While the holiday season isn’t all about the gifts, the seasonal displays and Christmas music in stores put just about anyone in a shopping mood. It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for yourself or for the perfect gift for someone else. If you find yourself in stores frequently, it’s easy to get jumbled up in the craziness of retail during the holiday season. For those who work in stores, the holidays can be a time of both joy and chaos. Coming from someone with experience in retail, here are some tips to make holiday shopping enjoyable for both you and store employees.
- It starts at the door
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One of the biggest blows to a person’s ego is not being acknowledged. This goes for retail workers, too. The frequency at which shoppers ignore workers when they greet them at the door is astounding. Please, in the name of holiday spirit, say hello when you are greeted at the door. You don’t have to have a full conversation with the employee, but a friendly smile and a warm greeting can make anyone’s day just a little bit better.
- Tell them what you’re looking for
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Many of the employees that you will encounter over the holiday season helped to set up the floor displays, so if you are looking for something specific, don’t be afraid to ask. Chances are the person greeting you at the door knows exactly where the soft winter sweaters are. They might even be able to tell you if there’s one like it on the clearance rack for a cheaper price. If the store doesn’t have what you are looking for, then asking the people who work there will keep you from hopelessly looking through the store when you could be in the Starbucks line.
- Ask for help when you go through a display
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Working in the store during opening hours can be rough on anyone, but the real work comes when the store closes the doors and all of the customers leave. For that reason, many employees will work on folding displays during open hours to save themselves some time at night. Nothing is more frustrating than folding and organizing a display of jeans, just to have someone come through and completely wreck it. So in the interest of you and the employee’s sanity, please ask for help if you are trying to get an item out of a display. If a set up looks like it took a long time, it probably did. You don’t want to be the Grinch who came along and ruined their hard work.
- Don’t try to put things back on your own
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It may seem like a good idea to put the things you don’t want back where you found them, but unfortunately, that’s probably not the right place. Instead, you should find where the store has allotted an area for the things that customers don’t want. This is usually a rolling rack or a clothing bin. The store probably has a specific person working on putting things back where they go. If you can’t find the right place to put back your unwanted items, give them to a store employee. They will know where to put them, and it will help them keep the store organized for all their customers.
- Stay off the phone while in line
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Think of checking out at the store the same way that you think about having a conversation with someone. You wouldn’t sit on the phone while you were talking to someone else, so please don’t do it at the cash register! The cashier will probably try to communicate with you about deals or promotions, or they will need to ask you about payment methods and rewards programs. Talking on the phone makes any sort of interaction awkward for everyone. Checking out won’t take that long. In five minutes, you can call the person right back.
- Pay attention to the rewards programs
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Most stores have rewards programs that can save you money, especially during the holiday season. Listen to the benefits before you cut off the employee from speaking. They might be telling you how you can get a large chunk of your spending reduced. Even if it’s not something you’re interested in, listen politely. The spiel won’t take that long, and the retail worker will love you for it.
- Be aware of store closing times
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You may think that you have time to run into the store five minutes before it closes, but try to make it out before they lock the doors and turn off the music. Employees at retailers can’t tell customers that they are closed if they are still shopping. This means that you are keeping those workers from locking up and going to be with their loved ones during the holiday season. They may put on a cheery face when they ask if you need any help, but deep down, they resent you. Try to wrap up your purchases before the store closes. If you need to continue shopping at closing time, ask the store to put some items on hold for you so that you can come back the next day. Just be cognizant of others. They’ve been there all day and want to go home.
They want to help you and make sure you’re enjoying yourself, but you can also help them. Try keeping others in mind this holiday season as you begin to add to your shopping cart. These tips can help you ensure that everyone is staying merry and bright, even in the retail chaos.