go… frick I have no idea. Literally nothing is in the right place. It doesn’t matter. I’ll just throw it in this general direction and I’m sure it’ll land in the right place.”
Folding the sales floor
I could roll everything on this table into a ball and then set it on fire and it would somehow look neater than it does right now.
People who ask to speak to a manager
They’re too busy dealing with the ten other disasters right now. Just accept what I’m telling you, because my boss would just come over and say the same thing, and move on.
Walking to the back room for your break and looking at the battlefield around you
The store is on fire, but it’s fine. We’re fine. Everything is fine.
Those people that complain about the line
I’m sorry, ma’am, but it’s the busiest shopping day of the year. Every coworker possible is ringing customers up right now, we have no registers left to ring on. What do you want me to do for you? Pull another register out of my pocket?
Working the graveyard shift
It’s 9 a.m. and everyone is wishing you good morning with their Starbucks and happy smiles and all you want to do is go lay down on those piles of clothing everywhere.
Working the closing shift
Can we just set the store on fire and start over?
People who come in on Thanksgiving and ask you how yours was
“I don’t know Margo, I’ve been working here. But let me call the rest of my family and ask.”
People who complain that we’re open on Thanksgiving as they shop in our store on Thanksgiving
There are no words for the amount of stupidity there.
Those people that pay you for a $1000 transaction with one dollar bills
You know, there are bigger bills that exist.
Customers that ask you to call another store to find an item
I promise you that they want me to call them even less than I want to call them. Their store is on fire, our store is on fire. The only good that comes out of calling them is the five minutes I can hide behind the counter and not talk to anyone.
Customers that ask if they can put something on hold
While Black Friday can be stressful for shoppers, please be nice to retail workers. We’re exhausted, hungry, and have been standing for hours!